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Searching for Menu Ideas? Food Stamps Cooking Club

February 6th, 2013

 

Are you searching the grocery ads in search of affordable menu items for your family?

It’s still winter; we still need to eat three times a day.  Although it’s the first part of the month, you are probably hoping to s t r e t c h your food budget dollars as far as March 1 without subsisting on beans and rice; rice and beans exclusively.

One of the best places to look for tantalizing menu items is the newspaper.  Wednesday’s papers are full of recipes,  photos and food columns, designed to whet our appetites.  Grocery circulars inside those papers tout the ads and special prices.

Here are  some shining examples from today’s newspaper:

“Beef Top Round * Boneless Beef Top Round * Boneless Beef London Broil are ALL ‘only’ $3.49 per pound”  I YI YI  Ground lamb is $5.99 and Ground Chuck is $3.49!  Holy Moley!

These price tags makes me think EGGS,  of which we happen to have a good supply in our fridge, thank God and our sister in law!

So my thoughts also turn to fish.  Lent is coming and fish is generally a good sale item then.  Tilapia and  Swai filets are $3.79 per pound; Salmon is $4.29 for FOUR OUNCES and Mahi Mahi is $7.49 a pound!  EEEK

Now I’m thinking beans and rice; rice and beans again.  My GOODNESS, food budgets are a challenge!

Vegetables are so important…I see there is a tiny mention of cucumbers:  4 for $3.00 and Napa Cabbage or Bok Choy for $.99 per pound.  I’m feeling slightly more hopeful.  Carrots are $1.19 and ginger root is $1.19.  I guess we could build a Chinese meal around these items.  The ad mentions that if I buy a 7 oz sack of salad greens I get a second one free.  Hm…It’s iceberg lettuce…  That’s about it for veg in this particular circular.  Surely they have more vegetables available in the store than what’s in the ad.

This circular is full of info about the bargain  prices on pre-made and deli foods, wines, pre-cut appetizer platters and bouquets of flowers.  They have a few dairy items but what is advertised is not anything humans ought to consume.  Things like processed cheese – not healthy and even it is way over priced.   None of these dairy items is budget minded and probably not the healthiest choices we could make.

It looks as if we are back to beans and rice.  Or rice and beans, whichever you prefer.

Tomorrow Mother Connie will have something tasty, healthy and much more budget minded for you to consider.  That is, if inspiration strikes like lightning!

Meantime, you are all to be commended for sharing the word about the Club…new members are signing on every day and we welcome each one with open arms.  We seriously mean to encourage anyone who is living on a dime, depending on public assistance for their food dollars.  We expect to be of service to people with EBT cards from SNAP or WIC.  We offer a hand to those who have goods from a food bank, food pantry or who get food commodities.  We love it when we hear from our members, either by commenting here or sending a message to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com  We read every message and respond as we are able.  THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.

~Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links on this blog. 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:  After this post was published, I found a link you may appreciate:

 Shopping Tips for Healthier Eating

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Posted in Message from Mother Connie, Uncategorized

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Facebook Friends + Food Stamps Cooking Club

August 6th, 2012

 

Sofrito is something one of our Facebook friends posted. It made my mouth water, just to see the recipe and see how easy it is to prepare!

 

Summer has savaged us this year.  It has been too hot to eat lately, much less cook.  If you cook on a shoestring, it’s even more daunting.  A Facebook friend, who is also a foodie, shared this recipe and I think it’s a winner.  Here is Loren’s recipe as it appeared on Mother Connie’s timeline:

