Is Recession Preparing a New Breed of Survivalist? [Survival Today

Potatoes SEVENTEEN Ways!

Boiled. Wash potatoes, leave skins on, leave whole or cut in large pieces. Boil in water in covered pot: whole, 30 to 40 minutes; cut up, 20 to 25 minutes.

Parsleyed. Mix chopped boiled potatoes with 1/4 cup melted butter and 1/4 cup *minced parsley.

Creamed. Combine thin or medium white sauce with boiled potatoes. Allow at least 1 cup sauce for four medium potatoes.

Au Gratin. Use recipe for creamed potatoes, use cheese sauce instead of white sauce.

Broiled. Cut cooked potatoes lengthwise in slices about 1/4 inch thick. Drizzle with melted butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until golden brown on both sides.

Cottage fries. Slice boiled potatoes. Heap slices into skillet coated generously with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown slowly until crisp, turning as necessary.

Lyonnaise. Follows recipe for cottage fries, except add sauteed onion slices to the potatoes before frying.

Potatoes Anna. Melt 2 tbsp butter in skillet. Arrange thinly sliced or grated raw potatoes in 2 or 3 layers. Sprinkle each layer with salt and pepper, dot with butter. Cover, cook over low heat 15 minutes. Uncover, cook until tender and crispy brown.

French Fried. Cut potatoes into long strips. Let stand in cold water for at least 15 minutes. Drain and dry completely. Drop into hot oil, deep enough so the fries float. Do not crowd pan, fry until tender and golden brown. For crispier fries, cook half way, let cool completely to room temperature, fry again.

Country Fried. Cut potatoes in half, cut each half into 2 pieces. Slice thinly, deep fry.

Baked Fried. Arrange thin strips of raw potato in single layer in shallow baking pan which has been greased with oil. Drizzle with oil. Bake in 400 degree oven 30 to 40 minutes until tender. Turn occasionally. Sprinkle with herbs for added flavor.

Potato Puffs. To four cups mashed potatoes, add 2 beaten egg yolks, stir, then add 2 beaten egg whites, stir, add ½ cup milk, 2 tbsp butter, mix thoroughly.. Spoon into 1-1/2 quart baking dish, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until puffed and brown.

Puffed Potatoes in the Half Shell. Cut baked potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out potato, whip until fluffy with butter, milk, seasoning, bits of cooked ham, minced onion, & then spoon into shells. Bake in 400 degree oven until tops are golden brown.

Scalloped. Arrange layers of thinly sliced potato in greased baking dish. Sprinkle each layer with salt, pepper, minced onion, dot with butter. Pour hot milk over the potatoes, so it is within ½ inch of the top of the potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees about 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until potatoes are tender.

Mashed. Boil potatoes, drain water, break into chunks, add butter, beat/mash/whip until smooth, add salt and pepper to taste.

Golden Parmesan. Slice six large potatoes into small pieces. Mix 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, in a paper bag. Put potatoes in bag and shake until coated. Melt butter in large pan. Lay potatoes in one layer in the pan. Bake at 375 degrees for one hour. Turn two or three times while baking so all sides are browned. Sprinkle with parsley when nearly done.

Potato Deutscher Grate 7 potatoes, rinse in cold water, press dry. Soak 6 slices dry bread in 2 cups milk, beat in 2 eggs, salt &and pepper to taste, stir in the potatoes. Pour into a greased dish, top with sour cream, bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

TWO MORE WAYS TO FIX POTATOES

Parmesan Potato Casserole

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs; set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, combine mashed potatoes, cream cheese, eggs, onion, and flour. Beat with a mixer on low speed until blended. Beat at high speed until mixture is light and fluffy. Add salt and pepper. Pour potato mixture into a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with bread crumb/Parmesan cheese mixture. Bake for 35 minutes.

Baked Potato Cup

Roughly mash leftover potato with raw egg & shredded cheese. Bake inside 1/2 a bell pepper until pepper is tender, about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. When cool, cut in wedges. Eat cold or at room temperature.

http://www.bettertimesinfo.org/potatoes.htm

http://www.bettertimesinfo.org/8veg.htm

Vegetables and Meatless Main Dishes

Here’s the truth about vegetables. The best vegetables are the ones you grow yourself. The next best are bought directly from farmers at roadside stands or farmers’ markets. Supermarket veggies are a distant third (fresh, canned or frozen). They are better than nothing, but plan to start a garden in the spring. You’ll be amazed at how good the vegetables taste. If the kids get whiny about vegetables, hide the veggies in the casseroles and main dishes. They will taste so good they won’t even notice they are eating broccoli and green beans. Save money by using these recipes as the centerpiece of your meals, thus avoiding the high price of meat.

Bob’s No Meat Italian Sauce

Saute shredded zucchini, carrot, & yellow squash (for 3 or 4 people, use 2 carrots, and 1 each zucchini and yellow squash), chopped onion, garlic, until onions are clear. Add tomato sauce (28 oz), simmer for at least a half hour, longer is better.

Rice and Broccoli Casserole

Saute onions and celery in oil or butter. Remove from heat. Add the rest of the ingredients (except peanuts and cracker crumbs), mix well, and pour into a greased 2-1/2 quart casserole dish. Melt some butter and brown the cracker crumbs lightly. Sprinkle over the top. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. After 30 minutes, sprinkle chopped roasted unsalted peanuts on top of casserole (optional). Variation: use other vegetables instead of or in addition to broccoli. Add corn.

Corn Loaf

Mix ingredients except cheese. Grease two 9 x 9 inch pans. Divide one half of the mixture between the pans. Sprinkle cheese over the batter. Pour the other half of the batter over the two pans. Bake 30 to 40 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Note: don’t drain the can of whole kernel corn.

Queen Ann Cabbage

Slice a head of cabbage. Cook in water with 2 tbsp of sugar added until tender. Drain (save liquid to make soup with later). Put in baking dish in two layers with bread crumbs, salt and pepper between layers. Pour one cup of white sauce over the casserole and grate cheese (optional) over the top. If you don’t top with cheese, top with crumbled crackers mixed with butter. Bake in 325 degree oven until it is browned well on the top. Non-vegetarian variation: add fried hamburger, sausage, or ham (but not on Friday!).

Creamed Vegetables

For six servings, add 1-2 cups Medium White Sauce to 2-3 cups hot cooked vegetables. Serve on toast or hot biscuits, or with rice and noodles. Add garlic and herbs for flavor.

Scalloped Vegetables

Place Creamed Vegetables in a greased casserole. Top with ½ cup dry bread crumbs mixed with melted butter. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until crumbs are browned. Variation: for vegetables au gratin, sprinkle grated cheese on top before placing crumb topping.

Golden Carrot Casserole

Combine rice, carrots, milk, eggs, onion, and seasonings. Sprinkle top with crushed crackers, corn flakes, or shredded cheese. Bake in oven one hour at 350 degrees. Sprinkle chopped green onions on top before serving if you have them.

Vegetable Casserole

Simmer carrots in stock for 10 minutes. Add diced zucchini and simmer 3 or 4 minutes (add more broth or water if necessary). Stir occasionally. Add seasonings. Beat eggs with milk, add crumbs and cheese, stir in vegetables. Pour into greased casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Corn Tomato Casserole

Combine in 1 quarter baking dish: 2 cups canned corn (drained), 2-1/2 cups tomatoes (chopped), 1/4 cup chopped green pepper, 1 tbsp sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with some grated cheese and cracker crumbs, dot top with butter. Bake at 375 degrees 25 to 30 minutes.

Squash Casserole

Mash squash and mix with carrots, onions, soup, and sour cream. Spread layer of cornbread dressing in 13 x 9 inch casserole. Alternate layers with squash mixture, ending up with a thick layer of dressing on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. You can use any kind of squash, including zucchini, for this dish. You can replace the cream of mushroom soup with 2 cups gravy.

Veggie Burritos

Saute shredded zucchini/yellow squash with onions, garlic, add peanuts. Add cooked beans, tomato sauce or soup, spices. Roll in tortillas and place in pan. Mix cheese sauce and canned chilies/tomatoes and pour over burritos. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees, or until it is hot throughout and bubbling. Variation: add shredded carrots.)

Cooperative Greens

Greens for cooking include mustard, chard, turnip, and spinach. Wash greens and tear into pieces, including the stems. Add crushed red pepper and dried Italian herbs, saute in olive oil until wilted, cover with stock, broth, or water with bouillon, add a little Liquid Smoke, bring to a boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes to a half hour. This can be made the day before and refrigerated overnight, the flavors are more intense and mingled the second day. It can be cooked longer if desired. Serve with a sprinkling of vinegar.

Oklahoma Rice

This is a bulgur wheat pilaf. To make the bulgur wheat: Soak wheat overnight and then bring to a boil one part whole Oklahoma wheat berries plus two parts water or stock, then simmer until the berries are tender (about one hour). Spread the berries on a cookie sheet and bake in a 225 F oven, stirring occasionally, until dry (about one hour). Grind in a blender, grain grinder, or crush with a rolling pin, to the consistency of cracked wheat.

To make the bulgur wheat pilaf: saute onions, garlic, and bulgur wheat in olive oil. Add 2 parts broth, stock, or water with bouillon, to one part bulgur wheat, plus dried herbs such as sage, thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano, parsley. Cooked or stir-fried vegetables and/or chunks of meat can also be added. Be liberal with the seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer until liquid is absorbed. Note: wheat can vary, so check while cooking and if necessary add more liquid.

Jonalu’s Turnips

3-4 c. peeled & cubed turnips | 1/2 c. honey | 2 c. red wine | 1/4 c. butter

Place turnips in saucepan; add remaining ingredients & enough water to barely cover. Simmer until tender. Pour into baking dish & bake at 350 degrees for ½ hour.

Okra, Corn, and Tomatoes

Combine water and lemon juice. Soak okra in this mixture for 30 minutes to help remove gumminess. In a large cast-iron skillet, saute onion and garlic in bacon drippings over medium heat. Add okra and continue to saute over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add remaining ingredients and continue to cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Add water as necessary to prevent sticking. 4 to 6 servings.

http://www.bettertimesinfo.org/pork.htm

Sausage, Ham and other YUMS from the Pig

My grandmother told me that when she was young, they ate every part of the pig except for the squeal. This section doesn’t go quite that far, but the pig has long been a staple source of food for those of us with a tight food budget. If you want a real deal on pork, look for a farmer and buy a whole pig and have it processed the way you want it at a customer butcher - or get a friend and split one.

