Posts Tagged ‘cooking with eggs’

Need a Hand? Food Stamps Cooking Club

August 3rd, 2012

Sometimes we just need a little help along our way...

If you’ve ever stood in line to fill out an application for public assistance you know how that FEELS.

It doesn’t matter whether that assistance came in the form of food stamps or SNAP; if it entitled you and your youngster to an EBT card from WIC; or if you just needed a bag of groceries from the food pantry, you had to jump through some hoops to get the help you needed.

All over the country there are people who depend on food commodities and food banks.  They line up at various churches and other food distribution places to get something for their families to eat.  There are staggering numbers of people in this country who are living on a dime!

If you have ever gone through this, no matter how comfortable or miserable you found the experience to be, you may have wondered whether anyone really cared about your situation.  Maybe you heard snide remarks or perhaps you felt shame or guilt for needing food.  Hey, we all need help of some kind from time to time.  Here in the Club House we don’t care how you got here…we love you just the way you are.

You know how we love comments, of course.  Well, someone sent us a comment that knocked our socks off!  It came from a young woman who is asking us all for our STORIES.  Here is her comment:

“Dear Mother Connie,

I’ve been looking around your blog and I love what you do. First of all – I had no idea that succotash was anything more than sufferin’ succotash – but I’ll definitely be making some ASAP. Second of all – I love that this is a place for lots of different people to share stories with each other about challenges and successes.

My name is Meg Cramer and I’m part of the Public Insight Network – it’s a community of journalists and all kinds of other people  who share experiences and personal stories about how everyday people are affected by what’s happening in our communities.

I would love to give you and your readers the opportunity to be part of the news – and I would love to have the opportunity to listen to and share some of your stories.

Right now we’re asking people if they’ve ever needed services in the safety net -  like food stamps or Medicare -  to get back on their feet, and to share their experiences with us: http://www.publicinsightnetwork.org/form/marketplace/5ee4819b9f95/have-you-ever-used-services-in-the-safety-net-to-get-back-on-your-feet

But we’d love to hear from anyone, anywhere, with any stories! Really!

Thanks so much for your time, I hope to hear from you and some of your readers soon!

 If you’ve got any questions, shoot me an email: cramer.meg@gmail.com

Sincerely,
-Meg”

 

WOW.  She is inviting each of us to have 15 minutes of fame!  grin

I asked Meg what drew her to this blog.  She mentioned that we have a spirit of community here that she has not found elsewhere.  Does that mean we are not “increasingly irrelevant”?  Of course we are not.  We are the ‘over-the-back-fence-neighbors’ who help one another with the daily struggles of keeping body and soul together, sharing our lives, our kitchen tips, our recipes and other ideas that add to the quality of one anothers’ lives!

Here’s hoping you will be moved to share YOUR story with Meg’s network.  There are no strings attached; it’s all confidential, nothing to buy and it’s all up to YOU how much you tell about your situation.

Now let’s talk about FOOD! 

Spinach and Eggs Make a Delcious Brunch!

The ladies at Book Lovers Club mentioned spinach and eggs and my ears perked up.  I have eaten spinach salad with eggs but this was a new dish for me.  The discussion centered around the Dirty 30′s when there was dust everywhere, little money to be had and people lived on whatever they could scrounge up.  * There was no SNAP program in those days.

I took a package of frozen spinach, unwrapped it and placed it in a 2 quart skillet.  When it was thawed, I flattened it to cover the bottom of the skillet.  I put the lid over it and warmed it gently.  While it was warming I cracked 4 eggs into bowls to make sure they were OK.  When the spinach was warmed through I sprinkled a tiny bit of Rice vinegar over the veg.

SIDEBAR:  Rice vinegar is sweet.  Apple cider or distilled vinegar will work well but you may wish to dilute it with a bit of water and maybe a touch of sugar.  END SIDEBAR

Carefully, the eggs went in on little hollows I formed in the spinach.  I seasoned the eggs with salt and pepper, replaced the lid and let the eggs cook slowly.

When the lid came off about 6 – 8 minutes later, the eggs were done perfectly and the aroma was wonderful!

This was extremely economical to make.  The spinach cost $1.45 but canned might be cheaper and eggs are less costly than beef or pork.  These were medium sized eggs.  The nutrient content is over the top!

Do give this a go…your family might be pleasantly surprised at how tasty and filling it really is.

OK, kids.  You have homework:  Go to the website Meg gave us to share your story—RIGHT AFTER you post your comment here!  grin  Then fire up the stove and find some spinach and eggs; it’ll make for a quick, satisfying meal on the cheap!

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 Cooking, Message from Mother Connie, Recipes

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Dumplings Are Everywhere at Food Stamps Cooking Club!

February 23rd, 2012

Dumplings ARE everywhere...and they are comfort food on the cheap!