SOFRITO

‎2 green peppers, cored and diced in chunks
1 red pepper, cored and diced in chunks
4 onions diced in chunks
3 medium size tomatoes, diced in chunks
25 cilantro leaves
3medium heads of garlic
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon of pepper.
Put everything in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. I freeze mine in ice trays, so I can use one at a time and it does not have to be cooked unless you use it in stews, roasting meats, etc. Enjoy!!
Thank you, Loren.  I’m sure we shall!
Another way to prepare an inexpensive summer meal is to use zucchini pesto.  Goodness knows the zukes are still coming and when you top pasta with pesto you have a quick, affordable meal that will tantalize the taste buds of everyone in your family!  This is DELICIOUS!
Another Facebook friend and foodie from across the pond in the UK offered this treat!
Zucchini Pesto
2 medium zucchinis, roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic
Approx 1/2 cup fresh basil or other herb  *MC here:  Use dried if that’s all you have.
Scant 1/4 cup sunflower seeds with no shells
Heaping 1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan *MC again:  I bet the Kitchen Police will have nothing to report if you use whatever Parm you have available.  Unless you’re close to Italy, that is.  grin
Heaping -although oil doesn’t heap well- 1/4 cup olive oil *MC once more: Don’t mention to the K.P. if you have no olive oil and wish to substitute another veg oil.  I’ll never tell, either.
This a very quick and easy prep and can be made in 5 minutes from start to finish.  Pop your zukes, seeds, garlic, and cheese into the blender and process until chunky.  Start adding the oil in a slow and steady drizzle.  Continue to puree into the mixture is smooth.  Add salt to taste and you are ready to eat!
A zucchini pesto tastes like summer and since you can get it ready in mere minutes, it makes the perfect after-work al fresco dinner!
~Debs Parkes
Debs, thank you very much.  I’m sure our Members will appreciate having this summer specialty!
Are you holding an EBT card for WIC or SNAP?  Do you visit a food bank or food pantry?  Are you using food commodities?  Do you s t r e t c h your food budget as far as you dare month after month?  Are you living on a dime?   If any of these describes your situation, you may feel as if you are never listened to or never heard.  The good news is that someone does care.  The Food Stamps Cooking Club is loaded with people who are in the same boat AND you are invited to submit your story to people who want to know about it.
In our last post, we introduced you to Meg Cramer.  She is associated with the Public Insight Network.  She and her colleagues are really interested to hear from anyone who has received public assistance, so please share your story, if you are so inclined.  It’s quick, painless, confidential and there is nothing to buy.  In order to participate in this important activity, just click on the links that say “Meg Cramer” and “Public Insight Network“.  If you have questions, she welcomes your  email Meg at cramer.net@gmail.com .
If you have scoped out the blogs we have mentioned recently, you know how delightful they really are.  It’s noteworthy that most of the bloggers who receive comments are kind enough to reply to those comments.  You don’t often find that kind of attention to people who take the time to comment; how refreshing!  Again, we invite you to visit Creative Savv or CT On a Budget, as well as  Poor to Rich a Day at a Time.  Be sure to mention that Mother Connie sent you!   If YOU find blogs you think we’d appreciate, please feel free to share!
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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Posted in Cooking, Message from Mother Connie, Recipes, Uncategorized

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Orzo-Broccoli Summer Salad at Food Stamps Cooking Club

July 19th, 2012

Cool, refreshing summer salads are just the ticket for hot days and hungry families!

Do you have some Orzo in your pantry?  Orzo looks like rice but it is really a tiny pasta.  Not as itty-bitty as couscous, but quite small.  It makes a big hit out of your meal, though, if you know how to combine it with other goodies. 

Mother Connie ran across a salad that really could be a go-to for comfort food, as a potluck contribution or just something different on a hot summer day.  Methinks this salad could also seque into a year around fave comfort food, particularly for those who use EBT cards for SNAP or WIC; those who depend on food commodities or food pantries or those who are just plain frugal and watch the food budget like a hungry hawk. If you ARE living on a dime, you know what Mother Connie means!

ORZO-BROCCOLI SALAD

4 oz orzo

1 large head broccoli, cut into florets.  This should yield about 5 or 6 cups of veg

1/2  cup finely cut green onions

1/2  cup finely chopped black olives, drained

1  small grated carrot

1  cup corn *fresh off the cob or frozen or canned and drained

1  teaspoon dried oregano

1  clove garlic, very finely minced

1/4  teaspoon pepper

1/3  cup vegetable oil  *Olive oil would be my first choice…

1/4   cup vinegar  *red wine or rice, if you have it-the Kitchen Police won’t mind…

Cook the orzo according to the package directions.  During the last few minutes, add the chopped broccoli so it cooks to tender.  Drain the whole works in a colander and rinse with very cold water.  This keeps the orzo from overcooking. 

