Monday, December 29, 2008

Julie's Everything Bars

These seem weird, but they were a hit with my bible study and go great with morning coffee. I made these with Jodi O in mind! 
1.5-2 Cups quick cooking oatmeal
.5 Cup flour
1 Cup sunflower seeds
1/2 Cup millet
1/2 C sesame seeds
1 C  golden raisins
1/8 C dates (since I wanted to use them up)
1 Cup peanut butter chips
.5 maybe .75 C Craisins

In a heat proof cup I melted 
1/3 stick butter
1/2 C peanut butter
2 Tbs oil
1/4 C honey

I microwaved the liquid until it all mixed well. I mixed it into the dry ingredients and then I added 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk. I mixed and added water until it had the consistency of a heavy brownie batter. I put it in a buttered pan and baked it for about 30 minutes. I cooled it and cut it into squares. Good fiber, good taste and it was a bit addictive. Makes about 24 bars.

Provencal Chicken Stew

Another cheap eats, if you omit expensive wine and olives. But I usually have a cheap bottle of white wine in the fridge to cook with and olives last forever around my house. Serves 6-8
3/4 C plus 2 Tbs AP flour
1 tsp salt
1 chicken cut into servings and skinned
1/4 C olive oil
1 yellow onion finely chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1/2 C dry white wine
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 C chopped parsley for garnish
1/4 C fresh basil leaves cut chiffonade for garnish. 
(Chiffonade is a fancy way of cutting the leaves into little strips)
1 Cup Nyons or kalamata olives for garnish

Combine the 3/4 flour and salt in a plasticb ag. Add chicken and shake to coat completely. Heat a large saute pan over med heat and add oil. Add chicken and cook once for 8-10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and then to a slow cooker. Add onions and 2 tbs flour and saute stirring for 10 min or until lightly browned/ Add garlic cook for 2-3 minutes. Add wine and deglaze pan, scraping up all the good stuff from the bottom. Add tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes until some of the tomato ,liquid evaporates.  Pour all of it over the chicken in the slow cooker. Cook on low from between 3 and 8 hours, until the chicken is tender. At 3-4 hours the chicken will be firm and hold it's shape. At 6-8 hours it will fall off the bone. Divide chicken among dinner plates (or bowls) and garnish with parsely, basil and olives.

Yumm- Chicken!

 Pot Pie! Serves 4 
Works for any leftover meat- thanks to LH

Per person
3 oz turkey, cooked and diced
½ cup frozen mixed vegetables, cooked
2 T diced onion
2 T diced celery

¾ cup turkey gravy
Cook celery and onion in a little oil until translucent; add meat and vegetables to warm. Spoon into baking dish(s) evenly and add gravy and top with crust (recipe below)


Sweet tart crust—crust for four servings

2/3 cup shortening
2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 c white sugar

1 egg + 2 T milk

Cut shortening into dry ingredients
Add egg and milk. Dough is sticky. Divide into portions.


In one casserole or individual serving dishes add meat mixture and gravy.
Work each portion of dough into a hand flattened crust the size of the dish(s) and place on top of filled dish(s).  Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes, until gravy is bubbling and crust is brown.
Another variation on this theme is Sheppard’s Pie (originally for lamb stew)
Instead of crust—top meat mixture with mashed potatoes. Brown as above.




Friday, December 12, 2008

Ham Where Am I Going?

That was a staple at our house growing up. I finally made it last night for my own family, and my daughter laughed at the name. I think it was my mother's trick for getting my brother and I to try the dish. Casseroles were all the rage in the 80's I remember. It' isn't the cheapest recipe ever, since cheese and ham are spendy. But here is the recipe!

