ThriftyFun Recipes - February 11, 2009

Thank you Rachel, Raymonde, Joyce, Robin, Kathleen, Sara, Paula and Joely for today's tips and recipes!

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Recipe Requests:

• Electric Skillet Dinner Recipes
• Churning Butter
• Homemade Chocolate Liqueurs

Today's Food Tips:

• Transport Cupcakes in Muffin Tins
• Check Out Food Bargains At Dollar Stores
• Go Through Coupons Before Entering the Store
• Craft: Snow Man Soup

Today's Contest Recipes:

• Sausage Quiche
• Joyce's Whole Wheat Buns (or Bread)
• Lemon Angel Cake
• Crockpot Turkey Breasts
• Caribbean Pork 'n Rice

Robins's Recipe Corner:

• Family Hamburger Dinner
• Savory Sauteed Lamb Chops
• Easy Salad
• Refrigerator Chicken Casserole
• Pudding Dessert
• Applesauce Date Cookies

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.

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Electric Skillet Dinner Recipes

I recently moved in with my boyfriend and there isn't a stove/oven in this apartment. I am so used to one and its a challenge at times. I have managed to make Enchiladas, Stuffed Manicotti, Alfredo, and normal things like burgers. I am dying to cook more but don't know where to start. We are on a strict budget as well, so that puts a damper on things. Oh how I miss my frozen pizzas. Someone help, please! I would like dinner recipes for an electric skillet.

Becca25 from NY

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Churning Butter

I am a homeschooling parent of a 5th grader. I thought it might be fun to learn to churn our own butter (the only problem is that I don't know how). Does anyone have a recipe and directions? Thanks.

Nicolle from Peyton, CO

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Homemade Chocolate Liqueurs

I want to know how to make liqueur chocolates at home.

Kimberly

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Transport Cupcakes in Muffin Tins

I used to always shy away from taking cupcakes to parties and potlucks because I could never figure out how to transport them without buying expensive cupcake caddies. Simply putting them back into the tins means you get frosting all over your hands when removing them.

The super-simple solution? You can use the cupcake tins, but need a "filler" to lift the cake up a little bit. The perfect filler is those gatorade, juice, milk caps that can't be recycled. Just drop a cap (or two if they are slim) into each cup in the tin and set the cupcake on top. This will give you enough leeway so that you can pick them up by the liners instead of the tops.

If you have some large cereal boxes (family size, or Honeycomb are usually pretty big), you may be able to slide the tins in to keep them covered in the car.

By Sara from Fort Worth, TX

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Check Out Food Bargains At Dollar Stores

With things being so tough financially, I've found it helpful to shop regularly at Dollar Stores. Often times they have full size products. I've on several occasions bought full sized name brand ranch dressing, grated cheese, sour cream, canned veggies, chili and more.

Also, if I have only few dollars until payday and need something, they're smaller sized products that will keep me until payday. There are a lot of items they have that are great to add to children's lunches. And for those who diet, I have many time purchased, South Beach meals as well as sugar free foods. It's crowded a lot of times but the money you save is worth the time and effort.

By Joely from Ceres, CA

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Go Through Coupons Before Entering the Store

I always go through my coupons before I enter the grocery. I pick up those items first and then I can spend the rest of my time looking for the best price on the items I don't have coupons for.

By Paula F. from Columbus, Ohio

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Craft: Snow Man Soup

You will need a frosting bag from the cake decorating aisle, dry mix, mini marshmallows, fabric or fleece for scarf, fabric glue, pom poms and glue dots. Fill bag with dry mix (use Carnation instant breakfast for white or hot chocolate for brown mix), add mini marshmallows at the top and close with twisty tie. Add glue for decorations and dry. Add pom poms with glue dots for earmuffs. Cut fabric for scarf and cut either end for the fringy scarf look.

Makes a great gift for the bus driver or teacher with Christmas or Valentine's Day. We made them for the whole class as a treat in school.

By Wendy S from Coopersburg, PA

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Sausage Quiche

Ingredients

• Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inches)
• 5 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach or Swiss chard
• 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 Tbsp. dried minced onion
• 1 Tbsp. minced chives
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• Dash pepper
• 6 brown-and-serve sausage links
• 3 slices fresh tomato, halved

Directions

Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate; flute edges. Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8 minutes. Remove the foil; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on wire rack.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk. Stir in spinach, cheese, onion, chives, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Carefully pour into crust.

Cook sausage according to package directions. Arrange sausage in a spoke pattern in egg mixture; place tomato slices between links. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 6 servings.

By Kathleen from Dothan, AL

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Joyce's Whole Wheat Buns (or Bread)

This dough I use to make buns or bread in oven with. This recipe will makes 2 large loaves or 2 dozen buns. This recipe is for the 2 pound bread machine. It is important to reduce the amounts by portion if your machine is smaller.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. rapid rise yeast
• 2 1/2 cups white flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 Tbsp. gluten
• 1/2 cup med or mild molasses
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (approx 110-115 degrees is good)

Directions

Put the first 7 ingredients into the bread machine, then add the molasses and water.

Turn bread machine on to dough cycle. Usually it is 90 minutes long for dough. OH, the important thing. This recipe is for the 2 pound bread machine. Important to reduce the amounts by portion if your machine is smaller.