In a large bowl, put the orzo, broccoli, olives, green onions, carrot, corn, oregano, garlic and pepper.

Using a glass measuring pitcher, whisk together the oil and vinegar.  Toss with the salad ingredients.  Add salt to taste.  Chill thoroughly before serving.

All you’d need to make this a complete meal would be a protein-Fish?  Cold Chicken? Meat patty?  Serve some fresh fruit for dessert and you have a quick, easy, CHEAP meal.  It takes a total of half an hour to prepare from start to table and will serve 8 people.

This summer weather has been brutal all over the country.  Mother Connie reminds you all to drink lots of water, pay attention to the way you feel if you are outdoors in the heat or indoors without a cooling system and look out for your neighbors, particularly those who are elderly.

We LOVE LOVE LOVE your comments and we know you have been cruising around, visiting our favorite sites.  They love your comments, too!  We are all in this together, kids.  Let’s all support one another!

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.

*Uh, did we mention how much fun we find the MAIL to be?  Yes.  foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com…THANKS, KIDS!  grin

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Shopping For Sale Items: Food Stamps Cooking Club

May 18th, 2012

 

SAVE BIG MONEY BY WATCHING FOR SALE ITEMS!

We can ALWAYS count on the Club Members to come up with great solutions to the problem we all face:  Taming the family budget!  Whether we are shopping for food or household items, timing is everything.  MikeMax, bless her heart has come through for us with this message:  THANK YOU, MIKEMAX!

From the desk of MikeMax:

“For those of you who budget from month to month and usually run out of money by the time you run out of month: Try to hang onto a little extra ca$h this month. There will be really good sales over Memorial Day, which is the 28th this year.  You might save big on groceries and on lawn and garden items. Memorial Day is a good time to stock up on condiments, canned beans, etc., for the summer. You may also find “grilling” meats on sale, since Memorial Day is the first big weekend of the summer.

Ace Hardware-and likely Home Depot and Lowe’s-will have great prices on garden tools, fertilizer and such like. No, I don’t have any inside info–they just always do! Some of the best deals at Ace will likely include a rebate. They process their rebates very quickly, but you will still need to be a few dollars ahead to take advantage of them. Watch the newspaper for flyers the week before the holiday weekend.”

Great ideas with foresight, MikeMax.  Those young ‘uns who are just starting to keep house will surely find it helpful and those of us whose households are firmly established can always use reminders!

Now, if I may change the subject abruptly:

Several posts ago Mother Connie posted the recipe for Celery Salad.  It featured celery and onion and was a BIG hit in the Club House!  WEll, here is a bit of a PS:  We did not eat the last bit in the first sitting so FROZEN PEAS were added to what was left for the next go round.  O MY, talk about DELISH.  This salad would be a perfect take-along for a summer picnic, especially if you omitted the mayo and used only the dressing.  I’m thinking Memorial Day…

Each time the mail comes in, it is heartening to see how you are sharing this blog with others.  This must mean that we are accomplishing our goal of helping people who must cook frugally!  This whole project was designed for those who use WIC or SNAP’s EBT cards; we cater to people who depend on food pantries and/or  food commodities  as well as those who are living on a dime, just love to squeeze those nickels til the buffalo bellows or are just cheap by nature!  For those of you who have joined our bunch, we hope you like our series of cooking tips.

It seems as if everyone who is lucky enough to have work these day  probably has TWO jobs.  People are tired, stressed, and hungry at the end of a day.  We cannot plug in your crock pot or turn on your oven for you but we hope we make your life a wee bit easier by providing recipes and ideas that give your families good, sound nutrition for very little money.

The school years are grinding to a halt around here.  Let’s hope every family has a safe, happy summer, full of tremendous good memories and great, affordable meals!

