ThriftyFun Recipes - September 8, 2009

Thanks to smartGuy, Clynn, Frazzled Leslie, Elaine, nmbr1bandmom, and especially, Deeli for today's tips and recipes. Most of the kids in the U.S. have started back to school this week. Please share any after school snacks or easy weeknight dinner recipes or tips that you have found helpful. Also, we have a number of requests, so take a look and see if you have any advice to share.

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Recipe Requests:

• Looking For Flour Tortilla Recipe
• Making Homemade Bread
• Recipes on a Budget?
• Cooking with Tomatillos
• Macaroni Salad Recipe
• Omelet Recipes
• Best Way to Cook Steak
• Barnelli's Baked Spaghetti
• Tutti Frutti Recipe
• Recipes Using Canned Mackerel
• Making Sparkling Water

Today's Food Tips:

• Try Organic Milk Instead of Lactose Free Milk
• Tips For Cutting Fresh Pineapple
• Remove Onion Smell With White Vinegar

Today's Contest Recipes:

• Texas Corn Stew
• Frango Chocolate Mints
• Crockpot Alfredo Lasagna
• Crowd Winning Salsa
• Roasted Bell Peppers Stuffed with Garlic, Basil and Tomatoes

Robins's Recipe Corner:

• Sweet Potato Bread
• Chili Con Queso
• Broccoli and Cheese Soup
• Beef Stroganoff
• Butterscotch Pie

Crafting for Fun and Money!

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Looking For Flour Tortilla Recipe

How do I make homemade flour tortillas?

By hamnurse from Tampa Bay Area, FL

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Making Homemade Bread

I want to start making my own bread. Does anyone want to share their recipe?

By barrsbits from Council, NC

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Recipes on a Budget?

I am looking for any recipes or tips to feed two on $200.00 a month

By Lynda (crabby) from Kearny, NJ

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Cooking with Tomatillos

How do you freeze tomatillos? What is the best way to cook tomatillos?

By Baldeagle16 from Saginaw, MI

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Macaroni Salad Recipe

I'm looking for an easy recipe for macaroni salad which includes vinegar, as well as mayonnaise.

By angellface from Seymour, CT

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Omelet Recipes

How do I cook an omelet?

By gigges from Manchester, UK

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Best Way to Cook Steak

What's the best way to cook a steak?

By gigges from Manchester, UK

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Barnelli's Baked Spaghetti

Do you have a recipe for Barnelli's (Portlllo's) baked spaghetti? Thank you.

By irenet from Carol Stream, IL

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Tutti Frutti Recipe

I'm looking for a recipe for what my Grandmother called Tutti Frutti. It is a fruit preserve concoction that had oranges, pears, and other fruits. Thanks in advance.

By terryfnp from LaFayette, NY

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Recipes Using Canned Mackerel

Can I make patties out of canned mackerel similar to salmon patties?

By cyclechicred from Gastonia, NC

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Making Sparkling Water

How do you make your own sparkling water?

By KarenT. from Dayton, OH

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Try Organic Milk Instead of Lactose Free Milk

Read the news from USA Today a few days ago: More than 60% of people have problem with digesting regular milk. Here is the link:

• http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2009-08-30-lactose-intolerance_N.htm

Please do not be fooled by the news or by milk industry. If you are one of those 60%, like me, there is nothing wrong with your body. I can not drink regular milk. In the past I had to drink lactose free milk.

Then one day, I tried the organic milk, I was just fine with it. So now I consume organic milk instead of regular lactose free milk. I am suspecting that there is some chemical in the non-organic milk that our body can not digest. If you are the one who can not take regular milk, give organic milk a try. If it works, please come back visit Thriftyfun and give me a thumbs up.

By smartGuy from Bay Area

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Tips For Cutting Fresh Pineapple

I rarely purchase a fresh pineapple because they are such a pain to remove the skin without losing a lot of the fruit. Well, here was a 'duh' moment when a neighbor shared with me how she peels a pineapple.

Cut off the top and bottom and then make a complete lengthwise cut along the peel in to the flesh and then cut your slices. Once sliced just lift the the edge of the peel that was cut and pull it away. Core each slice if you would like or need to with a paring knife :-)

By Deeli from Richland, WA

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Remove Onion Smell With White Vinegar

This isn't exactly a cooking tip, it is a cleaning tip to use while you are cooking.

To get the onion smell off your hands, rinse them in white vinegar. There will be no trace of onion.

Source: I use white vinegar to cut grease in my pots and pans, so decided to try it after cutting onions yesterday and it worked.

By Clynn from Inglis, FL

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Texas Corn Stew

We are from New Orleans, but grew up in Houston. In New Orleans they make Macue Choux with shrimp. We couldn't afford shrimp, so since we were in Texas, Mom used hot dogs and renamed it Texas Corn Stew. It was the best of our old and new lives.