Our mailbox is always fun.  We never know what we might find there.  Today I found a cutie named Polysammo who has a most interesting blog that shares NOT just about dumplings but that dumplings appear in every culture.  Polysammo explores all manner of “dumps”-a reference from yesterday’s post-because she reads a variety of cookbooks from every corner of the earth!

Polysammo graciously offers this easy, low cost “no recipe” way to comfort.  I can’t wait to try this for The Normanator and me:

EGGS POACHED IN VEGGIES

This is another comfort food non recipe. It is also a really easy quick recipe when you are too tired to think about what to eat.
You could serve this with buttered bread, tortillas, rice or pasta.  I like buttered bread.
I have made this for people who thought it sounded odd and then Loved it. I am craving it now and will see if I can get into the kitchen this week (with some help) and make it.    
Bonus is that is is so healthy and adjustable for food allergies/preferences.

Ingredients:
Veggies  (as many or few as you want : onions, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, celery, broccoli, beans, spinach )
Spices (depends on what style you want  Italian garlic, oregano, rosemary Mexican garlic, cumin, chili powder  )
1 Can diced tomatoes
Eggs
Cheese

In a large fry pan sauté the veggies & spices in a tiny bit of Oil.

When they are not quite soft, add the can of tomatoes and cook for 5 or so minutes on MEDIUM heat.  

When the tomato veggie mixture gets thick make little holes and break an egg into each hole (my pan holds 4 -6 eggs).

Cover & cook for a few minutes. Check the eggs when they are almost the way you want them sprinkle on the cheese and cover for another minute.

~Polysammo

Mother Connie here:  This sounds and looks to be so full of deliciousness that my mouth is watering and I’m tempted to cancel my dinner date with The Normanator just to try it!  Thank you so much, Polysammo.  We really appreciate it a lot.

Polysammo sent her message to us by using foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com.  YAY, Polysammo! And thank you once again!  Here’s hoping all our Club Members cruise by your cute site and scope out other great ideas!

We are also aware of a burgeoning list of Club Members.  There are a great many people using EBT cards from SNAP or WIC and many more depend on food pantries and food commodities for their daily sustenance.  It is our mission to help people, including those who are simply frugal, to s t r e t c h those food dollars and food budgets to the extreme while feeding your families good nutrition.  If you are living on a dime-or less-this is critical.  When our members offer helpful ideas to the whole community, everybody wins!

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: Breakfast is Served?

January 3rd, 2011

Breakfast can be easy and interesting but still be under budget!

Bless Maxine’s buttons!  She is just full of great ideas and how-to information about how to make delicious and cost effective meals from scratch with a minimum of muss and fuss.  You might think it’s ALL ABOUT breakfast but breakfast can be “ordered” any time of the day or night!

Here is here latest offering, given with our sincere thanks:

“Pancakes or waffles, syrup and poached eggs–we’re cooking breakfast from scratch today.  Maybe we’re even having breakfast for dinner.

You’re not going to get drummed out of the frugal corps if you use pancake mix. But you really should try making pancakes and waffles from the ingredients in your cupboard. It’s quick, easy and cheap…and sooooooo good. Even if you only make them when you’re out of mix, knowing how to make pancakes and waffles from scratch is a useful skill.

Making your own pancake syrup is a snap, too. It’s a lot cheaper than even the cheapest store brands, and believe me…it’s better. A lot better. The only ingredient that you might not have in your kitchen is maple flavoring.  Crescent Mapleine is one brand; a bottle costs about the same as a bottle of pancake syrup, and it lasts a long time.

The recipe for pancakes and waffles is from Donna McKenna’s $30 Week Grocery Budget booklet, which she self-published about 20 years ago. The recipe for syrup is straight off the Mapleine label, with my own addition of vanilla.

PANCAKES and WAFFLES
2 cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1-3/4 cups milk
1/3 cup oil or melted margarine
Combine dry ingredients.  Add liquid ingredients and stir just until blended.

For pancakes: heat griddle over medium heat until a drop of water “dances” when dropped on it.  If using an electric frying pan, set heat at 350 degrees.   Lightly grease with oil. Spoon batter onto griddle and cook until the bubbles on top burst but don’t fill back in. Flip pancake to cook other side.  Adjust heat if pancake is too dark at this point.  Continue cooking until second side is browned. Serve immediately.

For waffles: heat waffle iron and spray grids with nonstick spray. Spoon batter over grids, close lid, and cook until done. Makes 4 waffles.

1/2 recipe–1 cup flour, 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar, one egg, 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons milk, scant 3 tablespoons oil or melted margarine.


HOMEMADE PANCAKE SYRUP
1 cup boiling water
2 cups sugar
½ teaspoon maple flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Bring water to a boil and dissolve the sugar in it. Boil one minute. Stir in maple flavoring and vanilla extract. How easy is that!?