Bake at 350 degrees F. The buns for approximately 15 minutes, each oven does it differently, depending on your pans too. The clue I use to determine when my baking is done is the smell of the flavor buds bursting. This is what I use for cookies, breads, pies, etc. I very seldom use the timer unless distracted.

Source: I have a couple bread machines to help me (disability) kneed my breads better, I roll out the dough and proceed to bake like regular bread baking.

By Joyce N. from Benson, MN

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Lemon Angel Cake

Ingredients

• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 6-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate
• 2 cups whipping cream, whipped
• 1 angel food cake, cut into bite sized pieces

Directions

Very simple...

Combine condensed milk and thawed concentrate in a bowl, and mix well. Fold in whipped cream. Alternate layers of cake and whipped cream mixture in 9X13 inch serving dish until all ingredients are used. Chill until serving time.

Source: A friend Glenda

By Raymonde from North Bay, Ontario

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Crockpot Turkey Breasts

Whenever turkey breasts are on sale for 99 cents a pound, I like this recipe. Spray the inside of your crockpot with Pam and place unwrapped breast in it. Then take a can of whole berry cranberry sauce and spread over the breast. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. It is very delicious and makes great meat for sandwiches. Enjoy!

By Rachel B. from Gladwin

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Caribbean Pork 'n Rice

This is a great Pork Dish. You must try it

Ingredients

• 1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into chunks
• 1 Tbsp. oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 can (14 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 can (14 oz.) water
• 1/4 cup BULL'S EYE Original Barbecue Sauce
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 2 cups uncooked instant white or brown rice

Directions

Cook tenderloin in oil in a large skillet. Add onion and carrots and cook until pork is no longer pink inside. Stir in pineapple, water, barbecue sauce, ground ginger, green pepper and rice. Bring to a boil, and cover and let stand 5 minutes.

You can also substitute the pork tenderloin for boneless skinless chicken breasts. I have made both and they are awesome.

Source: Kraft Foods recipe

By Raymonde from North Bay, Ontario

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Family Hamburger Dinner

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. hamburger
• 1 can tomatoes (16 oz.)
• salt and pepper
• sage dressing

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Divide meat into two parts. Put half of it in the bottom of a well-greased baking dish. Now spread sage dressing over this, then spread the remainder of the meat over the top. Pour tomatoes over this and bake for approximately two hours.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Savory Sauteed Lamb Chops

Ingredients

• 2 lamb chops
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp. dried savory
• fresh ground pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. butter
• salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/3 cup water
• 2/3 cup beef stock
• 1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp. butter, cut in slices
• 1/4 tsp. dried savory

Directions

Pat lamb dry and score the edges. Rub with crushed garlic. Place in small dish. Combine oil, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon savory and pepper. Pour over lamb. Let stand 30 minutes. Melt 1 1/2 teaspoon butter in heavy skillet over medium heat. Remove lamb from the marinade and sprinkle with salt. Add to skillet and cook to desired doneness (4-5 minutes per side for rare). Transfer to heated plate. Tent with foil to keep warm. Pour off drippings. Add minced garlic and stir over low heat 30 seconds. Add water; increase heat and bring to a boil. Scrape up brown bits. Boil until reduced to glaze, 1-2 minutes. Add broth and boil until syrupy; about 5 minutes. Near the end of cooking time, add any juice left from the lamb. Whisk on the mustard, then butter pieces and boil. Mix in 1/4 teaspoon savory, salt and pepper. Pour over lamb.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Easy Salad

Ingredients

• 1 can peach pie filling
• 1 can mandarin oranges
• 1 can pineapple chunks
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• 1 cup sliced bananas

Directions

Mix ingredients together and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Refrigerator Chicken Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 2 cups macaroni (uncooked)
• 2 cups cream of mushroom soup
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 1 small onion (chopped)
• 1/2 green pepper (finely chopped)
• 1 jar pimento (2 oz.)
• 1 can water chestnuts (5 oz.) (sliced)
• 1/2 lb. grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions

Mix all ingredients in the order given. Pour into well greased 9x13 inch pan. Cover with foil. Refrigerate overnight or until ready to bake. Bake 1 hour in 350 degrees F oven. Leave covered for the first 1/2 hour of cooking; uncover for the last 1/2 hour.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Pudding Dessert

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 package cream cheese (8 oz.)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup Cool Whip
• 1 box coconut cream pudding (3 oz.)
• 1 box butterscotch pudding (3 oz.)

Directions

Mix flour and butter. Press into a 9x13 inch pan and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Cool. Mix together cream cheese, sugar and Cool Whip. Spread cheese filling, and then prepared pudding, and then spread the last pudding mixture. Top with Cool Whip.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Applesauce Date Cookies

Ingredients

• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. cloves
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp. soda
• 2 cups applesauce
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups chopped nuts
• 2 cups dates

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix together flour, salt and spices. Cream butter and sugar thoroughly. Stir soda into applesauce. Add egg and combine with the creamed mixture. Gradually mix in dry ingredients. Stir in nuts and dates. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2-3 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Makes 8 dozen cookies.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Crafting for Fun and Money!

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