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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Bean Talk at Food Stamps Cooking Club

June 22nd, 2011

 

If you are talking BEANS, I am hearing BLACK BEANS!

The bean does not exist that Mother Connie does not love.  I recall with fondness the many kettles of White Northern or Navy beans my mother cooked every Monday she washed clothes as she used the old wringer washer!  Bits of bacon or ham went into the bean pot, as did shreds of carrot and pieces of onion.  They soaked on the counter top every Sunday night and when supper time rolled around they were paired up with crusty cornbread!  We could depend on eating beans and cornbread every wash day, which-of course-was traditionally Monday.

SIDEBAR:  Could you live YOUR life, knowing that Monday was always to be laundry day?  END SIDEBAR.

Through the years, Mom often cooked lima beans, even though my dad groaned his displeasure.  She also made baked beans with weiners, back in the bygone days of CHEAP NATURAL CASING HOT DOGS!  And of course, she was big on bean salads of every stripe and color.

Mom talked about a childhood that was-shall we say austere?  She and her sister both remembered being hungry at bedtime on a regular basis.  Wash day was not the only time they saw a plateful of beans!  Grandma did well to have enough dry beans to make meals with, especially because meat-and money and food-was mighty scarce.

Neither Mom nor my aunt were never ill as youngsters, so what little food they did have to eat nourished them well. Mom was 86 when she made her transition…she still had her own teeth!  Maybe mineral-rich beans were all right, after all!

Beans provide color and variety; fiber and texture.  They are a staple all around the world.

My Inbox held a wonderful recipe for chickpeas and grains this morning.  I was thrilled about it until I found out that recipe was not meant for sharing.

SIDEBAR:  HUH?  No sharing recipes?  What’s that about?  And if it is not for sharing, why was it in my Inbox?  NO FAIR! END SIDEBAR.

Let’s just say again that beans and grains make a complete low cost protein and let that stand.  If you and your family favor a certain type of bean and you have a favorite grain, I would strongly encourage you to mix and match and come up with your OWN recipe.

SIDEBAR:  If/When you DO that, feel free to put it into our Inbox for sharing.  The email address will appear below!  END SIDEBAR.

Beans lend themselves to salads, side dishes, entrees and snacks.

Chef Shawn Bucher reminds us that RE-FRIED beans are really “smashed” beans.  I found that comical.  When I read that, my mouth watered and I pined for little tortillas with a dab of re-fried beans, topped with a dollop of sour cream.

Any variety of cooked beans-canned or home cooked-adds interest to stir fry dishes, soups, salads, or even sandwiches.  Have you mashed any beans and used those “smooshed” beauties as a sandwich spread in lieu of mayo or butter?  They can be run through the food processor, along with sandwich meat or eggs and flavored with a dash of vinegar, some pickle relish and a bit of salad dressing, oil, or mayo.  Used this way, they can fill lettuce cups or be a sandwich spread.  This is ideal for lunchboxes!

People who have food commodities are likely to have beans on the shelf in their kitchens.  The same is true for users of a food pantry.  If you have an EBT card for WIC or SNAP; if you have Angel Food Ministries foodstuffs or you are a coupon clipper, you are very likely to have a stash of canned or dry beans around.

On the other hand, if you just like being very careful with your food dollars you are very likely to have a variety of beans to make your home cooked meals interesting and economical.

We are eager to hear from all of you about the way YOU use beans.  Just send your info to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com !  WE LOVE MAIL!

We also l0ve having new Club Members!  We have a brand new batch, so treat ‘em all with love!  Please make all the new kids feel welcome here.

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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Fast Food-Food Stamps Cooking Club Style

May 23rd, 2011

 

Better than resaurant food? YOU CAN BANK ON IT!

Another great gift from Mikemax appeared in our Inbox:

What you do when you don’t have time to cook, or aren’t feeling well, can have a huge impact on your grocery bill. At least 3 of our members TODAY are in exactly that boat.

Mother Connie and Carol M are both recovering from surgery. I have to be gone all day today, come home briefly, and leave again. Reasons like these—not to mention kids’ activities—are a prime reason we often succumb to takeout.

