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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia?

July 28th, 2010

 

I HEART CHIA SEEDS...and these amaranth seeds, too!

No doubt you’ve heard that annoying jingle for the green and living Chia pets…what you may not know is that those little seeds are powerhouses of nutrition and flavor!

Renita, who is a frequent contributor and Club Member, turned us onto these beauties.  She found a recipe for Chia Pudding and the stampede to get these seeds was on!  We offer her recipe here and cannot overemphasize how delicious and nutritious it is.  PLUS-and this is critical for Food Stamps Cooking Clubbers-it is economical. Furthermore, it could become your family’s new favorite comfort food!

RENITA’S CHIA TAPIOCA PUDDING

2  cups almond milk, rice milk, coconut milk or fruit juice

1/2  cup Chia seeds

1/3  cup honey  *Or use 15-20 drops Stevia

1/2 – 1  teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

1/4 – 1/2  teaspoon cinnamon

Stir.  Use raw Cacao Powder for chocolate flavor if desired.

Keep in fridge and use for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks!

Here are some facts about Chia seeds you may find interesting:

  • Chia seeds are rich in Omega 3 – it has 700% more than wild salmon!
  • Soaked Chia seeds are gelatinous, so are ideal for adding to soups and puddings
  • Considered to be a Superfood, Chia seeds soak up 9 times their weigh in liquid.  Add 9 teaspoons of water for every teaspoon of Chia seeds you put into any dish.
  • For baking, make a gelatin and replace 1/2 the oil in your recipe with the equivalent…if your recipe calls for 1 cup of butter or oil, you would use 1/2 cup of oil or butter and 1/2 cup of the Chia gelatin
  • Chia seeds can be ground in a coffee grinder or food processor to be used to dredge meats before frying or baking.
  • Chia seeds have 500% more calcium than milk; 200% more iron than spinach; 1400% more magnesium than broccoli; and they are rich in fiber, protein, selenium and phosphorous!

Wouldn’t it be fun to make up a batch of this yummy-ness and pour it into ice cube trays so you could give your kids “cubes” of pudding? Kids are going to love this stuff and you’ll be happy to have them eating such a healthy snack!

For users of SNAP or WIC or Angel Food Ministries, this could really be helpful.  If you utilize a food pantry or have food commodities Chia seeds could help you stretch those food dollars.  If you are frugal and health conscious you will be delighted to have Chia seeds on your pantry shelf.

Boy, do we ever owe Renita for this one!  Thanks again, Renita!

We hope you will send your food ideas to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com because we love getting mail and we love, love, love getting your comments here!  Thank you for your participation!

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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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Is It HOT Enough For Ya?

July 19th, 2010


 

This girl is so happy because she helped her mother clean out the refrigerator and discovered there was a box of popsicles in the freezer compartment!

 

If you took the opportunity to opt in to the Food Stamps Cooking Club’s series of tips, you know about the “ritual” of clearing out the fridge on Wednesdays.  It’s become routine here that the big ole box gets emptied, wiped down-scrubbed thoroughly on some Wednesdays-and tidied.  That way no food will be wasted because it got shoved to the back of the unit and became a science project.

Last Wednesday was no exception.  The fridge was all sparkly and even had a fresh box of baking soda, ostensibly to soak up unpleasant odors.  The only problem was that there WAS an unwanted, unidentified aroma that was not a good thing.

When Renita and I were on the phone I happened to open the door and I complained loudly and bitterly into Renita’s ear.  She had the solution:  “Try folding some newspapers into fours and slip those onto the shelves.”

Now, why hadn’t I thought of that? It worked like a charm right away, I might add. Thanks, Renita.

This story is true and it is meant to reinforce to you how much all of us Club We members need one another.  Some of us are users of SNAP.  Others who come by here depend on WIC or Angel Food Ministries.  Some folks depend on food pantries, food commodities, even Farmers Markets.  We all crave comfort food and most everybody aims to be good stewards and shop wisely and frugally.  These are the reasons why this blog exists and since we are all in this together, we had just as well pitch in and SHARE ideas.  I know you all are filled with creative solutions to all sorts of household and kitchen dilemmas.

