ThriftyFun Recipes - May 13, 2008

Thank you Robin, Connie, Coral, CDR, Sharon, Mary and Gertie for today's tips and recipes!

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Susan

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Today's Food Tips:

• Make Your Own Wine Coolers
• Molding Candy Melt Suckers and Favors
• Are You Guilty, Too? A Poem
• Saving Money on Peanut Butter

Today's Contest Recipes:

• Fresh Apple-Walnut Cake
• Easy Spinach Dip
• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Connie's Chicken Rice Casserole

Robins's Recipe Corner:

• Whole Wheat Bread
• Strawberry Yogurt Pie
• Creamy Potato Casserole
• Party Chicken
• Four-Layer Dessert
• Eggplant Casserole

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Make Your Own Wine Coolers

For a refreshing treat this summer, why not make your own wine coolers or non-alcohol spritzers. All you do is replace the water with club soda when you make any frozen concentrated juice. For a weekend treat you can add a shot of vodka or a bit of white wine, but these simple spritzers taste just as good without the alcohol and what better way to refresh yourself, than with a wholesome glass of natural juice, with only a bit of carbonation added. My favorite is orange-mango spritzers. What a tasty treat!

By CDR

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Molding Candy Melt Suckers and Favors

For Easter, I molded candy melt suckers for my grandchildren. It was very simple and I painted the details on them by mixing food colors to the melted candy and painted them on with a fine tipped art brush.

Candy Melt is made by Wilton and the molds are sold by them as well. Melt in a saucepan over boiling water. Fill molds using a spoon. Put the mold in your freezer for 5 minutes or so until firm. Invert on waxed paper and paint on details. These are VERY simple to do and so cute. I put them in a sandwich bag and tied them with pink and green curling ribbon.I 'd love to know what a candy shop would sell them for. Cost me about $3.00 for 5.

By Sharon from Ravenna, KY

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Are You Guilty, Too? A Poem

It's a little too little to save
And a little too much to dump.
And nothing to do but eat it,
That makes the housewife plump.

Source: Found in another cookbook! I loved this one.....(:o)

By Mary from Cocoa, FL

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Saving Money on Peanut Butter

Tips for saving money on Peanut Butter as suggested from the ThriftyFun community.

Use Less

Try to use less peanut butter when you use it. It has a good flavor and a little goes a long way. The palm oils in peanut butter aren't good for your health. Using less helps with that too.

Editor's Note: Real peanut butter should only contain peanuts and salt. Be sure to check the ingredients of any brand you buy.

Use Coupons

Don't be faithful to only one brand. Use coupons and buy the brand that is on sale. Always check the cost per ounce to compare prices.

By Carol in PA

Buy At a Co-op

Find a good old-fashioned food co-op. Or do a miniature version, have your friends save empty jars and then the group of you order in a biggie.

By Kimhis

Stretch With Honey

First of all, I try to buy as close to natural or organic as I can, but don't like the oil on the top. Any peanut butter I use, I always add honey to it, because I like the sweeter taste/smoother texture. It also depends on why/how your are stretching. For baking or such, probably not much you can do. Sandwiches, pancakes, etc, the honey works, stretches by maybe a quarter to a 1/3 more. And is very good for you. Try it. Depending on the price of your honey, I don't know that this would save you a lot of money.

By Beckie

Freeze Extra

When you find a good buy on peanut butter, buy lots and stick it in the freezer. Seems to stay fresh forever and doesn't change the consistency one bit.

By Susan in Omaha

Buy In Bulk

Buy in bulk. I have a 5 lb tub of Fisher's peanut butter I got for 5 dollars at a bulk food store. Not all peanut butter has Palm oil, by the way. Check labels, there are many formulations so pick the one you think is healthiest. You can even make your own by grinding peanuts and adding nothing at all.

By Kibby

Peanut Butter Machine

Some stores have a peanut butter "machine" where you can grind it right there. It is fresher, healthier and often cheaper.

By Jess

Adam's or Need to Stir Peanut Butter

If you like the Adam's Peanut Butter but hate the stirring, store the jar upside down before trying to stir it. The oils then go to the bottom which makes it easier to stir. Once the peanut butter is well stirred, you can put it in the refrigerator and the oils will stay stirred. Put some in a smaller jar for more immediate use.

