ThriftyFun Recipes - July 1, 2009

Thank you Paula, thriftmeg, Robin, Patty, Notwrong, Harlean and melody_yesterday for today's tips and recipes.

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Recipe Requests:

• Freezing Green Peppers
• Should I Blanch Corn?
• Defrosting Frozen Pancake Batter
• Ground Beef Recipes

Today's Food Tips:

• Marking the Date Purchased on Food
• Transporting Large Quantities of Deviled Eggs

Today's Contest Recipes:

• Baked Eggs
• Blueberry Pudding
• Fergosa Bread
• Ziploc Ice Cream

Robins's Recipe Corner:

• German Skillet Dinner
• Rhubarb Jello Cake
• Potato Casserole
• Red, White and Blue Parfaits

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Freezing Green Peppers

Should I (or can I) blanch green peppers before freezing them?

By willow23 from Wakefield, MA

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Should I Blanch Corn?

Will not blanching corn make you sick?

By dirtgirl_2007 from Edenton

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Defrosting Frozen Pancake Batter

What is the best way to defrost frozen pancake batter?

By jazzy774

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Ground Beef Recipes

Does anyone have any recipes for ground meat, besides hamburgers, spaghetti, or meatloaf? I want to try something new.

By proudmama0325 from McNeil, AR

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Marking the Date Purchased on Food

When I return from grocery shopping, I use a sharpie marker and write the date on the outside of such items as eggs, salad dressings and mayonnaise. That way as my week progresses, I know what is the oldest and what really needs to get used up.

For instance, this week my eggs were dated two weeks old and when I looked in the carton, I had two left from this date. I boiled these two when I prepared dinner. My mayonnaise was getting a little dated also. So I made egg salad sandwiches for lunch.

By notwrong

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Transporting Large Quantities of Deviled Eggs

I recently had to prepare a food for a potluck dinner that was attended by at least 100 members of a Missouri stream team near Eminence, Missouri. That is a 6 hour trip from home. I decided to fix Deviled Eggs - 7 dozen of them! But I had to figure out how to transport them. This idea worked sooo well, that I am going to repeat it for a family reunion in July.

Boil the eggs, peel them and slice them in half. As you slice them, empty the yolks into a large bowl, and put the halves back together and return to the carton. Use the foam cartons since they may stick to the fiber cartons. Set these in the fridge, Use your electric mixer to mash the yolks and add the mayo and any other ingredients from your favorite recipe. When the yolk mixture is smooth, spoon it into sandwich size ZipLock bags. I used two bags for my 7 dozen. Store in the fridge along with the cartons of egg whites. Fill empty bottles with water and freeze. Or use the Blue Ice packets if you have them. Ice is not a good idea here because you don't want your eggs to be submerged in melting ice.

To transport, pack the egg cartons and bags of egg yolk in coolers fitting as many bottles of frozen water as the cooler will hold. When you are ready to put them on the table, remove the egg white halves to plates, cut a small corner off the bags of yolks and squeeze into the whites. The final touch was a sprinkle of paprika on each half. They transported without damage and were devoured in short order. Guess next year I will have to take 9 dozen!

Source: My experiment that was more successful than I had hoped.

By Harlean from Hot Springs, Arkansas

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Baked Eggs

Eggs baked with only 2 other main ingredients - so very easy and tasty!

Ingredients:

• eggs
• milk (or half and half or coffee creamer)
• bread

• salt
• pepper
• butter

Directions:

Coat a baking dish with spray oil. Break in the amount of eggs you wish to eat or serve. Break any bread you have on hand into small pieces on top of the eggs. Add milk, or coffee creamer to moisten the bread. Add salt, pepper and butter as desired.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 25 minutes or until the top looks as pictured.

This can also be made in muffin tins; breaking one egg in each muffin hole. Do the same with the other ingredients. It's easier to add the milk to this from a cup than the jug, in case you overdo it!

I haven't tried using only egg whites with this (as in special diet) but I'd imagine it to be just as wonderful either way and I especially love making this dish when eggs are on sale as they were this week! ;)

Source: my mom

By melody_yesterday from Otterville, MO

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Blueberry Pudding

This is like a cobbler with a drizzley, blueberry sauce.

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 cups blueberries
• 1 cup hot water

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar. Add milk alternately with dry ingredients. Beat until smooth. Pour batter into 9X9 inch baking pan mix blueberries with hot water and pour over cake batter. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes.

