Archive for the ‘Message from Mother Connie’ category

What’s New at Food Stamps Cooking Club?

January 16th, 2012

We hope everything is PEACHY in your world...

My, but it feels good to be back!  When life happens, we roll with it.  I’ve been rolling around awhile now but I’m back…with a grateful heart for all the new Members we have collected in my absence!   Thank you ALL so much!

SIDEBAR:  When this blog was  “born” I was warned that nobody would read it because the folks who would benefit the most would not have access to it.  I pooh-poohed their admonitions and pressed onward.  Our mail indicates that it IS helping people.  This is our mission, helping people to learn how to create nutritious meals for very little money AND LOVE DOING IT!  END SIDEBAR

The economy continues to be malodorous…people are still looking for work AND they are looking for ways to get dinner on the table for next to nothing.  Those who have jobs are working redonkulous hours and they are too tired to worry over their meals.  We hope the Food Stamps Cooking Club can be of service in this regard.

Let’s think for a moment about slashing food costs:  Are you utilizing any leftover food?  We had meat, gravy and veg for dinner yesterday…today I morphed what was left into hash by adding some sauteed onion and celery and a handful of corn.  It was quick to fix and really delicious!

Food that sits around in your refrigerator, looking more and more like a science experiment every day, loses its vitality-not to mention its appeal!  Make sure you grab what you can to use things efficiently.  Soup can be made from leftover bits of this and that with maybe a can of your family’s favorite vegetable.  Add the flavor of onion with powdered onion if you have some on hand, make it more interesting with spices or boullion or herbs.  This is your chance to be creative.  Just don’t get too heavy-handed; you only want to add flavor.  No need to create something that sets someone’s tongue on fire!  grin

Conventional wisdom dictates that low cost meals include beans.  Very true.  But don’t cook the same “flavor” of beans every time.  Use black beans today; later in the week use pinto beans and save the Great Northern beans for the week end.  I’m sure you get my drift.  I have learned that you can soak and cook them in ordinary tap water but after you have cooked and drained them, add some bouillon or chicken broth for good flavor.  Watery bean soup just tastes like watery bean soup.  Not your family’s best rave…

Food is not the only expense to consider.  There is the little matter of fuel for cooking.  By baking a dozen potatoes instead of 4 or 6 for your gang, you will save money on energy and time in having pre-cooked taters.  Oh, the fun you can have with THOSE.  Twice baked potatoes, warmed over in a steamer to be topped with veggies and sour cream;  fried up with scrambled eggs…oh, the list is long and yummy!

Here’s hoping I tickled your imagination with some new thoughts.  Surely YOU have better ideas than I.  Please share those novel notions with us at foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com 

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

 

Mother Connie’s Message and Food Stamps Cooking Club

August 8th, 2011

You may have taken note that this blog has been woefully neglected of late.  Mother Connie has been hanging out in the hospital with her son, who underwent his 30th and 31st shunt revision and is having difficulty recovering.

All you members are welcome to chat amongst yourselves in the comment section until the pace is picked up once again and the Club is fully in session!  We appreciate your patient understanding and concern and thank you for your prayerful support.

Please consider yourselves hugged until the Club House is back to normal again.

Connie Baum

PS/The offline cooking class is taking shape despite the disruption in activity!  YAY!

I Heart Cooking and I Heart Food Stamps Cooking Club!

July 18th, 2011
My, but it’s been a long time since we were all in the Club House! You all have been sorely missed!

Oh, my!  It feels SO GOOD to be back as your humble blogger.  Technology is wonderful when it works and when it doesn’t–well, let’s just say it can interrupt the flow of life! 

Things have been happening at breakneck speed while the blog was quiet...we have so many new members to welcome and thank!  We are working feverishly on an offline cooking class and recipes have been pouring in!  WE LOVE IT ALL!

That we have so many fresh new faces around the Club House tells me that a need is being met.  People who use EBT cards from WIC or SNAP are getting some valuable assistance; those who have food from commodities or a food pantry are looking for help in creating interesting, low cost dishes for their families and those who are frugal by nature are coming to share ideas and offer their wisdom.  It is so wonderful to have all these souls coming together for a common cause!  Thanks, EVERYONE.

The Normanator and I are extremely grateful for Angel Food Ministries.  We feel that we are doubling our food budget dollars by using this valuable service that is open to EVERYONE, regardless of your situation.  They also welcome those EBT cards from SNAP and you can order online.  Point, click, save!

Before we were so rudely interrupted by electronic glitches we were on a rant about BEANS.  While we were down a wonderful recipe arrived at the Club House door by one of our most faithful charter members and I want to share it here.  I am warning you:  IT IS DELISH!

Pork and Bean Cake

Yes, pork and beans; that is not a misprint!  ~Mother Connie

1  15 oz can pork and beans

1  8 oz can crushed pineapple, juice and all

Beat well until beans are pureed.

Add 2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat well for 2 minutes

Add 2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Beat well.  Pour into large UNGREASED jelly roll pan.  Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes.

When cool frost with this mixture:

1  6 oz pkge cream cheese

1/2 cup butter

4 cups powdered sugar

The finished product will remind you of spice cake and you will be delighted!

Thanks to KIM for this offering.

Do you have something “beany” to share?  Shoot us an email:  foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com   We appreciate you and your ideas.

We will be keeping you all in the loop about the upcoming offline cooking class, so do keep your eyes open for that.  Those of you who do not live in SE Nebraska will have access to some of that information because we plan to video a portion of the presentation.  EACH OF YOU IS CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS GATHERING OF LIKE MINDS! 

