Posts Tagged ‘food budgets’

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Food Stamps Cooking Club: End o Summer EZ Do?

August 28th, 2010

Who wants to spend the last, lazy days of summer in a hot kitchen?

We are experiencing the last dog days of summer.  The nights are cool enough for delicious sleep and rest but the days are humid, breezy and way warmer than we feel is comfy.

One of my guilty pleasures is listening to Lynne Rosetto Kasper’s radio show that’s designed for people who love to eat.  She talks about food and how to prepare ordinary things in interesting and creative ways and it strikes my fancy.  Her food ideas are always simple and easy to duplicate.  Best of all, her concoctions never send me out to buy something special that I won’t have on hand!

As I am wont to do, I reworked one of her summertime supper notions and it is uber divine! I think it falls under the umbrella of “comfort foods.”   Here’s what’s for dinner tonight at our house:

MOTHER CONNIE’S VERSION:

PASTA, TOMATOES AND CHICKPEAS

1 ripe tomato for each diner.  Peel them if you like, or not.  As you prefer

1 clove garlic, finely minced-I only had garlic powder on hand

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon balsamic vinega

1 tablespoon basil-I used dried sweet basil from my pantry shelf

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Combine the tomato pieces with the garlic, salt, pepper, basil and oil in a large bowl. Add the chickpeas. Stir and adjust the seasonings to suit your palate.   This can stand, macerating all those lovely tomato juices for a few hours before you cook the pasta.

I cooked regular old $.99 cent sale priced spaghetti.  If you want to use the whole wheat or other styles of pasta products it would work just as well but might not be as cost effective.

We had freshly baked Foccacia bread with this and it was a big hit with The Normanator.  It’s hard to impress that man, so I took that as a very positive sign!

If you are swiping an EBT card from WIC or SNAP, this is a dish that will be very easy on your food budget.  If you happen to have goods from a food pantry, it is very likely you could easily put this together.  Maybe you’ll even put your own spin on it.  If you use food commodities, this dish will help those commodities to stretch as far as your month. For users of Angel Food Ministries food or Farmers Markets food, this is a superb way to manage those resources.  And for all those frugal, thrifty types-this will be very kind to your food budgets!

Besides,  who wants to hang out in a hot kitchen at summer’s end?

Maybe you would like to learn more about healthy eating.  Mother Connie Sez has some big ideas about how to get and stay well.  Her rhetoric and rants can be found on the Mother Connie Sez blog

It might even be that YOU should like to rant and rave.  You can leave us your comment-we’d be pleased-or you can send an email to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com.

You are most welcome to visit the sponsors of this blog: Saving Dinner, Rapid Cash Marketing and ToothSoap, too.  Each has interesting ideas and there may be possibilities for extra income for your family that you’d find appealing.

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  If you should click on them and sales result, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting business online or offline.  Do business only with those you trust implicitly.

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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Smile! It’s Marilyn’s Cucumbers!

August 22nd, 2010


Marilyn knows and grows cucumbers so she sent her favorite salad recipe for us to share!

Marilyn describes herself as frugal.  That pretty much says it all for all of us who hang out in the Clubhouse.  We are all about getting all we can from EBT cards from SNAP and WIC.  We do all we can with food commodities and what comes from the food pantry.  If we have goods from the Farmers Market or Angel Food Ministries, we make that stretch as far as possible.  And then, some of us, like Marilyn, are frugal and want to be good stewards.

She sent her favorite recipe for cucumbers:

MARILYN’S CUCUMBER MARINADE

4 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup cold water
2 tablespoons chopped dill
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash pepper

Combine sliced cucumber with all other ingredients; cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before serving.
Marinated cucumbers recipe serves 4 to 6

YUMMY, Marilyn!  Pretty similar to what we make at our house but with a bit of a twist.  It’s always fun to freshen the menu with new ideas and we appreciate your sharing!  Thanks so much!

We have  another great offering from our faithful contributor, Sandra.  She suggests this would be a perfect project for the weekend because it needs to simmer to marry the flavors.

