Archive for October, 2010

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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Chefs and their Knives?

October 28th, 2010

Do YOU have a knife like this in your kitchen drawer? Is it your "work horse" knife?

Everybody has a favorite knife.  Mother Connie is so old she remembers the radio show “Kitchen Klatter” and the premium knife they made available for almost nothing.  That little knife still has a place in the drawer 40 years later!

As much as that knife has been used, it is not the favorite.  That would be the carbon steel chef’s knife with the wooden handle and blade that rusts whenever onions are cut with it.  It fits my hand, it sharpens easily and quickly and I LOVE THAT KNIFE.

However, it is 30 years old now and it’s time to get up to date.  After a conference with Chef Josh of Grill A Chef from  Food Network’s “Chopped” fame he suggested I scope out HIS fave.  It is a handsome thing and he highly recommends it.  It would make a lovely, timely birthday gift for a certain blogger.  Chef Josh has many great kitchen tools available from his website, so if you like to window shop, please cruise on over to his place and have a look.  The links that take you there will not benefit Mother Connie; they will help Chef Josh to keep his site up and running.  He thanks you and so do I, for any sales that are made there.

Recently I witnessed a busy cook who was prepping veggies for a gang and all she had for such a big job was a knife not unlike the one pictured above.  This leads your humble blogger to believe that people just use whatever their mothers used or whatever premium THEY got 40 years ago.  Old habits die hard.

However, a good sharp chef’s knife can speed things up in the kitchen.  When it comes to cutting squash or watermelons or chopping onions the proper tools are important to Mother Connie.  Maybe you feel the same way.

We’d LOVE to hear about YOUR favorite knife.  We want to know the story about it.  Everybody has a story, after all.  AND the good news is that our Comment Feature seems to be up and running again.  I guess the computer fairies sprinkled their magic dust over the mechanism…

As you know, this blog exists to help users of public assistance who fund their food budgets with EBT cards from WIC or SNAP.  We hope to help users of Angel Food Ministries, food pantry users and those who depend on food commodities.  We sincerely hope we are meeting your requirements for budget friendly food ideas.

I found a dessert recipe I hope you’ll like.  Mother Connie has added her comments in italics.

This recipe is courtesy of  Garrett McCord of Vanilla Garlic as found on “Simply Recipes”.


Butterscotch Pudding Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter *Mother C. used salted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar*light brown is ok, too
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt *Use whatever is in your shaker
  • 1 1/4 cup cream*Mother C only had 1/2 n 1/2
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1  1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Method

1 Preheat oven to 325°F and set a kettle of water to boil. Set four ramekins or oven-safe bowls out and a large baking dish. In a saucepan melt the butter. Once melted add the brown sugar and salt, stir until well combined. Add the cream and milk to the sugar mixture. Heat until steamy and tiny, pinprick-sized bubbles begin to show around the side of the pot and the ingredients are combined (about 170°F to 180°F). You do not want it to boil or even simmer as this cause scalding or curdling of the milk. Remove from heat immediately.

2 Slowly, in a thin stream, pour the heated sugar-dairy mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly so that the egg yolks are tempered by the warm mixture, but not cooked by it. Stir in the vanilla extract. Pour through a fine mesh sieve to catch any cooked bits of egg.

3 Ladle the mixture evenly into the ramekins. Place ramekins in the baking dish and pour the hot water into the baking dish until the water rises an inch from the top of the ramekins. Lightly tent the entire pan (not each individual ramekin) with some vented foil. The foil can simply be crimped on two opposite sides, it shouldn’t be airtight. Bake for 50-65 minutes or until set (the sides should be firm and the center only a bit wobbly). Be sure to rotate the pan half way through cooking. Allow to cool or, preferably, chill before serving.

Serves 4

*Mother Connie again:  Don’t panic over not having ramekins.  Use custard cups if you have them OR coffee mugs, if they are oven worthy.  Shucks, you can put the whole shootin’ match into a shallow baking pan and the Kitchen Police will not have grounds to arrest you!