Pork Steak and Dressing

Brown steaks on both sides. Deglaze the pan (pour 2 cups stock or water with bouillon in it while it is hot and stir vigorously to get all the pork steak “stuff” mixed with the water). Use this water to make the gravy. Put pork steaks in a shallow baking dish. Lightly mix together the dried bread cubes, onion melted butter, poultry seasoning, and the stock. Place a mound of stuffing on each steak. Pour the gravy over the stuffing and steaks. Beak in 350 degree oven for one hour.

Pork Steak and Noodle Bake

Pork Steaks | 2 cups cooked noodles | salt, pepper | chopped onion and garlic | 3 cups gravy or 1 can cream of mushroom soup and 1 cup of water

Brown pork steaks, saute onion and garlic, make gravy. Put cooked noodles in casserole pan, put steaks on top, pour gravy or cream of mushroom soup mixed with water over the steaks. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

Piggies in a Poke

Wieners or sausages | 1 cup flour | 1 cup milk | 2 eggs | cooked beans

Arrange sausages in a rectangular casserole dish. Heat in 425 degree oven for 5 minutes, drain off any fat. Add beans to franks. Mix the milk and eggs, and then add to flour, lightly season with salt and pepper, or season it heavily with chopped sauteed jalapenos, onions, and garlic. Pour batter over beans and sausages. Bake in 425 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Sausage and Rice Casserole

Fry sausage, drain fat, add uncooked rice, garlic, onion, saute for 2 minutes. Take off heat and put in baking dish. Add 2 cups stock to hot pan to deglaze the bits of sausage. Pour into baking dish. Add creamed corn, milk, black-eyed peas, and the rest of the stock. Sprinkle top with crushed cracker crumbs mixed with melted butter. Bake one-half hour in a 350 degree oven.

Easy Very Tasty Grits Casserole

Put the grits in boiling stock with minced garlic and chopped onion. Cook over low heat until thick. Remove from heat and add cheese, butter, salt, pepper, and some hot sauce or salsa. Fry meat with onion, mix with beans, put in a casserole pan. Add more hot sauce or jalapenos if desired. Beat eggs and milk together, add to grits and mix well. Pour on top of beans/sausage mixture. Bake in a large (3 quart) uncovered greased casserole at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serves six or so.

Pork Steak Delight

Pork Steaks | onion, garlic, chopped | 2 cups uncooked rice | 5 cups thin gravy (or 1 can cream soup + 4 cups stock)

I make this a one pot meal in a covered cast iron skillet. Cut pork steaks in half and brown in skillet. Remove and set aside, add 2 cups of rice, onion, garlic (also sliced hot peppers if you like them), and fry for about 2 minutes. Add one to the rice and stir vigorously to deglaze the pan, then add the gravy or the cream of mushroom soup (if you add canned soup, add 4 cups stock). Put pork steaks on top of rice in gravy, bake at 325 degrees for one hour, until the steaks are tender. Variation: use sliced potatoes instead of rice.

Ham-Potato Bake

Put half the potatoes and half the carrots in a 2 quart casserole. Stir together the ham, soup, shredded cheese, milk, onion, salt and pepper. Pour half of the ham mixture over the potatoes and then put another layer of potatoes and carrots. Cover that with the rest of the ham mixture. Combine bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle over the casserole. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until heated through (about 45 minutes). Serves 4 to 6

Pork Skillet Dinner

Cut pork steaks in half, brown in skillet on both sides, add tomato juice. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add carrots, potatoes, onions, cabbage and stock. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender (20-30 minutes).

Cabbage Sausage Casserole

Put 1/2 of the ingredients in the skillet in this order: cabbage, onion, carrots, potatoes, sliced sausage, and then put a second layer in the same order. Add 2 cups stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer for about one hour.

Zucchini Sausage Casserole

1/2 lb sausage, fried and drained | 2 C sliced zucchini | 1/4 cup minced onion | 12-15 crackers, crumbled | cream soup plus 1-1/2 cups milk or 3 cups gravy

Combine sausage, zucchini, onion and soup or gravy and place in a greased casserole pan. Top with crumbled crackers., bake about 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

http://www.bettertimesinfo.org/hamburger.htm

HAMBURGER IS MORE THAN A FAST FOOD SANDWICH

Ground meat is just a great food value. It can be fixed in a gazillion ways. The basic rule of thumb for feeding 4 people with a hamburger casserole is 1 lb/hamburger/casserole, but with these recipes if money is scarce you can feed 4 with a half pound of hamburger and nobody will go away hungry. Consider ground buffalo as an alternative to hamburger, and grass fed hamburger bought directly from a farmer as an alternative to supermarket mystery meat. Both grassfed hamburger and ground buffalo have serious health advantages over the feedlot supermarket mystery meats.

Creamy Burger Noodle

Fry hamburger with onion and garlic, drain grease and put cooked meat in a bowl Make a brown roux and add the beef stock and milk to make a creamy gravy. Add cooked meat and vegetables to the gravy. Add cheese. Heat until the cheese is melted and sauce is thickened. While this is cooking, boil noodles according to package directions and drain. Mix everything together. Optional: finish in 350 degree oven for about 15 - 20 minutes, topped with crumbled crackers mixed with some melted butter. Variations: add chopped jalapenos. Use chopped leftover roast and gravy. Add 1 cup barbecue sauce. Add dried herbs like rosemary, oregano, thyme.

Meat Pie

Fry burger with onions and garlic, drain grease, remove meat to separate bowl. Stir in two tablespoons flour. Add beef stock and tomato sauce. Pour into unbaked pie crust and top with more pie crust dough (like you were making an apple pie). Bake until crust is done, about 20-30 minutes. Variations: pour into pie pan, top with biscuits, bake until biscuits are done. Add cheese. Use leftover roast. And yes, jalapenos are good here too.

Oklahoma Swedish Meatballs

Cream of mushroom soup or homemade mushroom gravy (2 cups)

Soak breadcrumbs in 1/2 cup milk. Add onions, meat, egg, and seasonings. Mix thoroughly (it is best to use your hands). Shape into 1 inch balls. Fry in oil until lightly browned on all sides. Remove meatballs, add the flour to the fat and make a medium brown roux. Add beef stock, 1 cup milk, cream of mushroom soup. Cook and stir over medium heat until sauce is smooth and thickened (about 2 minutes). Add meatballs, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve meatballs and sauce over Rice Stuffing. Variation: for a meatball casserole, double the amount of sauce (from 1 cup to 2 cups) add 2 tablespoons of ketchup to sauce, layer meatballs, sauce, and cooked noodles in pan, bake at 375 degrees until sauce is bubbling.

Shepherd’s Pie

Make mashed potatoes. Fry burger with garlic and onions and drain grease. Measure 4 tablespoons of hamburger grease or oil back into pan, add flour, make a brown roux. Add beef stock, vegetables, cheese, soup and creamed corn. Place in a casserole dish, top with mashed potatoes. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Variation: mix one cup cooked rice with mashed potatoes. Add sliced hot peppers to onions and garlic when frying. Add dried thyme, rosemary, oregano. Substitute 2 cups homemade mushroom sauce for cream of mushroom soup.

Burger Rice

Fry burger with onions and garlic, drain grease. Measure 2 tablespoons of oil into frying pan, add 2 tablespoons flour and make a brown roux. Add vegetables, cheese, soup or tomato sauce, stir until cheese is melted, mix with rice, and bake in oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Variation: prepare as indicated, except use 1 cup uncooked rice instead of cooked rice and add 2 more cups of beef stock or water with bouillon. Bake in a covered dish in the oven until the rice is done (20 minutes or so).

Sloppy Joes

Fry hamburger & onion & drain grease. Add the rest of the ingredients & simmer over low heat about one hour. Variation: fry onion with hamburger, add 1 cup barbecue sauce, don’t add the other ingredients, simmer over low heat 20 minutes.

Cornbread Meatloaf

Fry bacon and remove from pan, cutting it in pieces. Chop onion and fry until light brown. Add hamburger, fry, drain grease. Add bacon pieces to hamburger/onion mixture, pour tomato sauce over it and add 1 soup can water or beef stock, beans, your favorite spices and herbs, mix well. Simmer this mixture slowly about 30 minutes, stirring often. If it gets thick, add a little water. Add cheese, stirring well. Put in casserole dish (or if you are using a cast iron skillet, leave in pan) and pour your favorite recipe of Corn Bread batter over the top. Heat in 400 degree oven until cornbread is done, about 20-30 minutes. Variations: For vegetarian, eliminate bacon and hamburger and use extra beans.

Cabbage Casserole

2 C stewed tomatoes and liquid or tomato sauce

Cut cabbage into ten pieces. Place in casserole dish. Brown beef with onions and rice and drain. Pour over cabbage and mix together a little. Mix other ingredients and pour over dish. Cover and bake in 350 degree oven for about 1 hour or until done.

Cheeseburger Pie

Heat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 10 inch pie pan. Cook hamburger with onion, drain grease. Add salt and pepper, spread in pie plate. Melt butter, mix with flour, milk, and eggs (make sure mixture is smooth) to make a batter. Pour onto hamburger in pie pan. Bake 25 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from oven, top with sliced tomatoes, sprinkle with cheese. Bake another five to eight minutes, until cheese is melted. Cool five minutes before eating. Variations: shred carrot and/or zucchini and add to batter. Eliminate hamburger, use beans instead, or in addition to hamburger.

http://www.bettertimesinfo.org/gravy.htm

COUNTRY GRAVY

Most of us remember the gravies from our grandmothers’ tables. Somehow gravy just isn’t the same anymore. Everywhere you go you see “gravy mixes”, which leave a lot to be desired when it comes to taste. This is sad because homemade gravy is one of the most frugal recipes you can find, and even though it is very cheap, it generally tastes better than the most expensive mix in the supermarket. Gravy over toast makes a frugal but filling breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Leftover gravy can be combined with cooked pasta and vegetables, or hamburger and pasta for your own homemade “hamburger helper” (which is all that hamburger helper is - pasta and gravy).

