ThriftyFun Recipes - August 18, 2008

Thank you Harlean, Betty, Anne, Jayme, Robin, Pico, Leila and cerealwife for today's tips and recipes!

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Recipe Requests:

• French Vanilla Coffee Creamer Recipe
• Recipe For Hot Dog Relish
• Homemade Yogurt Recipe
• Hardee's Style Cinnamon Raisin Bisquits

Today's Food Tips:

• Freezing Produce In Paper Bags
• Trick to Placing Lids on Mayo Jar
• Store Cilantro In Water To Keep Longer

Today's Contest Recipes:

• Kosher Dills
• Salsa
• 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
• Jina's Antipasto and Pasta Salad

Robins's Recipe Corner:

• Chicken Enchiladas Ole'
• Orange Slice Cookies
• Turkey Hash
• Soft Raisin Cookies (Bars)
• Scalloped Cabbage

Crafting for Fun and Money!

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French Vanilla Coffee Creamer Recipe

I'm looking for recipes for homemade vanilla coffee creamer.

Jenni from Ponca City, OK

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Recipe For Hot Dog Relish

I am looking for a recipe for hot dog relish like the kind you buy - eg. Bicks. I have tried several but they are all on the sweet side. Anyone have such a recipe? Thanks.

Gloria from Saskatchewan

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Homemade Yogurt Recipe

I would like to know how to make my own yogurt.

Linda from Stony Creek, NY

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Hardee's Style Cinnamon Raisin Bisquits

I want to make homemade cinnamon raisin biscuits with the icing over them just like Hardee's restaurants have. Does anyone have or know how to make them the same way from scratch? Thanks

Julie

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Freezing Produce In Paper Bags

I learned this freezing method from a friend who puts up produce from a very large garden every year. She freezes Okra, green beans, bell peppers, zucchini and yellow squash, Purple hull peas, and more this way. Use brown paper lunch bags.

Take three bags, open and insert one inside the other for a triple thick bag. Wash your veggies, and lay on a towel to dry. When dry, prepare appropriately: snap the beans, shell the peas, slice the squash, etc. Put them into the prepared paper bags. Then fold down the tops and either clip them or staple them. Label and date the bags with a sharpie, and put them in the freezer.

They will not freeze together into a lump, and very little, if any, frost will accumulate in the bag. Also, no freezer burn. Blanching is not necessary. I have even started transferring the frozen veggies that I buy from the store to the paper bags. They keep better. You can open a bag and use what you need, then re-fold and re-staple the bag.

By Harlean from Hot Springs, Arkansas

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Trick to Placing Lids on Mayo Jar

If you have trouble getting lids back on mayo jars, etc., turn lid counterclockwise a few times and it should drop right in the groove then turn clockwise to close. Works for me every time. :)

By Betty from Painesville, Ohio

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Store Cilantro In Water To Keep Longer

To keep cilantro from wilting after you bring it home from the store, stand the bunch in a glass of water and stick it in the fridge. It will stay fresh for a week+. The same holds true for parsley.

By Anne from Green Bay, WI

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Kosher Dills

With canning season coming soon I thought I would share my recipe for Dill Pickles. I have made them for many years with many requests for the recipe. So I hope you will try and enjoy them.

Ingredients

• 30-36 cukes (3-4 inches long)
• 3 cups vinegar
• 3 cups water
• 6 Tbsp. coarse salt
• Dill
• 1-2 cloves garlic, sliced in half
• 1 1/2 tsp. mustard seed

Directions

Wash the cukes, brush off any spines and trim the tips.* Combine the vinegar water and salt and bring to boil.

Using sterilized jars:

• Put a generous layer of dill, the garlic and the mustard seed in the bottom of the jar.
• Pack first layer of cukes in jar(standing end to end)
• Repeat with a second layer of spices and second layer of cukes.
• Fill to 1/2 inch with brine, top will sterilized lid and band.
• Let sit on counter until you hear the "pop" that they are sealed.

* I usually poke each cuke with a fork before packing in jars.

This is the original recipe but I have added up to 5-6 cloves of garlic, if you are garlic lovers, they are even better. Sometimes I will put a few small carrots in each jar instead of making pickled carrots. Last year my DH wanted some hot pickles so I bought some jalepenos, sliced 1 in half and put both halves in one jar, these were also great, but one jalepeno was hot enough for me.

Hope you enjoy this recipe

By Pico from St. Paul, Alberta

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Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 can black beans, undrained
• 1 can niblet corn, undrained
• Red onion, chopped
• Tomatoes, chopped
• Cucumber or celery, chopped
• Banana pepper or green pepper, chopped
• Zesty Italian Salad Dressing (can use fat free)

Directions

Dump all ingredients into a bowl and mix. Chill. Serve on toasted bread rounds, bagel crisps, tortilla chips, Fritos scoops, etc.