This pudding is hearty and satisfying at the end of a family meal.  It also makes a great after school snack for youngsters who come home ready for something yummy!

Remember to visit Chef Josh’s Tools Page. And do hurry back.  Our gmail indicates you people are filled with great ideas to share!

foodstampscookingclub!gmail.com  is the place to send YOUR great ideas and to let us know about YOUR favorite knife!

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Always do business with those you trust implicitly.

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Food Stamps Cooking Club: I KNEW I Shoulda Cooked Some Beans!

October 26th, 2010

Cooking is not my issue today; IT'S THE LAUNDRY!!!

Oh, the plans we make…and then those plans are dashed!  The scheme was to blog for you in grand fashion and prepare for a presentation I’m scheduled to make tonight.

But life happened!  The washer got cranky.  The water at the local laundry WAS OFF! That’s what happens when the infrastructure of a tiny town is a century old! Furthermore, the COMMENTS section of this blog is on the fritz!  Woe is me! Now, let me think…what IS the lesson to be learned?

Well, not to worry.  Carol sent us a FABULOUS suggestion about beans!  She is a mommy blogger in Connecticut and she has a darling blog that can keep your whole household running efficiently and frugally in fine, fine form.  She calls her blog CTonabudget.

She has invited the whole Club to come check out all her bean recipes and links for additional bean information.  She assures us they eat a LOT of beans at their place!

Thanks, Carol!

If YOU have info to share about beans or frugal cooking or you just want to let off steam about kitchen issues, you are welcome to send your thoughts to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com

When the COMMENTS issue is resolved you can post your comments here on the blog!

For those of you who depend on public assistance for your food budgets, this blog is designed especially for YOU.  Perhaps you hold an EBT card for WIC or SNAP.  It might be that you have help from a food pantry or you use food commodities.  Maybe you are a fan of Angel Food Ministries or MAYBE you are simply good stewards and like to maintain a frugal outlook when it comes to managing in the kitchen.  We truly hope we are meeting your needs.  We understand your plight and we want to help you the best way we know how.

Now I have to go tend that rascally laundry!  I’m sure you all can relate!

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Always do business with those you trust implicitly.

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Food Stamps Cooking Club: It’s BEAN a Great Ride…

October 25th, 2010

Beans make for terrific soup even at the WHITE HOUSE! Just ask Maxine!

Beans are the centerpiece of a frugal cook’s kitchen.  Just ask Maxine, who has graciously offered another gem of her wisdom for our benefit!  Frugal cooks include users of Angel Food Ministries; holders of EBT cards from SNAP and WIC; people who have beans from food pantries and food commodities as well as those of us who pamper our food budgets know the value of preparing and serving beans to those we love best!

Here is great information from Maxine, with our heartfelt thanks:

“Nobody is going to make you give up your Cooking Club membership if you use canned beans instead of dry. Beans in a can are good, handy, and cheap.

But home-cooked beans are just as good,  even cheaper and dead simple to cook. You can cook a big batch and freeze the rest for another day.

I used to soak my beans overnight and cook them in a Crock Pot. After I discovered the quick soak method, and cooking the beans in a pressure cooker, I’ve never looked back. Nothing does a better job of cooking beans!

Soak beans overnight or use this quick soak method: preferred–faster and beans hold their shape better–Heat beans and water–2 cups water for every 1 cup beans–to boiling; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand one hour. Drain water.

To cook beans:

Add 2 cups fresh water for every one cup beans. Add 1 tablespoon cooking oil to help prevent frothing. DO NOT ADD SALT. Bring up to 10 lbs. pressure over medium heat. Reduce heat gradually to medium-low in order to maintain 10 lbs. pressure. Cook for specified length of time (see below). Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then place under faucet to relieve pressure. Note: never fill pressure cooker more than ½ full of liquid. Always allow at least 2½ inches of space between top of liquid and rim of pan.

