ThriftyFun Recipes - August 10, 2007

Volume Three, Number 154, August 10, 2007 (Read It Online) Submit Your Favorite Recipe! Need a recipe? Submit a request Thanks for reading, Susan 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: Recipe Requests: Does Watermelon Have To Be Kept Cold? Other Ingredients for a Pork Sausage Crescent Roll Today's Recipes: No Controversy Cake Crunchy Onion Chicken Cornflake Candy $10 Anytime Holiday Dinner Veggie Rice Seasoned Crab Cakes Mouth-watering Meatloaf Southwestern Backyard Burgers Peanut Brittle Cookies 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 Recipe Requests: Does Watermelon Have To Be Kept Cold? I'm going on a picnic and I forgot to get a disposable cooler for my watermelon, which will be cut off the rind and cut into serving size pieces. Do I have to keep watermelon cold? I have two foil pans, 3 empty ice cream buckets and ice. Jeanette from Detroit, MI Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf34076254.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Other Ingredients for a Pork Sausage Crescent Roll Really enjoy this web site and especially all the great members who seem to be able to help one another. Ok, now it is me that needs some help. :>) Recently, I had a baked sausage/cream cheese filled crescent roll. I understand you roll out the crescent rolls on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Then, you add the cooked pork sausage that has cream cheese in it, then cover with another sheet of the crescent rolls and bake until lightly brown. I do not know what other ingredients are used. It was so very, very good. If you know, please tell me. Thanks! Carol Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf12104906.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print 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 and 1 photo winner at the end of each week. Each winner will win $25! My Frugal Life Submit a My Frugal Life Essay! Today's Recipes: No Controversy Cake Ingredients 1 package German Chocolate cake mix 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1 (8oz.) container Cool Whip 3 Heath candy bars Directions Prepare cake as directed on package. Cool. Poke holes in cake with meat fork. Pour milk over cake. Set aside to soak in. Frost with Cool Whip. Top with crushed Heath bars. Store in refrigerator. By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf92891403.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Crunchy Onion Chicken Ingredients 1 1/2 cups french fried onions 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 egg, beaten Directions Crush French fried onions in a plastic bag. Dip chicken into egg; then coat in onion crumbs. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees F or until cooked through. By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf78841935.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Cornflake Candy Ingredients 1 cup sugar 1 cup whipping cream 1 cup white Karo syrup 5 cups corn flakes 2 cups Rice Krispies 2 cups salted peanuts Directions Bring to boil first 3 ingredients, stirring constantly until small amount forms hard ball (260 degrees F) in cold water. Pour over cereal and nuts. Mix well and spoon into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Pat into pan. Cut before completely cool. By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf35960177.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print $10 Anytime Holiday Dinner These meals are intended to be a relatively simple and healthy weeknight meal for a family of four. We assume that these dinners are being made in a kitchen stocked with regular kitchen staples. We will not include prices of oil, sugar, flour, spices, etc. unless you need a 1/4 cup or more. Regional food prices may vary and can be reduced by smart shopping techniques. Shopping List Stuffing 2 cups fresh bread crumbs* $.60 1 stalk celery, chopped $.10 1 small onion, chopped $.25 1 clove garlic, minced $.10 1/2 tsp. ground sage $.05 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram .05 1/2 tsp. salt/td> $.05 1 egg $.10 1/4 cup hot water Pretty much free Total Cost for Stuffing = $1.35 *Make fresh bread crumbs by using 6 sliced of whole wheat bread. Turkey 4 Turkey legs, purchased on sale at .88/lb $2.70 1 1/2 Tbsp. butter $.15 2 crushed chicken bouillon cubes $.10 Total Cost for Turkey = $2.95 Green Bean Casserole 2 Tbsp. olive oil $.10 1 small onion, finely chopped $.10 1 small can mushrooms (or fresh) $.40 1 clove garlic, minced $.10 1/4 cup all purpose flour $.10 2 cups milk .50 1 tsp. pepper/td> $.05 1/4 tsp. salt $.05 1 16 oz package frozen green beans $1.00 Topping* ? Total Cost for Green Bean Casserole = $2.70 *You can use whatever you want for a topping: bread crumbs, crushed ritz crackers, crushed cornflakes, parmesan cheese, fried onions-the possibilities are endless! Salad 1/2 head of healthy lettuce* $.75 1/2 10 oz. package of fresh spinach $1.00 1 tomato $.50 Salad dressing $.75 Total Cost for Salad = $3.00 *Healthy lettuce would be romaine, green leaf, or red leaf - not iceberg, it's mostly water. Total Cost $1.35 + $2.95 + $2.70 + $3.00 = $10.00 exactly Directions Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. First make the stuffing. In a medium bowl, mix the bread, celery, onion, garlic, sage, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Stir in the egg and just enough hot water to moisten. Next, prepare the turkey legs. Arrange the turkey legs around the perimeter of a large baking dish and sprinkle the crushed chicken bouillon cubes over top. Place the stuffing in the middle of the dish. Dot everything with butter. (It would be healthier to use something other than a salty bouillon cube to season the turkey legs, but that's what I had handy when I was making this.) Put the turkey legs and stuffing in the oven, covered, and set the timer for 1 hour. Now get the salad together. Wash and chop the lettuce and tomato. Place in individual salad bowls with fresh spinach. Place the bowls of salad in the fridge - my favorite way to eat salad is out of a chilled bowl. It's so refreshing and kind of feels like you're at a fancy restaurant. Finally, prepare the green bean casserole. In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook until tender and golden. Sprinkle flour over and cook for one minute. Slowly pour in milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil (keep stirring), then cook one minute, until thickened. Stir in the salt and pepper. Spread frozen