The Basic Rule of Thumb for Gravy:

A tasty gravy has oil, flavored liquid, and something to thicken the liquid:

Thin gravy: 1 tbsp oil or butter, 1 tbsp flour, 1 cup liquid.

Medium gravy: 2 tbsp oil or butter, 2 tbsp flour, 1 cup liquid

Thick: 1/4 cup oil or butter, 1/4 cup flour, 1 cup milk

Roux Rules: Put the oil in a pan, add the flour to it, and stir it so the flour and butter or oil are thoroughly mixed. This mixture of oil and flour is known in the trade as the ROUX, which is pronounced ROO. Generally, for a white sauce, let the roux bubble over medium heat for about a minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add milk, turn heat back on, stir until thickened. Of the thin, medium, and thick gravies, the consistency I like best is when I use 2 tablespoons of oil or butter and 2 tablespoons flour to make the roux to thicken one cup of liquid.

Liquid. A liquid that is full of flavor will make a delicious gravy. Use your own homemade stocks or broth/juices from roasts or hams. If you are frying meat, you can deglaze the pan (pour water into the hot pan and stir vigorously so the flavor and bits of food are combined with the water) and make the gravy with the pan water. Milk is used for cream gravies like sausage and bacon. In a pinch, you can make a broth with bouillon and use that to make gravy.

Microwave gravy? No, you can’t make roux in the microwave.

Measure! It is best to measure the liquid, oil, and flour. Yes, your grandmother did it by sight and yes you will eventually be able to do this too, but probably not at first. With these basic principles in mind, let’s look at these gravy recipes. All of them are given as 2 cup final quantity.

Adding extra flavor to Gravies. You can always add extra flavor to gravies. Before adding the flour to the oil, add some sliced/chopped garlic, onions or shallots, and a chopped fresh or dried pepper. We especially like chipotle peppers in brown gravy. Sometimes we add dried mixed “Italian herbs” like oregano, basil, rosemary, and thyme, and of course black pepper. The amount of salt a gravy requires depends on the taste of the eaters. Be wary of adding too much salt.

Country Brown Gravies: With a simple white sauce, you don’t let the flour brown. You saute it for just a bit and then add the milk. But with true country gravy, you want to let the flour brown. One of the old names for country gravy is “scorch gravy”, and that’s because you brown the flour right to the point where a bit of it is turning from brown to black BUT before it actually burns. Once you get to that point, you need to move fast - turn off the fire, add the liquid all at once, and stir like crazy, continuing to stir frequently as you turn the fire back on and cook it until it thickens to the consistency you want. Because deciding how much “brown” is enough is such a judgment call, you may not want to go that far in the beginning, only sauteeing the flour until it is a light brown. You need to stir the roux constantly when you cook it. After you have made gravy maybe 50 times, you will develop your own eye for how dark you will like the roux. Note that stirring “Constantly” means just that. Don’t stop! Don’t splatter any on you or anyone standing close by, because it is EXTREMELY hot and can raise a blister faster than you can wipe it off.

Oil, butter, meat fats. If you use butter, cook the roux at a lower temperature so that the butter itself doesn’t burn. If you like a darker roux, it is better to use oil as a dark butter roux can take a long time. Olive oil is the only oil I use in making roux. I occasionally use meat fats from ham, bacon, sausage, or roast.

Sausage Gravy

Crumble sausage in a pan (say 1/8th lb for 2 cups gravy) and fry until done. Remove sausage and measure the fat in the pan, adding more oil or butter to make a total of 4 tablespoons. Add 4 tablespoons of flour and saute until the flour is a light brown. Turn off the burner. Add 2 cups milk (or 1 cup milk, 1 cup water) and mix vigorously. Turn the burner back on, add the fried sausage to the gravy, continue to

stir until the gravy thickens to your desired consistency.

Pork Chop or Sliced Ham Gravy

Fry the pork chops or sliced ham in one pan. Take out of pan and set aside on a plate. In a second pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter or put 4 tablespoons of oil in the pan. Add 4 tablespoons flour, and saute until the flour is a beautiful chocolate brown color. Turn the fire back on under the pork chop pan and heat it up if it has cooled down. When it is hot, pour 2 cups water on it and stir/scrape the pan vigorously to deglaze it and mix the little flavored bits (known in the trade as the fond) with the water. Add this richly flavored water to the bubbling roux.

Bacon Gravy

Fry your bacon and measure 4 tablespoons of the fat into the gravy pan. Add 4 tablespoons of flour, fry until light brown. Add 2 cups of milk, or 1 cup milk and 1 cup water, stir until thickened to desired consistency.

Pot Roast or Ham Gravy

This is the traditional brown gravy you make from the juices of a pot roast or a whole ham cooked in your oven or in a crockpot. Pour the juices/broth into a container and skim the fat off the top. Put 4 tablespoons of the fat into a pan, add 4 tablespoons flour, and saute until the flour is medium to dark brown. Pour the broth into the roux, stirring constantly, turn the burner back on and continue stirring until it thickens to the desired consistency. If you don’t have enough broth, you can add water to make the desired amount of liquid.

Brown Gravy without the Roast . . . If you have some frozen or left over beef stock (or chicken or vegetable stock), use that as the liquid and make gravy without having to make a roast. If all else fails, you can make the pot roast/ham gravy recipe above and use bouillon for the liquid. I usually use twice the recommended amount of bouillon to give the gravy more authority.

Hamburger Gravy

Fry hamburger, drain fat, measure back into meat 2 tbsp of hamburger fat, add 2 tbsp. flour, stir. If you are going to make a cream gravy, make a very light brown roux and use 1 cup milk. If you want a brown beef gravy, make a darker brown roux and add 1 cup beef stock instead of milk. Cook until thickened. Serve over rice, toast, or biscuits.

When Gravy Goes Wrong. . . The most common problem with gravy is that it doesn’t get thick enough. If this happens to you, take an empty jar (like a peanut butter jar), add 1/2 cup water and 2 tablespoons flour. Put the jar lid on and shake it vigorously to mix the flour and the water. If there are any blobs of flour on top of the water, skim them off (or pour through a strainer). Add a little bit of this mixture to the bubbling gravy and stir, keep doing this until it thickens to the desired consistency.

OTHER SAUCE/GRAVY IDEAS:

White Sauce: Use milk for the liquid, with a dash of salt and pepper.

Cheese sauce: To 1 cup white sauce, add 1/4 tsp dry mustard and ½ cup grated cheese.

Mushroom sauce: Saute 1 cup sliced mushrooms and 1 tsp grated onion in the butter or oil for white sauce, then proceed as you would to make white sauce.

Red Sauce: To 1 cup white sauce, add 3 tbsp tomato sauce.

Veloute sauce: Same as white sauce, only use beef or chicken or vegetable broth in place of milk. This is your basic pot roast gravy with a French name.

Mornay sauce: To Veloute sauce, add 1 cup milk, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, and 1 cup grated cheese.

Tomato Mushroom Fry one strip of sliced bacon, add 1 tbsp flour, 1-1/2 tsp sugar, and a dash of salt. Cook until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat, stir in 1 cup tomato juice or juice from canned tomatoes. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Add about ½ cup sauteed mushrooms.

http://www.bettertimesinfo.org/miscellaneous.htm

Small nuggets of useful advice and frugal ideas

Convenience Store Traps Make your own cream of whatever soup mix. Useful tools for home storage and efficient cooking
Emergency Supplies to Keep On Hand Margarine, Shortening, Oil Weekly, monthly, and seasonal food processing activities
Here’s a clue about loan payments. Oral rehydration solution What does a recipe mean by a “greased and floured pan”?

Convenience Store Traps!

Just how much convenience do you really need? Suppose you go to a convenience store every day. You buy cigarettes, a super gigantic size soft drink , and a snack. That’s five bucks. That’s $1,825, which is what one visit per day, every day, costs you for a year. Even if you buy a less expensive brand of cigarettes, your total is still $1,500 a year. Just 1 large fountain soft drink a day for 1 year, is enough money to buy an entire month’s worth of groceries for a family of 4! Make your own snacks and drinks and kick the cigarette habit & save BIG PILES of money.

Margarine, Shortening, Oil

I won’t lie to you. Your best choice for cooking and eating is butter and olive oil. They are the most healthy and natural fats for your kitchen. The only real use for shortening is to grease baking pans and season cast iron skillets. Margarine should never be served. Shortening and margarine are cheaper in the short run than olive oil and butter, but shortening and margarine are a direct road to heart attack and stroke. Who can afford that? They aren’t food anyway, they are manufactured industrial products masquerading as food. When you buy olive oil for cooking, don’t buy extra virgin olive oil. Look for a good deal ($10 or less) for a 3 liter container of olive.

Oral rehydration solution

In the event of severe diarrhea and dysentery, or loss of fluids due to excessive heat, you need to know how to make an oral rehydration solution (common store names for commercial oral rehydration solutions are Gatorade and Pedialyte). Combine ½ tsp salt and 8 heaping teaspoons (or 2 handfuls) of powdered cereal and dissolve in 1 liter of boiled and cooled water. Powdered rice is best, but corn meal or wheat flour or cooked and mashed potatoes can also be used. Boil this mixture for 5 to 7 minutes to form a watery porridge. Cool quickly and give to the sick person. Give the dehydrated person sips of this drink every five minutes, until he or she begins to urinate normally. Keep giving the oral rehydration drink often in small sips, even if the person vomits. Not all of the drink will be vomited. When using, make it frequently, especially in warm weather. Without refrigeration, it can spoil in a few hours. (Source: Where There Is No Doctor, David Werner)

What does a recipe mean by “a greased and floured pan?

Take a pan, and rub it with shortening (oil or butter will work, but shortening is best for this job.) Shake a little flour in the pan, then shake the flour around the pan, including the sides, so that the shortening is coated with flour. This helps your cake, bread, or dessert pop right out of the pan without sticking..

Make your own Cream of Whatever Soup Mix.