Black eyed peas, 10 min.
Black beans, 20 min.
Great Northern beans, 20 min.
Kidney beans, 30 min.
Lentils, 10 min.
Lima beans, large, 30 min.
Lima beans, small, 25 min.
Navy beans, 30 min.
Pea beans, 20 min.
Pinto beans, 10 min.
Soybeans, 35 min.
Small White beans, 10 min.

Here is my favorite recipe for bean soup. It is similar to the Navy bean soup served daily in the U.S. Senate dining room. I usually use small white beans, which cook faster than Navy beans. If I use my pressure cooker, I only make half a recipe.

MAXINE’S WHITE OR NAVY BEAN SOUP
1 pound (2 cups) Navy or small white beans
Meaty ham bone or ham hock
3 quarts water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup leftover mashed potatoes OR 1 raw potato, peeled and sliced
1 onion
several stalks of celery, including leaves
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Simmer ham bone or hock in 3 quarts of water for 2-3 hours on top of the stove, or all day or all night in the Crock Pot. Remove bone and meat and refrigerate until fat hardens on top of the broth. Do this the day before.

Cover dry beans with water and soak overnight OR do a quick soak about an hour before you start the soup.

Drain beans and discard soaking water. Remove hardened fat from broth and discard. Remove ham from bone and chop finely, discarding all fat and gristle.

Chop onion and celery (this is a good way to use up the yellow center stalks). In a large stock pot or crock pot, combine beans, broth, ham and all remaining ingredients EXCEPT salt. Simmer until beans are tender–about 2 hours on top of the stove, most of the day in the crock pot, or according to pressure cooker timetable. Season with salt to taste.   if ham was salty, may not need any salt.

Note: For a very good veggie version, just use 3 quarts water and skip the ham and broth.

Remember, if you are using a standard size pressure cooker, make only half a recipe!

I like to serve this with cornbread and a fruit salad, such as Waldorf.

HOLY MATILDA, Maxine!  That just looks so scrumptious I can hardly wait to go soak a bag of beans!  I particularly like that you have paired them with cornbread because that will provide the complete protein necessary for the body to function optimally!

Again, we salute our dear Club Member, Maxine!  Thanks oodles.

Maxine has promised she will soon be Talking Turkey so do stay tuned for that piece of work!  Also, if you have not signed up for the series of cooking tips from the Food Stamps Cooking Club, we invite you to do so.

Please know that your comments are always welcome on this blog and you may send items to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com at any time.

***PLEASE NOTE THAT THE COMMENT FEATURE IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY SO PLEASE DIRECT YOUR COMMENTS TO foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com    WE ARE SORRY TO INCONVENIENCE OUR MEMBERS THIS WAY AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR UNDERSTANDING.  –Webmaster

You may find our sister blogs of interest:  Mother Connie Sez has to do with rants and raves about health, healing, and life’s happenings.  The Healthy and Wealthy You is pretty self explanatory but without ranting and raving; and Rapid Cash Review chronicles work at home opportunities.  The newest member of the family is Soapy Teeth.  This explains the fun of brushing your teeth with soap and without fluoride so your teeth can re-enamelize.  There is no ranting or raving there but you might find a video from time to time.  grin

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Always do business with those you trust implicitly.

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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Doing the Happy Dance?

October 24th, 2010

I dunno if this is how the Happy Dance looks but Mother Connie is HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!

When it was decided that people who use public assistance to fund their food budgets-SNAP and WIC, for example or food commodities; even food pantries it never occurred to Mother Connie that it would have the impact that we are seeing today!

Here’s what’s really going on:

You know how I nag all of you for comments…well, many of you have responded thoughtfully by offering your remarks, your messages, your recipes, your blog posts and your undying support.  You have even, much to the delight of this blogger, created community and dialogue!  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!

Some people are shy, however.  Even though you know you can comment anonymously, there are those who have great ideas but are just too bashful to come forward.  Mother Connie understands.

