ThriftyFun Recipes - May 5, 2008

Thank you Susan, sbb1, Hariet, Robin, Sheila, Coral and Maureen for today's tips and recipes!

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

We have some Cinco De Mayo recipes today, hope you enjoy them. If you are looking for more ideas, you can find some here:

http://www.thriftyfun.com/Recipes_Mexican_833_1915.html

If you have any Mexican recipes to share, feel free to submit them below.

Submit Your Favorite Recipe!

Need a recipe? Submit a request

Thanks for reading,

Susan

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Today's Food Tips:

• Make Your Own Bottled Coffee Drinks
• Getting 2 Boxes Worth of Cake Mix
• Tip for Pie Crusts and Pastries

Today's Contest Recipes:

• Sausage and Vegetable Soup
• Orange Margaritas
• Yummy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Pie
• Mini Cinco De Mayo Wraps

Robins's Recipe Corner:

• Three Vegetable Casserole
• Mexican Wedding Cookies
• Turkey Souffle
• Mock Lobster
• Chicken Taco Salad
• Cranberry Dessert

Crafting for Fun and Money!

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• Tip Contest
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Make Your Own Bottled Coffee Drinks

Bottled coffee drinks are better if the coffee is from home.

Wash out any single-serving size plastic bottle and allow to dry upside down in a dishrack. I personally prefer 1-liter bottles but any size will do.

Meanwhile, brew a pot of coffee as strong or as weak as you generally make it. Once brewed, remove from heat and allow to cool completely. When cool, use a funnel to pour coffee from coffee pot into the plastic bottle, being sure to fill the bottle only 1/3 full. repeat with as many bottles as you have or as much coffee as you have. Once the bottles are one third full of coffee, place in the freezer for 4-8 hours. I like to put the bottles in the freezer partially on their side, so the coffee is lining one side of the bottle but not all the way to the bottle neck.

Make another pot of coffee. To this pot of coffee, add a stick of cinnamon or a bit of cocoa powder or teaspoon of vanilla extract. When the pot is full, remove from heat and add the condiments you normally add to your coffee to include cream or sugar or peppermint. Allow to cool thoroughly, then pour into a (previously washed out) water jug or 2-liter bottle and store in the fridge.

Just before you are ready to go to work or elsewhere, remove the frozen coffee from the freezer and using the funnel, pour the coffee from the fridge into the bottle with the frozen coffee. Replace the lid and you're set to go. Iced coffee exactly the way you like it and it won't water down before you drink it all because the "ice" in your iced coffee is coffee.

This easily converts to hot coffee if you have access to a mug and microwave and it's already the way you like it.

Source: My own love of coffee and unwillingness to buy what I can make at home.

By Susan from WV

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Getting 2 Boxes Worth of Cake Mix

I only buy boxed cake mixes when they are on sale and I get 2 boxes from each 1 box. How? I only use 1/2 of the mix and 1/2 of the ingredients it requires and add 1 tsp. of baking powder to it. I prepare and bake as the box states and still get a whole cake that tastes the same, saving the other half of the mix in the fridge for my next use. This saves me money big time as I already bought it on sale and allows me to enjoy a luxury at the same time. Try it.

By sbb1 from Umm al Quain, UAE

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Tip for Pie Crusts and Pastries

Keep some butter or margarine in the freezer. When you make a pastry, grate the butter or margarine needed into the flour and salt mixture. Then, it will need just a little mixing before sprinkling on the water in sections. It keeps the pastry dough cooler and eliminates much of the handling so it is very flaky.

Source: my mom

By Harriet from Lakewood, CA

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Sausage and Vegetable Soup

Combine the following in a large pot: 1 Kielbasa sausage cut up into small bite-size pieces, 2 potatoes, peeled and cut up, 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut up, 2 carrots, scrubbed and cut up, 1 chopped yellow onion, 3 cans beef broth, 1 large can chopped tomatoes, 1.5 Tbsp. oregano, 2 tsp. thyme, 4 chopped garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, lower heat to low-medium, cover and simmer until vegetables are cooked through. Before serving, mash slightly with a potato masher. Serves 4. Like any soup, this tastes even better the next day!

By Maureen from Carlsbad, CA

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Orange Margaritas

Serves 8 - Preparation Time : 10 min

Ingredients

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup triple sec
• 1/4 cup tequila
• 4 cups ice cubes
• 8 wedges fresh orange (garnish)
• 3 limes, squeezed (1/2 cup juice)
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• Salt for rim (optional)

Directions

In a blender, combine orange juice, juice from lime, triple sec, tequila, sugar, and ice cubes. Cover blender and blend until smooth. For salt, dip rim of glass in juice then in salt (optional). Pour mix into glasses, garnish with orange wedge and serve immediately.

