May peace and goodwill surround you and yours this Christmas season!
This week will find travelers scurrying to their destinations; last minute preparations for the celebration of the birth of the Christ Child, and maybe there are “Christmas Secrets” hiding around your home!
We trust you will excuse us while we celebrate the season with our family and friends…this blog will not have the attention it has had for awhile. When the posts go up again-in the new year-we will continue to share as we are able in order to cater to those of you who have come to depend on our help.
To all those who have showered us with recipes; to those of you who gave from your hearts to help users of SNAP and WIC make Christmas special for their children; to those of you who have supported this blog with your comments and your information we thank you from our hearts and wish you a most blessed and joyous Christmas season. For 2010 we hope everyone enjoys abundance, peace, joy and good health!
Party Treats for holidays or any celebration are such fun!
As part of the daily routine around here I love stopping by a blog called “Bodacious Boomer” just for a peek into Michele Eigler’s life. She makes me laugh; she makes me cry and the other day she chased me into the kitchen to see if I had the fixings to make these treats!
Here’s what Michele had to say:
“Here’s a great recipe for a homemade holiday treat. There are a lot of versions of this around. This one comes from my good friend Rosie. She’s been making this since God was a child and giving it to everyone for the holidays. This is in no way, shape or form healthy. (If you’re looking for that, please look somewhere else). I made this a few years ago when we did an event in Tennessee. I put a 1.5 C. in ziploc bags and sold it for $3 a pop. I called it Heaven. (I sold out every day). This stuff is addictive!
Before you start, get out the biggest bowl you own and cover your counters (or 4 cookie sheets) with wax paper.
Chop up two pkgs. of the vanilla almond bark into pieces. Place it in the microwave and heat for 30 seconds. Take it out and stir. Put it back in and repeat. Keep doing this until the candy is melted. (Do not heat for more than 30 seconds at a time). When melted, put it into your biggest bowl. Immediately add 1, 15 oz. box of Captain Crunch PB* and 1, 15 oz. box Rice Krispies*. Also add 1 whole can of peanuts. (Rosie uses Spanish peanuts. I use honey roasted). Mix until the cereal is completely covered and immediately place onto a surface covered with wax paper. (I use a spatula to pat it out). Then when it’s set, break it apart to serve or put into containers.
If you’re taking it somewhere for a group, make sure you have a note somewhere that says it contains peanuts.
* You can use the generic versions of the cereals and save a ton.”
So, there you have it, kids! We appreciate Michele’s generosity in sharing and we know you’ll have fun making these goodies. They fit perfectly with the budgets we cater to: SNAP; WICK; Angel Food Ministries; food pantry and food commodities users.
It would be fun if you’d stop by Michele’s blog and leave a thank you note as a comment.
We think it’s fun when you comment here and when you send us mail at foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com – hint, hint.
You are also welcome to visit our partners and our sister sites: The Healthy and Wealthy You, where you can learn about being as well and prosperous as possible. Mother Connie Sez, where you get free advice about life and the living of it; Rapid Cash Review, where you can learn all about internet marketing.
By now you know the FTC wants you to know that these are links and if they are clicked, resulting in a sale, your humble blogger would be compensated. Please use your best judgment online as well as offline and do business only with those you trust.
Pearly grains of barley make for tasty good eating!
Do you remember the childrens’ song, “Oats, peas, beans and BAR-ley grow…Oats, peas, beans and BAR-ley grow…Whether your mother will let you or no…Oats, peas, beans and BAR-ley grow…?”
The Normanator has always been proficient in the kitchen. One of the reasons he took bragging rights on his chili soup was because he added barley to the broth to stretch the servings each pot yielded. After all, three hungry boys can make short shrift of a pot of chili!
I’ve used barley through the years but I was ASTONISHED to learn recently why it has always been void of flavor. I hate to admit this, but I’ve been preparing it incorrectly. my bad…
Here’s the 411 on barley: You need to TOAST it before you cook it! Oh, my stars and garters! WHO KNEW?
Toasted barley gets "tanned" and tasty as it warms...it needs to be carefully watched so as not to scorch!
So, I toasted it. I only wish you could smell the nutty aroma that wafted from the skillet. It was marvy-poo. I will keep it in a tightly covered container until I am ready to prepare it. I think that cooking it and adding it to carrots would be delish. I’ll keep you in the loop on that when it happens.
We tend to cook the way our mothers cooked. Our mothers’ foods were comfort foods for us. We tend to like the foods our mothers cooked and we want them to look the way our mothers’ foods looked. I am guilty as charged. Never mind that some of the food-barley-had little flavor. Silly me.