Today the phone rang; on the other end was a gentleman who wanted to touch base with the Club to let someone know he loves to cook but doesn’t always know for sure how things go together.  We had quite the discussion about limes vs lemons and cilantro and how much might be too much.  It was exhilarating, because I realized once again that we are making an impact!

Our caller is an avid and talented gardener.  He has a market garden, which means he raises organic foods that are sold at the Farmers Market.  His customers clamor for his melons, his tomatoes and his luscious sweet potatoes.  As his crops ripen they quickly go to market to be purchased by people who seek quality foodstuffs.  He promised to taste test the sweet tater recipe in question and will happily share it here!

DO YOU SEE HOW YOU ALL ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE?  I want you to go to the mirror, smile at your self and say “Thank You.”  Say it like you mean it because you all are wonderful!

In the same vein, I can tell you that recently I was able to promote the use of Angel Food Ministries to a couple of group homes-boy, do THEY ever need to save money on food!-and to some people who had not heard of the wonderful service they render.

We all need one another, you see.  And Mother Connie is doing the Happy Dance because you are all rallying around one another in full support!

GOOD ON YOU!

Hugs,

Mother Connie

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Always do business with those you trust implicitly.


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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Maxine Opens the Door for Chinese Meatballs?

October 20th, 2010

Maxine opens the door to make it possible for us to create a new family favorite...this is sure to become a "go to" dish that your family will request again and again!

It is always such a joy to open my email and find the delightful offerings Maxine, a faithful Food Stamps Cooking Club member, shares so generously.

You see, Maxine understands the importance of helping everyone learn the art of frugal food prep!  This is particularly valuable information for holders of EBT cards from WIC or SNAP.  People who order Angel Food Ministries can benefit, too.  So can those who depend on food commodities and food pantries.

With a nod to Maxine, here is what she had to offer today.  This will easily become standard fare in your home, I betcha a kiss.

Sometime this week, I’m going to make Chinese meatballs for dinner. I made a double batch of meatballs last week and froze them, so half of the work is already done.

I found this recipe in More-with-Less, a cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre, which was published almost 35 years ago. Still available in many libraries and for purchase on amazon.com, it’s billed as “Recipes and Suggestions by Mennonites on how to eat better and consume less of the world’s limited food resources.”

This is not your typical church cookbook, filled with gooey desserts. It’s a serious look at intentional cooking, and nearly everything in it is tasty, nutritious…and cheap. Ms. Longacre was a home economist by training and all of the recipes were tested and re-tested by taste panels.

Some of the nutrition information is outdated, but none of it is unhealthy. For instance, 35 years ago it was thought that two incomplete proteins needed to be combined to make a complete protein. Nutritionists now know this is unnecessary…but it still produces good eating. Can you say “beans and cornbread”?????

Every recipe I’ve tried from this book has been good.  I’ve heard other people say the same thing.  Even dishes that call for ingredients I don’t normally use. Even simple, simple dishes that have so few ingredients you’d think they couldn’t possibly be good…are delicious! When you make Quick Fruit Cobbler, you’ll see what I mean.

It’s fascinating reading, too.

Here is the recipe for Chinese meatballs, with my own notations.

CHINESE MEATBALLS
Cook rice or noodles to serve 6 to 8.

Prepare and reserve, ready to fry:
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced -I use zucchini
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 green peppers, sliced -I used one
1 large onion, slice -I used a medium onion
(I added chopped garlic)
1½ cup frozen peas -I used one cup
2 large tomatoes, cut in wedges
1½ cup pineapple chunks, drained and reserve juice

Season, shape into small balls, and fry:
1½ lb. ground beef–may use part soybean extender

MOTHER CONNIE’S SIDEBAR:  PLEASE DO NOT USE SOYBEANS IN YOUR DIET, UNLESS THEY ARE FERMENTED.  SOY PLAYS HOB WITH YOUR HORMONES.  END MOTHER CONNIE’S SIDEBAR.