I’m not a fan of takeout. If I’m going to spend for restaurant food, I want to be served and have someone clean up afterward. And it’s expensive. Even a trip through a fast food drive-through will cost more, and take longer, than a steak dinner cooked at home. Which would you rather have?

I’m eating out of the bottom of my freezer this month. That means I’m eating the good stuff and the soup bones…there’s nothing left in between, LOL. Tonight, it’s the good stuff.

This morning I spent 5 minutes prepping a bone-in pork loin roast and figuring out how to set my oven so it will come on at 3:30 p.m. and automatically turn off at 5ish. I scrubbed some potatoes and put them into the oven to bake along with the roast.  I didn’t peel them so they wouldn’t turn black.   At dinnertime, I’ll heat up a canned or frozen veggie-or maybe make a salad, if I’ve got the stuff-and put the bowl of leftover applesauce on the table.

That roast, just under 3 lbs., was $1.98 lb. and cost $5.56. It will produce enough meat for two meals for my family of 3 adults. Dinner tomorrow—an equally busy day–will either be roast pork sandwiches or pork noodles made with Top Ramen, green onions and sliced hard boiled eggs—just like the Chinese restaurants used to make.

When I find a good deal on steak, I buy it and freeze it. Used to be, I could occasionally afford T-bones or rib steak on sale, and I’d keep around a few for nights when I couldn’t, or didn’t want, to cook. Prices have gone so high, I’m now buying boneless top sirloin, when I can find it for $4 lb. or less. With a baked potato and salad it’s cheaper than the dollar menu at the fast food joint. Faster, too…and nobody at my house ever complains about a steak dinner.

Now I’m going to turn this over to YOU. I’m curious what Connie is cooking as she recovers from cataract surgery this week. I already know what Carol fixed last night, because I read her blog, but maybe she will repeat here. She’s down to the use of one hand, and will be for awhile. What do YOU cook when cooking doesn’t seem to be an option? How do you handle nights when you’ve got to take 3 kids to a Little League game and there is no time to eat, let alone cook?

Nights like these can make or break your food budget. Let’s share ideas on how we handle them and help each other stay on track.

PS/You can find directions for the Timed Bake feature on your oven in the instruction book that came with your stove. With mine, I first set the length of time I want to cook, then I set what time I want it to come on, and finally I turn the oven dial to the desired temperature. Also, with a big piece of meat—like the pork roast—you can partially thaw it and let it finish thawing before the oven comes on. I’ve put completely frozen meatloaves in the oven in the morning and let them thaw until late afternoon, when the oven came on.  Much faster and safer, too.

~Mikemax

Good GRIEF, Mikemax!  You’ve got me drooling!  What have I been cooking?  Actually, when you live in a small town and your life has “issues”  food arrives at your doorstep!  *EG: instead of having eye surgery you wind up in an ER, making every effort to avoid having a stroke.  Or, if you have a paper route and your wife is in the hospital you have TEAMS of people delivering those papers.

So cooking has not been much of a priority for the past number of days.  When Mother Connie is back on top of her game, there will be recipes posted from the goodies that have been bestowed upon us!  We are so blessed.

We  also have been blessed recently to have an influx of  new Club Members, as well!  The newbies have found our opt in box in the upper right hand corner of the blog and the website so they have offered up their email addies in order to receive our series of cooking tips.  YAY!  And we have received lovely messages at foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com.  YIPPEE!

If you know of anyone who avails themselves of the EBT card supplied by SNAP or WIC or if you know folks who use Angel Food Ministries foodstuffs or food commodities or have things from a Food Pantry or use Farmers Market Coupons, feel free to share this blog with them.  They may have great ideas none of us has thought of yet and they might share!  Hector Pector!  They might just be like Mikemax and Carol and me-FRUGAL to the core!  They will love what we are doing here.

Let’s all cheer for Mikemax:  All together, now, boys n girls:  HIP HIP HOORAY for MIKEMAX!

