ThriftyFun Recipes - May 12, 2008

Vol. 7, Num. 93, May 12, 2008 (Read It Online) Thank you Lynn, Emily, Margaret, Connie, Robin, sbb1, CKDavis and Keeper for today's recipes! 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: Today's Food Tips: Use Heavy Whipping Cream To Make Butter Add Greens To Your Ramen Noodles Freeze Cake Before Frosting Joke: Buttered Toast Today's Contest Recipes: Non-Fat Coffee Cola Float Spicy Asian Peanut Noodles Jelly Glaze Hamburger Gravy with Noodles Robins's Recipe Corner: Nutty Apricot Crisp Bacon Cauliflower Salad Chicken Marengo Quick and Easy Casserole Spanish Rice Butterscotch Cake 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 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 Food Tips: Use Heavy Whipping Cream To Make Butter Making your own butter from heavy whipping cream is very easy, saves you money, is better for you than margarine, and you also get buttermilk (an expensive item in the market to buy). Buttermilk is good to drink, and is great for baking and making salad dressings. Note: The internet is loaded with how to's for making butter. By sbb1 from Umm al Quain, UAE Editor's Note: Here is a recipe for butter that has been posted on ThriftyFun: Making Your Own Butter Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf50366723.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Add Greens To Your Ramen Noodles Dress up ramen noodle soup in a healthy, delicious way! Place ramen noodle soup in a bowl, just cover with water, and add your favorite greens (I especially love mustard greens). Add some soy sauce (you can use low sodium soy sauce), and cook as usual. Delicious! By CKDavis from Flagstaff, AZ Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf95836180.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Freeze Cake Before Frosting To frost a cake easier: after baking, cooling and removing from the pan, wrap a layer in wax paper and freeze. When ready to frost, bottom side up, brush off the crumbs and frost as usual! Much easier and nicer. Source: An old cake decorating friend; D.Davis By Keeper from NC Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf51747804.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Joke: Buttered Toast Why did the man throw his buttered toast? Because he wanted to watch the butterfly. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf37949051.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Today's Contest Recipes: Non-Fat Coffee Cola Float In a large (30 oz. if possible) glass, put in about 1/4 cup crushed ice, 1 tsp. instant coffee powder (OR about 1 Tbsp. of regular prepared coffee). Fill up with your favorite cola (either regular or diet works) and stir well. (You need the tall glass because it will really foam up. And I've tried it with non-caffeinated coffee and cola both and it still foams up nicely.) Makes a nice, frothy pick-me-up for those hot summer days and you're not getting the fat content like you would from the ice cream in a regular float. Plus, if you use diet cola, then you've got a low-calorie treat as well as non-fat! By Lynn from Chico, CA from Chico, CA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf39214702.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Spicy Asian Peanut Noodles Once you buy the oils, you generally have the ingredients laying around the house, and they are very inexpensive. If you have one, I suggest Trader Joes, they sell this stuff dirt cheap. I would say there is enough protein in here to not add meat, but some chicken breast is tasty if you are extra hungry. Ingredients 2 cloves of garlic 1/4 inch fresh ginger, peeled 2 Tbsp. soy sauce 1/4 cup of peanut butter 1 Tbsp. sesame oil 2 Tbsp. chicken stock or water 2 tsp. chili oil 1 Tbsp. sugar Diced cucumber and cilantro for toppings if you like Directions Boil 1/2 pound of pasta. Add ingredients to food processor or blender, starting with the ginger and garlic. Mix in to fresh pasta and top. Voila!, a beautiful cheap delicious meal, and you know it's cheap because I am on a college budget! By Emily from Santa Cruz, CA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf53838969.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Jelly Glaze What do you do with leftover jelly or jam? Make a glaze for chicken or pork. Ingredients 1/2 cup jelly or jam 2 Tbsp. Dijon-style or brown mustard 2 tsp. lemon juice or balsamic vinegar 2 tsp. Soy or Worchester Sauce Directions Combine all ingredients. Heat just long enough to melt the jam or jelly and combine the flavors. Thin with water, as desired. You also could add dried or fresh herbs. And don't be afraid to play with the formula, which includes a balance of sweet, tangy and salty elements. Spicy would be good, too. Source: This was in an insert in the May 7, 2008 edition of the Denton Record Chronicle. Denton, Texas. By Margaret from Denton, Texas Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf56704406.