Combine ingredients, stirring till evenly distributed. To substitute for 1 can of condensed cream of whatever soup, combine 1/3 cup of dry mix with 1-1/4 cups of cold water. Heat and stir until it thickens. Use as you would the canned product. Makes the equivalent of 9 cans of soup, at a cost of pennies per recipe. Mushroom: add ½ cup finely chopped mushrooms. Celery: add ½ cup minced sauteed celery. Potato: add 1 cup cooked diced potatoes. Chicken: add ½ cup cooked chicken. Vegetable: add 3/4 cup cooked vegetables. Broccoli: add 1 cup cooked chopped broccoli.

The Theory of Casseroles

There are 6 categories of ingredients in a casserole: Protein, Vegetables, Sauce, Seasoning, Bulk, Topping.

First you have the meat, poultry or a protein like cheese, beans, or peas.

Add vegetables and something inexpensive but filling like rice, pasta, grits, or potatoes.

These ingredients are held together by a creamy liquid or gravy.

The casserole can be topped with dough, pastry, or a crumb crust (such as crumbled crackers mixed with melted butter).

Seasonings and spices support the flavors you are combining.

Casseroles taste great and are inexpensive. They can be frozen for reheating later. You might as well make two and freeze one for later. To freeze a casserole: Under-cook it by about 10 minutes. Do not put the topping on until you are ready to reheat for serving. Quickly cool the casserole to stop the cooking (you can set the covered pan in a larger pan of ice water.) To save on the number of casserole dishes you need, line the casserole pan with aluminum foil. When frozen, lift the foil wrapped casserole out of the dish, wrap it to exclude all air, return it to the freezer until needed. When ready to reheat, put back into dish, with the aluminum foil for reheating (this also saves time in cleaning the dish afterwards). It doesn’t have to be thawed before reheating. Casseroles can be frozen for about three months.

EMERGENCY SUPPLIES TO KEEP ON HAND.

Emergencies and disasters can happen at any time, often without warning. Be prepared.!

Water. Wash and rinse empty 2 liter pop bottles. Fill them with ordinary tap water, and store them in a cool dark place. Every 3 months or so, empty and refill them. Store several for each family member.

Light. Candles, flashlights, lanterns, batteries, matches.

Food. Keep a 2 month supply of basic foods in your pantry as a hedge against hard times. More is better.

Heat. Propane or kerosene heaters, lanterns, and camp stoves, buddy burners, alcohol burners, canned heat (”Sterno”), candles, wood stove

Sanitation. Toilet paper, plastic bags, bleach, soap, towels, toiletries, feminine needs, trash bags, diapers.

Other. rope, duct tape, plastic sheeting, extra towels, blankets, hammer, saw, crowbar, basic tools, first aid kit, including hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, iodine, aspirin, ibuprofen,

Here’s a Clue About Loan Payments

Paying one additional mortgage loan payment each year, whether in a lump sum or monthly increments, can lower a 30-year loan down to 18 years. If you pay more than one extra payment, the amount saved increases even more. Since this additional payment will be applied only to the principal and not the interest, you end up saving thousands and thousands of dollars over the life of the loan.. Note that this also works with installment loans (such as for automobiles) and student loans.

Useful Tools for Home Storage and Efficient Cooking

Airtight storage containers in a variety of sizes - for freezing/refrigerating

Thermos bottle - taking hot or cold liquids to work or school

Reusable lunch box with containers - for taking your lunch when you have to “eat out”. Get sandwich size reusable containers, don’t waste money on plastic sandwich bags

Ice containers: reuse water-tight containers to make ice in your freezer to keep your lunch cold.

Weekly, Monthly, & Seasonal Food Processing Activities:

Weekly: Grind grain and corn for flour and meal, make refrigerator dough and pasta, bake bread, make snacks, yogurt, cottage cheese.

Monthly: Prepare home-made convenience mixes, make bulgur wheat/meat extenders/gluten, dry bread crumbs and stuffing mixes, brew beer and soft drinks,

Spring and Summer; Make jams, jellies, pickles, hot sauces, salsas, relishes, dry peppers, smoke peppers, freeze corn, freeze tomatoes for saucing later, dehydrate shredded carrots and summer squash, cure onions and garlic, dehydrate or can fruits, make wine |

Fall:: Make saurkraut, pickles, store root crops (like turnips, parsnips, and carrots) and fall vegetables like pumpkins and butternut squash; gather nuts, buy and store peanuts, make and freeze or can tomato sauce, smoke peppers.

Better Times Almanac Home | Better Times Website Index

http://www.bettertimesinfo.org/18peanutsmisc.htm

Here’s a Frugal Idea!

ROAST YOUR OWN PEANUTS

Peanuts can often be bought at harvest time at farmer’s markets in 40 and 50 pound bags for as little as 50 cents/pound. To maintain best eating quality, store peanuts in a cool dry place and below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Protect from rodents. Peanuts keep fresh indefinitely stored in a tightly closed container in the freezer.

Note regarding all methods of roasting peanuts: Remove from heat just short of doneness desired, as peanuts continue to cook as they cool. Cooking times can vary based on oven characteristics. Seasonings to complement roasted shelled peanuts include salt, seasoned salt, popcorn salt, onion salt or powder, garlic salt or powder, paprika, chili powder & parmesan cheese. Recipes: ww.texaspeanutboard.com

Conventional Oven Roasting (”Parching”): Place raw peanuts, in-shell or shelled, one layer deep in a shallow baking pan. Roast in a 350 degrees F. oven - 15 to 20 minutes for shelled and 20 to 25 minutes for in-shell peanuts.

Microwave Oven Roasting - Shelled Peanuts: Place 2 cups raw shelled peanuts in a 10X6 inch glass or similar microwave container. Dot with butter. Microwave on high for two minutes. Stop. Stir peanuts. Continue to microwave two minutes at a time - followed by stirring until peanuts have been microwaved10 minutes for light roast; 12 minutes for regular roast. Remove from microwave. Season to taste.

Oil Roasting (French Frying): For 2 cups peanuts, heat one and two-thirds cup oil in an electric skillet, deep fryer or heavy saucepan to 350 degrees F. Add peanuts and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until just under doneness desired . (they continue to cook as they cool). Drain on paper. Season to taste.

SKIN REMOVAL: The skins on raw peanuts may be removed by either of the following methods: (1) Dry Methods: Freeze shelled raw peanuts several hours or overnight: remove a few at a time from the freezer; slip skins off with fingers. Roast shelled raw peanuts in a 350E F. oven for 3 to 5 minutes; remove from oven and cool slightly, rub between fingers to remove skins. (2) Moist Method: Water blanch by placing shelled raw peanuts, a few at a time, into boiling water. Allow to stand for about 3 minutes, drain. Remove skins with fingers. Spread on paper to dry.

MAKING YOUR OWN “OLD FASHIONED” PEANUT BUTTER

Homemade peanut butter is easily made with an electric blender or a food processor. The longer you blend or process, the softer the peanut butter will be. Storage: Store in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator. Oil may rise to the top, if this occurs, stir before using. Homemade peanut butter can be kept up to six months in the refrigerator, but is best used within 2 weeks, so only make what you need for a short period of time (don’t make a six month supply and stick it in the fridge).

Directions for Using an Electric Blender Place 1 cup roasted shelled peanuts (with or without the red skins), 1-1/2 teaspoons peanut oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in blender. With the lid secured, blend until mixture becomes paste-like or spreadable (3 to 4 minutes). If necessary, stop the machine and use a rubber spatula to scrape mixture from the sides of the container and back into contact with the blades. Continue blending until desired consistency is reached. For crunchy style peanut butter stir in 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts after the blending is completed.

Directions for Using a Food Processor: Put 2 cups roasted shelled peanuts* (with or without red skins) and ½ teaspoon salt (omit if salted peanuts are used) in a food processor. Using the metal blade, process ingredients continuously for 1 to 3 minutes. The ground peanuts will form a ball. Continue to process until the desired consistency is obtained. If necessary, stop machine and scrape sides of container with a rubber spatula. For crunchy style peanut butter stir in ½ cup chopped roasted peanuts after the processing is completed.

http://www.bettertimesinfo.org/bread.htm

MAKING YOUR OWN BREAD IS A GREAT IDEA!

Many people think baking your own bread is somehow complicated. But bread baking was invented a very long time ago. So, how difficult can it really be? It takes less of the cook’s time than getting into the car, driving across town to a grocery store, standing in line, and buying a cheap loaf of inferior bread. There are about ten million different recipes for bread, so we’re just going to talk about the basics. One of the fun things about baking bread is that even if you make a mistake, the result is usually so much better tasting than anything you buy at the grocery store that everyone will think you are a genius. Bread making may not be the answer to life, the universe, and everything, but it isn’t making nuclear bombs and destroying the rain forests either.

Frugal HINT: Buy yeast at a bakery supply store or large warehouse store. It is much cheaper in bulk than the little packets sold in grocery stores. (Those packets run a buck or so for about 3 tablespoon fulls, and a 4 ounce bottle is five bucks or more. But you can buy 2 pounds of yeast for five dollars or less. Store it in an airtight jar. An even more frugal strategy is to make sour dough breads, then you don’t have to buy yeast!

Your Basic Bread Recipe

This kind of bread takes more time than the “Quick Breads”, because it has to “rise”, but the actual involvement of the cook is about 15-20 minutes, max. Bread is basically liquid, flour, oil, and yeast. The various possible combinations of these ingredients produce the various kinds of breads. Once you understand the Your Basic Bread recipe, which is based on my own grandmother’s recipe, feel free to experiment.

Begin by measuring into a large mixing bowl 1 cup of warm water — and the emphasis here is warm, not hot, about the temperature of a baby’s bottle. Add 1 tbsp of sugar or honey, stir to dissolve. Add 2 tbsp of yeast (or two packets). Sprinkle the yeast onto the top of the entire surface of the water, so the little yeast buds are all moistened. Let this sit for about five minutes. The yeast will begin to bubble and form a foam on the top of the water. What’s happening is that the little “yeastie beasties” are busily going to work, doing what they do. It’s called a bloom.

Add 3 tbsp of oil or melted (and cooled) butter, 1 cup milk, 1 tsp salt (or less, depending on personal taste), and 2 more tbsp of sugar or honey. Mix well, add three cups of flour and stir 50 times clockwise, and then 50 times counter-clockwise, or use your mixer for 2 minutes. At the end of this step, when you dip a spoon in the batter and raise it out of the bowl, the batter kind of strings its way off the spoon back into the bowl.