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: Are YOU Frugal to the Core?

September 23rd, 2010
Apple season is in full swing! Our frugal friend who is living on a dime has some great ideas we want to share with you!

Apple season is in full swing! Our frugal friend who is living on a dime has some great ideas and we want to share them with you!

Have you met our good friend from Living On A Dime, Tawra Kellam?  She has the most delightful website and tons of ideas.  She must have a building full of staff because she shares so many good ideas about living on the cheap that she could not possibly think of them all on her own!

Here are some of  best, most frugal notions about apples:

APPLE BUTTER

9 to 10 apples, cored, peeled and chopped
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. salt

Place everything into a crock pot. Stir, cover and cook on high 1 hour. Cook on low for 9-11 hours or until thick and dark brown. Stir occasionally. Uncover and cook on low 1 hour longer. Stir with whisk until smooth. Refrigerate or Freeze. Makes 2 pints.

FRIED APPLES

4 large apples, cored and sliced
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Cut apples into 1/4 inch slices. Heat butter in a large skillet. Put the apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the skillet and cover. Over medium-low heat, cook apple slices 7-10 minutes or until they begin to soften and the syrup thickens. Serve coated with excess syrup on top. Serves 4.

APPLE SNACK

2 quarts apples, peeled, cored and halved

Coarsely grate apples. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 225° until dry. Remove from cookie sheet and break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

If you are living on a dime, dining on a dime can be tricky.  Especially so if you are using WIC or SNAP or food pantry food or food commodities.  Living On a Dime will be a great help to you. Please scope it out, won’t you?

We take great delight in the dialogue about chicken, saving money and the refrigerator that’s been taking place on the comments section of this blog.  Please keep those comments rolling in, people!  We love your mail, too: foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com .

Our sponsors have been delighted to have you pop in, too.  And we note you are visiting our sister blogs: Mother Connie Sez as well as The Healthy and Wealthy You.  We appreciate your visits.

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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Posted in Recipes, snacks, Uncategorized

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Food Stamps Cooking Club Salutes Mothers

May 8th, 2010

Kudos and roses are precious little to offer all the mothers who are Food Stamps Cooking Club members...

Our hearts go out to honor every mother today.

We understand that you wear a lot of hats, you are greatly gifted and sometimes feel burdened.  There are a good many demands on your time and attention and you are doing the best job you know how to do.

Many of the mothers who are Food Stamps Cooking Club members are single parents.  Yes, we have single dads, too, but their big day is coming up next month!  Some of the mothers who care for their brood are also working outside the home.

Motherhood is no walk in the park.  It’s hard work. The hours are terrible.  The monetary pay is lousy. The rewards are so far down the road that it is difficult to appreciate that rewards will come.   The demands and pressure of motherhood are incredible…

But so are you mothers incredible. You are the brave, courageous and loving first teachers of the next generation.  We are proud of each of you for your contribution to mankind.  We thank you on behalf of your children.

We wish every mom everywhere a wonderful Mother’s Day and we hope you know that your important role as a mother is appreciated every day of the year.  May God bless every one of you richly and abundantly.

Hugs,

Mother Connie

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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Beans? AGAIN?

January 18th, 2010

 

 

Oh, how you will love this bean dish!

 

You could say the Food Stamps Cooking Club has a theme going on these days!  And we believe it is a tasty one, at that!  Today we have a scrumptious meal to tell you about.  I was sure we’d have leftovers-you know how we prize cooking once and eating twice-but we slicked up the whole thing!  This really qualifies as comfort food!

Here you go:

Mother Connie’s Sausage-Bean Dish

1  tablespoon oil

1  Polish sausage per person; depends on the size of the appetites!

2  cloves garlic, minced

1  apple, cored and chopped

1/2  teaspoon dried rosemary

1  teaspoon dried sage

1  bay leaf

1  can tomatoes, juice and all-I used a pint of our home canned

2 or 3 drops Tabasco sauce

4  cups cooked white beans, juice and all.  I used organic Northern beans because that’s what I had cooked up and stored in the fridge.