There are a great many appliances and conveniences in our kitchen but it was only recently that we acquired a food processor. You have no idea how much fun I have been having, playing with my food, running things through that food processor! The garden yielded a bumper crop of green beans this summer, for which we were grateful, but they were pole beans as opposed to bush beans. They tasted fine but they were no fun to eat because they were stringy.
SIDEBAR: What did she EXPECT from string beans? END SIDEBAR.
Running them through the food processor gave us a bright green goo that made dinner fun. We decided it was baby food for Seniors. But, of course, at 33, I’m much too young for the Senior Discount.
SIDEBAR: She said, lying through her store-bought teeth! END SIDEBAR.
So, boys and girls, if you are using SNAP or WIC; if you have food commodities or goods from a food pantry or if you avail yourselves of Angel Food Ministries, here is a grand way to stretch the food to match the appetites of your gang!
No doubt you have dollar stretching, food stretching ideas to share. Please shoot them our way by sending them to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com and we will be sure to share them with all the Club members!
If you have a moment, it might be fun to visit our partners. We have new information about brushing your teeth that won’t break the bank and you might be interested to learn about it. Check out the banners on this page. All our partners want to help earn and save money. You can’t beat that with a stick!
Christmas is coming ever so quickly! We hope you are not frazzled by the preparation but are savoring each moment and making delicious memories with those you love best!
*The FTC wants you to know that there are links in this post and on this page. If those links are clicked and would result in a purchase your humble blogger would be compensated. Any purchase made offline or online should be approached with due diligence.
***Please note that if you enjoy reading this page, you may also appreciate the content found on this blog: The Healthy and Wealthy You!
Oh, if only you could smell and taste what's in this bowl: mmm, GOOD STUFF!
I love to watch people cook on television, or in their own kitchen, for that matter. It identifies me as a foodie, no doubt. I saw Alton Brown make his mother’s Christmas Soup on TV the other day and there is a permanent drool stain on the carpet from my watching Alton’s demonstration of this comfort food. I could ALMOST smell the soup as it simmered on Alton’s stove!
Well, I was sure I could recreate it. Alas, I only had some of the ingredients he used so I improvised. This is Mother Connie’s version of this hearty, festive soup:
MOTHER CONNIE’S VERSION OF CHRISTMAS SOUP
2 slices of bacon per dinner guest + 2 more for the pot, chopped
1 pound kidney beans, soaked and drained
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 red potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled, and rough chopped
2 large cans chicken stock
1 small package chopped spinach
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Fry the bacon pieces, drain on paper toweling and set aside.
Saute` the onions, then add the garlic just before the onions are ready (if you cook garlic too long it can burn or ruin the flavor). Drain the veggies on paper toweling.
Combine the kidney beans, onions and garlic in a large soup pot and add the broth. Bring to a boil and allow it to simmer.
Add the potatoes, then the spinach.
Before serving, add the vinegar. Season to taste.
I made this on Saturday to serve to Sunday guests and those flavors married all night so that when it was served the Rave Factor went WAY UP. People asked for seconds!
I like to serve soup with toasted French Bread. The big debate in our house is whether to pour the soup over the bread or just use the bread for dunking!
The red and green of this soup lends itself well to Christmas tradition, but honestly, this is a soup you could make year around and those who bring their appetites to your table will be DELIGHTED.
This recipe is ideal for users of SNAP, WIC or food commodities. If you have food from a Food Pantry, this is something you can prepare without fear of running out of food or food ideas. It could be made with beans and rice or beans and ham, as well. Be creative and see what you can do with it. When you have results that please you, give us a shout out at foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com! Thanks a bunch!
If you are using Angel Food Ministries foods we would love to know how you are creating dishes with those items, too!
Today your humble blogger sent out a little token of her Christmas love. In case you missed it, you can download it by clicking here: Food Stamps Cooking Club.
We really appreciate your comments and emails! Thank you so much, everyone!
*The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post, which, if clicked, could lead to a purchase. In the case of that happening, your humble blogger would be compensated. Please use your due diligence when making purchases either offline or online. And please don’t worry; any resulting earnings will be tithed and spent wisely.
Kids love animals! Kids love helping in the kitchen! Kids love to eat!
Seeing this collection of animal shaped food reminded me of animal CRACKERS…how about getting into the kitchen this weekend and making these with the kids?
No kids in your household? Borrow some from the neighbors and make some delicious memories with this recipe from the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service!
ANIMAL CRACKERS
1/2 cup oatmeal
2 teaspoons honey *Children under age 1 should not eat honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon soda
1/4 cup butter
4 tablespoons milk
Directions:
Grind oatmeal in blender until fine and transfer to large bowl. Add honey, salt, flour, and baking soda. Cut in butter. Add milk. Roll out thin; cut with animal shaped cookie cutters. Bake at 400 degrees until brown, about 10 – 12 minutes. Makes 24 two inch cookies.