SANDRA’S OLD COUNTRY SPAGHETTI GRAVY

3½ hours | 25 min prep | Yields about 24 cups of gravy.

4 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste

2 (28 ounce) can tomato puree

3 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

1 (35 ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree or water (crush by hand when adding to the pot)

4 cloves garlic, crushed (or substitute 2 tablespoons garlic powder)

½ cup onion, chopped

3 – 4 tablespoons good olive oil (it should smell fruity when heated)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon Kosher or other coarse salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 tablespoons dried basil

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (optional)

½ cup parmesan cheese

1 cup dry red wine

5 cups water

In a large stockpot on low-med heat add olive oil and sauté onions for about 4 minutes, then add garlic powder and cook a moment longer. Then add remaining ingredients, being sure to mix everything very well. Cover and cook for 2½ hours. Taste and adjust seasonings, salt or sugar as desired.

So now we have the makings for a complete meal, except for dessert.  Maybe we’ll be too full for dessert?

Those of you who have entered your name and email address have received a series of cooking tips and we hope those have been helpful for you.  Occasionally, VERY occasionally, we send out messages that are germane to this site.  We never mean to intrude or overload your Inboxes.  We are tickled pink when new people join our gang!

We are also tickled pink to have comments and emails: foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com will get your email to us.

If you are interested in health and wealth you might also like to see The Healthy and Wealthy You blog.  You might even like to look into having another stream of income or super dental care by clicking on some of the ads and links in this post.  No pressure; just great ideas to enhance your life if you like.

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: Is It Breakfast or Dinner?

August 20th, 2010

Does breakfast ALWAYS mean toast?

You are keenly aware that Food Stamps Cooking Club is all about saving you cash on your food costs and making sure you and your loved ones are healthy and happy.

Leanne Ely has that same goal in mind and one of her recent messages to me underscores that goal.  I want to share it with you all so you can have a new perspective on breakfast, especially now that fall is in the air, school is in session again-or soon will be.  Those of you who struggle with the EBT card covering the costs whether you use SNAP or WIC or if you depend on food commodities food pantries will appreciate the value in what The Dinner Diva has to offer:

“Breakfast for Dinner

by Leanne Ely, C.N.C.

My passion in life is that everyone would understand just how important the family dinner table is. That simple piece of furniture represents an intimate ministry in the home that will leave a legacy. To lose this focus and become driven by all kinds of extra curricular activities (both for the kids and the parents) is to lose your family vision. Those are some sharp words, but the consequence of skipping this ritual in favor of another activity is to invite chaos into your home and influence that you don’t want. Statistics have proven over and over again that the family that eats dinner together at least 4 times a week, at the family dinner table (not in front of the tube or in the car) will have children who are less likely to do drugs, drink, have premarital sex and do better in school. What parent doesn’t want that? And all because of a simple thing like dinner. Amazing how un-complex it all is, isn’t it?

The family dinner table represents the connection we have with each other. Each person sitting at the table isn’t there by accident, but is (I believe) a God-given gift and a specific fit for your family.

If I had the opportunity to give every woman on the planet a gift, it would be a vase of flowers for the middle of their dinner tables to remind them that this is a sacred place where their families are not only fed, but nurtured and loved. Where heart strings are tied and relationships realigned.

I invite you this week to make that sacred place pretty. Even if you are facing a raging schedule, at least attempt one dinner there this week. Are you up to the challenge? I know you can do this! Splurge on some flowers, or just a big bowl of apples in a basket you love. You could EVEN do candles if you wanted! As a matter of fact, why not have Breakfast for Dinner this week? It’s quick, easy and your kids will love it.

My children have many fond memories of sipping orange juice from a stemmed glass and listening to Vivaldi by candlelight while diving into a stack of pancakes! It will take 5 minutes to set the table and will create a lifetime of memories–I promise. Sometimes those old fashioned breakfasts of pancakes, waffles and eggs are near impossible to pull off even on weekend mornings. Why not have it for dinner?