Please, won’t you leave YOUR comments, hints and tips here?  You are also welcome to send your ideas to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com.  Oh, how we love mail!  Almost as much as we love your comments!  Thanks, people!

I bumbled onto a yummy salad combo I wanted to share with you:

KIDNEY BEAN SALAD WITH RICE

1   can kidney beans, drained or 2  cups home cooked kidney beans

4  medium eggs, hard cooked; peeled and diced

1   small onion, peeled and diced

1  rib of celery, diced

1  cup of cooked rice-any type you like best

1/4  cup pickle relish

2  tablespoons prepared mustard

vinegar-enough to moisten *My fave is Rice Vinegar but use whatever you have on your shelf.

mayo or salad dressing-enough to moisten

salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in a good sized bowl and mix gently.  Serve over a bed of greens.

This salad reads like a potato salad but has personality and packs a protein wallop.  The beans and the rice give a complete protein.  AND IT IS ECONOMICAL, quick to fix and delish!

Experiment with the seasonings, if you feel adventurous.  Your bunch may appreciate a sprinkle of turmeric or a dash of ginger for a touch of heat.  If you want to add a little more color you could use some red pepper bits or pimiento. This is a good dish for kids to get involved in creating.

You would be well advised to keep a container of cooked rice and/or cooked beans in your refrigerator for adding them to stir fry meals, casseroles, or for use as side dishes for any menu.  These items are wonderful meal stretchers and work as a team to provide complete protein at very low cost.

Here’s hoping you are enjoying your summer with your family and that we’ll hear from you soon!

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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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Cookbook Fever?

April 15th, 2010

This tasty salad required no recipe from a cookbook or recipe file! It's a combo of good, fresh fixings!

It’s true.  Your humble blogger has been completely “disabled” with an imaginary “handicap” and can be found poring over the pages of her new cookbook and mumbling strange phrases like “mirepoix” and such like.  Her family has thrown up their hands in utter frustration and would have left but there is all this good food to consume…

OK.  The drama is not that dramatic but the food IS that GOOD and the new cookbook has certainly captured the fancy of the Resident Cook.

You have heard that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks.  Well, don’t believe it.  Mother Connie has been cooking awhile now and in Chef Shawn Bucher’s “The First Timer’s Cookbook” there are plenty of opportunities to try new ways of doing things.  How delightful is that?

Here is just one tiny example:  Chef makes  sure the reader understands that he will be required to THINK for himself.  (Now THERE’S a concept, all right!)  Furthermore, Chef Shawn goes on to explain that this is the book he wished he’d had when he was a beginner.

SIDEBAR:  Chef told me he enrolled in Culinary Arts classes so he could learn how to make ice sculptures and then a funny thing happened.  He fell in love with all things food and he discovered he’s good at it.  It is is passion, folks.  HIS PASSION. END SIDEBAR.

I’ll grant you that if you are struggling to feed your brood after a hard day at work and you are using SNAP funds or WIC you might not be following your passion.  If you are using food pantry foods or food commodities you might not see the glamor you yearn to enjoy.  But Chef Shawn understands your plight and wants you and yours to understand that by using simple foods in creative ways you can make life better for the whole family unit.   So, while food may not be your passion-YET-you can develop skills and increase your creativity by playing with your food!

Users of Angel Food Ministries, Farmers Market Coupons and those who simply micro manage their food budgets can all benefit from learning more about food preparation.

Yesterday I reviewed Chef’s book for my Book Lovers Club.  OK; it was a chance to brag that I had spoken with Chef Shawn on the phone. These women are seasoned culinary wizards and they can’t wait to receive THEIR autographed copies!

Here’s what we’ll have for lunch today:

NO RECIPE SALAD

Crisp Romaine lettuce ( use whatever greens you have on hand)

Equal parts celery, onion, red or green cabbage, peas  and cucumber

Use a handful of shredded cheese or scatter deli turkey, canned tuna or salmon over top and finish it off with your favorite dressing.

Toast points go well with this salad, too.

VOILA`!  Lunch is ready!  How quick was THAT?