beans evenly over the bottom of a 2 quart baking dish. Pour sauce over top. Sprinkle with your topping of choice. This needs to bake uncovered for 20 minutes, so put it in the oven when the timer has 20 minutes left. After you put the green beans in, you can spend the next 20 minutes cleaning up the kitchen, surfing thriftyfun.com, or doing whatever else you need to do before dinner. When the turkey and stuffing is done, the casserole should be done too, and the salad bowls should be chilled. The turkey needs to reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees, and it probably isn't a bad idea to check the temperature of the stuffing too since it cooks in the same dish. Tips: I don"t know how much pumpkin pie filling costs, but I don't think it would cost more than a salad, so you could skip the salad and have dessert instead. Pumpkin pie is probably a relatively healthy dessert. I like shredded cheddar cheese on my salad, so if you want to splurge, you could add that. Another splurge would be to add something to the stuffing-- walnuts or dried cranberries or whatever else you like. If your family isn't crazy about green beans, you could substitute broccoli, or maybe carrots or zucchini. You could make the recipe even thriftier by having 2 people split one turkey leg. The stuffing could be made with those ends of the loaves of bread that nobody wants to eat. I save these in the freezer for this purpose. By Allison from Northeast TN Special thanks to Allison for submitting her own $10 dinner idea. We left her pricing the way she wrote it although we usually don't bother pricing spices and other staples. If you have your own favorite cheap and healthy dinner recipe for 4, submit it to us and you may see it posted in a future $10 Dinners. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf82912461.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Veggie Rice Veggie Rice Ingredients 2 cups raw rice canola oil 1 package lipton vegetable soup 1 can vegetable broth Directions In a 16 inch pan, place enough oil to cover bottom of pan. Heat for about 2 minutes. Place in rice. Let heat for another 2 minutes. Stir around. Add soup, stir again. Now add broth. Let simmer for about 20 minutes. Or until rice is soft. By LRP from LWL, MA. Editor's Note: It does not seem like enough liquid for the rice and vegetable soup. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf50451617.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Seasoned Crab Cakes Ingredients 3 cans crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed 1 cup cubed bread 2 eggs 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise 3 Tbsp. half and half cream 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 Tbsp. butter, melted 1 1/2 tsp. seafood seasoning 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp. salt 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs 1/2 cup vegetable oil Directions In a large bowl, combine crab and bread cubes. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, mayonnaise, cream, lemon juice, butter, seafood seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and salt. Add to crab mixture and mix gently (mixture will be moist). Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Drop crab mixture by 1/3 cupfuls into crumbs; shape each into a 3/4 inch thick patty. Carefully turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. In a large skillet, cook crab cakes in oil for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crispy. By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf88680885.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Mouth-watering Meatloaf My hubby loves meatloaf (one of his favorites!:) This is a delicious recipe and makes a lot. It also makes wonderful cold sandwiches the next day! Ingredients 2 1/3 cups coarsely crushed soda crackers (1 1/2 tubes from package) 2 lbs. ground lean beef or turkey 1/2 lb. ground sausage 1 large egg 2 medium onion, chopped 1 medium bell pepper, minced 3/4 cup ketchup + 1/4c. for top 1/3 cup worcestershire sauce 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. black pepper Directions Preheat over to 325 degrees F. In a heavy-duty, plastic food storage bag, place the crackers, seal and roll over with a rolling pin until crushed but not powdery. In a large bowl, with clean hands, mix together all the ingredients except the 1/4 cup ketchup for the top. Mix thoroughly but lightly, being careful not to pack the meat too much. Place in a 9x13 inch baker and shape into a loaf. Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil. Spread the top of loaf with the 1/4 cup ketchup. Bake, uncovered, another 60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. By Ashley from Ephrata, PA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf79528835.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Southwestern Backyard Burgers Ingredients 1 can chopped green chilies 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp. hickory Liquid Smoke, opt. 1/2 cup crushed butter-flavored crackers 4 1/2 tsp. chili powder 3 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 2 lb. lean ground beef 1/2 lb. bulk pork sausage 8 slices pepper Jack cheese 8 hamburger buns, split lettuce leaves, opt Directions In a bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Crumble beef and sausage over mixture and mix well. Shape into eight patties. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Top with cheese. Grill 1 minute longer or until cheese is melted. Grill buns, cut side down, for 1-2 minutes, or until toasted. Serve burgers on buns with lettuce, if desired. By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf78026575.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Peanut Brittle Cookies Ingredients 1 box pie crust mix 1 egg slightly beaten 3/4 cup chopped peanuts 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla Directions Mix pie crust according to package directions but do not roll out. Cut in the brown sugar until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg, vanilla and 1/4 cup of the peanuts. Mix well. On well greased and floured cookie sheet, spread mixture to 12x12 inch square; press remaining 1/2 cup peanuts in dough. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Loosen edges. Cool on sheet; cut into 2 inch squares. Makes 3 dozen. By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf55068443.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print 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.