Pancakes and waffles are great with eggs…and we all need a little protein. Eggs are probably the cheapest protein you can buy.

Do you know how to make a perfect poached egg? You don’t need any special equipment, but there’s a secret—and the secret is vinegar!

Fill a frying pan with enough water to cover the eggs. Add a blub -say, a tablespoon-of vinegar and bring to a boil.  Carefully crack the eggs into the water.  My home ec teacher taught us to crack the eggs into a saucer first, but who really bothers to do this?  Adjust the temperature to maintain a high simmer/low boil. For eggs with a firm white and soft yolk, set the timer for 3 minutes 15 seconds. When done, remove eggs from pan and place on a plate. Pour any accumulated water off plate and serve.

The vinegar is what causes the egg to congeal and not run all over the place–and you won’t taste it. I promise!

~Maxine

Oh, my golly, Maxine.  Our waffle iron is in STORAGE, of all places!  What were we THINKING?  I guess we weren’t…

Let’s hope everyone who uses food commodities or food pantries gets to see this, so they can really make use of their goods.  For those who use EBT cards for WIC or SNAP, this will be ideal.  If people cruise by here because they are frugal or because they want to squeeze as much value as possible from their food budgets they will appreciate knowing these things, too.

Here’s hoping people who have not yet done so will enter their name and email address into the box in the upper right hand corner.  This will entitle them to the series of cooking tips we have for them plus a very infrequent message from time to time.  We never want to overload our members; we only like to keep them informed about things we think might impact them.

Keep those “cards and letters” coming, kids!  We LOVE LOVE LOVE getting your emails at foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com  and if you should leave a comment for us, be assured that we turn cartwheels on the dining room table with each comment.  Spam?  NOT SO MUCH.

Well, let’s get out into the kitchen and crank up the stove so we can smell the perfume of waffles and breakfast all through the house.  YUM YUM YUM!

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/Visitors to this blog are more than welcome to stop by our sponsors as well.  They are even welcome on our sister sites: The Healthy and Wealthy You or Mother Connie Sez , just to name a couple.

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Food Stamps Cooking Club: Quiche!

September 13th, 2010

It's a shame you cannot smell this delectable quiche, let alone taste it! O my stars and garters, but it's delish!

Are you a fan of Leanne Ely, The Dinner Diva?  She is out in the world Saving Dinner. I was completely enthralled with her recent offering for a quiche recipe.  I was not prepared for how utterly delicious and how ABSOLUTELY EASY it is to prepare.

Of course, you know Mother Connie.  She had to put her spin on it so here’s what we had for lunch today:

Mother Connie’s Pared Down Version of The Dinner Diva’s Quiche

This will serve two hungry people twice.  And both people will be happy two times, I guarantee it!

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1 scosh (a scosh is my mom’s word for just a dab) of milk or water

salt and pepper just the way you like it.  I like lots of pepper.

1/2  of a 10 oz package of frozen spinach, thaw and squeeze the excess moisture out  (Save the other half for your next salad)

1 leek, sliced and soaked in salt water to get rid of the grit.  Drain and saute until the leeks are tender.

4 oz taco cheese, grated

Beat the eggs, milk or water, and seasonings.  Add the leeks.  Into a greased pie plate, pour the whole works and top with the cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees-I started mine in a cold oven so the oven and the mixture could warm together.  After 20 minutes, check for doneness.  It will have a nice brown crust on top and should be firm.  If you over bake it, your quiche will be tough.  If you under bake it the eggs will be runny.  YUCK

This far exceeded my expectations for lunch!  I hardly had room for the chunk of Foccacia bread and dish of cinnamon applesauce I had set out!  Here’s hoping you like this dish as much as we did.

We have two wedges left from this recipe; they will become breakfast sammies on Foccacia bread tomorrow!  I can hardly wait to wake up to that hearty, protein-packed breakfast!  With a small glass of juice, we’ll be set for a great, productive, healthy day!

Again we thank Leanne Ely for a great idea we could tweak.  You can get her great ideas, too, by signing up for her email messages on Saving Dinner.

Leanne is always on the hunt for recipes and ideas to save time and money in the kitchen and to share.  Who isn’t?

If you are holding an EBT card for SNAP or WIC; if you utilize Angel Food Ministries foods; if you have access to food commodities or a food pantry, this is the place to come for help and encouragement.

Maybe you love comfort food; it could be you are just frugal and want clever ways to save on your food dollars.  This is the place for you.

We so love hearing from all of you.  We appreciate your ideas and tips and comments.  foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com  will get your messages to us.

Our sponsors, like Saving Dinner, love to hear from you, too.

We also invite you to pop by The Healthy and Wealthy You, as well as Mother Connie Sez and Rapid Cash Review for your reading and learning pleasure.  There is a wealth of information out there in cyberspace and some of it has been captured on these recommended sites.

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 Cooking, Recipes, Tips

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