Please remind your pals they can enter their name and email address to be included in our mailing list.  We make every effort to keep our messages interesting and helpful and we never mean to intrude.  You can contact us by emailing this address: foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com       Oh, how we LOVE to hear from the Members!

Connie Baum

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



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Food Stamps Cooking Club: SNAP to Life With Vegetable Gruel?

April 8th, 2010

 

 

 

We served dinner in the good china soup plates and called it vegetable gruel. Sounds unappetizing but it was so delish!

 

Sometimes you just don’t know what to make for dinner.  You have made a plan, you bought the foodstuffs but when Thursday arrives you don’t FEEL like eating noodles.  Or whatever you had in mind when you made your menu.  Can anybody relate?

That’s the situation we faced at our house.  So there was a can of black beans on the shelf.  Mother Connie found a good supply of broth.  This meal held promise.  Then Mother Connie remembered the toasted organic barley she’d been hoarding.  There was just the right amount of organic brown rice on hand as well.  Now things were getting interesting.

The onions and celery were sauteed while the grains boiled.

SIDEBAR:  Have you bought onions lately?  It felt as if the produce manager was holding a gun to everybody’s ribs when we surveyed the generous  pile of onions on display, along with the ginormous price tag.  There was a fine array of red, white, yellow, and sweet onions but the price was obscenely high. I guess that’s what happens between crops.   Sigh.  END SIDEBAR.

By the time the grains had become properly cooked there was a generous potful of tomatoes, freshly sauteed veggies, and some rich broth simmering.  This meal was filled with protein and nutrition and it satisfied those man sized appetites TWICE.  They did not even inquire about the home made brown bread or the applesauce that waited in the wings.

OK.  We got off the track a little with a food plan.  It happens.  At least we could report a happy ending.  Best of all, this dish is loaded with life itself and lends itself to eating well and wisely in a big way.  AND IT IS CHEAP!

If you are using food commodities, food pantry foods or if you avail yourself of SNAP or WIC or Angel Food Ministries or if you just operate with frugality this idea would no doubt be your little kitchen helper.  Mother Connie thinks YOU have great ideas about how to make interesting meals from the supplies you have on hand.  We hope you’ll take the time to share by posting your comment and/or sending along an email:  foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com   Thanks, oodles. kids.

What kinds of dishes do YOU make when you create something for your loved ones?  What are your go-to seasonings?  Have you ever thrown something together that was such a hit your family asked for a “re-run” and you couldn’t remember what you put into your magnificent meal?  We’d love to hear from all of you.

Have you been out planting your early garden crops?  We’d love to hear about your gardens, you know.  We are interested to hear from those who participate in community gardens, too!

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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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Fighting High Cholesterol?

April 7th, 2010

 

 

 

 

 

This dinner plate got rave reviews from The Normanator and The Kid! That means it was certainly fit for human consumption. AND THERE WERE NO LEFTOVERS!

The Clubhouse has a temporary boarder.  Seems the cholesterol count of one of our offspring has skyrocketed.  In lieu of statin drugs, we opted to bring him from his group home and put his toes under our table.  Mother Connie believes wholeheartedly that cholesterol does not rise because the body is lacking in prescription medication.   Bodies need real food to nourish and support every system optimally.

The fun is not only having him with us but in counting the veggies and fruits and discussing what we might prepare for any given meal and even how we’ll use the leftover food!  Our new star boarder has  favored his peeps at his workshop with a video he made, talking about his foods.  He has gone to the extreme of  taking out bragging rights for his high vegetable count!

After choosing and washing and preparing 18 pieces of produce for his consumption in one day, our resident character was pretty sure we could HEAR the cholesterol number tumbling.  We even thought we had FOUND a pile of cholesterol in the guest room.  But we soon learned it was only his soiled laundry.

The plate pictured above is loaded with lots of goodness.  The potatoes have their jackets on and were drizzled with olive oil before they went into a hot oven.  The fish, cod, was baked and topped off with a mixture of buttermilk, mayo and pickle relish with a touch of lemon.