Ham Where Am I Going?
1.5 cups Jasmine rice (or brown rice would work better)
Chicken buillon (spelled correctly?)
* Make rice according to directions, add some bullion to taste

1 Cup cubed Ham
2 peeled and diced carrots
2 peeled and diced celery
1.5 Cups cheddar cheese
2 tbs butter
2 tbs flour (All purp is fine)
Black pepper
salt
1/2 Tsp each: garlic salt or powder and onion (likewise)
1 Tsp dijon mustard
1/2 Cup milk

You can boil the carrots and celery for about 2 min to soften them, but I put them in as is and it was a nice contrast. So here goes: Make a bechemel sauce; Heat butter, add flour and cook until light brown, add milk and cook until thickened. Add mustard, seasoning, salt to taste and stir in cheese.  Now, layer the cooked rice in a baking dish (that has been oiled) then put some vegetables and some ham. Pour over some of the cheese sauce and repeat until you end with the last of the cheese sauce on top. Heat in the a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes. Serve!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Spanish Rice/Mexican Rice

My brilliant friend Shelly J also pointed out this recipe to me for super easy spanish rice. You all know about how I LOVE rice and beans and here is the rice recipe:
Jasmine rice-1 Cup (or any white rice you like)
Diced tomatoes 1 Cup or 1.5 cups if you like more- or just dump in a whole can like I have
Water- whatever you need for the rice, minus the tomato volume (see below)
Onion Powder - 1 Tsp (or 2 Tsp of Onion flakes)
Garlic powder - 1 Tsp (or 2 of fresh)
Cumin- 1 Tsp
Olive Oil -1 Tbs (or any oil you like)
** I add 1 Tsp of Chicken bouillon too
*** I minus 3/4 cup of water for every cup of tomatoes, it seems to work

Boil the water/tomato mixture with the herbs and spices. Add the rice and stir. Then cover and cook according to the directions. About 20 minutes later you have really good rice.

Shelley gave me some tomatoes (cause she grows them like no one else) and I used the food processor to grind them up with all the spices. Then I canned it in 1 cup jars and I hope it works! I have not opened one yet, and Shelley froze hers in little ziploc bags in the freezer. Brilliant!

Another variation of this theme I've used when I was really bad off:  Make rice, but add a cup of prepared salsa in lieu of 3/4 cup of the water the rice needs. It works out pretty well!

Monday, December 1, 2008

I made Applesauce- practically free!

A friend from church made me an offer I could not refuse: Free apples. So, I packed up my kids and went over to pick apples while my kids got slimey from the fallen apples. It was great, and I came home and canned applesauce the next morning before we left for Thanksgiving. So, it was AWESOME that it was free and only cost me a little in time, stress and cinnamon, oh, and lids for the cans since I had everything else. The only problem is that my son is apparently slightly allergic to the cinnamon I put in the applesauce. It is stronger then I usually use, from Costco, but it tastes good and saves us about $2.50 a jar. Not bad, I think! What I love most about this method is that you cook the apple whole, without removing skins or seeds. A lot less work I tell you. Then you use a Foley  food mill to grind it down and all the seeds and the like come out at that point. You are just left with simple applesauce. It's SO GOOD! Here are the photos: 

For those of you new to canning, it is just as safe as stuff from the store and I like this link for basic how-to: from Pick Your Own

Any questions about canning? E-mail me and I'll try to get the answer for you! 

Monday, November 24, 2008

Taco Soup

No, this is really good. It's from Shelley J and she is the QUEEN of all things domestic. Plus she is an amazing mom and an even better teacher. I don't think there is anything she can't do!

Taco Soup:
1 lb lean ground turkey or Soy
1 chopped onion
1 Pkg ranch seasonsing
1 Pkg taco seasoning
1 can black beans
1 can white beans
1 can kernel corn
1 can diced tomatoes (mexican style)
1 can diced tomatoes

Brown the meat and then saute the onion. Put everything else in (and don't drain the cans either) and simmer for 1 hour.