I used one recipe of baked meatballs made with 1 lb. ground beef instead of frying

Combine and pour over meatballs:
3/4 cup brown sugar
¾ cup vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon ginger
juice from pineapple
2-3 tablespoons cornstarch

Allow sauce to thicken, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

In separate skillet, stir-fry vegetables in small amount of hot oil until crisp-tender, adding tomatoes and pineapple last. Serve on large patter with rice or noodles in center, meatballs around, vegetables over the rice, and sauce over all.

Today I’m planning to make another recipe from the book—Quick Fruit Cobbler. You can use any type of fruit. Normally, this is something I make with canned, drained peaches when most fresh fruits are out of season. However, I was given a whole boatload of fresh Italian prune-plums, so that’s my fruit for tonight. The recipe says it serves 6, but the amount is just right for the 3 piggy members of my family…but could stretch to 4 servings. To double the recipe, use a 13×9 baking dish.

QUICK FRUIT COBBLER
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine in bowl:
½ cup sugar
½ cup flour
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Pour into greased 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan. Add:
2 cups fruit—fresh, frozen or canned (drain fruit well)

Bake for 40 minutes. Crust starts on bottom and ends up on top.

Oh, my.  Is everyone racing for the kitchen now to cook up a storm?   I have eaten that cobbler and it is soooo delish it’s probably something the Kitchen Police wish we’d forget about!  Thanks so much, Maxine.  YOU ARE THE BESTEST.

Also, I looked at the cost of that cookbook Maxine recommends and it is so reasonably priced that you will really want to consider ordering it.

OK, kids.  You no doubt have faves from YOUR cookbooks.  Let all the other Club Members in on what you have going on in YOUR kitchens!  Open YOUR door and share something from YOUR collection that makes frugal food prep more exciting!

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Always do business with those you trust implicitly.

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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Cheap n Healthy After School Snacks, Anyone?

October 18th, 2010

Leanne Ely has favored us with after school snack ideas today!

After School Snack Ideas By Leanne Ely, C.N.C.

Dear Friends,

They walk in the door and before you can even say “Hi, how was your day?” they’re saying “I’m hungry!”. It’s easy to grab a bag of chips, a cookie, or a can of pop but you want to offer them something different. You’re looking for quick and easy but healthy too. Is there such a thing? You bet there is and I’m here to help you fill their empty bellies with after school snacks you can give your children with confidence. And don’t forget, preparing these snacks with your kids is a great time for some of the best conversations. You can find out a lot about your kids and their lives while talking and working in the kitchen together.

Here’s just a few ideas to get you thinking:

Mini Pizza – English muffin pizzas offer a healthy dose of calcium and are quick and easy to create. All that is needed are whole wheat English muffins, pizza sauce, and shredded cheese. Apply a bit of sauce to each muffin, and sprinkle with the cheese. Heat in the oven just until the cheese is melted. You can engage your kids in conversation as you prepare this snack together.

Fruit – A common after school snack, but you can spice it up by adding some a healthy fruit dip. Simply mix some plain low-fat yogurt, lemon juice and honey. You can experiment with this dip and change it up by adding some cocoa instead of lemon juice or molasses and cinnamon instead of honey. Use your creativity and your cupboards to their full potential. Your kids can help you by washing the fruits while you prepare the dip.

Mix It Up – Tossing together a variety of ingredients can make for a special blend of trail mix. Items such as almonds, popcorn, dried fruit, cashews, and pretzels, can be added to make a unique yet tasty snack. Consider the preferences of your children when combining the foods for this snack. Trail mix will last for days, so you can make up a big Rubbermaid bowl full over the weekend for a quick snack that requires no preparation.

For more snack ideas check out my Snack Series here:
Love,
Leanne, Your Dinner Diva

Saving Your Dinner since 2001, Saving Dinner.com

Copyright (C) 2010 www.savingdinner.com Leanne Ely, CNC All rights reserved.