That salad was the show stopper.  I saw SOMEONE take third helpings of that nutrient laden offering.  Here’s how that went together:

MOTHER CONNIE’S VERSION of BROCCOLI SALAD

3  cups fresh broccoli florets, cut into bite sized pieces

1/2  white onion, chopped (red onion would make it prettier)

1  cup raisins

1/2  cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

DRESSING:

1  cup salad dressing or mayo

1/2  cup buttermilk or sour cream

1  tablespoon sugar

rice vinegar-just enough to thin the dressing to the consistency you like.

Mix everything together and drizzle dressing over the vegetables, nuts and raisins.  Allow to chill.   Gently mix again before serving so as to coat every vegetable with the dressing.

This kind of salad is often made with bacon and that’s yummy, too, but this is so quick and easy and economical that you really can’t go wrong.  I see that the grocery store circulars are advertising broccoli for $1.28 per bunch.  That’s a good buy in this neck of the woods.

If you depend on Angel Food Ministries, WIC, or SNAP or even if you use Farmer’s Markets Coupons you are interested to know how to stretch every single dollar meant for food.  Similarly, if your family has food commodities or food from a food pantry you still want to be frugal with your supplies.  It is our aim to help you in this regard.  Everybody wants comfort foods, after all; not uncomfortably high prices!

No doubt you Club Members have food ideas galore.  You are most welcome to share them here.  We love hearing your stories, especially your SUCCESS STORIES and we relish the thoughts of your sending recipes and tips you have found workable in your own kitchens.  We are all in the trenches, kids.  We can help one another if only we reach out.  Our email address is foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com  and we can’t WAIT to hear from YOU.

Connie Baum

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


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Food Stamps Cooking Club: What About Dinner?

March 31st, 2010

 

It's that time of year...spring...but you still have to EAT DINNER!

 

Your humble blogger is so easily amused.  Today I stumbled onto a great way to stretch a vegetable in order to save LOADS of money and amp up the nutrition factor!

Here’s the 411:  I had a small package of zucchini that had not been peeled, so the bright green color was very prominent.  That’s hard to disguise in mashed potatoes or sweet tater casserole so I had to come up with another solution for using that zucchini.  Voila!  I was happy to find a package of frozen spinach!  I emptied both containers into my favorite skillet and cranked up the heat.  I added salt and pepper and a touch of chicken broth.  I made a well in the center for the liquid and added a slurry of cornstarch, more broth, and milk.  The proportions were about 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of broth, and a cup of milk.  It cooked and bubbled and smelled divine.  When the veggies were cooked I added just a touch of nutmeg to finish the dish.  We pretended it was gravy and poured it over boiled potatoes.  It made great partners for the pork medallions I had seared and braised.  There was still room on our plates for a carrot/pineapple/raisin salad.  Oh, so good…

You are very probably planning a major meal for this coming weekend, or maybe you are planning a dish to take to a major dinner event.  That’s fine, but you still have to eat dinner on Wednesday and Thursday…we hope you find today’s menu idea useful for your own family.

A few days ago we shared a bean dish.  Oh, MY, but that was a tasty treat!  We are also planning to put this on our back burner soon:

THREE BEAN CHILI

3  15 oz cans beans such as red, black, Northern

1  16 oz jar salsa (if you have your own home made, SUPER)

1  28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1  teaspoon ground cumin

1  teaspoon chili powder

In a large saucepan, combine all the ingredients plus 2 – 3 cups of water (OR BROTH).  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for  10 – 30 minutes or longer.  Top with shredded cheese.

This is a great idea for those end of the month meals that find you scrounging for meat in a mostly empty freezer compartment.  Also, you could amp up the protein by adding in 1/4 cup or so of brown rice and an extra cup of water.

Here’s hoping you have been able to play in the dirt by getting your garden spot ready or planting a posy in a pot to be set outside.  The weather seems to affect our mood, doesn’t it?

We hope the Food Stamps Cooking Club affects your mood, too!  It is our hope that you are encouraged and inspired by our little messages.

We cater to users of WIC, SNAP, Angel Food Ministries, and people who eat food pantry food and food commodities.  We even call out to those who have Farmers Markets Coupons but we also want to appeal to those who pinch  every penny of the food dollar.  We hope to gain favor with those who love to cook and those who hate to cook. We want your life to be fun and flavorful and filled with joy!