Shelley reports she takes this recipe to many potlucks and everyone asks for the recipe. Plus, you can make your own seasoning packets cheaper then store bought, and you can make beans from dried ones too (I would add a tbs of flour after the onions saute, to make it a bit thicker). But sometimes the canned ones just come in handy when you are in a pinch!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Fall Best Buys

October Best Buys
Brussells Sprouts
Cauliflower
Potatoes
Pumpkin
Sweet potatoes
Turnips, Rutabagas
Winter squashes- Acorn, Butternut
Apples
Avocados
Cantaloupes
Cranberries
Grpaes
Pears
Persimmons (oh, how I loathe these)
Pomegrantes
Dried fruits- apples, apricots, figs, pears, prunes, raisins
Almonds
Brazil Nuts
Pecans
Walnuts (how I love thee)
Rice
Beef- good grade 
Lamb
Turkey
Codfish
Cheese

November Best Buys
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Califlower 
Celery
Leafy Greens-chard, kael, Mustard and Turnip
Parsley
Parsnips
Sweet potatoes
Turnips, Rutabages
Winter squashes
Apples
Cranberries
Florida Avocados
Grapefruit
Grapes
Tangelos
Tangerines
Dried Fruits (see October)
Almonds
Brazil Nuts
Coconuts
Pecans
Walnuts
Rice
Beef (esp U.S. good grade)
Turkey

December Best Buys
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Celery
Florida Green Beans
Leafy greens
Mushrooms
Parsley
Sweet potatoes
Turnips
Winter squashes
Apples
Florida Avocados
Grapefruit
Oranges
Persimmons
Tangelos
Tangerines
Almonds
Brazil Buts (which always taste like dirt)
Coconuts
Pecans
Walnuts
Beef
Turkey
Oysters
Sea Trout

Best Buys Summer

July Best Buys
Bartlett Pears
Blueberries
Raspberries and Blackberries
Cherries
Lemons
Mangoes
Melons-Cantaloups
Watermelon
Nechtarines
Papayas
Peaches
Red Plums
Thompson seedless grapes
Valencia Oranges
Beets
Green beans
Sweet corn
Crab meat 
Halibut
Salmon

August Best Buys
Bartlett Pears
Limes
Melons- Honeydew
Nectarines
Peaches
Plums
Summer grapefruit
Seedless grapes
Valencia Oranges
Green Beans
Lettuce
Sweet Corn
Tomatoes
Eggs (Smaller sizes)
Clams
Lobsters(which I actually don't like)
Salmon 
Scallops

September Best Buys
Bartlett Pears
Melons-Honeydew
Peaches
Prune Plums
Seedless grapes
Valencia Oranges
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Garlic
Green and Red Pepper
Squashes- yellow and zucchini types
Haddock
Rockfish
Salmon 
Tuna

Best Buys Spring

April Best Buys
Cali Avocados
Cali Strawberries
Flori Strawberries
Fresh Pineapple
Grapefruit
Asparagus
Globe Artichokes
Green Peas
Greens
Rhubarb
Spinach
Abalone
Cod
Eggs
Gray Sole
Haddock
Mackerel
Pork
Shad and Shad Roe (yuck)

May Best Buys
Apricots
California Avocados
Fresh Pineapple
Mangoes
Papayas
Strawberries
Asparagus
Cali and Maine Potatoes
Cucumbers
Green Beans
Green Onions
Green Peas
Iceberg Lettuce
Radishes
Rhubarb
Sweet Corn
Tomatoes
Cod
Flounder
Halibut
Lamb
Mackerel
Red Snapper
Soft shell Crabs
Turkey

June Best Buys
Apricots
Blueberries
Bushberries- raspberries and black berries
Cali Avocados
Cantaloupes
Cherries, sweet and sour
Fresh Pineapple
Lemons
Limes
Mangoes
Nectarines
Papayas
Plums
Strawberries
Watermelons
Beets (umm, dbl yuck)
Cucumbers
Green beans, Onions and peas
Iceberg Lettuce
Radishes
Sweet corn
Tomatoes
Beef
Mackerel
Salmon
Soft shell crab
Turkey

Best Buys by Month

Linda H gave this to me, I might have to do it over 3 posts for length. Here are the supermarket best buys by month. Some of the fish are not so common these days, but the rest is square on.

