ThriftyFun Recipes - August 6, 2009

Summer is in full swing. Do you have any recipes to help with the bounty of the season? Be sure to share them. Thanks to Gayle C., plumcottage, Juanita S., Mythi, mkymlp, and David for today's tips and recipes.

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Recipe Requests:

• Making a Wendy's Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty
• Homemade Green Goddess Dressing Recipe
• Recipe for Paula Deen's House Dressing
• Freezing Summer Squash
• Preparing Dried Cayenne Peppers For Cooking

Today's Food Tips:

• Add Ham Hock When Cooking Beans and Peas
• Bulk Bargains in the Meat Department

Today's Contest Recipes:

• Au Gratin Potatoes with Ham
• Easy Cobbler
• Grilled Corn on the Cob
• Bubba's Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Robins's Recipe Corner:

• Cinnamon Crisps
• Lemon Loaf
• Apple Strudel
• Chicken Tetrazzini

Crafting for Fun and Money!

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Making a Wendy's Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty

How Do you make a Wendy's Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty?

By TaniPaigi from Deltona,FL

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Homemade Green Goddess Dressing Recipe

I have found several online, but would like to know if anyone here has made any, and which is your fave. I am the only one at home that likes it, and I hate to spend the time/money to make it, to decide I don't like it. For now, I am sticking with small store bought bottles.

By fatboyslimsmom from Many, LA

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Recipe for Paula Deen's House Dressing

Does anyone have the recipe for Paula Deen's House Seasoning?

By Judy from IA

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Freezing Summer Squash

What is the preferred way to freeze yellow squash and zucchini?

By ruthkri from MN

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Preparing Dried Cayenne Peppers For Cooking

How do you process fresh cayenne pepper?

By Trapper Cook from Riverton, WY

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Add Ham Hock When Cooking Beans and Peas

Add a ham hock to the pot when cooking beans and peas. This brings so much flavor; whether it is fresh vegetables or frozen.

By Gayle C. from Tallahassee, FL

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Bulk Bargains in the Meat Department

With grocery bills going through the roof, I am always on the lookout for ways to trim mine. I always look for bargains in the meat department and last month found a real money saver.

Boneless chicken, pork loin and beef round were all on sale (at three different stores) for 99 cents a pound. But you had to buy at least 3-5 pounds of a meat to get the price.

As I was deciding how to justify 5 pounds of round roast for my small family, the butcher saw me and suggested I have him grind half! What a great idea! I got about 3 pounds of extra lean ground beef for only 99 cents a pound instead of the usual 3 dollar price, and I also had a nice 2 pound roast.

I did the same thing with the other meats. Now I have plenty of ground chicken, ground pork and hamburger meat for several weeks. All at only 99 cents a pound! From now on I will always look at the cheaper, large family pack sizes and think of the "grinding" possibilities.

By plumcottage from a cottage by the Sea

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Au Gratin Potatoes with Ham

This recipe was our Thursday night supper when all 5 kids were living at home. It is a one dish casserole meal that I usually serve with a tossed green salad and/or a veggie on the side.

I got the idea when I was making AuGratin Potatoes and sliced ham for dinner and then decided there wouldn't be enough Ham to go around for everybody. Now I make it, portion it, and freeze it for just my DH and myself to enjoy. My daughter adds chopped broccoli when she makes it and it is quite tasty, unfortunately, my DH doesn't like broccoli.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups thinly sliced potatoes (peeled or unpeeled, I did half and half)
• 3 cups smokey flavored ham cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch dice (can use more or less, if desired)
• 1 can condensed cream of celery soup
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• approximately 1/2 of a large log of Velveeta Cheese, cubed small
• 1 medium-sized green bell pepper, chopped fine
• 1 small-sized raw yellow onion, diced fine
• black pepper, to taste (doesn't. require salt because the condensed soup and ham are so salty!)
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (optional or to your taste)
• 1 large can French-fried onions

Please Note: French-fried onions will go on the top of the mix toward the end of baking! Use a food processor on 'pulse' to cut down on the prep time for onion and bell pepper--use the slicing disk for the potatoes.

Also note, that I have also used frozen cubed potatoes and frozen hash brown potatoes in this recipe. If using frozen, do not use the 1/2 cup. of milk as the potatoes are already partially cooked and do not require the added liquid and cut down the baking time.

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together the 2 soups, sour cream, pepper, and garlic powder. Add bell pepper, and raw onion to the mix, stirring well. Pour approximately 1/4 of this mixture into the heavily buttered baking dish(es). Add approximately half of the potatoes, ham, and Velveeta cheese. Pour another 1/4 of the soup mixture over the top of this. Add the rest of the potatoes and ham and top with remaining soup mixture. Sprinkle remaining Velveeta cheese over this.