Hearing from you will make our day: foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com

We also shamelessly beg for your comments on this page!  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.  Always do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Do business only with those you trust implicitly.

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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Looking for Bargains?

March 24th, 2010

 

 

Who of us isn't snooping around for a bargain?

Raise your hand if you love a bargain!

Some of the best things about any Wednesday newspaper are the sale circulars and the food section, with all those great ideas, bargain prices and recipes.  Today’s Lincoln Journal Star featured root veggies and even though it was close to breakfast, I was fantasizing about tonight’s dinner.

The recipe featured on the front page of the Food Section came from Deborah Madison, who wrote “What We Eat When We Eat Alone.”  I found that idea very interesting because my notion of what I might eat, were I alone, might be cold cereal or PB & J.  But that’s just me.

ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES

Prep: 15 minutes * Cook: under an hour  * Serves 2

2 or 3 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into chunks

1 russet potato or fingerlings, cut into chunks

1 onion, cut into thick wedges with root end intact

1 head garlic, cloves separated

1 turnip, peeled and cut into wedges

1 parsnip, peeled and cut into 2″ rounds, halved

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

SIDEBAR:  STOP!  There is no Food Police lurking in your kitchen.  If you do not have sea salt or a pepper grinder or olive oil, find a way to manage with whatever you DO have.  This  is food we are working with.  Be adaptable, particularly if you are watching every penny of your food budget.  If you have more than 2 mouths to feed, enlarge the recipe accordingly. And for heaven’s sake, have some fun with your food! END SIDEBAR.

Continuing:

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Place vegetables in shallow baking dish or sheet pan in a single layer.  Drizzle with oil and sprinkle the salt and pepper over the top.

Roast, turning every 15 minutes until the vegetables are golden brown and tender when pierced with a knife.  This will take about 45 to 55 minutes.

Author Madison has these tips for cooking with root foods:

  • Cooking with leftovers is easy.  When baking sweet potatoes, make extra and refrigerate for later use.
  • Thyme makes a great herb to use with root veggies.  The earthy flavor grounds the roots’ sweetness
  • Winter turnips and rutabagas have tough skins; you should peel off 1/8″ before cooking them.
  • Parsnips roast more quickly than carrots, so if you cook those 2 together you can cut the parsnips into larger pieces.

If you are using WIC or SNAP or food commodities or food pantry food, we hope these ideas are useful for you.  Furthermore, if you avail yourselves of Farmers Markets Coupons or Angel Food Ministries or the Wednesday food section of the newspapers we hope you are benefited by the information on this blog as well as the occasional messages we broadcast.  Your mail indicates to us that you are pleased and that melts our hearts, for that is the whole mission for this project.

You may be interested to read The Healthy and Wealthy You or Mother Connie Sez if you like the Food Stamps Cooking Club.  We hope you remember to leave your comments and we hope you leave your name and email address so you get all the information we pass along.  We never mean to intrude; we only wish to inform and enlighten.

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.  Always do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Do business only with those you trust implicitly.

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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Quick Meals and Slow Cookers?

March 22nd, 2010

 

When you see these beauties popping up in your grocer's produce case, you can be sure Spring has arrived!

 

Asparagus is a favorite around our table.  It’s not the cheapest thing to buy but for a special Easter meal it might be worth the extra shekels.  You have to make those choices on your own, particularly if you, like us,  are watching your food dollars like hawks.

Time is always at a premium, too.  Some of you have let us know the various ways you Club members manage your food, your food costs, and your time-bless your dear and generous hearts-and today is no exception.  We have a lovely meal idea from one of our faithful and it will help you provide a family favorite while you save some time.  THAT is a winning combination!

Here is the straight skinny for an easy-do meal from Max and the Slow Cooker:

“Well, it’s not so quick, in fact it’s kind of slow, but it will do ALL the work for you during the day while you’re at work!  It’s a slow-cooker :) .

You can even start with frozen food (if it’s frozen into a shape that will fit into the cooking vessel of your slow-cooker, that is.  And if it’s a whole chicken, like for the recipe I’ve included, it should already be cleaned.)

