ThriftyFun Recipes - February 25, 2009

Thank you Carol, Patricia, Janie, Raymonde, Robin, Darlene, Kathleen and Barbara for today's tips and recipes!

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Recipe Requests:

• Easy Diabetic Recipes
• Applesauce Vs. Apple Butter
• Recipe for Angel Pie
• Acai Berry Diet Supplements
• Recipes Based On a List of Ingredients

Today's Food Tips:

• Have Evaporated Milk In Your Pantry
• Keep Veggies Fresh Longer
• Use a Pastry Blender for Chopping Soft Foods

Today's Contest Recipes:

• French Bread Strata With Strawberries
• Blueberry Orange Cheese Bread
• One Pan Tuna Noodle Dinner
• Unfried Chicken
• Haddock Chowder

Robins's Recipe Corner:

• BBQ Hamburger
• Okra Creole
• Maple Nut Bread
• Meat Balls and Tomato Gravy

Crafting for Fun and Money!

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Easy Diabetic Recipes

I am looking for easy diabetic meals or low carb meals. Any help would be appreciated.

Donna from Arcadia, FL

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Applesauce Vs. Apple Butter

What is the difference between applesauce and apple butter? They seem to be almost exactly the same, so why the different name?

Cettina from Malta, Europe

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Recipe for Angel Pie

I am looking for a recipe for a pie my mother used to make for me. We called it Angel pie. It was a white pie filling topped with whipping cream and sprinkled with walnuts.

Graycrab from Minnesota

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Acai Berry Diet Supplements

Do acai berry pills work for losing weight? Is this substance something you can find in other foods? If so, which foods do you eat to get these benefits?

RJW

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Recipes Based On a List of Ingredients

What is the address of the web site that will let you list the food you have and it will send you recipes to match your supplies?

mklema92658 from Newport Beach

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Have Evaporated Milk In Your Pantry

I pick up a can of evaporated milk every time I do my weekly grocery shopping. It is very inexpensive and good to have on hand. It can be used in place of light cream in recipes, in place of milk (my mother always made her rice pudding substituting a can of evaporated milk and I still make it that way!)

By Carol from Lancaster, PA

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Keep Veggies Fresh Longer

I have found that you can keep all your vegetables fresh longer if you remove the cores and seeds from them as soon as possible after you purchase them.

Celery

When I buy a stalk of celery I bring it home and wash it and cut the bottom and tops off the stalks and place them in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator. They keep for a good long time before they start to wilt.

Lettuce

I also remove the cores from all types of lettuce and I like to go ahead and tear it into pieces so when I get ready to make a salad all I need to do is get out as much as I need for a bowl or 2 of salad. This is also much cheaper then purchasing the pre-bagged lettuce they have for sale in the stores. You should save the center leaves on the heads of lettuce to put on sandwiches. You can also put these in ziplock bags and they keep for quite some time this way.

Peppers and Cantalope

When I buy Bell Peppers I cut them in half and remove the seeds and soft membrane and then they go into a ziplock bag for future use. This works well for Cantolope and other melons if you remove the peeling and all the seeds and soft membrane you can either slice or cut into cubes and store in the refrigerator for future use in ziplock bags.

With the cost of fruits and vegatables now I try to do everything I can to cut corners and still have fresh fruit and vegatables on hand to eat.

By Patricia from Houston,Texas

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Use a Pastry Blender for Chopping Soft Foods

I have found that a Pastry blender is a real time saver when used to chop hard boiled eggs, avocados, and bananas for banana nut bread. I just put the item in a bowl and use the pastry blender to chop are mash to the desired consistency.

By Janie from Whitehouse, Texas

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French Bread Strata With Strawberries

A breakfast strata that you make the night before. It is so good! First you start with brown sugar, butter and syrup in the bottom of the baking dish. I love the fact you can make it before hand and have it ready for the next day, especially if you have company.

Or just want to do something special for the family. It is a good dish for a brunch also as all the work is done the night before and you can throw it in the oven bake and go!

Ingredients

• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter
• 1/4 cup white corn syrup
• 8-10 slices French bread
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• Dash salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Cinnamon
• Fresh berries

Directions

Combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in medium saucepan. Heat until melted and bring to a boil.