Users of EBT cards from SNAP or WIC; consumers who avail themselves of Angel Food Ministries and those who visit food pantries and use food commodities will surely find worth in Leanne’s ideas.  So will those who simply follow a frugal path and watch every food dollar closely.   Besides that, Leanne makes us drool!

The big excitement around here is the “birth” of a new baby sister blog:  SoapyTeeth!  It’s kinda cute and it’s all about saving money on your dental bills with state of the art dental care.  You might wanna cruise on over there and scope it out.
Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Always do business with those you trust implicitly.


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Food Stamps Cooking Club: What Foods Comfort YOU?

October 15th, 2010
*Note:  Mother Connie has had internet service provider issues.  Hence, the Food Stamps Cooking Club has been neglected.  Here’s hoping YOU all missed hearing from this corner of the world as much as Mother Connie missed posting!  This post is all about comfort food:  APPLES!  YUMMY!
It comes to us courtesy of The Dinner Diva who has been Saving Dinner for eons, LeAnne Ely.  Thanks, LeAnne.  We couldn’t keep house without you.

Fall Fruit
By Leanne Ely, C.N.C.


Can you feel the crispness in the fall air? The leaves are changing. The nights are colder. It’s sweater weather. It’s harvest time. I love this time of year. It’s finally cool enough to do some serious cooking without worrying about heating up your kitchen and the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables has never been better.

Let’s focus a bit on those fruits. Although they are great to eat just as Mother Nature created them, there are lots we can do to add some kick to our traditional meals as well. Have you ever tried chicken with apricots? How about pork chops with honey and apples? And adding an assortment of berries when roasting meats is simply divine!

Try baking up some of those apples. Just remove the core then add some raisins, a little honey and cinnamon in the empty space. Bake for thirty minutes at 350 degrees. YUM! And just think of all the calories you just saved yourself by skipping the traditional apple pie (save that for Thanksgiving).

Another fun way to serve up your fruitful bounty is in a Fall Fruit Salad. I’ve included a recipe for you below but feel free to get creative with this one. Add or subtract fruits to your heart’s content. For a flavor that is more tart try adding some dried cranberries. You can add some extra crunch with a few almonds or even chopped celery. There’s no limit to the fun you can have with your fall fruit.

Fall Fruit Salad
Serves 4

1 apple, diced
1 pear, diced
1 peach, diced
1/2 cup green seedless grapes
1 cup low fat lemon yogurt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, combine the apple, pear, peach and grapes. Toss with yogurt and chill. Stir in the walnuts just before serving so the walnuts will maintain their crunch. You can also garnish this with mint if desired.

Leanne Ely is a New York Times bestselling author of Body Clutter and the Saving Dinner series. The Dinner Diva syndicated newspaper column appears in 250 newspapers nationwide. Learn how to cook great and save significant money with the Dinner Diva’s menus, recipes and shopping lists at www.savingdinner.com

Copyright (C) 2010 www.savingdinner.com Leanne Ely, CNC All rights reserved.
Those who are holders of EBT cards from SNAP or WIC, those who use Angel Food Ministries, people who use food pantries and/or food commodities will be happy to have all this information.

As for the Food Stamps Cooking Club?  WE ARE SO HAPPY THERE IS YOU.

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post. Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated. Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline. Always do business with those you trust implicitly.

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Food Stamp Cooking Club: Fast Food? Not Food!

October 12th, 2010

Fast food is not really edible. It SO belongs in this trash can.

By Leanne Ely, C.N.C.

Dear Friends,

Everyone knows that fast food isn’t the healthiest option out there. However, with increasingly hurried lifestyles, it’s easy to give in to the temptation to head to your local drive-through and pick up a quick meal. Complicating matters even further, brightly painted playgrounds and characters with friendly faces lure your children to fast food restaurants. And let’s not forget those tempting plastic toys.