Here’s one of my kids’ most requested recipes:

* Don’t worry, the name is not really the description!

Sticky Chicken

1 whole chicken, cavity emptied, rinsed and patted dry (a damp chicken is okay, but no puddles)
1/2 tsp. each: black pepper, garlic powder
1 tsp. each: white pepper, dried thyme, onion powder, cayenne
2 tsp paprika
UP to 4 tsp salt

Mix all the dry ingredients together.  Then rub the seasoning mixture all over the chicken, inside and out, in between the skin and the chicken meat (unless you’ve skinned your chicken), everywhere.  That’s it.  Put the chicken into the cooking vessel of the slow-cooker, and cover.

Cook on low up to 8 hours, or high for 4.  Or any combination like that — if I’m at home, I like to do an hour on high, then 6 on low.

This recipe is very forgiving.  If you don’t have a whole chicken, you can use chicken parts.  (But don’t use skinless, boneless breasts, they will be dry!  Use split breasts on-the-bone.  Cheaper, too.)  If you don’t like cayenne because it’s too spicy for kids, omit it.  If you love dill weed on your chicken like we do, add some in.  If you want to decrease the amount of salt or pepper, feel free to do so.

The chicken will be falling-off-the-bone tender.  It is delicious served over rice.

P.S. I have no idea why it’s called “sticky” because it isn’t!
Thanks, Max!  We appreciate the information and the idea. You personify the beauty of the Food Stamps Cooking Club!
YOU are welcome to send YOUR great ideas to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com , too!  We love to hear from all of you.  You’ve been sharing us with those in your circle, too…we know this because we are sending out our occasional messages to more and more Club members!  YAY!

If you are happy with what you read here, you might also enjoy looking over The Healthy and Wealthy You or Mother Connie Sez. Those blogs have to do with health, mostly.  Sometimes Mother Connie rants and raves…If you are even remotely interested in adding another stream of income to your household you might appreciate Rapid Cash Review or Rapid Cash Marketing.

The primary function of this Food Stamps Cooking Club blog is to help those of you who are navigating the deep waters of managing food prep; especially those of you who are doing so with the help of SNAP or WIC; Angel Food Ministries or Farmers Markets Coupons.  You may be using Food Pantry Food or food commodities.  We all need all the help we can get and it helps us all when we help one another.  We surely hope we are making things better for you and yours by offering our recipes, tips, ideas and encouragement.
The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should these be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Always do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Do business only with those you trust implicitly.

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Food Stamps Cooking Club: A Long Hiatus?

March 15th, 2010

While she has been drinking lots of tea, Mother Connie has NOT been having a Tea Party!

Life is just bound to happen.  Sometimes it takes place while we are busy making plans for it. Often it happens in the twinkling of an eye.

Life happened to Mother Connie, dear Club members.  All is well now but she artfully wounded her wrist while falling on her ample derriere.  SIDEBAR: Now you know just how talented she really is.  END SIDEBAR.  This event and the unfolding healing has cramped her typing style, to say the least, but she is bouncing back.  A long hiatus has come to an abrupt halt!  grin

Before we get to the subject of today’s post, Mother Connie wants to be sure every member understands how pleased and grateful she is for all the comments, supportive emails, incoming recipes, contributions of ideas and offers of assistance.  There is NO club like this club and you have all proved that by your dear and thoughtful gestures of kindness.  This club, you people, are each cause for great joy. THANK YOU.

During the Lenten Season our local Ministerial Association hosts a luncheon series.  Contributions raised go to help the community who have urgent needs.  These cheery and well attended events rotate from church to church and the ministers who give the devotional message are not from the host church.  EVERYONE gets involved in the meal prep, attendance, music and message.  It is truly a community event.

Most times there will be a choice of soup and sandwiches on the menu.  The idea is not to “one up” the other church groups but to offer a simple, hot, nourishing meal.  Sometimes the menu varies and this year we were treated to a dish that got me raving and asking for the recipe.  It is an easy, filling dish that costs very little to prepare.  I was able to learn how to make it:

CHICKEN AND DRESSING

from the Lenten Luncheon & the Lutheran Ladies

This is for a family of 4.  You can easily make more by doubling the amounts.