1  package frozen baby lima beans, rinsed

1  1/2 cups chicken stock, broth or water

black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

In a dutch oven over medium heat, warm the oil.

Add the meat and brown for 15 minutes.  Turn occasionally.

Transfer to a plate and cut meat into half inch rounds.

Add onions and garlic to pan and saute until they become soft.  This will take about 5 minutes.  If you cook garlic too long or too hot it will become bitter.

Add apple, rosemary, sage and stir in tomatoes, Tabasco sauce, beans, stock and season with pepper.

Bake covered for 1 hour.  Remove lid and bake and additional 15 minutes.

*For variation, you could also add 1 tablespoon of toasted barley to this; it would add another layer of protein and it will thicken the broth as it bakes.

Prepare to hear raves from your family!  The Normanator is not one to carry on about what is served but he made sure he let it be known that he’d like to find this on the dinner table again soon!

We want to take a moment to thank everyone for the great comments that have come in on the blog; we are excited to have added some new Club members to our roster and we note that the Food Stamps Cooking Club is being picked up around the world by people who are interested in what we are doing here.   This is because of you, our precious members and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts! We are giving high 5′s all around!

If you enjoy reading about health, you might like to see Mother Connie Sez or The Healthy and Wealthy You.   If you are even remotely interested to add some income to your household, you will appreciate what you find here:  Rapid Cash Marketing.

Users of Angel Food Ministries, food pantries, food commodities or those who depend on SNAP or WIC need all the help they can garner.  We mean to provide as much support and understanding as possible.

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



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Food Stamps Cooking: There’s More To It Than FOOD?

January 13th, 2010

 

 

 

Johnson County Honors Their Servicemen and Women In a Place Serving Sammies n Soup!

 

If you are using food commodities or planning your meals around food pantry food; if you have to watch every single penny of your food budget like a hawk, you are not very likely to be eating away from home.  Unless you get invited to dinner.

As Senior Citizens-even though I’ll only admit to being 33-we don’t eat out much, either, so it was a special treat today to be invited out for lunch!

Since we “babysat” with a prize poinsettia during the holidays the “parents” of this gorgeous plant wanted to thank us by taking us to the newest eatery in our little community.

This specialty shop has an old fashioned soda fountain, clocks showing every time zone and original brick walls with floating shelves.  On every row-and there are a bunch-is displayed the photos of the military service men and women of Johnson County.

There were no 4 top tables available so we chose a long table which seats 10 and settled in.  Soon we were joined by a threesome from the Court House and conversation flowed like the coffee the waitress poured.  As we chatted over the menus we saw a group of people we knew and they stopped to visit.  At the table next to us was the cute little County Agent and her guy.  It was fun to connect with everyone and the place buzzed with conversation.

Steaming bowls of soup arrived and as we ate and talked, it occurred to me that as important as food is, it is every bit as important to have that food served up with great conversation.

I thought about the meals my own mother served at home just for the three of us: mom, dad and me.  Mom always set a “proper” table and made sure we had napkins.  There was a healthy emphasis on table manners.  We could ALWAYS depend on lively discussion about what happened at school, about activities and events around town, about people we all knew who were doing interesting things with their lives.

Just because we’re busy or just because we have to monitor our food costs or we use Angel Food Ministries food or Farmers Market coupons to s-t-r-e-t-c-h our food dollars does not preclude  delightful mealtime experiences!  What can we do to give our families wonderful meals replete with memorable times?

You probably have far more imaginative ideas than I-if you do, we’d love to hear from you at foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com.  Here are a few ideas of  my own:

  • Turn off the television.
  • Use the good dishes occasionally.
  • Spread a terrycloth table cloth on the floor and pretend to picnic on cold winter evenings.
  • Make simple comfort foods a feature of your menus.
  • While everyone is having dessert, Mom or Dad could read the chapter of a book aloud.
  • Make clean up and dish washing a family affair.

Good nutrition is very important.  But even the best food cannot take the place of good tabletop conversation and great memories of a happy family!

Connie Baum

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