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Hamburger Gravy with Noodles This is easy, quick and delicious. I usually add a can of cream of mushroom soup to the ground beef mixture before adding in the flour/cream mixture. I don't add extra salt. If desired, add more beef flavor in a tablespoon of beef bouillon powder. Ingredients 2 lb. lean ground beef 2 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste) 1 (1 oz) pkg. dry onion soup mix 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 (10 oz) cans sliced mushrooms, well drained (hand squeeze out any excess moisture) 5 cups half-and-half cream or milk, divided 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper (or to taste) 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (more to use at the table) 1 (375 g) package medium dry egg noodles, cooked Directions In a large skillet or medium pot cook the ground beef over medium heat until browned; drain fat. Add in garlic, chili flakes, dry onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce and mushrooms; cook stirring for 3 minutes. Pour 4 cups half-and-half or milk into the pan and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 4 to 5 minutes. In a bowl, whisk the flour with remaining 1 cup of cream until smooth; slowly add to the beef mixture stirring with a spoon. Simmer stirring with a wooden spoon for about 3 to 4 minutes until thickened. Mix in about 1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Season with black pepper Divide the cooked noodles onto plates. Spoon the hamburger gravy over noodles, then sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese. Serves 4 to 6 Source: Clipped from a local newspaper and have made several times. By Connie from Cotter, AR Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf19309830.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Robin's Recipe Corner: Nutty Apricot Crisp Ingredients 1 can apricot halves, with syrup (29 oz.) 1 pkg. butter pecan cake mix 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted 1 cup flaked coconut 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts Directions Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Layer ingredients in order listed in ungreased 9x13 inch pan. Bake 55-60 minutes. Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or cool with whipped cream or ice cream. By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf47242134.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Bacon Cauliflower Salad Ingredients 2 heads cauliflower, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup cheese, grated 1 onion, thinly sliced Bacon, fried and crumbled 1 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sugar 2-3 Tbsp. vinegar Directions Combine the raw cauliflower, cheese, onion and bacon. Mix the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar and pour over the salad. Toss. By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf67832040.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Chicken Marengo Ingredients 1 can tomato soup 1 can golden mushroom soup 3 lb. chicken parts 1 can small whole onion 1/4 tsp. garlic powder 1 jar whole mushrooms (4.5 oz.) salt and pepper, to taste Directions Brown chicken in large skillet or electric frying pan. Pour off fat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover, cook over low heat for 1 hour or until tender. Stir occasionally. Uncover and cook until consistency desired is reached. Serves 6-8 people. May be served with buttered noodles or potato pieces may be added and cooked right along with the chicken. By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf85785122.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Quick and Easy Casserole Ingredients 1 lb. ground chuck, browned and drained 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 can cream of celery soup 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 can chicken with rice soup 1 can chow mein noodles Directions Combine above except for 1/4 can noodles. Place in large casserole. Cover with remaining 1/4 can chow mein noodles. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour. One small can of drained mushrooms may be added. By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf84720631.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Spanish Rice Ingredients 2 cups cooked rice 1 can tomatoes (16oz.) 1 small onion, diced 9 slices of cut up bacon 3 Tbsp. brown sugar salt, to taste Directions Fry bacon and onion together until slightly brown. Add tomatoes, brown sugar. Heat thoroughly, and pour over the hot cooked rice. Mix well and add salt to taste. Bake in 325 degrees F oven about 1 hour or until top is slightly brown. By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf67459105.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Butterscotch Cake Ingredients 1 pkg. yellow cake mix 2 eggs 1 can butterscotch pudding (prepared, instant pudding may be substituted) Topping: 6 oz. butterscotch bits 3 Tbsp. sugar 1 small pkg. slivered almonds Directions Beat above ingredients for 2 minutes; put in 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle topping ingredients on top. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes. By Robin from Washington, IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf74520633.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.