Pour syrup in a glass 9x13 inch baking dish. Place bread slices in syrup.

Combine eggs, milk, salt and vanilla. Whisk to blend and then pour over bread. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover with foil and put in fridge overnight.

Bake at 350 degrees F. uncovered, until golden brown and bubbly (about 40 minutes). Serve topped with fresh berries. Enjoy! Darlene

Source: Southern Seasoning

By Darlene from Fairview, PA

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Blueberry Orange Cheese Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. grated orange rind
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 cup blueberries
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 2 Tbsp. shortening
• 1 egg

Directions

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, soda, orange rind, cheese and blueberries. Add juice, shortening and egg. Beat until smooth.

Pour into well greased loaf pan. Bake for 55-65 minutes - until bread feels firm.

Source: My mother-in-law's recipe

By Raymonde G. from North Bay, Ontario

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One Pan Tuna Noodle Dinner

Ingredients

• 1 bag flat egg noodles
• 1 can cream of chicken soup (undiluted)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (undiluted)
• 2 cans tuna fish (drained)
• dab of milk
• big handful of crushed potato chips

Directions

Boil noodles in pan until soft. Drain and leave in pan. Dump everything else in and mix until blended. Leave on stove on low temp to warm. The chips give you a little bit of salt to taste.

My kids loved this when they were young and still do now that they are grown and make it for their children. Makes about 6 good portions. Serve with a crisp side salad. It is very filling.

By Barbara from Evington, VA

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Unfried Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 lbs. chicken pieces
• 1 cup Non-fat plain yogurt
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1 cup Flour
• 1 Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. Creole seasoning
• 1/8 tsp. Black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. Cayenne
• 1/2 tsp. Thyme
• 1/2 tsp. Basil
• 1/2 tsp. Oregano

Directions

Put all dry ingredients in a bag. Mix. Dip chicken pieces in yogurt then shake in bag. Put pieces on a baking pan. Spray with a little Pam. Bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees F. Turn pieces to brown all sides during baking.

By Kathleen from Dothan, AL

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Haddock Chowder

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. sliced bacon, diced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
• 2 cups of water
• 1/4 cup white wine or chicken stock
• 1 lb. haddock fillets, cut into chunks
• 1 tsp. dill weed
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. white pepper
• 1 Tbsp. all purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. cold water
• 1 cup half and half cream
• 1 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels; drain, reserving 1 tbsp. drippings. In the drippings, saute onion and carrots until tender.

2. Place bay leaf and cloves on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with string to form a bag. Add to saucepan. Stir in the potato, water and wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

3. Add haddock, dill, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook for 5-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

4. Combine flour and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into chowder. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add cream, and heat through (do not boil). Discard spice bag. Stir in bacon. Garnish with parsley.

Source: A friend Eleanor

By Raymonde G. from North Bay, Ontario

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BBQ Hamburger

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 onion
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 Tbsp. margarine
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup water
• 2 tsp. yellow mustard
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Directions

Brown ground beef, onion and salt and pepper to taste; drain off fat. In saucepan, melt margarine and flour. Mix together and add remaining ingredients. Combine with meat and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Okra Creole

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. bacon drippings
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 3 Tbsp. minced bell pepper
• 1 1/2 cups sliced okra
• 1 can tomatoes
• pinch of basil
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Saute onion and pepper in drippings until soft, not brown. Add okra and cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat. Add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Maple Nut Bread

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. maple flavoring

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan, 9x5 inches. Measure flour by dip-level-pour method or by sifting. Blend dry ingredients in bowl. Add milk, egg and flavoring. Mix until the dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour into pan. Bake 1 hour.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Meat Balls and Tomato Gravy

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground chuck or round
• 1/3 cup rice, uncooked
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• dash pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. sage
• 1 egg
• 1 can tomato soup

Directions

Mix thoroughly first eight ingredients. Form into balls (12-14) and place in deep baking dish. Heat can of tomato soup with one can water, then pour over meat balls in casserole dish. Bake 1 1/4 hours at 350 degrees F.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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