But just how bad is this food? Can you even call it food? In one famous experiment, a New York City artist purchased a happy meal from McDonald’s and took photos of it every day. By day 137, the plain hamburger and fries looked nearly identical to the way they looked on the first day. How many preservatives do you think are in that food so that it shows no signs of decay after more than four months? Are you putting all those chemicals in your body or your children’s bodies?  Of course, you can do as one popular fast food chain says and “have it your way”.  But is that really your way?

Real food has a short lifespan. Natural food will not look the same even one day later, much less 137 days later. It if was once living it will decay.

If you think you’re safe from the chemical overload when you order from the light menu, think again. Even the so-called healthier meals at these places are loaded with salt, sugar, and fat. Certain menu items may indeed be lower in fat but they are still pumped with preservatives to help prolong their shelf life and reduce the company’s overhead. Fast food is indeed cheaper than buying fresh food at the store. That’s because the food they sell bears little resemblance to what you would buy in the grocery store. If you’re often in a hurry, look into meal planning like our Menu-Mailers and freezer cooking. If you’re on a budget, clip coupons and scour sales flyers.

Think about it: one fast food meal usually contains more sodium, fat, and calories than you should consume throughout an entire day. YIKES! It’s also full of unnatural chemicals that your body doesn’t recognize and doesn’t know what to do with.  DOUBLE YIKES! Is it really worth saving a little bit of time and money tonight if it means shortening your life in the long run?  You still “lovin’ it”?

Love,
Leanne, Your Dinner Diva Saving Your Dinner since 2001,

Copyright (C) 2010 www.savingdinner.com Leanne Ely, CNC All rights reserved.

As you can see, The Dinner Diva, Leanne Ely, and Mother Connie are on the same page when it comes to real food.

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post. Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated. Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline. Always do business with those you trust implicitly.

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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Sour Cream and Maxine Rock My World!

October 11th, 2010

Despite their best efforts, the hens could not escape Maxine's meatballs!

We can be fairly sure the Kitchen Police and the Fun Police are not, nor have they ever, been patrolling in Maxine’s kitchen.  Here is why:  Maxine sent us yet another fine example of frugal cuisine.  Please help yourself to a napkin before you READ this.  It could make you drool on your keyboard.  OK, kids, you have been warned.  And Mother Connie is grinning.

Here’s what Maxine had to say:

“The last half of the carton of sour cream stared me in the face every time I opened the refrigerator door. It was left from the sour cream I used in the Chicken Paprika a couple of weeks ago, and the pull date on the carton was getting perilously close.

Ingredients such as sour cream really aren’t expensive if you cook mostly from scratch and use them up. It’s when they are allowed to turn fuzzy and pink and green, and eventually tossed, that the cost of food really goes up. (I never pay more than $1.50 pint for sour cream, and often get it for less. It sometimes costs more than $1.50, but I won’t buy it then).

So…I really needed to use this. But I wasn’t in the mood. I’d gotten 80% ground beef for $1.99 lb. at the 12 Hour Sale at Super One, and meatballs were calling my name. Specifically, Chinese meatballs—a sweet and sour recipe from the More-with-Less cookbook.

I went ahead and made baked meatballs according to my own recipe. When I got around to checking the recipe for Chinese meatballs, I discovered I lacked too many key ingredients. With my meatballs already made, and not feeling like anything involving spaghetti sauce…what to do?

The sour cream was really talking to me now. So, I went to AllRecipes.com and typed in “ground beef” and “sour cream” as ingredients I wanted to use, and “cream of mushroom soup” as an ingredient I DIDN’T want to use (because I didn’t have any, and also because I generally prefer to make sauces from scratch). Just to be sure, I typed in “Swedish meatballs” as an additional keyword. When that didn’t bring up any recipes that appealed to me, I cleared the field and typed in “stroganoff.” Bingo!

The recipe I chose also called for a few ingredients I didn’t have, including beef consommé, but I was able to fake it with what I had. Faking it is my specialty, LOL.

I’m not going to share the recipe, because it was good, but it wasn’t a stand-out. I just wanted to make you aware of the allrecipes.com ingredient search feature. If you’ve got some ingredients you’re trying to use up, give it a whirl.