Here’s a recipe to get you started:

Crustless No Recipe Quiche
Serves about 6

  • 1 dozen eggs, beaten like for scrambled eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 small package of frozen, chopped spinach; drained
  • 1/2 a small onion chopped and sauteed
  • 1 cup ground beef, cooked (I use just about anything from leftover spaghetti meat to leftover taco meat–use whatever you have)
  • 6 oz. shredded sharp cheddar (I use lowfat)

    • In a bowl, beat your eggs and add milk, salt and pepper. In a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan, put meat, spinach and cheese down then top with egg mixture. Bake @ 350 for 20-30 minutes, but check it often. I have noticed a great deal of difference in cooking times on this. Serve it with a great big salad and some whole grain bread and you have one wonderful supper.

    For the spinach, you can use broccoli instead if you like. I’ve substituted the meat for turkey ham or sausage even or left it out. You can do anything in the cheese dept. This (un)recipe has served me very well and guess what? It will work for you low carbers, too!

    That’s all there is to it. Simple, easy, cheap and quite good! Enjoy!

    ^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

    Breakfast Mixes
    by Leanne Ely, C.N.C.

    To make the most of our days and to really start off right, it’s important to remember that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This is when you break your fast from not eating all night. Your blood sugar is low–you need fuel. To start the day fuel-less is akin to taking a car on a long journey hoping the reserve tank will get you there and back–I promise you, it’s not gonna happen. Most likely you will end up eating something greasy from a drive-thru because your blood sugar has crashed or waiting till lunch and then eating out of control because you’re starving. Let’s not even talk about our foul moods due to our blood sugar being in the can. This is not how we’re meant to operate and we deserve better.

    The wonderful thing about breakfast is that it’s a cheap and easy meal. I’m not talking about the artificially colored, overly sugared breakfast cereals. That stuff is so over priced, you’ll need to take a second out on your house just to keep up with the expense! Not only that, but the only thing those cereals are good for is getting your kids hyper–there is NO nutritional redemption in that expensive stuff. Let me say this again: YOU are the parent and YOU can control what goes in your child’s cereal bowl every day.

    Pancakes and waffles are more “weekend” food. Who has time to make them during the week? YOU do if you can get these mixes together. Even better, you can make extra pancakes or waffles on the weekend, freeze them in big freezer zipper topped bags and use them instead of those expensive and less nutritious toaster waffles in the freezer section in the store.

    Here’s a terrific mix:

    8 cups flour (if you’d like an all whole wheat mix, use whole wheat pastry flour from health food stores)
    2 cups whole wheat flour
    1 1/2 cups buckwheat flour (at some markets, but for sure at health food stores. Optional; use more whole wheat flour if you can’t find it)
    1/2 cup cornmeal (stone ground)
    1 1/2 cups oatmeal (blend in your blender till powdered)
    2 cups buttermilk powder (this is in the baking section of your market)
    5 tablespoons baking powder
    2 tablespoons baking soda
    1 cup sugar (or sucanat–natural sugar at the health food store)
    2 tablespoons salt

    This will make four quarts. Mix all together in a very large bowl and divvy up into gallon sized freezer storage bags. I would mark the date with a Sharpie pen and keep it in the freezer although you can keep in your pantry.

    To make pancakes or waffles:

    1 cup pancake mix
    1 egg
    1/2 to 2/3 cup water (start with the lesser amount first and add if you need to)
    2 tablespoons vegetable oil

    In a medium bowl, stir mix with water, egg and vegetable oil. Heat your griddle and make your pancakes as usual! To make waffles, double the batter and follow the directions for your waffle iron.

    Basic Muffin Mix
    Makes 11 cups

    8 cups flour (again, if you prefer whole wheat, use whole wheat pastry flour)
    3 cups sugar (can use sucanat if you prefer, see note on pancake mix)
    3 tablespoons baking powder
    2 teaspoons salt
    2 teaspoons cinnamon
    2 teaspoons nutmeg

    Combine everything in a large bowl and divide into freezer zipper topped bags. Mark date with a Sharpie pen and store in the freezer or cool dry place.