The beauty of this recipe is that the children can help measure the ingredients, push the button on the blender and cut the butter into the mixture with a fork. They can pour in the milk and help roll out the dough. Very young children can even cut the animal shapes with the cutters.
If you are using SNAP or WIC for your food; if you have food commodities or goods from a food pantry or you are using Angel Food Ministries foodstuffs this recipe will likely fit into your budget. If you have kids home for snow days or you’ll have kids around during the holidays this will be a great treat!
It’s a real treat for us at the Clubhouse when our mail is full of goodies from our members. Just to tickle your memory the email is foodstampscookiingclub@gmail.com.
We also adore having comments on this page, so do not disappoint us! Thank you so much.
It’s a busy time of year, but if you have the time to peek in on our partners, that would be keen. Rapid Cash Marketing has such great ideas for bringing more money into your household and they would love to strut their stuff for you.
*The FTC wants you to know that there are links in this post, which, if clicked may result in a sale. IF that should take place, your humble blogger would be compensated. They want you to do your due diligence when conducting commerce online or offline and so do we!
For the stray leftover pumpkins, we think soup is the ideal use!
Food Stamps Cooks are the BEST!
When we asked for your ideas, you sent great recipes and notions to us. Today we have a wonderful offering from one of our frequent commentators. Rainy lives in a snowy region of the country so this savory soup is one of her standard faves.
RAINY’S PUMPKIN SOUP
Medium sized pumpkin or squash
Chicken broth or bouillon
Garlic powder and/or garlic powder to taste
Onions and/or onion powder to taste
Polish sausage, cut into bite sized pieces
Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and peel the skin. Cut into chunks, fill deep soup pot with enough chicken broth or bouillon to cover the pumpkin. Simmer until the pieces are soft and pliable. Remove from stove and place into crock pot to cook down. This will take 4 – 6 hours. If you like, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of Italian spices or a couple of bay leaves.
Add the polish sausage and allow to heat through.
When serving, garnish each bowlful with green onion or shredded cheese.
Serve with fresh bread, crackers or croutons.
WOW! Does that make you want to RUN to the kitchen and recreate this dish for YOUR gang?
COOKING TIP
Here is how Rainy does croutons:
Make your own croutons from the heels of bread the kids won’t eat! On a cookie sheet, break up bread into cubes and drizzle olive oil over them. Then sprinkle a bit of onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and/ or cheese powder from a shaker bottle.
Thanks, Rainy! This is now my new favorite comfort food!
If you are using Angel Food Ministries, food commodities or goods from a food pantry, this will be of value to you. If you are stretching SNAP or WIC funds, you can appreciate the worth of a nourishing soup like this, as well.
Please follow Rainy’s lead and share YOUR low cost recipes and tips with the Club, won’t you? Just shoot an email to our In box: foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com . WE THANK YOU FOR SHARING.
*The FTC wants your humble blogger to remind you that if someone clicks on any links in this post and that click results in a sale, there will be compensation. The KEY WORD in this is “IF”. So now you know.
Here are the fixings for a scrumptious lunch: onions, broccoli and bacon!
What a shame you cannot SMELL this post! I hope some techy person is working on software that will offer that benefit!
If you are concerned about your food budget-and who isn’t?-then this idea may appeal to you. Here’s how it went:
MOTHER CONNIE’S QUICK LUNCH
3 slices of bacon per lunch guest
1 small onion, sliced
1 good-sized handful of broccoli per lunch guest + 1 for the pot. Use either frozen or fresh broccoli.
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of shredded cheese per serving. I used taco cheese and it was delish!
Cut the bacon into small pieces and render out the fat. When nicely browned, drain the bacon on paper toweling. Remove the grease from the skillet, add the slices of onion. When they are tender, add in the broccoli and let the broccoli cook til tender.
When the veggies are cooked, add the bacon back to the mixture and toss gently. Place servings onto a plate and top with shredded cheese.
The finished meal, complete with applesauce and hot tea! DELISH!
This dish was so quick, easy, CHEAP, and delicious that I’m willing to make the same thing using cauliflower.
If you have ideas for varying this dish, please send your good ideas to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com .
For those of you who depend on food pantry food, or food commodities, we want to cater to your needs as much as possible, so please feel free to let us know how we can be of assistance. This is also true for users of SNAP and WIC. We have offered many kinds of ‘cooking with beans’ dishes in the past, simply because beans are such a staple item in food bundles.
If you are expecting to place an order with Angel Food Ministries this month, those orders must be received by the 8th of December. Ordering with them is a positive experience.
We hope this blog is a positive experience for every one of you.
Thanks for popping in; we totally hope you will leave a comment for us to ooh and aaah over. Thank you.