January Best Buys:
Grapefruit
Lemons
Navel Oranges
Tangelos
Tangerines
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Greens- collard, CHard, Kale and Turnip
Parsnips
SPinach
Flounder
Oysters
Pacific Crab

February Best Buys
Cali Avocados
Grapefruit
Lemons
Navel Oranges
Winter pears- Bosc, Anjou
Tangerines
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Greens (again)
Parsnips
Green Peas
Spinach
Gray Sole
Porgy
Red Hake
Sea Bass
Striped Bass

March Best Buys
Cali Avocados
Grapefruit
Navel Oranges
Florida Strawberries
Tangerines
Asparagus
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Greens
Mushrooms
Green Peas
Radishes
Rhubarb
Spinach
Large Eggs (I don't know how this is possible)
Pork
Veal
Fluke
Mussels
Haddock
Butterfish
Cod
Hake
Shad (when did you last eat shad?)

Monday, November 17, 2008

Fried Oatmeal is divine

Ok, so the fried oatmeal worked out well. It is a cross between french toast and oatmeal, as the outsides get crispy and buttery, and the inside part is warm and oatmeal-y. I put a little syrup on it and boy-o-boy it was good. You have got to try it. Plus, it is very cheap. I think the total for the whole thing was about $.75. Can't beat that!

Ok, so I am going to go get some apples from a church friend so I can make applesauce. We are currently cruising through about a jar every week, and it costs about $3 a jar. Hoping I can cut out that expense! 

I went shopping and here is what I discovered: I have been buying too expensive cuts of meat. I bought some chicken thighs at .99 cents a pound. So, eating around the bone has it's advantages. I have been long sold on chicken breasts from Costco for ease of use since they are separately frozen in the bag, but I see myself moving back to whole chickens again for stock and soups and the like. Although, I still contend that making beef broth is not worth the effort. Chicken stock, YES, beef stock- no. It takes about a million bones and a hours upon hours of cooking, roasting and the like to get some broth. Plus, I rarely use beef broth, so for the once a year use I will just buy the box.

You know what else? Junk food costs a lot of money now. Yeah, even just some cookies cost well over $3 a package. Forget that folks, I am back to buying raw ingredients and making it from scratch. Thankfully, my little guy is out of his touch the stove phase and I can get back to using the oven without a heart attack. 

Ok- cheap recipe of the day: Sourdough Pancakes for Dinner (Cost $1-2 depending on syrup)
Sourdough starter (get one from a friend, or make your own like I did- Google it, it's simple, if you need tips keeping it alive, let me know and I will post them)
2-3 C flour
water
salt- to taste
oil 3 Tbs any oil you like will do except olive
sugar 1 Tbs
2-3 eggs
butter -however much you use for the pancakes
baking soda -1 Tbs

The morning of take your sourdough starter out and put it in a large glass bowl. Now add equal parts flour and water. Mix with a wooden spoon until mixed. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it work on the counter for about 8 hours. Now, take out about 1/2 cup and put it back in a glass jar with a vented lid and put back in the fridge for next time. Add eggs, oil, sugar, and salt. Mix well in the bowl. If it is too thick at this point, add a Tbs of milk to thin it out. Now, as you are about to start the griddling of cakes, add the baking soda. Stir and let sit for about 2 min. It should foam up a bit. Now cook the cakes (1/4 C at a time) on a griddle at 350 +/- 25 degrees until bubbles form. Now flip and cook a bit more. You know how you like them. Now, put butter and real maple syrup on, serve with fruit, and YOU HAVE DINNER! 

Recipe by Tom Parks, my father, the best pancake maker in the west.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Deborah and Amy, thank you!