    To make muffins:
    Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

    In a bowl, mix together 3 cups baking mix, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 eggs, 3/4 cup milk and 3/4 cup berries, raisins, chocolate chips or whatever else you’d like.

    Bake in a prepared muffin pan–that means lightly greased (I prefer the cupcake papers–easy clean up!), filling cups 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until nicely browned. Cool for five minutes in the pan then turn out on to a rack to cool. Makes about 12 muffins, depending on the size of your muffin tin.”

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

    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: Tomato or TomAHto?

    August 17th, 2010

    The Normanator's Handiwork...is he a KEEPER or is he a KEEPER?

    Whether you call them tomatoes or tomAHtoes; whether you eat them fresh or preserve them all luscious in jars that sparkle with their red goodness-it all means great eating year round.

    So many tomatoes!  So little time!  So how can we present them to our families so they do not groan and complain, “Oh, no!  Not tomatoes AGAIN!”

    Mom used to stuff tomatoes with tuna or chicken salad on little beds of lettuce.  We always thought that was the chi-chi poo-poo version and that must be what people ate who had servants.

    SIDEBAR:  Most who find their way to this blog do not have servants!  We are the uber thrifty; we use EBT cards from public assistance like SNAP or WIC.  We might have food from a food pantry or we might use food commodities.  Farmers Markets coupons could get us some tomatoes.  We might even use Angel Food Ministries.  Servants are not an option.  END SIDEBAR.

    My mom also made a brine for chopped tomatoes.  She would use vinegar, salt, pepper and a little sugar.  Sometimes there were cucumbers and/or onions swimming in a bowl of that.  She reused that brine, adding tomatoes as we ate them.  This was a summertime staple on the table for lunch and dinner.

    My dad taught me how to love tomato sammies for breakfast.  He would slice some of Mom’s home made bread, lather it with butter and pile on slices of tomatoes from the garden.  This was comfort food for me as I was growing up.  Sometimes when I’m hungry and don’t know what I want, I still settle on tomato sammies!

    Mom’s best friend, Helen, used to make a concoction using quartered tomatoes, garlic buds, onions and oil.  She would spread it out over a baking sheet, drizzle the oil over all of it and pop it into the oven.  When it came out, Helen would chop it up and pour it over cooked spaghetti noodles.  She toasted garlic bread for us, too.  We thought it was absolute luxury.  And so it was!

    Myra, our landlady, used to treat us to fried green tomatoes.  As I recall, she dredged quarters of the green fruit in corn meal and fried them in oil.  I can still remember sitting at her kitchen table, watching her work, and having her present me with a plate full of the beauties.  Such delicious memories…

    We eat breakfast at the ungodly hour of 1:30 AM.  One of our faves is to stir up a few eggs and add chopped tomatoes to the pan.  It makes for a flavorful and filling breakfast with lots of nourishment.  Better yet;  it is cost effective.

    Call them tomatoes or call them tomAHtoes. They are delicious and nutritious whether they are fresh, cooked, canned or pickled. Even better than that, they are easy on the food budget!

    What do YOU do with these beauties?  I can’t wait to hear from you!

    We appreciate you!  Please consider yourselves hugged.  Now I’m going to enjoy a tomato the way you might enjoy an apple:  just with a shake of salt AND A NAPKIN TO CATCH THE JUICE DRIZZLES!

    PS/There is a link below that will transport you to a website offering a healthy, cost effective way to clean your teeth.  Please check it out.  It’s important to save money any way we can and if we eat well and wisely and can keep our medical care costs low we have won TWICE!

    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: Sheila Went to Idaho?

    August 16th, 2010

    Sheila was responsible for the famed "Ben Bowl" we received so joyously. Now Sheila has traveled to Canada. AND IDAHO.

    Sheila is another of our faithful Food Stamps Cooking Club members.  She’s been vacationing and eating well and wisely in the process.