Cover very loosely with foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and take off foil. Cover with French-fried onions and return to the oven for another 20 to 30 minutes. Casserole is done when top is lightly browned and potatoes are done. Serve hot as a side dish.

Travels well. Freezes well.

By Juanita S. from Enid, OK

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Easy Cobbler

It's easy to make and you can use any type of berries in it

Ingredients:

• Ingredients :
• 1/4 cup soft butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup unsifted regular all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 pound of fresh berries (blackberries, baspberries, loganberries, marionberries, blueberries will all work)
• Sugar to taste (for topping)

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar until smooth and well blended. Sift the flour with baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture a little at a time alternately with the milk, beating just until the thick batter is smooth.

Spread the batter evenly in a greased 9-inch square baking pan (it will rise to the top while baking). Pour berries or fruit and their liquid over batter. Sprinkle with sugar to taste.

Bake in 350 degrees F. oven for about 1 hour or until crust is golden brown. We also put a little cinnamon in the sugar.

Serve topped with vanilla ice cream if you wish

You just spread the berries over the top of the batter and the batter rises up around it and the berries sink.

Source: Friend gave it to me

By Mythi from Poulsbo, WA

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Grilled Corn on the Cob

It's an easy and delicious way to cook corn on the grill.

Ingredients:

• Corn on the cob with husk and silk intact
• Water
• Gas grill

Directions:

Place corn on the cob, with husks and silk intact, in sink. Fill with cold water and let soak for at least one hour. Place heavy plate on top to keep the corn submerged under water. Drain sink.

Cook on medium gas grill for 20 minutes with lid closed, turning 1/4 turn every 5 minutes. Using clean leather/suede work gloves, strip off husks and silk since the corn will be hot.

My husband keeps a pair of clean work gloves just for stripping the corn. The husk and the silk is very easy to clean off after cooking. He cleans the corn outside to avoid a mess in the kitchen.

If you are cooking a large amount of corn on the cob, use a large plastic container to keep the corn soaking outside in the shade until ready to grill.

To cook one ear in the microwave, wrap two damp paper towels around one ear with the husk and silk, and microwave on high for about 3 minutes depending on the wattage of your microwave.

While this is good, it will not have the grilled taste as if cooked on the grill.

Source: Local farmer

By mkymlp from NE PA

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Bubba's Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

I love this sauce because it is meaty, hearty, and stretches easy.

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. ground beef
• 3- 14oz cans of tomato sauce (can substitute crushed or chopped tomatoes)
• 2- 6.5oz cans of mushroom ends and pieces
• 2- 6.5oz cans of sliced, pitted black olives
• 1- large onion finely chopped
• 1- large green bell pepper finely chopped
• 1- large red bell pepper finely chopped
• rosemary, thyme, basil, garlic salt, black pepper, oregano, and any other seasonings you like to taste.

Directions:

Brown the hamburger meat in a large frying pan. Once the meat has started producing fat, pour in the onion, and bell peppers. Cook over medium heat until the onions are clear and the peppers start to soften.

Drain the fat off, add the tomato sauce, olives, mushrooms and any spices you like. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally. Once the sauce comes to a boil, you can taste it to see if it needs any other seasonings.

Enjoy Bubba's Spaghetti Sauce! It freezes well so any leftover can be saved for a later date. It usually feeds my family of 3 for three different meals. Left overs can be served on a bun as a fancy sloppy joe also. I have added a can of corn to the recipe when I have had to stretch it, it is a tasty twist in spaghetti sauces

Source: My own kitchen concoction!

By David from Flippin, AR

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Cinnamon Crisps

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup soft butter or other shortening
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup undiluted evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Lemon Loaf

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• grated rind of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (opt.)

• 1/3 cup sugar
• juice of 1 lemon

Directions

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Apple Strudel

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup warm water

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 qts. sliced apples
• 1 cup (or more) sugar
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups butter dry bread crumbs
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup[ nuts or coconut, if desired

Directions

When dough is warm, stretch it over a floured cloth on a table until paper thin. Trim hard edges. Brush with melted butter. Arrange apple slices over all of dough except about 6 inches on one end. Combine remaining ingredients and sprinkle over apples. Drizzle with remaining butter. Roll as for jelly roll. Arrange in horseshoe shape in greased 15x18 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour, brushing occasionally with more melted butter.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Chicken Tetrazzini

Ingredients

• 4-6 oz. spaghetti
• 1 can mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup green pepper
• 1 Tbsp. minced onion
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• 1 cup diced chicken
• 1/4 cup minced pimentos
• dash salt
• dash pepper

Directions

By Robin from Washington, IA

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