1 can of chicken or 2 large boneless breasts, cooked and chopped

1 box of stuffing mix-prepare according to pkge directions

1 can cream style corn (plain is ok if that’s all you have) Do NOT drain the corn

1 small onion, chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and spread into baking pan. Bake 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

*You might opt to saute` the veggies before adding them to the stuffing, but it’s not necessary.

When serving, pour the gravy mixture over the top.

GRAVY:

2 tablespoons butter or oil

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups chicken stock or water

salt and pepper to taste

Heat butter or oil, add flour and slowly incorporate the stock or water, stirring constantly.  When it bubbles it is ready to serve.

By pairing this main dish with a salad or serving of green veggies you have a nutritious meal that’s easy, quick, tasty AND CHEAP.

 

Quick and easy; tasty and cheap are important to us all.  Particularly if we are users of Angel Food Ministries, WIC, or SNAP.  Even if we just want to be frugal and save money on our food budgets or if we use commodities or food pantry food all these issues apply to us.

Our mail indicates that the broadcast messages we send occasionally are helpful to you; we hope you put your name and email address into the box on the upper right hand corner of this page so you won’t miss a thing.  We appreciate your sharing the info with those in your circle.

Some of you long time Club members may remember The Dinner Diva, Leanne Ely.  I am happy to report that I have heard from Leanne and her information is once again available.  I will be sharing more about that later on.

Please know how much I appreciate that you have touched my life, people.  I so appreciate and value each of you.  Wouldn’t it be fun to have a big tea party, get together in our living room and just TALK about food?

Connie Baum

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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Valentine’s Day Food?

February 10th, 2010

 

If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, why not make something decadent, delicious, chocolate and inexpensive?

 

When I was a kid I used to hurry home from school to see what Mom might have put together in the way of snacks.  Maybe that’s when the foodie in me developed.  But I digress.  One of the most wonderful aromas from her oven came when she made the humble creation known as  Bread Pudding.   I suspect bread pudding was created in the first place because there were odds and ends of bread pieces around and nobody wanted them to go to waste.  In some families the crust is not the delicacy it is in our household, so those tidbits may have accumulated.

When Mom wanted to make something really special out of this dessert, she would use chocolate milk.  OH!  Talk about comfort food!  My dad would taste it and then make a big show of surprise and delight that we were dining so fashionably on CHOCOLATE bread pudding!  When I think of families sitting at the dinner table, making memories and bonding, I remember the fabulous fun we used to have together at mealtimes.

Here is Mom’s recipe for you to enjoy so you can make a big deal out of Valentine’s Day with no heavy lifting AND NO EXPENSE:

MOM’S BREAD PUDDING

2  cups dry bread, crusts and all-cubed

4  cups milk, scalded

3/4  cup sugar

1  tablespoon butter

1/4  teaspoon salt

4  slightly beaten eggs

1  teaspoon vanilla

Set oven to 350 degrees.

Soak bread in milk for 5 minutes.  Add sugar, butter, salt.  Pour slowly over eggs; add vanilla and mix well.

Pour into greased 1  1/2 quart baking dish.  Bake in pan of hot water in moderate oven until firm, about one hour.  Serve warm.

Use chocolate milk for variation.   Raisins make a good addition, too, if desired.

This makes 8 servings.

So there you have it, boys and girls!  Decadent delight on a budget!

If you use food commodities, food pantry food, Angel Food Ministries food or Farmers Markets Coupons, this is a dish you can make without a twinge of guilt!  Even if you just want to s-t-r-e-t-c-h your food budget, this is a winner.

Surely your mothers made things that made your childhood memorable.  Won’t you share on the comment section?  Or, if you prefer, you could drop us a line at foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com.  WE LOVE MAIL.  WE ALSO LOVE YOUR COMMENTS.

You have been sharing the love–more and more people are offering up their name and email address so they can get the series of cooking tips and occasional broadcast messages.  We thank you very much for your help in getting the word out!

Connie Baum


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