ThriftyFun Recipes - June 5, 2008

Thank you Stephanie, Robin, Connie, Darlene, Sheila, Ruth and Harlean for today's tips and recipes.

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Recipe Requests:

• What Are Good Vegetables for Dehydrating?
• Freezing Milk
• Are Sage Seeds Edible?

Today's Food Tips:

• Lowering Fats and Sugars in Your Diet
• Making Cheap Ground Beef Healthier
• Left-over Coffee Smoothie

Today's Contest Recipes:

• Butterfinger Angel Dessert
• Potato and Wild Rice Soup
• Apple-Praline Bubble Bread

Robins's Recipe Corner:

• Twinkies Dessert
• Baked Rice with Mushrooms
• Cod Au Gratin
• Savory Squash
• Party Salmon Crepes
• Ragglets

Crafting for Fun and Money!

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What Are Good Vegetables for Dehydrating?

What are some of the vegetables that are good for dehydrating, and do you have any recipes for them?

Debra W. from Hampton

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Freezing Milk

Can whole milk be frozen if I leave some head space?

Dori An from Belvidere, NJ

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Are Sage Seeds Edible?

Both of my sage plants bloomed. What's now left projecting from the plant are dried up stalks with little black seeds in brown seed heads/capsules. I am familiar with using dried sage leaves from the grocery store, but not the seeds. Are they edible? How to prepare for cooking?

Hardiness Zone: 8a

Holly from Richardson, TX

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Lowering Fats and Sugars in Your Diet

This really is not a recipe, but I feel it should be put with the recipes. Being as we have certain hereditary diseases in the family. I have to learn to cook differently now as I think I am young but my body is not agreeing with me which I don't think is right. So I have been doing my homework, so I hope this helps.

If you use the cheaper cream cheese, it works just as well as the regular cream cheese. I just does not have all the milk fat, which helps.

If you use Splenda, use the same amount as you would sugar. It works best in desserts. It is Sucralose, a sugar derivative. It gives more structure to everything. Splenda has a website: http://www.splenda.com.

Equal: This is aspartame, you use the same amount you would use as sugar. It is good for sweetness and it does not work like splenda for structure

Sugar Lite: has half the calories and carbs of sugar. You can use the same amount as you would sugar. It can be used for all recipes. http://www.equal.com they have plenty of recipes also!!

Sweet 'n Low is saccharin, 24 packets equal 1 cup sugar. It can be used without losing its sweetness. For best baking results, add 1/2 cup sugar to 1/2 cup sweet n'low. It seems nowadays everyone has a web site! There's would be http://www.sweetnlow.com.

Have fun with the recipes.

I thought maybe this would be useful if there are other people who are or have to cook a little differently

By Darlene from Fairview, PA

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Making Cheap Ground Beef Healthier

My frugal tip is for cooking, but it's also a healthy one. Buy the cheap ground beef and BOIL it! The fat will rise to the top! Just don't pour the water (and grease) down your sink. Just for fun, set the whole pot (after it has cooled down) into the fridge over night then see how much disgusting FAT you are NOT putting into your body and arteries. The ground beef will absorb the flavors of the food you are using it in!

Trust me, you and your friends won't know the difference and it'll save ya from a heart attack (hopefully) in the future! Please let me know how ya'll like it!

Tootles,
By Sheila from Olive Branch, MS

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Left-over Coffee Smoothie

Put coffee left over from breakfast in a blender. Add milk and chocolate syrup and two to three ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Great afternoon pick me up. Yummy.

By Ruth from New York, NY

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Butterfinger Angel Dessert

Butterfinger Angel Dessert I

• 1 angel food cake
• 4 cup whipped topping
• 1 cup caramel ice cream topping
• 7-8 Butterfinger candy bars, finely crushed

Directions

By Robin from Washington, IA

Butterfinger Angel Dessert II

Ingredients

• 1 angelfood cake, either store bought or home baked
• 5 Butterfinger candy bars, crushed
• 2-3 cups Cool Whip

Directions

Harlean from Arkansas

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Potato and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients

• 2/3-1 1/3 cups uncooked wild rice
• Chicken broth
• 6-10 strips bacon (can use turkey bacon)
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms (or more)
• 1 qt. half and half
• 2 cans Cream of Potato Soup
• 8 oz shredded
• American, Colby, or Cheddar cheese

Directions

Cook wild rice in chicken broth completely. Fry bacon until crisp. Remove from skillet, blot and crumble. In the same pan, saute' onion in bacon drippings until onion is transparent; drain. Combine all ingredients in large kettle. Simmer approximately 30 minutes.