Ingredients:

• 1 can kernel corn
• 1 can creamed corn
• 1 can diced seasoned tomatoes (your choice)
• 1 pound hot dogs

Directions:

Cut the hot dogs into coins. Mix the corn and tomatoes in a sauce pan. Add the hot dogs. Heat for about 5 minutes. Serve over rice

Source: A wise and frugal mother

By Frazzled Leslie from Metairie, LA

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Frango Chocolate Mints

Remember these expensive chocolate mints for sale at exclusive department stores? Well, here's the recipe to make them yourself. Bon appetit :-)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 and 1/8 cup powdered sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tsp. peppermint extract

Directions:

Melt chips in a double boiler to melt and while cooling beat butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Beat in the cooled chocolate and peppermint. The longer you beat the fluffier the mints will be. Drop by half teaspoons on to wax paper or use a pastry bag for fancy mints. Keep refrigerated.

By Deeli from Richland, WA

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Crockpot Alfredo Lasagna

This is great first, because of the Alfredo sauce, secondly, using a crockpot, you can plug it in and go do something else.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 26-28 oz. spaghetti sauce
• 8 oz. tomato sauce
• 9 oz. (8) lasagna noodles
• 1 lb. jar of Alfredo sauce
• 12 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Directions:

Brown hamburger in skillet and drain. Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Spread 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce in bottom of crock pot. Stir in remaining spaghetti sauce and tomato sauce into ground beef. Layer 3 lasagna noodles over the sauce, break noodles if necessary. Top with 1/3 of the Alfredo sauce, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese. Top with 1/3 of ground beef mixture, spreading evenly. Repeat layering twice, using 2 noodles in the last layer. Sprinkle Parmesan on top

Source: I really don't remember, I have no notes where I got this recipe.

By Elaine from Iowa

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Crowd Winning Salsa

This salsa is a great dip to take to any party. It is always a huge hit.

Ingredients:

• 8 to 10 roma tomatoes, peeled
• 1 - 4 oz. can of tomato sauce
• 1 - 4 oz. can of diced green chilies
• 2 to 3 heaping tsp. fresh minced garlic
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5 to 6 sliced jalapenos, if desired
• 3 green onions
• cilantro, to taste

Directions:

Boil a small pan of water. Place the tomato in the water for no longer than 30 seconds. Remove the tomato. You will now be able to easily peel the tomato. Repeat with all the tomatoes.

Chop your tomatoes using a chopper or food processor. Place them in a metal or glass bowl. Add the tomato sauce, green chilies, minced garlic, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Cut up the jalapenos and add them to the salsa. Slice the green onions and chop into small pieces. Add the onions to the salsa. Last, but definitely not least, the cilantro makes the salsa. I generally add about 40 leaves of cilantro, if not more.

Cover and refrigerate for about an hour and then serve with your favorite Mexican dish or just to eat with the chips as a snack.

Source: Every recipe I use starts out coming from a cookbook. However, during the process I always change it to make it my recipe. So I guess this is a combined effort.

By nmbr1bandmom

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Roasted Bell Peppers Stuffed with Garlic, Basil and Tomatoes

Yummy served hot or cold :-)

Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil
• 3 bell peppers (your color choice or mix and match), halved and seeded
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 8 heaping tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 7x11 or 9x13 inch baking dish with vegetable oil and place bell pepper halves open side up in the prepared baking dish.

In a medium bowl, toss together the cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Equally fill each pepper half with mixture and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes then remove the aluminum foil and continue baking for 15 more minutes.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with vinegar and Parmesan.

By Deeli from Richland, WA

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Sweet Potato Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Chili Con Queso

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 1 can stewed tomatoes or stew 3 of your own fresh tomatoes
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced
• 4 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup light cream
• tortilla chips

Directions

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-2 pkgs. broccoli, frozen and chopped (16oz. size)
• 4 cans chicken broth (4oz. size)
• 1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed
• 2 cups milk
• 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 2/3 cup cornstarch
• cheese or garlic flavored croutons

Directions

In a small bowl, stir cornstarch into a small amount of water until dissolved. Stir the cornstarch into a small amount of water until dissolved. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the soup and cook, stirring frequently, until the soup becomes thick. Garnish with cheese and garlic flavored croutons. By Robin from Washington, IA

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Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients

• 1 lb. tenderloin
• 1/4 cup butter
• 6 oz. (2 cups) mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 can beef broth
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• pepper, to taste

Directions

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Butterscotch Pie

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 cup milk
• 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 pie shell, baked (9 inch)
• meringue

• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 6 Tbsp. sugar

Directions

For meringue: Beat egg whites with cream of tartar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form and all sugar id dissolved. Spread on top of pie, sealing to pastry. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes, or until meringue is golden.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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