    Always eager to lend a helping hand to our Club Members, Sheila has offered this recipe on a post card she picked up in, as you might expect, Idaho!  Mother Connie jumped all over this because of the great crop of taters The Normanator has produced in this year’s garden.  And, not surprisingly, has put HER spin on this tasty dish.

    IDAHO BAKED POTATO SOUP 

    *Mother Connie says this translates as “comfort food!”


    2/3 cup butter

    2/3 cup all-purpose flour

    7 cups milk

    4 large potatoes, baked, peeled and cubed-approx 4 cups

    4 green onions, sliced

    12 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

    1 ¼ cups shredded cheddar cheese

    1 cup sour cream

    ¾ teaspoon salt

    ½ teaspoon pepper

    In large soup kettle, melt butter.  Stir in flour; heat and stir until smooth.  Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until thickened.  Add potatoes and onions.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients; stir until cheese is melted.  Serve immediately.  Yield:  8 to 10 servings.

    ***Mother Connie, in her quest to be thrifty, used 3 cups of potatoes and 1 cup of shredded sautéed zucchini.  Also, not having green onions, white onions from the garden were substituted.

    Remember the Foccacia bread recipe we shared recently?  The leftover bread we had was cut into cubes, drizzled with olive oil and parked in the oven to toast.  That made for lovely, yummy croutons and we felt as if we were attending a feast!  We had a salad with Swiss Chard and tomatoes from the oven.  What a great meal!

    Thank you, Sheila.

    Users of EBT cards provided by WIC or SNAP; Angel Food Ministries users; those who frequent food pantries or use food commodities can appreciate the value and cost effectiveness of this soup, even in warm weather.  If you garden, if you have taters and no meat you could make this sans bacon and have a very nourishing meal.  For those who watch their food budgets closely; for those who yearn for comfort food-this is a wonderful menu item.

    Your cards and emails and comments are priceless to us.  Thank you SO MUCH for your participation in this effort to help folks stretch their food dollars.

    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: Does Sandra Have a License?

    August 13th, 2010

    Sandra bakes bread for a song...

    Sandra, who is a regular contributing Food Stamps Cooking Club Member, really resonated with the post that went up about the growing use of public assistance for getting food and making those food dollars stretch.  She sent such delightful offerings that I’m wondering if she should procure a Blogger’s License?

    Actually, I take that back.  Some Federal official will see it and think it is a wonderful idea for raising revenue.

    Suffice it to say that Sandra has either thought this through very carefully or she has lived through a time which taught her a great many good lessons.  See what she sent us:

    “Dear Mother Connie,

    There’s no doubt that that money will be put back but we all still have to worry about those rising food costs especially when it comes to things like produce.  There are a lot of things we do to save money on the grocery bill.

    1. Bake your own bread.  You can make bread for around 40 cents per loaf.  That’s much cheaper and healthier than store bought.

    2. Eat pancakes, oatmeal, eggs, muffins, or French toast instead of boxed cereal.

    3. Make your own pancake/waffle syrup.  There’s a great product called Mapleine on the market.  It comes in a blue and white box and is maple flavoring.  While the bottle costs around $3.50 per bottle, it takes only 1/2 tsp to make a pint of syrup.  It takes one cup water, 2 cups sugar, and 1/2 tsp Mapleine.  Much, much cheaper than store bought syrup.

    4. Buy chips, treats, and cookies only for special occassions.  You can make your own treats much cheaper and healthier and with less packaging.

    5. Don’t drink fruit juice.  While it seems economical, it really isn’t.  A serving of fruit is more satisfying to the appetite.

    6. Eat meat only in very small portions.  You really don’t need a lot – just a few ounces per day fills your protein requirements especially if you eat eggs and dairy.

    7. Eat more vegetarian meals.  Eggs, pasta, grains, etc can provide variety at a lower cost than can meat.

    8. Don’t buy storebought mixes.  You can make your own more cheaply.

    9. One of the biggest things we do is to follow the pantry principle.  We try to keep our pantries stocked with basic ingredients all the time so that we don’t run out of things and have to make extra trips to the store.