This recipe is great doubled as the leftovers are even better.

By Stephanie in Hillsboro

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Apple-Praline Bubble Bread

When having relatives spending several days visiting, and using convenient refrigerated biscuits to make this cinnamon scented coffee cake has saved many mornings breakfast for me.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 cans (16.3 oz ea.) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, quartered
• 1 medium Granny Smith apple, chopped

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray with cooking spray or grease with shortening 12-cup fluted tube cake pan. In small microwaveable bowl, microwave butter on HIGH about 30 seconds or until melted; stir in brown sugar. Spread mexture evenly in pan. Sprinkle with half of the pecans.

In small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon, roll bisuit quarters in sugar mixture until evenly coated. Place half of the coated buscuit quarters in pan. Sprinkle remaining pecans and apple on top of biscuit quarters; arrange remaining coated biscuit quarters on top.

Bake 35 to 38 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully turn pan upside down onto serving platter. Let stand 1 minute before removing pan. Cool slightly. To serve, pull apart or slice.

By Connie from Cotter, AR

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Twinkies Dessert

Take 4 packages of Twinkies, split lengthwise. Lay in the bottom of a 9x15 inch pan. Dissolve 2 packages of orange gelatin in 1 cup hot water and add 1/2 cup juice drained from pineapple. Add 7 oz. of 7-Up, 1 qt. vanilla ice cream and 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with Cool Whip and a cherry on top.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Baked Rice with Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 can onion soup
• 1 can beef broth
• 2 cups rice
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 can water chestnuts, sliced, drained
• 1 can sliced mushrooms, drained

Directions

Place all ingredients in large baking dish; mix well. Bake, covered, at 325 degrees F for 1 hour and 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Cod Au Gratin

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. margarine
• 6 Tbsp. flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 2 cups milk
• 4 cups cooked cod, flaked
• 1 cup grated cheese

Directions

Melt margarine in skillet. Add flour, salt and pepper, stirring until smooth. Add milk gradually. Cook until chick, stirring constantly. Arrange fish in casserole. Cover with sauce. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

By Robin from Washington, Ia

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Savory Squash

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. yellow squash or zucchini, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 3 cups cooked rice
• 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp. seasoned pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup soft bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions

Cook squash in a small amount of water in saucepan until tender. Drain well. Combine with next 7 ingredients in large bowl, mixing well. Turn into shallow 2 qt. buttered casserole. Top with crumbs and almonds. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Party Salmon Crepes

Ingredients

• 1 cup pancake mix
• 3 1/2 cups milk
• butter, melted
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups salmon
• 1 can peas

Directions

Combine pancake mix with 1 1/4 cups milk, 1 Tbsp. butter and egg in bowl. Stir lightly until just mixed. Pour 1/3 cup batter onto hot, lightly buttered griddle. Bake until set. Turn to brown other side. Saute' onion and celery in 1/4 cup butter in skillet until tender. Blend in flour and slat to make smooth paste. Add 2 1/4 cups milk gradually stirring constantly. Cook until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add cheese, stirring until melted. Set aside 1 1/3 cups sauce. Add salmon and peas to sauce in pan, heating and stirring until hot and blended. Spread pancakes with salmon mixture and roll up. Place in 9x11 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Reheat reserved sauce to pour over crepes.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Ragglets

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 cup sifted flour
• 4 eggs
• oil for deep frying
• cinnamon (opt.)
• sugar (opt.)

Directions

Bring butter and 1 cup water to boil in saucepan. Remove from heat and add flour. Beat until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Drop by teaspoonfuls into deep fat at 375 degrees F. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towel and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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