Deborah e-mailed me a TON of ideas for cheap eating, and Amy linked to me as a kind gesture of friendship! Linda sent me home with a list of what is in season and on sale each month of the year in the grocery stores and I am struggling to get it all on the blog. SO, here is a big thank you and the two main ideas I got in the last 24 hours: 

1.) Make a snack list for your family so they know what is ok to eat and what is off limits. That way, no one eats what you needed to make your dinner!

2.) YOU CAN FRY OATMEAL. Linda, you are a genius! So, I made some oatmeal with skim milk, cooled it in a glass dish and tomorrow for breakfast we will fry it with a little butter and we'll see if the kids will eat it! I can't wait to do this, and I hope the kids eat it. Oatmeal is cheap, and a good source of protein. Plus, be sure to eat it with salt since the salt breaks down the husk in the cooking for proper absorption. That's what Linda said and she's always right. 

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Cherry Pie and Pinto Beans

Not in the same pot, mind you. 

Ok, so it was husband's birthday and daughter declared we should make a cherry pie. No pie cherries in sight (duh, it's November) so we bought frozen Bing cherries. Ahem. Well, I made a FABULOUS crust from scratch and it looked divine (for me, that is, I am not so good with crusts). It tasted good too, but it was really soupy since I forgot to put in a thickener. But it was still good!




Now onto Pinto Beans. I told you I was sick of them, but I haven't eaten them for 3 days so they sound ok to me! Here is my recipe for any of you who love Pinto Beans and Rice.  I'll post the rice one later. 

REFRIED BEANS Cost: About $1.70 (whole recipe not per serving) 
Pinto Beans (dried, in the bulk section)
water
Chicken stock or bouillon, or Better then Bouillon
Cumin, Onion powder and Garlic powder

Soak the beans in a large pot of cold water overnight. Sift out any rocks, or scary looking beans that don't look like you should eat them. Now, change out the water to fresh water and start the boil. Add some chicken flavoring, or vegetable stock if you don't eat meat, some cumin and any other Mexican flavors you like to add. I like mine on the bland side, because I pair it with a strong cheese and a tomato rice for the meal. It's good to have the beans as a base. Ok, so now boil them for a few hours, like 3, or 4. Stir a lot, to be sure it doesn't burn on the bottom. When they are soft (very), it is time to mash and refry!  Get a large saucepan and add some oil (or butter like I do) and add the drained beans to the pan. Mash it up with a potato masher (this takes some time and arm strength) until it is the right consistency. You can add more flavors at this time and you are ready to serve. This keeps on the stove top, but add some water, or some leftover bean water if it heats for too long. That will keep it hydrated as it waits to be eaten.

Thanks to Melissa Ward who taught me how to make refried beans last year!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Cheap Eats from Oregon Launch

As you may have noticed, food is more expensive then ever in the green state of Oregon. Most especially in Southern Oregon since we are far from a gas pipeline and miles upon miles from a gas refinery, we pay the price at the pump and at the grocery store for our food. Although a LOT of food can be grown in our state, since we are surrounded my mountains (we live in a large valley) we have to truck most of the food in for our consumption. Thankfully, we live near a large interstate and it's not hard to get things we want as the food goes north to the major metropolitan cities. 

Frankly, I am surprised at how much food costs lately, and I am struck with how few recipes I have in my repertoire that I can make that keep us within our budget. I watch Food Network like it's about to go off the air (or we might ditch the cable) but rarely does anyone make something I can afford. I mean, even though I am 1 hour from the ocean (as the crow flies) Halibut is most often about $16 a pound. Yup. A.Pound. Perhaps Food Network can pay that with ease, but I have to pull off many meals for $16. 

So this blog serves as a place for my friends and soon-to-be-friends to submit cheap eats for the greater good. So, do you have a cheap recipe I can share online? Do you have any magical tips for eating on less? Do you know of any recipes that toddlers will eat that are not in the shape of a chicken nugget? Please do not include anything with Velveeta, I cannot post that in good conscience).

Ok, so send me an e-mail, or post in the comments and if I think the recipe will fly, I will post it! 

Here's to cheap eats!