Add another 3 to 4 cups of flour and mix until the dough forms a good ball, coming away from the sides of the bowl. (You may need to add a little more flour.) Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface and let it sit for ten minutes (if you are in a hurry, you can skip this waiting time.) Knead the dough five to ten minutes. The more kneading, the nicer the crumb and the texture of the bread. The dough should be just a little bit sticky. If it is too sticky, however, sprinkle with flour during the kneading process.

To knead the dough, flatten the dough and fold it over, pressing on it with your hands. Turn the dough sidewise and do the same thing. Flatten, fold, press, turn, flatten, fold, press, turn and so on and so forth. Get the kids involved here. You can say the Lord’s Prayer while you do this, and build a little rhythm. If you do this, you will find that at the end of the kneading you will be experiencing a marvelous feeling of inner peace and happiness. (It really does work.)

When you have finished kneading the bread, roll it into a big round ball and put it in a greased bowl, rolling the dough around in the bowl so a thin film of oil covers the dough, and cover the bowl with a cloth or paper towels. Say a little prayer and thank God for this bread.

Let it rise in a warm place for about an hour. It should double in size (that’s those little yeastie beasties doing their job). “Punch down” the dough. That is, make a fist and press it right into the middle of the dough. It will deflate. That’s OK. It’s what it’s supposed to do. Let it rise again until almost double, for about another 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into two equal parts and let it rest for 10 minutes. Shape into loaves and put into pans. Let it rise again, until sides of dough reach the pan and the top is well rounded (30 minutes to 1 hour). Be sure to grease the loaf pans first. (Shortening is best for greasing any baking pan.)

To make dough into loaves: flatten it into a rectangle. The width should be about an inch longer than the length of the pan, the length should be about 12 inches. Fold dough in half lengthwise. Flatten into a rectangle about 15 inches long and five inches wide. Press down on dough with hands. Fold in thirds by overlapping the ends. Press with your hands. Fold toward you, 1/3 of the way at a time, pressing on each fold with the heel of your hand, so it is making a round cylinder. Roll back and forth. Seal each end by pressing with the edge of your hands. Smooth the loaf with your hands so it is even. Put in a nine inch loaf pan with the edge down.

Bake the loaves at 425 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes. The loaf pans should not touch each other or the sides of the oven. To test for “doneness”, tap the crust, it should sound “hollow”. It is doesn’t, bake a few minutes more.

When done, immediately remove the loaves from the pans. Set on wire racks or across the edges of the loaf pans so that air can circulate around it. Let it cool at least 20 minutes before slicing and eating. Do not skip this step. If freshly baked bread is sliced too quickly, the inside remains damp and “doughy”.

Brush the baked loaves with melted butter after removing them from the pan, to make a soft, tender crust. To make raisin bread, add one cup raisins to the dough when you knead it. For sweet roll dough (such as for making raised cinnamon rolls), increase oil or butter 1/2 cup, increase eggs to 2 eggs, increase sugar to 1/2 cup, use 1-1/2 cups milk, reduce water to 1/2 cup. Make into desired rolls after the second rising. For Dinner Rolls, prepare as sweet rolls, use less sugar, use 1 cup water and 1-1/4 cups milk. Dinner rolls bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Form dinner rolls by rolling dough into small balls (after second rising), let rise a half hour, then bake. For whole wheat bread, you can use 100% whole wheat flour, or you can use some whole wheat and some white flour. Experiment until you find a combination you like.

Potato Rolls: add 1cup mashed potatoes to the water and yeast, increase sugar to ½ cup. This makes a good dough for keeping in the refrigerator for use as needed.

For Crescent Rolls, after first rising, divide dough in half. Roll each half into a circle, spread some melted butter over the dough. Cut like a pie, and roll each piece up starting with the large end first. Let rise until double, bake at 400 degrees until golden. Variation: in addition to butter, spread dough with some kind of filling, roll up, let rise, and bake.

Freezing bread: Use good freezer bags. Allow about 3 hours to thaw a 1 pound loaf of bread. Slices of frozen bread can be toasted in the toaster without thawing. Frozen rolls and biscuits can go directly from the freezer to the oven. Heat in a slow oven (275-300 degrees) for 10 to 15 minutes.

Cinnamon Rolls

Sweet roll dough | sugar | cinnamon | melted butter

Roll sweet roll dough into a rectangle, spread with melted butter, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Roll up and pinch seam to close (sometimes it helps to dip your fingers in water as you pinch the seam). Cut into 1 inch rolls. The best way to do this is to slice the dough with a thread or dental floss. Holding the string in both hands, slide it underneath the roll of dough, then cross your hands so the thread pulls through the soft dough.

In a 9 X 13 inch pan, mix together the following: ½½ cup butter (melted), ½½ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons Karo white syrup. Coat the bottom of the pan with this mixture. Set the cinnamon rolls in the pan (don’t crowd them). Let rise for 30 minutes or so. Bake at 350 degrees until done, about 20 to 25 minutes. This makes a cinnamon roll with a crunchy caramelized bottom. If you don’t want the crunchy bottom, just place rolls in a greased pan to rise and bake. When you make this recipe, be sure to double it, or you won’t have any left over to have with your coffee the next day.

Making Bread is Easy as One-Two-Three-Four!

1. Put 1 cup of warm water plus one tablespoon sugar in a mixing bowl. Add two tablespoons of yeast. Let sit for about five minutes.

2. Add three cups of flour, 1 cup of milk, dash of salt, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 3-4

tablespoons of oil or melted (and cooled) butter or shortening. Stir 50 times clockwise, and then 50 times counter-clockwise.

3. Add another 3 to 4 cups of flour and mix until the dough forms a good ball. Turn dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface and let it sit for ten minutes. Then, knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Let rise in a greased bowl for about an hour (it should double in size). Punch down the dough. Let it rise again for 30 to 45 minutes. Divide into two equal parts and shape into loaves. Place in loaf pans and bake at 425 degrees for about 25-30 minutes.

Homemade Bread for Busy People

Make a big batch of dough once each week & keep it tightly covered in the fridge. Each day, take some out, form into biscuits, buns, or loaves, let rise, and voila, daily home-baked bread. Use more yeast (up to double) for refrigerator dough.

Quick Breads

Quick breads use baking powder and baking soda to make the flour rise and are usually ready in less than 45 minutes, start to finish. Dry ingredients can be assembled ahead of time into mixes and they are convenient, nutritious, and oh so tasty. One of the secrets to good quick breads is to thoroughly combine the fat and the flour. You can use a mixer to do this. You can substitute whole wheat flour for white flour in any of these recipes.

Best Basic Buttermilk Biscuits

Mix dry ingredients, add butter (or oil), mix thoroughly. Mix vinegar with milk, let it set for few minutes, add to dry ingredients (or use real buttermilk). Knead about 30 times. Roll11/2 inch thick, cut into biscuits, or form by hand into buns. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. This basic recipe can also be used as a topping for casseroles, meat or vegetable pies, and with extra sugar can be a quick raised cinnamon roll dough.

Biscuit Mix

6 cups flour | 3/4 cup oil or butter | 9 tsp baking powder | 3/4 cup powdered milk | 1-1/2 tsp salt

Mix dry ingredients, add oil or butter, mix well. Store in a tightly covered, airtight container, in a cool place. This makes enough for 3 bakings of biscuits. To make biscuits for 3 people, combine 2 cups mix with 3/4 cup water. For dumplings, use 1 cup biscuit mix 1/2 cup milk, and add 1 beaten egg. For cheese biscuits: add ½ cup grated cheese to recipe for biscuits.

Cornbread

Mix dry ingredients, add oil or butter, mix thoroughly, beat the eggs in the milk, add to dry ingedients, stir quickly but thoroughly. Bake in 400 degree oven until done. To test for doneness, insert a knife into the middle, and if it comes out clean, the cornbread is done - takes about 20-25 minutes. Note: don’t add sugar to cornbread. It is reliably reported that the fall of Western Civilization began when people started adding sugar to cornbread. Instead of baking, you can cook this batter like pancakes.

Dumplings

Mix dry ingredients, add butter,mix thoroughly. Beat the eggs in the milk and add to dry ingredients. Stir only until blended. Drop by spoonfuls into boiling soup. Reduce heat, cook slowly for ten minutes with kettle covered and ten minutes uncovered.

Quick Cinnamon Rolls

Add 4 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons oil or butter to 2 cups Biscuit Mix, add 2/3 cup water and mix thoroughly (or use your favorite recipe for biscuit dough). Roll dough into a rectangle, 1/4 inch thick. Spread dough with 2 tbsp melted butter. Sprinkle with mixture of 1/4 cup sugar and 1-2 tsp cinnamon, add raisings if desired. Roll up, beginning at the wide side, and seal the seam well by lightly wetting and then pinching the edge of the dough. Cut into 1” slices using a string. (Loop the string under and around the dough, cross over the top, and pull, voila, quick sliced dough.) Place cut side down on greased baking sheet or in greased muffin cups. Bake in 400 degree oven abou 12-15 minutes. Spread with Quick White Icing. Makes about 16.

Your Basic Muffin

Mix dry ingredients together. Beat milk and egg, stir melted butter into dry ingredients, add milk to dry ingredients. Stir fast until flour is moistened. Batter will be lumpy. Do not overmix. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes in 400 degree oven. Makes 12 medium muffins. Variations: Jelly - full muffin cups half full of batter, drop a scant teaspoon of jam o jelly in center of batter, add mor ebatter to fill cup 2/3 full. Blueberry: Add 3/4 to 1 cup blueberries, fresh or canned. Apple: Add ½ tsp cinnamon to dry ingredients, add 1 cup grated raw apple, decrease milk to ½ cup, decrease flour to 1-1/2 cups. Make 25 to 30 minutes. Maple syrup muffins: Substitute ½ cup maple syrup for ½ cup of the milk.

Cocoa Muffins

2 cups biscuit mix | 4 tbsp cocoa | 1 egg | 1/4 cup sugar or honey | 2/3 cup or water

Beat egg slightly, mix dry ingredients, and egg and liquids, stir until moistened. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake in 400 degree oven for 15 - 18 minutes. Makes about 12.

