Thrifty Fun Recipes - Aug. 4, 2009

Vol. 8, Num. 151, August 4, 2009 (Read It Online) Thanks to davidicdancer, Stephanie, Angela, k.lamers, scott E., mc9 for the tips and recipes today. Take a look at the food requests and see if you can offer any advice. Submit Your Favorite Recipe! Submit a Food tip! Looking for a recipe? Submit a request Thanks for reading, The ThriftyFun Team 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: Use Playdoh Fun Factory for Pasta Maker Thrifty Chocolate Milk Today's Contest Recipes: Angie's Chinese Salad Pepsi Pork Roast Freezer Pickled Veggies Strawberries and Ice Cream Robins's Recipe Corner: Sinfully Chocolate Torte Chicken Strata Pie Crust Reuben Casserole 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, 2 photo winners (1 photo and 1 pet photo) and 1 recipe 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: Use Playdoh Fun Factory for Pasta Maker Oodles of Noodles. All you need: the Fun Factory (the one where you put playdoh in, press into a tube using the handle, and the playdoh comes out in the stencil shape) and semolina flour It's a lot cheaper than buying a pasta press. Just be sure that your pasta dough is on the dry side, so that it won't rejoin to itself once through the stencil. Have fun! Source: My husband - need and ingenuity By davidicdancer from Spokane, WA Contest Contender! This post is a contest contender! Read it and then Rate it: Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf70496053.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Thrifty Chocolate Milk Make chocolate milk from powdered milk and generic brand chocolate syrup. Then, when kids want hot chocolate, heat it up. It's so easy, and so inexpensive. Marshmallows are optional. By Stephanie from Anchorage, AK Contest Contender! This post is a contest contender! Read it and then Rate it: Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf74452259.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Today's Contest Recipes: Angie's Chinese Salad This is a good pot luck dish, very delicious and refreshing. I knew it must be special when men ask for the recipe. Ingredients 8 chopped green onions 1 chopped garlic 1 medium head thinly sliced cabbage Dressing: 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. black pepper 2 ramen flavor packets (chicken and/or beef flavor) 1/4 cup oil 2 Tbsp soy sauce 6 Tbsp. rice or white vinegar. 1 Tbsp dark sesame oil Crunchies: crushed Ramen noodles from 2 packages (not flavor packet now) 1/4 cup sliced almonds, 1/4 cup sesame seeds 1/4 cup sunflower seeds. (or whatever you have) 2 Tbsp butter Optional: If you wish, you can cook 1 whole chicken breast in a little water. Cool and cut into chunks and add to cabbage. Directions: For Dressing: In a saucepan, heat all ingredients but sesame oil. When cool, add in sesame oil. For Crunchies: Toast in dry skillet over low heat. Set aside to cool. Toss vegetables together in a large bowl. Pour and mix dressing over cabbage mix about 1/2 hour before serving and add Crunchies just before serving. Leftovers, if you have any, taste great, but the noodles may be a little softer. Servings: 6 Time: 20 Minutes Preparation Time 5 Minutes Cooking Time Source: Culled from many Chinese Cabbage and Ramen recipes. I finally was satisfied with this combination. By Angela from Glendale, CA Contest Contender! This post is a contest contender! Read it and then Rate it: Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf11145334.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Pepsi Pork Roast I've had this recipe for many years and it is a family favorite. It is so good and so easy. Ingredients: one 4 to 6 lb. pork roast 1/2 package dry onion soup mix 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 can Pepsi cola Directions: Place roast in baking pan or crockpot. Add dry soup mix, Cream of Mushroom soup and cola. Bake in 250 - 300 degree F over for 3-4 hours. (Consult your crockpot cookbook for crockpot method). You may want to place a few peeled and quartered potatoes around the roast because there will be plenty of good gravy. This is so easy and so good. Source: A former co-worker. By k.lamers from Auxvasse, MO Contest Contender! This post is a contest contender! Read it and then Rate it: Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf92148128.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Freezer Pickled Veggies Easy and made ahead of time. Ingredients: 2 pounds unpeeled or peeled, sliced cucumber 1/2 sliced medium red onion 1 medium bell pepper 1 chopped stalk of celery 3 carrots, quartered lengthwise into 3 inch pieces 1 tsp. salt 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup cider vinegar 1/4 tsp. of hot pepper flakes (optional) 1/4 tsp. of crushed garlic (optional) (I use a little more) Directions: Heat vinegar and sugar to dissolve, cool. Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Mix well. Place in 1 gallon resealable food storage bag. Seal tightly, releasing excess air. Freeze at least 24 hours. Remove from freezer. Thaw at room temperature. Refrigerate (flavors improve if thawed then allowed to stand a few days in refrigerator). May store up to 3 weeks in refrigerator or 1 year in freezer. I have replaced some of the veggies with radishes, parsnips, baby carrots, pea pods, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and green beans. They all worked. Use your imagination. If you want more pickle taste, heat the sugar and vinegar with some pickling spice or dill. By scott E. from Chicago Contest Contender! This post is a contest contender! Read it and then Rate it: Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf82582777.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Strawberries and Ice Cream Really fresh and suitable for hot days. Easy to make! Ingredients: 6 strawberries chopped in small pieces 2 scoops of favorite ice cream Directions: In a bowl put the fruit and the ice cream together and eat quickly. By mc9 from San Lawrenz Gozo Contest Contender! This post is a contest contender! Read it and then Rate it: Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf82003184.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Robin's Recipe Corner: Sinfully Chocolate Torte Ingredients 1 brownie mix 2/3 cup strong black coffee 7 bars German sweet chocolate 4 egg yolks 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin, softened with 3 Tbsp. cold water 4 egg whites 3 Tbsp. sugar 1 small carton Cool Whip Directions Prepare brownie mix according to package directions, but do not use nuts. place in a greased 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees F until done. This will not take as long as the package directions say because the pan is larger. While still warm, cut into 2 1/2 inch bars and line the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Place coffee and chocolate bars (broken) in top of double boiler. Place over simmering water until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and stir in egg yolks. Add the softened gelatin and mix well. Cool 30 minutes. Beat the egg whites until thickened. Slowly add the sugar and continue beating until stiff. Fold into chocolate mixture until well combined. Fold Cool Whip into "brownie ring" and chill at least 24 hours. Slice thin. By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf93995876.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Chicken Strata Ingredients 8 slices day old bread 2 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped green pepper 1/2 cup finely chopped celery 1/2 cup mayonnaise 3/4 tsp. salt dash pepper 2 slightly beaten eggs 1 1/2 cup milk 1 can cream of mushroom soup Directions Butter 2 slices bread, cut in 1/2 inch cubes and set aside. Cut remaining bread in 1 inch cubes and place half in bottom of 8x8 inch baking dish. Combine next 7 ingredients in a bowl. Spoon over bread cubes. Sprinkle remaining unbuttered bread cubes over chicken mixture. Combine the eggs and milk in bowl. Pour over all. Cover and chill 1 hour or overnight. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spoon the white sauce on top. Sprinkle with buttered cubes. Bake 50 minutes or until set. By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf59223918.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Pie Crust Ingredients 4 cups flour 1 Tbsp. sugar 2 tsp. salt 1 3/4 cups shortening 1 egg, beaten 1 Tbsp. vinegar 1/2 cup cold water Directions Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Add shortening and mix well. Add egg, vinegar and water; mix until well blended. Place in covered bowl and store in refrigerator. This will keep for 2 weeks or longer. By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf11679816.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Reuben Casserole Ingredients Directions 11 oz. pkg. sauerkraut, drained 2 tomatoes, sliced 2 Tbsp. Thousand Island dressing 2 Tbsp. butter 8 oz. shredded corned beef 8 oz. shredded Swiss cheese 1 can flaky buttermilk biscuits 2-3 rye crackers (crushed) 1/4 tsp. caraway seed Directions Spread drained sauerkraut in 9x13 inch dish. Top with tomatoes. Dot with dressing and butter. Cover with corned beef and cheese. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Take biscuits and separate each biscuit into 3 layers and put over meat-cheese mixture, slightly overlapping to form 3 rows. Sprinkle with rye crackers crumbs and caraway seed. Return to oven and bake 15-20 minutes more. Serves 6-8 By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf86403869.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | 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.