Non-alcoholic version: Exclude triple sec and tequila; add 1/4 cup of lemon juice; increase to four squeezed limes and prepare other ingredients as directed above.

Source: From the May 3rd, 2008 Sam's Club Chef Meal of the week.

By Sheila from Salina, KS

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Yummy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Pie

Ingredients

• 1 pie crust baked, or graham crust (reg or choc)
• 1 (4 serving size) vanilla COOK and SERVE pudding
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips or 1/3 cup peanut butter
• whipped cream or cool whip
• peanut butter cups for topping

Directions

Prepare pudding with milk as directed on package. Divide into halves in 2 small bowls adding chocolate chips to one half and peanut butter to the other. Spoon chocolate mixture into crust, then carefully top with peanut butter mixture on top of chocolate. Chill 30 minutes then top with whipped cream and chopped peanut butter cups. Store in refrigerator. Boy is this yummy! And so easy!

By Carol from Landisville, PA

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Mini Cinco De Mayo Wraps

Serves 10 (2 wraps each) - Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 20 pieces fully cooked chicken breast fajita strips
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 10 slices pepper jack cheese sliced
• 1/4 cup guacamole
• 20 strips of each color red and yellow bell peppers
• 10 6 inch tortillas

Directions

Cut tortillas into half moons. Cut pepper jack cheese in half diagonally to form triangles. For easier rolling, microwave tortilla halves for 20 seconds. Microwave chicken strips for 2-3 minutes. Place cheese slice half with pointed tip towards curved end of tortilla. Toward one side of tortilla, layer 1 tsp guacamole, 1 tsp salsa, one chicken strip, one red bell pepper strip, and one yellow bell pepper strip. Let chicken and bell peppers hang over curved edge of tortilla. Roll tortilla by taking one corner to the middle of the curved edge of tortilla, encasing the ingredients. Then roll tortilla to form a cone. Lay on plate with the end side down to avoid unwrapping.

Source: From Sam's Club Chef Meal Solution of the Week for May 3rd, 2008

By Sheila from Salina, KS

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Three Vegetable Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. frozen broccoli
• 1 pkg. frozen cauliflower
• 1 pkg. frozen brussel sprouts
• 1 small jar Cheez Whiz
• 1 can mushroom soup

Directions

Cook veggies according to package directions. Drain and place in casserole. Spread with combined cheese and soup that has been slightly heated to mix. Bake 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Mexican Wedding Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 lb. butter
• 6 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 4 cups flour
• 4 cups pecans, chopped (not fine)

Directions

Mix above ingredients, roll into balls about the size of walnuts. Bake about 7-10 minutes until slightly browned in 375 degree F oven. Immediately roll in powdered sugar. 15 minutes later, roll them in powdered sugar again. These are a bit delicate. Watch them closely as they can burn easily.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Turkey Souffle

Cut crust from 4-6 slices bread. Set aside and cube crusts and enough more bread to equal 2-3 cups cubes (or may used croutons instead).

Combine:

• 4 cups cubed turkey
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
• 1/2 cup finely diced celery
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• dash pepper
• 1/4 cup Miracle Whip

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Mock Lobster

1 lb. pkg. frozen haddock, cut into 2-3 chunks crosswise. Drop into boiling water to cover, to which 4 tsp. vinegar and 1 tsp. salt has been added. Boil covered 2 minutes if frozen, 10 minutes if thawed. Remove from water. Drain well. Put on cookie sheet, dot with butter, sprinkle with paprika and put under broiler for 2-3 minutes.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Chicken Taco Salad

Ingredients

• 1 head iceberg lettuce
• 1 large tomato
• 1 can sliced black olives
• 1 lb. grilled chicken, chopped
• 1 large onion
• 1 can ranch-style or kidney beans
• 1-2 avocados, chopped
• 1 bag tortilla chips
• sour cream
• picante sauce or salsa
• Ranch-style dressing

Directions

Mix together all ingredients, except chips. Crunch chips on plate and top with salad.

Top salad with optional ingredients, such as sour cream, picante sauce or salsa or Ranch-style dressing. You can also use ground beef instead of chicken. This salad is a meal in itself. Serves 4-5.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Cranberry Dessert

Ingredients

• 1 lb. cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 cups whipped cream
• 1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 small package miniature marshmallows

Directions

Chop cranberries and add sugar. Add crushed pineapple and marshmallows. Fold in whipped cream.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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