*The FTC wants you to know that the above link is an affiliate link for Rapid Cash Marketing, which means that if someone clicks on it and actually buys something your humble blogger would be compensated. The FTC worries about this because some people have cheated others. Now, do you really think Mother Connie is going to cheat you? I think NOT.
Here’s what’s cooking in the Club house! It’s a very cost effective way to use Turkey Day leftovers but it’s a really great Busy Day meal. Quick, nourishing, tasty; it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser at your family’s dinner table!
Whether you use WIC or SNAP funds; no matter if you procure food from commodities or a food pantry it’s important to make meals that please your gang but don’t wear you down to a frazzle.
If you will be ordering your food supply from Angel Food Ministries this month, the deadline for getting those orders in is looming. They’d like to have your information on December 8 to ensure getting your order delivered at your pick up site on December 19.
Thank you if you have sent us ideas and messages and comments. These are our lifeblood and we are thrilled to hear from every Club member! Our email is as follows: foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com
We received news yesterday that there will be some changes in the SENCA-SouthEast NE Community Action-Center. We will keep you apprised of things as they progress. One thing we are thrilled about is a series of upcoming Nutrition Classes! I think the Fun Police should look the other way!
Please feel free to visit our sister sites: The Healthy and Wealthy You, the title of which pretty much says it all. There is free advice on Mother Connie Sez with a touch of heart and humor. The Rapid Cash Review is a business blog with ideas for increasing your household income online.
If you choose to visit our partners, please be advised that your humble blogger is an affiliate so any sales will result in commissions. It’s all about selling other people’s stuff and if you make purchases offline or online you would be wise to do your due diligence and buy goods and services only if you trust the seller.
It’s been a busy day in the Clubhouse! We’ve had no time to COOK, even! Now THAT is busy!
The deadline for ordering food from Angel Food Ministries is December 8 so another club member came by and we both placed our order today. It was a great opportunity to drink hot chocolate and celebrate the Event!
We have had the opportunity to speak with the people in our area-SouthEast Nebraska-who handle the orders, the payments and the food pickup. We even chatted with the Powers that Be from the headquarters in Georgia. WOW. They are real people who listen, answer questions and UNDERSTAND how to help people of every stripe.
Another project simmering on the front burner is the little gift we have been working on for the Club members. You will need to send your name and email address in order to receive this token of our esteem for you, so please visit the box in the upper right hand corner of this very page and enter your information if you have not done so already. Or you may choose go to Food Stamps Cooking Club and put your name and email address on that page. Your gift will arrive in your inbox as soon as we dress it up a bit.
We sent out a message today to all our members about a thrifty way to launder clothes! When you are pinching pennies and using SNAP or WIC or Angel Food Ministries; if you use food commodities or get supplies from a food pantry it’s important to manage your funds to include cleaning and laundry products. One of the club members generously shared her formula for a laundry powder that is incredibly economical! Thanks, Kim!
That’s the news from the Club House! Hope YOUR day was equally exciting and filled with immeasurable joy!
*Please be advised that this link leads to an affiliate program for which your humble blogger would receive compensation from any sales made. Use your due diligence when shopping online and do internet commerce only with those you trust; this applies to offline business, as well.
Here are the fixin's for an easy-as-a-breeze dessert salad!
MaryLou was asked to bring a salad for our feast on Thanksgiving. She really brought a winner, and has been kind enough to write out the recipe for us, which you can see in the picture. Here is an easier-to-read version:
MaryLou’s SeaBreeze Salad
*This tastes to me like comfort food!
3 small packages lime gelatin dessert
2 cups boiling water
2 cups cold water + pineapple juice
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 can lemon pie filling
1 8 ounce tub whipped topping
Add pie filling and pineapple after gelatin is set. Conserve 1 cup plain gelatin, added to the whipped topping, and “frost” the top. This makes a beautiful, refreshing dessert salad in a 9 X 13 dish.
Thanks, MaryLou!
Maybe you receive food commodities; perhaps you have food procured from a food pantry. Most times there will be items in those bundles that lend themselves well to this dish. If you do not have the precise items called for in this recipe, substitute as you are able and give it your own signature!
If you use food from Angel Food Ministries or SNAP funds or even WIC, this salad will provide a nice treat for your family.
We are so pleased you have come to the Club to read this post. The hope is that you’ll take a moment to leave your comment. Or, if you prefer, send us your thoughts in an email to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com .
If you have the time to peek into our sister sites here is list:
Thanks so much to the Club Members who sent their greetings for the Thanksgiving holiday. We appreciate your patience in allowing us time to share with family and friends.
There are some good money saving ideas coming down the pike so do stay tuned! Our Club members are watching out for one anothers’ costs!
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