How to make and maintain a sourdough starter

Use a glass container that will hold at least 3 times the volume of the ingredients. Mix the ingredients lightly with a wooden or plastic spoon. Mix 1 cup flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and water until it is the consistency of pancake batter.

Loosely cover the jar with a cloth until it begins to bubble. Let it rise and then fall, then it is ready to use. It will smell sour and have a greyish color..

Never use all of the starter. Most recipes call for one cup starter, so take that out, then add a half cup of water and a half cup of flour back to the starter.

From time to time, some water may separate out from the starter and rise to the top, just mix that back in with the starter.

Keep your starter in the refrigerator unless you are baking sourdough breads or biscuits every 3 days. If you are using it that often (the way our grandmother’s did) you can leave it out of the refrigerator. Use it regularly! That’s what its for.

To adjust a recipe to use sour dough, eliminate any leavening (baking powder, soda, or yeast) and an equivalent amount of the liquid. If you are adding 1 cup sour dough starter, and the recipe calls for two cups liquid, only add 1 cup liquid plus 1 cup sourdough starter. Sour dough products typically take a little longer to rise than those leavened with commercial yeast.

To make sour dough bread, combine 1 cup starter, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp of butter or oil, then add enough flour to make a a dough that can be handled without sticking. Knead as described on page 16. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

http://www.bettertimesinfo.org/15roastbeast.htm

Fun and Feasting with your Roast Beast!

Roast beef can be a great value for your frugal kitchen. The less expensive roasts can make as fine a meal as anything else in the meat department. There are many uses for leftover roast beast.

Your Basic Very Easy Pot Roast

Trim off any membranes that stretch across parts of the roast. Brown the roast in a skillet on all sides, top and bottom. Saute chopped onions, celery, and carrots with some herbs in olive oil. Classical chefs call this mixture the “miripoix”. Place the miripoix in a covered roasting pan, put the roast on it, and add some beef stock. Cover tightly and simmer over low heat or cook in the oven at 325 degrees. If it gets dry, add some more stock. A 3 pound roast that is 2 inches thick will need to cook 2-1/2 to 3 hours. A five pound roast that is 3” thick will need to cook 3-1/2 to 4 hours. You can also sprinkle the roast with herbs and spices - rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley, sage, crushed red pepper, and I always add garlic to the miripoix.

Your Basic Very Easy Beef Stew

Cut the meat in uniform pieces (leftover roast can be used) about 1 inch square. Coat with flour mixed with black pepper, Brown on all sides in hot oil - a few pieces at a time - sliced or chopped onions and minced garlic should be added at this point. Cover meat with beef stock, put lid on pan, and simmer slowly until the meat is tender. Add vegetables in the last half hour or so are cooking, so they are done but not overcooked. Increase the heat a bit, if you want to keep it low, add the vegetables in the last hour of cooking. Good veggies for stew include corn, green beans, cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, sauteed celery, carrots, tomatoes and tomato sauce. You can also add rice or pasta - add rice in the last half hour of cooking, pasta in the last 15 minutes of cooking. To thicken the stew, make a medium brown roux, and add it to the stew, stirring vigorously. This stew can also be made with hamburger. For hamburger stew, brown ground meat in skillet or pot, add beef stock (skip the coating with flour step), and continue as described for Basic Beef Stew.

Beef Stroganoff

Slice roast thinly. Coat with flour, fry briefly in oil until brown on all sides. Place in crockpot, add onions, garlic, wine, seasonings, and enough stock to cover the roast. Simmer 8 hours until beef is tender. Add soup to crockpot and reheat. If the sauce is thin, make a medium brown roux and add to pot and cook until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat, mix in sour cream. Serve over hot cooked noodles. Hamburger variation: eliminate the flouring step, brown hamburger, simmer with wine, stock, onions, garlic, and seasonings in pot on top of stove for 1 hour, add mushroom soup or sauce. If sauce is runny, thicken with a medium brown roux. Stir in sour cream, serve over hot noodles or rice.

Chipped Beef

1 cup white sauce or gravy | left over roast

Slice the leftover roast thinly, cover with gravy, heat until warm. Serve over potatoes, noodles, toast, or rice.

Redneck Salisbury Steak

Make hamburger patties (about 1/4 lb each). Season the way you like ‘em. Garlic and onion powder, seasoning salt, black and ground red pepper, garlic powder, dried “Scarborough Faire” herbs (parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme, also oregano). In a separate pan, make a brown roux, enough to thicken 3 cups of liquid.. Add 1 cup beef stock to pan the hamburger patties were fried in, and deglaze the pan. Add 2 more cups beef stock and mix with roux. Put hamburger patties back in pan, and pour thin gravy over the patties. Cover, cook under a low heat for 30 - 45 minutes, until hamburger patties are done (length of time depends on how cooked the hamburger patties are. Serve with rice, potatoes, or noodles. We like to cook sliced hot peppers, onions, and garlic with our hamburger patties and include them in the gravy. For Round Steak in Gravy, prepare with small round steaks instead of hamburger patties.

Chicken Fried Steak

Cut round steaks into small pieces, about the size of a silver dollar. Dip in milk, then in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, then back in the milk and dip again in seasoned flour. Fry over medium heat in cast iron skillet until brown on both sides.

5 Uses for Leftover Roast

Sandwich Spread. Think deviled eggs, egg salad, or chicken salad, only made with roast beef. A food processor helps grind the mixture finely, but you can also chop it by hand.

Hot Beef Sandwich. Slice, heat and serve with gravy over rice, toast, biscuits, or mashed potatoes. Freeze slices of roast beef with gravy for a quick meal later.

Make hash. Combine one cupt minced roast with 2 or 3 cups of vegetables (such as the ones you roasted with the meat), add gravy. Simmer a half hour or so, thicken if necessary.

Stew. Chop some leftover roast, add vegetables, stock, and rice, noodles, or dumplings, and make stew!

Casserole. Use the pan drippings and leftover roast to flavor a casserole.

MEATLOAF: Frugality and Taste!

There are five essential categories of ingredients for meatloaf:
Meat, Binder, Filler, Vegetables, Sauces/spices,

Meat: Any minced or ground meat can make a meatloaf. If you have a large hunk of leftover roast, chop and mince it for meatloaf.

Binder: This is usually eggs, but if you are watching your cholesterol, the egg whites work fine by themselves.

Filler: Fillers are chopped or minced foods of many kinds that extend the meat and sometimes add their own flavor. These can include rice, whole wheat (or cracked wheat or bulgur wheat), barley, cracker and bread crumbs, pasta. They absorb liquids in the dish so the loaf doesn’t fall apart, extend the meat, and add flavor and texture.

Vegetables: Any cooked vegetables you like can be used in a meatloaf - shredded carrots, cabbage, green peppers, onions, beans, peas, lentils. Mince or shred the vegetables.

Sauces and spices: Season the meatloaf with the spices, herbs, and flavors that you like. Many sauces work great - tomato sauce, cheese sauce, steak sauce. Garlic, onions, cumin, cayenne pepper, sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, chili powder. Be generous with the seasonings.

Leftovers are fine for meatloaf. Leftovers from yesterday’s main meal can make today’s meatloaf. Serve it with gravy, a sauce, slice it and fry the slices in hot il. Use your imagination!

http://www.bettertimesinfo.org/4stock.htm

Making the Perfect Soup Stock

No, we aren’t talking about Wall Street. A great soup, sauce, or gravy begins with a great “stock”, that is, beef, pork, chicken, or vegetables simmered in water so that the water becomes intensely flavored. The best restaurants make their own stocks, and that is one of the secrets of their success. You can add a lot of quality and flavor to your home cooked meals if you make your own stocks. You can also save a lot of money too.

Leftovers are fine! Use leftover chicken, or the “less favorable” pieces like backs and necks, leftover veggies, leftover roast, trimmings from vegetables (like potato skins), and bones. Don’t use any leftovers, however, that are too far past their prime. These recipes can be adapted based on what you have on hand. If you have doubts about a particular vegetable, cook it by itself in some water and see how it tastes.

Soup Bones: if you ask at the meat market for soup bones, you will get bones with meat attached and they are more expensive. Ask for bones for your dog, you’ll probably get them for free or they will be very cheap. When roasting the bones in the oven, DO NOT LET THEM TURN BLACK! You want a nice brown, NOT black. If they burn, trim the burned part off or get more bones and start again as burned bones will make the stock bitter. You can also ask for “beef trimmings”, which will be bits of meat and fat, if you use trimmings (or stew meat, which some people do but that cut is more expensive), add it to the roasting pan when you put the bones in the oven.

Veggies. An alternative to roasting the carrots and onions is to dice them and then saute them in butter or olive oil until they caramelize (turn a bit brown). This is also achieved by roasting them with the bones. The point of this is to add rich and robust flavors to the beef stock. Add the celery towards the end of the saute process as celery has so much water it doesn’t caramelize very well. You can also substitute tomato paste for a whole tomato. Don’t use vegetables in the cabbage family (cabbage, broccoli, kale, turnips, cauliflower) Don’t use ground or powdered herbs, use whole peppercorns rather than ground black pepper.

Stock Cooking Notes: The best pots for making stock are tall and narrow. Meat stocks benefit from long, slow cooking (5 to 8 hours or longer, I often simmer mine overnight for 12 hours or so for beef stocks), vegetable stocks are done in less than an hour. Always skim off any scum that rises to the top during the cooking process. You don’t want the stock to boil at this stage, when the bones, meat, and vegetables are in the pot, just a slow simmer. When the stock is finished, strain it to remove any bits and pieces. If desired, it can be further reduced by boiling until it’s consistency is sort of like a bouillon cube that has been mixed with a small amount of water. This is called a demi-glace. Since stock making can be quite a production, make more than you will need and freeze it for later. It would be easy to make stock for a month in one day.

Chicken Soup Stock

4 stalks celery, chopped 6 carrots, chopped 2 yellow onions, chopped
6 black peppercorns
1/2 bay leaf
Chicken necks and backs or other misc pieces or the bones from two chickens

Peel onions before chopping. Chop the vegetables in large pieces, do not include the leaves from the celery (they can be bitter). Put the chickens in soup pot and cover with water. Simmer for 1 hour. Skim off any scum or froth that rises to the top, also any fat.. Add the vegetables. Note that “simmer” is not a rapid boil. When finished, strain and use immediately, or refrigerate or freeze it for use later. After Thanksgiving and Christmas, use the bones from your turkey to make turkey stock.