There are no amounts for this recipe. It is a "dump" recipe. Add as much or as little as you would like. Also, you can add different vegetables if you prefer.

Source: My Aunt passed this recipe along to me, but I believe she originally got the idea from a Weight Watchers meeting.

By Jayme from Harrisonburg, VA

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3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

• 1- 15 ounce jar of peanut butter (crunchy, creamy or natural)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients together. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a tablespoon, dip out and roll dough into balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.

Dip a fork into the water press the dough down gently and make traditional criss-cross patterns. Bake about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Cookies finish baking while cooling.

Source: KET TV many years ago

By Leila from Lexington,KY

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Jina's Antipasto and Pasta Salad

This recipe can be tweaked to your liking and can easily be served as a main course. It can get expensive but I promise it's cheaper than buying it pre-made from a deli (tastes better for sure) and you will be asked for the recipe! I've found that the more I add, the more people love it!

Ingredients

• Italian dressing mix (cruet style)
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• block of mozzarella cheese, cut into smaller than bite sized cubes
• black olives, drained
• small container fresh mushrooms (small ones), cleaned properly
• small jar marinated artichoke hearts (marinade reserved)
• two roma tomatoes or one small regular tomato, diced (for color)
• small package turkey pepperoni (vegetarian or regular is fine too)
• minced garlic (to taste)
• two small or one large package tortellini from the refrigerated section (any flavor)

Directions

Prepare Italian dressing as package instructs using olive oil and balsamic as your oil and vinegar, set aside. Combine all ingredients except the tortellini in your best large bowl (I mean LARGE, you'll be adding pasta later and will need to have room to stir). Pour about 2/3 of well mixed dressing over all the ingredients and stir gently. Let this marinate for several hours, overnight if possible.

Prepare tortellini as instructed on package, be very careful not to overcook so the insides of the pasta stay intact. Drain and cool as you would for any pasta salad. Gently stir the pasta in with the marinated ingredients and the remaining dressing.

Serve with breadsticks.

Source: This derives from a beautiful plate of antipasto my friend made at a home decor party many years ago.

By cerealwife from Minneapolis, MN

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Chicken Enchiladas Ole'

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 container sour cream (16oz.)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• dash red pepper
• cumin (sprinkle on each tortilla mixture)
• 12 flour tortillas
• oil
• 1 1/2 cups salsa

Directions

Combine chicken, 1 cup sour cream, 3/4 cup cheese and the onions and the pepper; mix well. Dip tortillas in hot oil to soften; drain. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup mixture and sprinkle with cumin; roll up tightly. Place seam down in 9x13 inch pan. Top with salsa. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and serve with remaining sour cream.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Orange Slice Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups shortening
• 1 1/2 tsp. soda
• 3 eggs
• 20 candy orange slices, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
• 1 can coconut
• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3 cups oatmeal

Directions

Cream brown sugar, sugar and shortening together in bowl. Dissolve soda in 3 tablespoons water. Add soda, eggs, candy, pecans and coconut to creamed ingredients, mixing well. Sift flour and baking powder together. add to batter, mixing well. Stir in oatmeal. Shape into roll. Chill wrapped, for several hours. Slice to desired thickness. Bake at 325 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. Note: May be frozen.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Turkey Hash

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
• 1/2 stick margarine
• 1 1/2 cups cooked turkey, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup turkey gravy
• 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley, opt.

Directions

Saute' veggies in margarine until limp. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer until blended, about 15 minutes. The hash is better if made the day before. Freezes well.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Soft Raisin Cookies (Bars)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups raisins
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg

Directions

Cook raisins in about 1 cup water for 10 minutes. Let cool. Sift dry ingredients together. Beat remaining ingredients well and add dry mixture. Drain the liquid off the raisins, and add enough water to make 1 cup. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the sugar-butter alternately with the raisins juice. Add the cooked raisins and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix well. Spread on greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until it tests done with a toothpick.

While still hot, frost with a powdered sugar glaze. Add milk gradually to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla to make a thick glaze. Spread on bars. When cool, cut into squares.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Scalloped Cabbage

Ingredients

• 1 head cabbage, shredded and blanched
• butter, as desired
• 1 can evaporated milk
• cheese, cubed, as desired
• buttered crumbs

Directions

Drain blanched cabbage. Add butter, milk and cheese. Put in buttered casserole and top with buttered crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees F until brown and bubbly.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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