    10. Make your own salad dressings.  This really can be cheaper and healthier and once you have a few basic ingredients, you can make different kinds.

    11. Learn to like beans.  Seriously, beans are one of the most nutritious and frugal foods you can eat.  They store well too.

    Mother Connie, I have a lot more ideas, but this is a very good start.  I hope this can help others.  :)

    –Sandra

    We were thrilled with that list.  But Sandra, ever the thoughtful Food Stamps Cooking Club member that she is, sent a follow up message, too:

    Oh, a word about produce.  Learn to keep veggies and fruits that keep for a long time such as potatoes, carrots, cabbage, celery, and apples on hand for main use.  Then buy a few veggies or fruits that don’t keep as long.  Use those first and then rely on your staples.

    Keep in mind that if you have bananas going bad and you aren’t ready to bake with them, you can freeze them and save for the smoothies or baking later.

    If you are willing to go to farmer’s market or produce stands near closing time, you can often get reduced prices.”

    –Sandra

    Sandra, I baked some Foccacia bread this morning.  I eyed the pan of leftovers and pondered what great bread pudding that would make.  Now THAT will save us some moola…and I am known as the Bean Queen around here so you and I are pretty much on the same page! Why, we could be roommates.  Well, you know what I mean.  grin

    If people use Angel Food Ministries,  food pantry food or food commodities; if they have an EBT card for WIC or SNAP they will most assuredly appreciate the worth of your thoughtful ideas, offered most generously.  You are a very wise woman, and we appreciate you very much.

    We are delighted to hear from any of our Members. All emails can go to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com  and please leave your comments here.  We love those, too.

    Our goal is to help you, because we care about your situation and we care about people-neighbors, people on the net-whoever we might assist.

    Pass the word.  The series of cooking tips are fun and we don’t hammer you to death with messages till who laid the chunk.

    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: Cutting SNAP?

    August 11th, 2010

    HOLY COW! What are the Feds THINKING???

    The headlines are screaming a 26 BILLION dollar cut in the program known as Food Stamps.  We know it, of course, as SNAP.

    Just when food prices are getting out of reach, the government, in its infinite wisdom, expects families to do more with less!  One expert panel expects that the amount families receive will be $59.00 less by 2014!

    Well, the saving grace might be that the economy may turn around by 2014…we can always hope.  However, it behooves us to do the best we can with what we have and learn every way there is to stretch those food budgets whether we use EBT cards for SNAP or WIC or if we order Angel Food Ministries; procure food from food pantries or use food commodities.  Maybe we are just thrifty.  In any case, making the food last as long as the month does and meeting our loved ones’ needs is of primary concern.

    What are YOU doing to trim your food bills?

    • If you use canned beans, you may decide to cook dry beans.
    • Use the “waste” from celery, onions and other vegetables to brew your own homemade veggie broth.
    • Learn to garden.  Even if you  grow in containers only, you will be amazed at how much money you’ll save on food.
    • Buy the lowest cost cuts of meats and prepare crock pot meals or slow cook in the oven.
    • Don’t turn up your nose at produce that is GIVEN to you: experiment with zucchini recipes, cucumbers and other abundant garden goods that others may share

    These are but a few suggestions; experience tells me you have more and better ideas than this, dear Members. Leave your comment here below and/or mail your ideas to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com .  We LOVE hearing from our Members.

    If you find this blog helpful, you might appreciate The Healthy and Wealthy You or Mother Connie Sez. Those blogs have places for comments, too-hint, hint.

    Connie Baum

    Follow me on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/motherconnie

    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: Low Cost Kale Salad?