Beef Stock

2 stalks celery | 3 large Carrots | 1 large Onion | 1 large tomato | 1/2 cup cubed potatoes | 2 cloves Garlic | 8 peppercorns } 4 sprigs fresh parsley |1 bay leaf | 2 tsp dried thyme | 1 tablespoon salt | water | 5 or 6 pounds beef bones, best if cut into 2” pieces. Note: the tomato, potatoes, parsley, bay leaf, thyme are optional. You can substitute some tomato paste for the whole tomato. You can multiply these amounts to make more stock. For the onions, just remove the top and bottom and chop the rest, adding the skin with the onion. The onion skin helps color the broth.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (230 degrees C). Slice onion. Chop scrubbed celery and carrots into 1-inch chunks. In a large shallow roasting pan place soup bones, onion, and carrots. Bake, uncovered, about 30 minutes or until the bones are well browned, turning occasionally. Drain off fat. Place the browned bones, onion, and carrots in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Put the empty roasting pan on a burner and add about a half cup water and move it around with a spoon or spatula in order to “deglaze” the pan, pour this and any little bits and pieces of meat or vegetables into the soup pot. If you want to know, these bits and pieces are called “fond” and add LOTS of flavor. Add celery, tomato, potatoes, peppercorns, parsley, bay leaf, salt, thyme, garlic and water. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat immediately. Cover and simmer for at least 8 hours, you can go as long as 12. Strain stock. Adding the vegetables at the beginning of the simmering process will enhance the flavor of the vegetables in the stock. The carrots will give it a sweeter taste. If you want a less sweet stock, or want the flavor of the vegetables to be more subdued, add them in the last hour of cooking..

Basic Vegetable Stock

Chop scrubbed vegetables into 1-inch chunks. Remember, the greater the surface area, the more quickly vegetables will yield their flavor. Heat oil in a soup pot. Add onion, celery, carrots, scallions, garlic, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Cook over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add salt and water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Strain. Discard vegetables. Other ingredients to consider: mushrooms, eggplant, asparagus (butt ends), corn cobs, bell peppers, pea pods, chard (stems and leaves), celery root parings, marjoram (stems and leaves), basil, potato parings . . . Get the idea?

http://www.bettertimesinfo.org/13soups.htm

GOOD SOUPS NOURISH THE FAMILY

Soups are a staple in the diet of everyone who wants good food that doesn’t cost much money. Making your own soups saves money. Most leftover soups can be used in casseroles. Instead of a can of cream of mushroom soup, substitute 1-1/2 to 2 cups of your favorite leftover creamed soup. This is a real money saving tip, as canned cream soups — while great for taste, nutrition and convenience — add to the cost of a casserole. Make soup every week, and hide some of it in the casseroles. Your family will truly thank you.

Split Pea Soup

2 cups split peas | ham bones or bacon ends and pieces | 8 cups hot water | garlic, onion, celery, salt, pepper

Combine all ingredients and bring to boiling point. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for at least 2 hours. The longer and slower it cooks, the better it is (add water if necessary, don’t let it scorch.)

Cream of Vegetable Soup

Saute onions in butter, stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Add mashed cooked vegetables, cook one minute, slowly add four cups milk, cook until hot throughout (don’t boil). Variations: Creamed Corn Soup, use two cans creamed corn in place of mashed vegetables. Cream of Tomato Soup, add 2 cups tomato juice in place of mashed vegetables, and add 2 tsp of sugar, reduce milk to two cups.

Cream of Mushroom Soup to Use in Casseroles

Saute onion and mushrooms in butter, add flour, cook until bubbly. Add broth and milk, heat until hot throughout, use in casserole instead of canned soup.

Best-Ever Potato Soup

Saute celery and onions in butter until tender. Add carrots, potatoes, and stock, cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat, mash vegetables with potato masher, add milk and re-heat until ready to serve. Variations: (1) when you add the water, season with ½ tsp thyme, some garlic, ½ tsp rosemary, 3/4 tsp seasoned salt, add 1 cup grated cheese when milk is added. (2) Add 1/4 cup ketchup and ½ cup peanut butter when milk is added, stir and heat over low heat until it is all well mixed.

Cheese Soup

Saute onion in butter, add flour and milk to make a thin white sauce. Add salt, pepper, carrots, celery and cheese, mix well and heat until steaming.

Cabbage Patch Soup

Lightly brown hamburger, cover with or beef stock. Add chopped cabbage, sliced carrots, onions, tomatoes (and liquid, if using canned or stewed) and juice, simmer one hour. Add potatoes and seasonings. Continue cooking until potatoes are tender.

Vegetable Soup

Put in kettle with 3 cups boiling water or stock. Add salt and pepper to taste, cook until potatoes are done.

Lentil Soup

Soak the lentils in one quart water for two hours. Place with water in soup pot with stock, potatoes, carrots, vinegar, salt, and cloves. Cook over low heat for three hours. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese in bowl before serving Alternative seasoning: eliminate cloves and vinegar, add rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, sage, a bay leaf, and crushed red pepper.

French Onion Soup

6 large onions, sliced very thin | 4 tbsp butter | 8 cups beef stock | 1 cup white wine |
2 tsp flour | 1 sprig each of parsley and thyme } 1 bay leaf

Cook onions in butter on low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and ½ teaspoon sugar of salt, continue cooking until onions caramelize (turn a rich dark brown) BUT don’t let them burn, the onion cooking may take 30 minutes. Add 2 tsp flour to onions and butter, and cook for another 4 or 5 minutes. Add 1 cup white wine or 1 cup of stock, let thicken, add the rest of the stock and herbs and simmer for ½ hour. Remove herbs after cooking. Cut some bread into two inch squares (French bread is good for this) and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Brown the toast in the oven. Put a square of toast in each soup bowl. Reheat soup and pour in bowls. Add a teaspoon of parmesan cheese on top of each bowl.

http://www.bettertimesinfo.org/12crockpot.htm

CROCKPOT RECIPES

One of life’s most useful pleasures in the kitchen is the faithful crockpot. Load it up as you head out to work, open it up for dinner. Much less bother and much better tasting not to mention much more nutritious than fast food. Crockpot cooking recipes courtesy of Diana Rattrary, Southern US cuisine editor, at About.com, used with permission. http://southernfood.tqn.com/library/crock/blcpldx.htm . Several of these recipes call for cans of soup. Remember that 2 -3 cups of gravy or some other kind of sauce can substitute for cans of creamed soups in recipes. Use more gravy if (for example) the recipe calls for a can of soup plus a can of water or milk.

Apple Brown Betty

Wash apples, peel, core, cut into eighths; place in bottom on crock. Mix bread cubes, spices, salt, sugar, butter; toss together. Place on top of apples and cover. Cook on low setting 2 to 4 hours. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Baked Beans from dried beans

Rise beans, in crock pot, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low 13 to 14 hrs., stirring occasionally if possible. 6 to 8 servings.

BBQ Beans from canned beans

Empty beans into slow cooker. Add brown sugar, onions, pepper and BBQ sauce. Fry bacon until crisp. Drain on paper to remove excess grease. Cut into small pieces and add to bean mixture. Cook on low for 2 to 4 hours.

Bean Soup

Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Stir. Cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Adjust seasonings. Serves 4.

Broccoli & Cheese Soup

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Stir well. Cook on low for 4 hours. 8 servings.

Corn Chowder

Combine first 6 ingredients in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours. Puree in a blender or food processor, if desired, then return to pot. Stir in milk and butter; cook on high about 1 hour more. Serves 6 to 8.

Bachelor’s Easy Stew

Brown meat, cube potatoes, put all ingredients in the crockpot. Add water and turn on crock pot on LOW for 8 to 9 hours. Thicken with a mixture of flour and a little cold water, if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with biscuits. You can use 2 cups stock instead of bouillon.

Chris’ Crock Pot Dressing

Lightly grease crock pot. Crumble cornbread into mixer bowl. Add all ingredients except butter. Pour into crockpot, dot top with butter. Cook on high 2 hours or on low 3-4 hours. You can add crushed red pepper or sauteed sliced jalapeno peppers to spice it up a bit. Add or reduce amount of liquid to get the consistency you like.

Green Chile Grits

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 6 to 9 hours or on high 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. If cooking on high add 1/4 to ½ cup more water if too thick. Similar to polenta, you serve right away or you can refrigerate the mixture in a buttered loaf pan for a few hours or overnight, unmold, slice (½ inch thick), and fry in butter until browned. Serves about 8

Ground Beef & Potato Meal

Cook ground beef and garlic in skillet until lightly browned. Stir in pepper and thyme. Peel and slice potatoes and onions. Put ½ potatoes and onions into buttered crock pot. Add browned beef and top with remaining potatoes and onions. Mix mushroom soup with water and spread over top of contents. Cover. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

Squash Casserole

5 cups yellow squash, canned or frozen, or cooked and mashed | 1/2 cup melted butter |
1 can cream of chicken soup | 2 slices cubed bread | 1 cup sour cream

Place squash in slow cooker with butter and cook for 1 hour. Add soup as it comes from the can, and cook until hot. Add bread and sour cream and cook until bubbly.

Red Beans and Rice

Place beans in crock pot and add remaining ingredients, except rice and green onions, with 1-1/2 quarts water. Cover and cook on high 2 hours. Turn heat to low and cook, covered, 10 to 12 hours. Remove ham bone and mash some of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the remaining liquid. Remove meat from bone and return meat to pot. Season with salt, pepper and serve with rice, topped with green onions.

Crock Pot Rice Pudding

Combine all ingredients. Pour into lightly greased crock pot. Cook on high 1 to 2 hours. Stir during first 30 minutes. Recipe can be doubled.

Split Pea Soup

In a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker, combine everything except ham hocks and garnish. Add ham hocks, submerging them in mixture. Cover; cook on low heat setting for 8 to 9 hours., until peas are very soft. Remove ham hocks; skim fat from surface of soup. Trim fat from hocks. Cut meat from bones and shred; stir into soup. Ladle into 6 bowls. Garnish each serving with garlic croutons and parsley.