By Susan

Do you have any tips for saving money on peanut butter? Feel free to post them below.

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Fresh Apple-Walnut Cake

This is a family favorite, so it's made quite often.

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp each baking soda, cinnamon and salt
• 1-1/2 cups oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups chopped unpeeled apples
• 1 cup chopped nuts (your choice)

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease, but don't flour a 10 or 12-cup bundt pan. Mix sugar, flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl until blended. Stir in oil, eggs and vanilla, then apples and nuts.

Bake 1 hour, or until a wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack before inverting on rack to cool completely.

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

By Connie from Cotter, AR

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Easy Spinach Dip

Ingredients

• 3 packages spinach
• 1 8 oz. sour cream
• 1 pack ranch dressing (twin pack, but just use one pack)
• 1/2 cup mayo or to taste

Directions

Drain spinach (do not cook) well, add all ingredients and mix well. People who don't like spinach eat this and love it.

Source: My daughter's boss gave it to her about 30 years ago.

By Gertie from Erath, LA

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Pumpkin Pancakes

Add taste and nutrition to your plain pancakes by adding canned pumpkin. We all LOVE our pancakes this way. Just mix 1 cup of complete pancake mix with 2/3 cup water, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (opt) and 1/3 cup pumpkin. That's it!! These are economical and easy and de-licious!! Of course, if you make homemade, you can do the same.

Sometimes we will top them with pecans or sliced bananas, or put chopped apple in.

By Carol from Landisville, PA

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Connie's Chicken Rice Casserole

This recipe dates back to the 70's when I first began making it. It's one of our family's favorites and I hope you enjoy it too.

Ingredients

• 1(10.75 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of celery soup
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup uncooked long grain rice (not instant)
• 1 (4.5 oz.) can mushrooms, well drained
• garlic powder to taste
• black pepper to taste
• 1 (1 oz.) envelope dry onion soup mix
• 6 to 8 chicken pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the mushroom soup, celery soup, water, rice, mushrooms, garlic powder and black pepper. Mix all together.

Pour mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread on bottom. Lay chicken pieces over soup mixture and sprinkle dry onion soup mix over all. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.

Note: I've occasionally included broccoli bits to this recipe which makes it a change, and tastes great too.

By Connie from Cotter, AR

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Whole Wheat Bread

Soften 1 package dry yeast in 2 cups warm water.

Add:

• 6 Tbsp. honey
• 2 tsp. salt
• 4 cups flour (use 2 cups white unbleached, 2 cups whole wheat)

• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp. margarine or shortening

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Strawberry Yogurt Pie

Ingredients

• 2 containers strawberry yogurt
• 1/2 c. crushed strawberries
• 1 container Cool Whip (9oz)
• 1 graham cracker crust for pie

Directions

Thoroughly combine crushed fruit and yogurt in a bowl. Fold in Cool Whip. Spoon into crust and chill. Other fruits can be used with the matching yogurt.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Creamy Potato Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. frozen hash browns, thawed (32 oz.)
• 2 can cream of potato soup
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 carton sour cream (8 oz.)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• parsley flakes, to taste
• paprika, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Combine all ingredients except parsley. Place in lightly greased 9x13 pan and sprinkle with parsley and paprika. Bake uncovered in 300 degree F oven for 1 1/2-2 hours.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Party Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 large chicken breasts split and boned
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 pkg. dried beef (4 oz.)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup sour cream

Directions

Wrap each 1/2 chicken breast with 1/2 slice of bacon. Cover bottom of baking dish with dried beef. Arrange chicken breast on top. Mix soup and sour cream; pour over chicken. Cover and let stand 1/2 hour. Bake 350 degrees F for 3 hours.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Four-Layer Dessert

First Layer:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup nuts
• 1/2 cup margarine, melted

Second Layer:

• 1 pkg. cream cheese (8 oz.)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 container Cool Whip

Third Layer:

Cook 1 or 2 packages of chocolate pudding. Cool and put over second layer.

Fourth Layer:

• 1 container Cool Whip
• nuts

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Eggplant Casserole

Pare one medium sized eggplant. Cut in 1/4 inch slices. Cook in salted water until tender. Drain and mash.

Add:

• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1 tsp. minced onion
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper

By Robin from Washington, IA

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