    August 8th, 2010

    This text will be replaced by the player
    Here is a wonderful tutorial I found on the internet because Renita, one of our faithful Club Members, brought it to my attention. It is part of the Natural News TV Network.   I was very pleased to find this because I am weary of creamed and sauteed kale.  I wanted something fresh and tasty and this certainly fills the bill.
    While the Kale Salad is the star of this video, alongside the chef with a wonderful accent, I would like to draw your attention to the WATER UNIT at the left side of the video.  This is the kind of water unit our kids have in their group homes and it provides pure, clean, magnetized, energized water.  This is the kind of water that is beneficial to vibrant good health.  If you would like more information, shoot me an email: foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com and I will cheerfully give you the persnickulars.
    For users of Angel Food Ministries, food commodities or food pantries; anyone who has an EBT card from SNAP or WIC; those of you who are frugal, thrifty and looking to save money on your food budgets-this kale salad will really be a highly nutritious dollar saving menu item.  You might have to lay out some cash for the ingredients initially but having them on hand will open new vistas for food prep on a dime.
    We LOVE LOVE LOVE getting your comments.  We have met some mighty fine folks because they took the time to leave their thoughts on this blog.  We met a coupla stinkers, too.  We might swipe an idea from one of our favorite bloggers:  she threatens to dip spammers in a vat of fish waste.  Twice.
    We hope YOU love, love, love the things we bring you and the series of cooking tips you may sign up to receive.  In addition, we sometimes send out messages we think will be of value to you.
    This blog is designed to help you stretch your food dollars and still be healthy.  We love people; we hope it shows.

    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: Favorite Perfume?

    August 6th, 2010

    Is anything so luxurious as freshly baked bread? And the aroma...DIVINE!

    My dad always declared that home made bread was his favorite perfume!  He and I used to sit on the front porch with thick slices of Mom’s home made bread, smeared with butter and sprinkled with sugar!  The aroma of fresh bread baking takes me all the way back to being three years old!  What a journey!

    It was an ordeal for Mom to bake bread.  This gave me the mistaken impression that it was a difficult task.  Bless Mom’s heart; she did not have YouTube videos or The Dinner Diva or many of the learning opportunities I have at my disposal.

    It just so happens that I found a fabulishous, easy and inexpensive recipe for a good and rustic bread that goes really well with soup or salad!  Even though it’s hot these days and heating up the oven may not suit your fancy, I promise you that you’ll be glad to have this bread product.  Remember, bread is the staff of life.  Or is it the STUFF of life?  In any case, you must prepare this baked yumminess!

    Chef Anne Burrell’s Focaccia Bread- Courtesy FoodNetwork.com

    •    1  3/4 cups warm water
    •    1  package active dry yeast
    •    1  tablespoon sugar
    •    5  cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading
    •    1  tablespoon kosher salt, plus coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
    •    1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

    Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Put the bowl in a warm, not hot or cool, place until the yeast is bubbling and aromatic, at least 15 minutes.


    In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, 1/2 cup olive oil and the yeast mixture on low speed. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for 5 to 6 minutes on a medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft. Give it a sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.


    Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface, then knead it by hand 1 or 2 times. Again, give it another sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.


    Coat the inside of the mixer bowl lightly with olive oil and return the dough to the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, at least 1 hour.
    Coat a jelly roll pan with the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. (Chef’s Note: This may seem excessive, but focaccia is an oily crusted bread. This is why it is soooooooooo delicious!).


    Put the dough onto the jelly roll pan and begin pressing it out to fit the size of the pan. Turn the dough over to coat the other side with the olive oil. Continue to stretch the dough to fit the pan. As you are doing so, spread your fingers out and make finger holes all the way through the dough. (Chef’s Note: Yes, this is strange. But when the dough rises again it will create the characteristic craggy looking focaccia. If you do not make the actual holes in the dough, the finished product will be very smooth.)


    Put the dough in the warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.


    Liberally sprinkle the top of the focaccia with some coarse sea salt and lightly drizzle a little oil on top. Bake the dough until the top of the loaf is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool before cutting and serving.
    Oh baby!

    For those of you who have seen Chef Anne working in the kitchen you know she oozes personality and loves good food!  Her warm personality is surely expressed in this wonderful recipe.  We thank Chef Anne for this great offering.