Gardens around town are bountiful now; there are some tremendous ideas to share about TOMATOES so if the computer behaves itself, those ideas will be forthcoming.  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


 

 

Creamy & Dreamy for Food Stamps Cooking Club

June 13th, 2011

 

Looking yummy…could ANYTHING make this dish more appealing?

It feels soooo good to be back in the Club House with all of you!  Thank you for your patience in the absence of your fearless leader and welcome to all the MANY new Members!

During the break that was mine I had occasion to discover a new product.  Being the daughter of a grocer gives me a healthy curiosity about any new item.  Those of us who stocked shelves greeted new products with delight but shuddered to figure out where anything new would FIT.  We already had more products than shelf space!

SIDEBAR:  Sound familiar?  I know our kitchen cabinets groan sometimes…END SIDEBAR.

The new kid in town is “cooking cream.”  I was suspicious the moment I saw the colorful packaging.  My very first thought was, “And just WHY would I need cooking cream?”

When I did some grocery shopping I looked for the stuff in the dairy case.  Sure enough, EVEN IN OUR TINY TOWN, it sat among the cream cheese and there were 3 flavors.  I looked at the cute package and perused the label.  Yes.  Just as I suspected.  JUNK in that trunk!  Nothing in the ingredient list struck me as necessary to the new “Plate Graph” the USDA just released.

Then I canvassed the pros.  I asked Chef Shawn and Chef Josh what they thought about cooking cream.  I could not hear them laugh via email but their amusement over such an unnecessary product came through loud and clear.  These two are all about good food for little money so they were not shy about saying that we need not use the silly stuff.

So, kids, the bottom line is this:  if you think your dish needs  something creamy, think of sour cream or a home made white sauce, with or without cheese.  Don’t stoop to using non-nutritional, costly packets or cooking cream or anything else commercial.

Our email account has been busy: foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com, for which we are grateful.  WE LOVE MAIL.  We do not love spam. :(

Since June is in full swing, our attention is beginning to turn to the offline cooking class!  We eagerly welcome your ideas.  This IS YOUR CLUB, after all!

With warmer weather here to stay we hope you are eating big salads with lots of home grown greens and other veggies from your gardens or Farmers Markets.  Carol has a dynamite suggestion for shopping Farmers Markets…she only shops with ONE vendor.  She and the vendor have a relationship based on loyalty and trust and she gets great value for her food dollars.

Maybe you use food commodities or food from a food pantry…If you are shopping at a Farmer’s Market or using Angel Food from Angel Food Ministries or you are an EBT card carrying user of SNAP or WIC – or if only you love to be frugal and s t r e t c h your food budget dollars as far as possible, we hope this cheery little spot in cyberspace is helpful to you and yours.

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.

PS:  In case you missed Mikemax’s comment here it is again!  This is VERY exciting news!

“My friend Mary is visiting. Her husband is president and weekly volunteer at a community food pantry in Oregon. She told me about a cookbook a young girl wrote for her Girl Scout Gold Award (similar to Eagle Scout for BSA). It features low cost recipes using products typically available at food pantries. She tested every single recipe and Mary says they are good! She is going to try to get me a copy and I will share the recipes and any words of wisdom therein.”

YAY, Mikemax!  YAY, Mary!  Good on YOU!

***

 


 

 

Chef Bucher and Food Stamps Cooking Club

May 31st, 2011

 

Hours of educational fun came right to my doorstep!

 

Let me begin by saying that I am NOT selling a darned thing and if you were to order something I’d never see a cent.  Now you know this is NOT a sales pitch!

Some time ago, Chef Shawn Bucher and I had a 140 character conversation on Twitter. One tweet led to another and at one point we had a cheery telephone conversation.  He expressed an interest in the Food Stamps Cooking Club and our offline cooking classes.

I was intrigued by his cookbook, First Timers Cookbook and thought it would be a good resource for our classes.  I ordered it, thinking it would be just another cookbook and since I already know how to cook…silly me.  Did I imagine I could not learn another thing?  Foolish, wasn’t I?

When the book arrived I was elated!  Long time Club Members may recall the post I made about it, showing off the copy Chef had signed in his own hand!

I follow Chef Shawn on Twitter and Face Book and of course I “Like” his Face Book page, First Timers Cookbook.  I have become his #1 Cheerleader.  Or at least one of his more vocal fans.

He surprised and delighted me by sending me a 2 disc DVD of his cooking series. I could hardly wait to watch them! I spent four glorious hours watching him show the fine points of table setting, explain tools of the trade, proper use of knives, and tip after helpful tip for preparing every food you could think of.  Besides that, it was eye candy just to see his professional kitchen, replete with granite and stainless steel.  Chef’s charming personality and keen sense of humor shone through, as well.

If you are struggling to think of a shower gift for a bride-to-be or if you have a teenager who would like to learn about food prep, this is really the ideal present.

When I reviewed First Timers Cookbook for my Book Lovers Club they all thought it would be ideal for their grandchildren.  They were pleased as punch when their order came quickly and was so beautifully and simply illustrated.  A good friend suggested she’d like to have some of those DVDs around for spur-of-the-moment gifts, too!  Great idea and no gas guzzling drive to shop!

Users of Angel Food Ministries would be gleeful to have this set; those who depend on food commodities or food pantries will surely benefit.  Maybe several families could pool their money and share a set?  *Sounds like the basis for a Cooking Club, if you ask me, which of course you did not… Those who have EBT cards for WIC or SNAP will surely enjoy the tips and lessons, as well.  If you are holding Farmers Market Coupons, you will learn much and be entertained as well as enlightened!

OK, kids.  Next time we go back to  hard sell mode. 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.