I’m going to share my recipe for meatballs. They are tender, have a lovely flavor, and don’t gunk up the kitchen with grease. I usually make a double batch and freeze half, after they are cooked. (You can freeze them raw, but why go to the bother of baking twice?). Since I made a double batch tonight, I’m sure I’ll be making Chinese meatballs soon. Next time, I’ll share the recipe and introduce you to the More-with-Less cookbook.

BAKED MEATBALLS

1 pound ground beef   *MOTHER CONNIE USED  GROUND CHICKEN!
¼ cup dry bread crumbs (I use heels of bread to make my own in the blender)
¼ cup milk
1 egg
½ tablespoon dried minced onion
¾ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper


Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Combine all ingredients and mix with fingers until blended. Shape into balls, using about 1½ to 2 tablespoons of mixture for each. Place on a 10×15 rimmed cookie sheet* and bake for 12 minutes, or until just slightly pink inside. Makes about 24 meatballs.


*For easier clean-up, line cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray foil with nonstick spray.”

*Mother Connie here:  The Kitchen Police will never know if you used beef or chicken in this dish.  Your family may not figure it out, either.

Thank you again, Maxine!

For those of you who have boxes of Angel Food Ministries foods, or hold EBT cards from SNAP or WIC, this could help you tremendously. If you use food commodities or food from a food pantry, this might be just what you are looking for. Golly, even if you are simply frugal and stretching your food dollars the best way you know how, this could be exactly what will tickle your palate while pleasing your wallet!

There are many ways to help yourself. We have lots of good ideas from our sponsors: TOOTHSOAP - SAVING DINNER to mention a couple. And on our sister blogs: Mother Connie Sez, Rapid Cash Review, and The Healthy and Wealthy You.

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post. Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated. Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline. Always do business with those you trust implicitly.

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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Have a MEAL PLAN?

October 11th, 2010

Do you have a meal plan? Is it written? Posted? Followed? Planning can save lots of grocery dollars!

As you are most likely aware by now, we have come to depend on the helpful resources provided by our Food Stamps Cooking Club Members.  Today’s post will share with you the great little site Maxine found for us.  THANKS, MAXINE.  And THANKS, CONNECTICUT!

The helpful site to which I refer is CTONABUDGET and its webmaster has one great money saving idea after another.  I hope you’ll cruise on over to this great resource and leave your comment because you KNOW how bloggers are about comments!  When you get back, you can leave a comment HERE, for we will be sharing a recipe with you.

Are you holding an EBT card for SNAP or WIC?  Do you use Angel Food Ministries bundles?  Are you just frugal by nature?  Maybe you have food commodities or have visited a food pantry.  In any case, we aim to cater to those who need support in creating healthy menus on a shoestring for the people they love .  We hope you readers continue to pass the word to those who sit in your circle.  We know our readership/membership is growing and we have each of YOU to thank for that.

BLACK EYED PEAS TOMATO SALAD

This is wonderful for the end-of-garden tomatoes so plentiful now!

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (Not to worry; plain mustard will do)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cans black eyed peas

1 small onion, preferably red, thinly sliced

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes OR chopped tomatoes

METHOD:

In a medium bowl, combine the lemon juice, garlic, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper.  While whisking, drizzle in the oil and whisk until completely emulsified.  Add the peas and the onions.  Toss to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 24 hours.

In a large serving bowl, combine the tomatoes and peas mixture.  Toss well so all will be coated evenly.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

This makes a very pretty salad and it is very economical!

We hope you are enjoying those end of the garden goodies and we’d love to hear what you are doing with the “leftovers”…we suspect there are ideas out there that need to be shared!

As always, we invite you to visit our sister sites:  Mother Connie Sez and The Healthy and Wealthy You as well as Rapid Cash Review and all our sponsors.  And do let us know your take on CTONABUDGET! Thanks once again to Maxine!

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post. Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated. Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline. Always do business with those you trust implicitly.

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