Source: close friend

By Patty Kift from Turbotville, PA

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Fergosa Bread

This flatbread like bread has less fat and calories and suitable for diabetics.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (250 mL) whole wheat flour
• 1-1/2 tsp. (7 mL) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. (2 mL) freshly ground pepper
• 1 Tbsp. 15 mL margarine
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) lowfat milk
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped green onion
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) grated lowfat cheddar cheese
• 2 tsp (10 mL) grated Parmesan cheese
• (I use light version of grated)
• 1/2 tbsp (7 mL) poppy seeds*

Directions:

In medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and the pepper, stirring well. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the margarine until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Stir in milk, onions, garlic and cheeses with a fork. Spread the dough out in a lightly-sprayed or greased 22 cm (9 inch) pie plate. Sprinkle with poppy or other seeds if using.

Bake in preheated 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) oven for approximately 20 minutes.

Cut into 8 wedges and serve warm. This is in my opinion better than garlic bread for spaghetti and chili.

Exchanges: 1 fruit and veg choice; 1/2 protein choice; 1/2 fat and oils choice 106 calories per wedge

Source: "Almonds and Raisins and Mostly Muffins: Choice Snacks for Healthy Eating by Evelyne Pytka; 1993

By thriftmeg from North Bay, Ontario

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Ziploc Ice Cream

This would be a great craft at a child's birthday party. How fun would it be for kids to make their own their very own ice cream to go on their slice of cake. Since we are all kids at heart and love ice cream, grown ups can do it too. I would think this would be easy to do while on a camping trip or a sleep over as well.

Ingredients:

• 1 small ziploc bag
• 1 large ziploc bag
• 1/2 cup of whole milk
• 1 Tbsp. of sugar
• 1/4 tsp. of vanilla
• 2 cups of ice cubes
• 6 Tbsp. of rock salt or a little more then 6 of table salt if no rock salt is available

Directions:

Combine the milk, sugar, and vanilla in the small bag and seal tightly. Combine ice and the salt in the large ziploc bag. Put the small sealed bag in the larger bag with the ice and the salt and then seal the large ziploc tightly.

Shake until you see ice cream in the smaller bag, 5 minutes should do the trick. Eat with a plastic spoon right from the bag or scoop out and serve.

Source: Given to me by a family friend.

By Paula from Mid-west

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German Skillet Dinner

I guess you can call this an international meal. :) I really think the only thing that makes it German is the sauerkraut!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 can sauerkraut (16oz.)
• 1 1/2 cup Minute rice, cooked
• 1 med. onion, chopped
• 1 lb. hamburger
• salt and pepper
• 1 can tomato sauce (16oz.) (more if needed)

Directions:

In electric skillet, melt butter. Spread sauerkraut over butter. Sprinkle with rice, then onion. Top all with ground beef, salt, pepper and tomato sauce. Cook, covered, over low heat, about 250 degrees F, for 25-30 minutes.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Rhubarb Jello Cake

A great way to use the rhubarb that so many have grown this summer.

Ingredients:

• 5 cup chopped rhubarb
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 box strawberry gelatin (6oz.)
• 3 cup mini marshmallows
• 1 pkg. yellow or white cake mix

Directions:

Layer rhubarb, sugar, gelatin and marshmallows in a 9x13 inch greased pan. Mix cake according to directions; pour over cake and bake for 50-55 minutes in a 350 degrees F oven. Test for doneness. Allow to sit 15-30 minutes before cutting.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Potato Casserole

This is one of my favorite potato recipes.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. frozen hash browns, thawed
• 1 lg. Cheez Whiz
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 2 Tbsp. onions, chopped
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup melted margarine
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

Mix ingredients well and put in 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees F. for 1 hour.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Red, White and Blue Parfaits

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. cream cheese, softened (8 oz.)
• 1 carton vanilla yogurt (16 oz.)
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 pt. strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 2 pt. blueberries, fresh
• 8 clear glasses
• 1 carton whipped topping

Directions

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, vanilla yogurt and lemon juice together. Place 1/4 cup of the cream cheese mixture in the bottom of a glass. Place 1/4 cup of strawberries on top. Repeat layer with cream cheese mixture and blueberries. Top with whipped topping and serve. You can add a layer of sponge cake, in the bottom of each glass, if you like.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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