    NOTE:

    If you, like me, do not have a mixer with a dough hook, worry not.  Work the mixture by hand.  It’s good exercise and this product is worth the extra effort!

    We salute users of SNAP, WIC, food pantries or food commodities as well as Angel Food Ministries.  We understand your work to feed your family is not easy.  We also acknowledge those who just want to keep their food budgets in tow because they are frugal and thrifty.  Here’s hoping the material we share with you is helpful and helps to bear your load.  We understand you are tired and weary at meal time; we hope to be of help.  It’s not as if we are in your kitchen helping you to chop veggies but we do what we can from here!

    We LOVE LOVE LOVE hearing from you!  Our mailbox has been full of late.  Some comments and emails are not worthy to publish but each message is read and considered.  Comments which do not relate to preparing meals with food provided by public assistance, meal ideas, cooking tips or things food related will not be considered for publication.  They will be considered spam and not the kind you fry!

    You may be interested to add a stream of income to your household.  If that’s the case you will want to check out the ads on the right of the blog and study  those opportunities.

    We hope you are enjoying your summer!  Today’s recipe for Focaccia bread is going to be a great hit with the people who sit around your table!  ENJOY!

    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: Cooking Class Was Bananas?

    July 27th, 2010

     

    Creating video didn't work out...we went bananas having FUN, though!

     

    Honestly, every effort was made in getting a video for you but it was not meant to happen, apparently.  Let’s just say the whole attempt was a challenge we did not meet.  Boo Hoo…

    Mother Connie is getting a reprieve, though.  Another offline class is in the works.  Surely that video will work this time!

    The Cooking Class was a total hoot.  We cooked, we laughed, we ate and then we had dessert.   Twice ! It’s not easy to pack up a kitchen and move it 2 hours away but the fun of cooking for an audience and sharing ideas with other foodies made it worth the effort.  Having two desserts for one meal made it even better.  grin

    This class was designed specifically for a Group Home.  They are on a budget and have dietary considerations to think about as they create menus and meals.  We offered them Filipino food, Pancit; we made a spaghetti carbonara dish; we built a big salad; we demonstrated a flashy, healthy peach dessert.  Just for good measure, we had TWO DESSERTS!  After we tasted Renita’s Chia Pudding we all ran out to buy Chia seeds and almond milk!

    Are you using SNAP or WIC?  Do you depend on a food pantry or food commodities?  Do you use Angel Food Ministries or Farmers Markets?  Maybe you are just frugal.  In any case, you will benefit from knowing how to create these tasty offerings for the people you love best.  They are affordable and fabulishous!

    I want you to know how to make these desserts because they are easy and nourishing:

    PEACHY DESSERT

    8 peaches, washed, dried, peeled and cut into slices

    1  cup honey

    1 tablespoon butter

    Heat the honey gently in a saute` pan.

    In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.  When it begins to look foamy, add the peach slices, allowing them to be coated.  It will take from 3 to 5 minutes for them to cook.  Pour the heated honey over the peaches and stir to blend.

    After the mixture has cooled, put the peaches into ramekins or custard cups and top with this mixture:

    Streusel Topping:

    1/2  cup butter, melted

    1   cup powdered sugar

    1  cup ground almonds

    1  cup all purpose flour

    salt

    Mix together to incorporate everything and mixture looks clumpy.  Spread on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.  Stir half way through the baking process.  Sprinkle over the peach dessert for an impressive topping.

    ***This streusel is so delish that you will want to keep a container of  it around to use on top of your oatmeal, ice cream, other fruit desserts, or coffee cakes.  You may want to keep it under lock and key or the kids will eat it ALL.  grin

    Tomorrow we will have the details about Renita’s luscious Chia dessert!

    It is our sincere hope that this information is helpful to the masses.  Your interest in receiving our series of cooking tips and occasional messages indicates there is a need for what we do.  This is extremely gratifying.

    Connie Baum

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

     





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