Alternatives to Crock Pots:

Solar Cooking: a solar oven can be made from cardboard boxes and aluminum foil. Insulated non-electric cooker: this is a box or barrel big enough that at least four inches of insulating material can be packed on all sides, top and bottom, of a covered pot placed inside the container. This method works best with recipes with liquid (soups, stews, beans, etc). Heat the food to boiling, cover and place in the insulating cook pot (lining the inside of the outer container with aluminum foil helps retain heat.) This should be good for about 3 hours of cooking. “Insulating material” could be hay, straw, cloth, newspapers, sawdust, etc.) If the recipe will take more than 3 hours, after the third hour take the pot out of the box and heat it to boiling again, replacing it in its nest of insulation in the cook box.

http://www.bettertimesinfo.org/14breakfast.htm

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

Not everyone agrees, I suppose, but this is what my grandmother told me. Granny said it, I believe it, that settles it. Breakfast doesn’t have to be an expensive meal, it can be one of the most thrifty — and yet, the most tasty — of all your meals. Many people rely on expensive processed cereals but I’d like to tempt you with the visions and tastes of true Oklahoma home cookin’ for breakfast. Better Living Through Better Breakfasts is our motto!.

A Note About These Breakfast Recipes:

These recipes use smaller amounts of meat than is usual at breakfast and are generally calculated to serve 2 or 3 adults unless otherwise specified..

Rise and Shine Casserole

Tear bread into small pieces. Layer 1/4 of the bread and 1/4 of your cheese 4 times in a casserole dish. Pour melted butter on top. Combine remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix well. Pour mixture onto casserole. Refrigerate overnight. First thing in the morning, bake for 1 hour in 350 degree oven. Variations: add crumbled fried sausage or bacon, ham, cooked beans, jalapenos, shredded cheese. Smother casserole with chili, chili sauce, cooked beans, or gravy.

Home Made Hashbrowns

Slice potatoes in half and boil for ten minutes. Cover with cold water and refrigerate overnight. Shred (peeling the potatoes is optional) and fry in oil in skillet until brown on both sides. Another Way to Hashbrown Potatoes: Boil potatoes whole, let cool, place in a well-oiled frying skillet or on griddle, mash with a potato masher, fry until crisp on bottom, flip until done on the other side. A Third Way to Hashbrown Potatoes: Use leftover baked potatoes, place in well oiled skillet, mash with a potato masher, fry on both sides. Note that with all recipes for hashbrown potatoes, the secret is to cook the potatoes the day before and refrigerate overnight..

Redneck Eggs Benedict

Large biscuits | 2 eggs, boiled | 1/8 lb sausage or bacon | 2 potatoes, hash browned | 2 cups cheese sauce or gravy Make 4 large biscuits using the Better Times biscuit recipe and bake until done. Slice in half, layer on each biscuit half, in this order: fried hashbrowns, 1/4 boiled egg, fried sausage or crumbled bacon, top with cheese sauce, gravy, or other sauce. For Redneck Eggs Florentine, substitute cooked turnip greens for meat.

Potato Pancakes

To 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes, add 1 egg and 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour. Mix thoroughly, make small dollar size pancakes, fry on medium griddle on both sides until done. A sprinkling of dried Italian herbs adds to the flavor.

Creamed Eggs

Add 2 to 4 hard cooked eggs, cut into quarters, to 1 cup medium white sauce. Serve hot over toast or biscuits or rice. You can sprinkle with paprika and parsley, crisp bacon bits, etc. Variation, add small amount of fried sausage to the white sauce.

Oatmeal Pancakes

Soak oats in one cup milk for five minutes. Add other ingredients, mix well. Heat griddle (test for hotness by sprinkling some water on it, if the bubbles “skitter” around the pan, it’s ready). Make small pancakes, turn when brown. If you don’t have vinegar or buttermilk, use regular skim milk and increase baking powder to 1-1/2 tsp and omit baking soda. To make the pancakes extra fluffy, separate the egg yolk and white, beat separately, add egg yolk and milk, then add stiffly beaten egg whites.

Bob’s Food Cooperative Pancakes

This makes a light and fluffy pancake. Mix dry ingredients, add the oil and mix thoroughly, beat two eggs and add to 1 cup milk, mix with dry ingredients. This 1 cup recipe makes pancakes for two adults, 12 -14 dollar size pancakes. Serve with peanut butter and homemade jam.

A Buttermilk Pancake Recipe

Mix ingredients, cook as described in Oatmeal Pancakes. If you use plain milk rather than buttermilk, adjust baking powder as described in Oatmeal Pancakes.

Fry sausage (or bacon, or ham) with the onion and jalapenos and drain the grease. Add rice or potatoes, stir until hot, add beaten eggs, scramble together with the sausage. Meanwhile, heat the tortillas on a griddle or directly over a low flame. Divide sausage/rice mixture among the tortillas, add hot sauce/salsa, and/or cheese as desired. Makes 6-8 tacos. Variations: (1) smother with hot dog chili sauce. (2) Add fresh chopped tomatoes, and/or chopped black olives, and/or chopped green onion.

Breakfast Pizza

Cook sausage until browned, drain fat. Place pizza dough in an ungreased pan, spread melted butter on the dough. Spoon sausage over dough, sprinkle with potatoes, top with grated cheese. Mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour onto crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Breakfast Pockets

1 recipe bread dough | Ingredients similar to breakfast pizza

Divide the bread dough into small balls of dough about the size of a bun. Let rise, then roll into circles. Brush dough lightly with olive oil. Prepare filling, and put a couple of tablespoons of filling on each circle of dough. Lightly moisten the edge of the circle with water, and then fold over like a turnover pastry and seal the edges. Bake in a 425 degree oven until bread is done. Brush with melted butter after baking.

Tortillas and Eggs

This is a good way to make a few eggs go a long way. Fry some bacon or sausage, remove from pan and set aside. Tear corn tortillas into pieces (smaller pieces are better, say 8 pieces to the tortilla), saute in oil with chopped onion, garlic, and sliced jalapeno peppers. Saute for about 3-4 minutes. Beat 2 to 4 eggs, crumble sausage or bacon, and add meat and beaten eggs to tortillas, stirring constantly while the eggs scramble and set. For each egg, you can add 3-4 torn-up tortillas.

Crockpot Oatmeal

Put oatmeal, water, and raisins in a crockpot at night before you go to bed. Cook on low, it’s ready in the morning. Add honey and milk to taste.

http://www.bettertimesinfo.org/10desserts.htm

Pies, Cakes, Desserts, Comfort Foods from Grandma

No, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to make desserts like Grandma. So don’t waste your money on that expensive birthday cake from the bakery that was probably made with a mix. Make your own pies, cakes, and desserts and save big bucks. Here’s a selection of fun and easy sweet things. Get in the habit of making these items, and everybody will swear you are a cook that is touched by heavenly flavor.

Bob’s Favorite Easy Very Tasty Cobbler

Mix flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add milk and melted butter, mix well. Pour batter into baking pan (use a casserole dish). Pour pie filing on top of the batter, or pour the drained can of peaches or other fruit on top. Use one or two cans, as budget and taste allow. The batter rises up and covers the fruit as it bakes. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes (or until golden brown on top). If you use canned fruit, you can thicken the syrup. Pour the fruit and syrup into a pan, mix 1 tablespoon corn starch with a small amount of water, add to syrup, cook until thick, add sugar if necessary.

Mulberry Cobbler

Mulberries are widely grown in Oklahoma and they are the earliest spring fruit. They don’t keep very well, so as soon as you pick them, make mulberry cobbler or jam. Put the mulberries in a pan, cover with water, bring to a boil, turn heat down and simmer about 10 minutes. The water will turn dark purple. Mix 1 tablespoonof corn starch with a small amount of water, and add to mulberries and cook until it thickens. (Adjust amount of corn starch based on the amount of water and berries.) Taste, add sugar or honey if necessary. Use the recipe for Bob’s Favorite Easy Very Tasty Cobbler, and use this mulberry mixture in place of canned fruit or pie filling.

Sugar Cookies

Blend butter, sugar, egg, milk and vanilla. Stir. Add the rest of the dry ingredients. Roll out on a floured board 1/8 inches thick and cut into cookies. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes.

Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet potatoes | 2 eggs | 1/2 stick butter | 1/2 cup brown sugar pie crust

Boil sweet potatoes whole until done, peel the skins off (after boiling). Mash with beaten eggs, butter, and brown sugar. Add pumpkin pie spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger), pour in unbaked pie crust and bake at 350 degrees until a knife in the center comes out clean (about 45 minutes).

Dorothy’s Never Fail Pie Crust

Mix the flour and salt, add the butter, mix thoroughly. You can mix this in a blender or you could use a mixer. The point is to thoroughly mix the flour and the butter. Mix the water and the vinegar, add that and the egg, mix together with a fork. Knead a few times. Roll out on a floured board. Manipulate only as much as necessary, the more you roll it, the tougher it will get. Place dough between two sheets of wax paper when rolling it out. To put in pie pan, fold it in half, and then again in quarters, place in baking dish. Then unfold and arrange in pan. If the dough tears, dip your fingers in water and press it back into place, or “patch” with extra pieces of dough. There are as many different recipes for pie crust, this recipe is among the less complicated. Makes enough for 4 one crust pies or 2, two crust pies.

Miracle Pie

Mix all ingredients together (you can dump them all in a blender and spin). Mix thoroughly. Pour into a ten inch pie plate that has been greased and floured. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. This pie makes its own crust and a coconut topping.

Peach Pie

1 cup sugar 2 eggs pinch of salt

peaches 2 tbsp flour 2 tbsp butter unbaked pie crust

Line unbaked pie crust with sliced peaches (fresh or canned/drained). Mix other ingredients together and pour over the peaches. Let stand for five minutes before baking. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until filling is set.

Better-than-a-Bakery White Cake

Mix the flour and baking powder together. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar and butter together and then mix in the flour and baking powder mixture. Add the milk, mix well. Add the beaten egg whites. Mix well. Makes two 8 inch layers or one 13 x 9 inch cake. Bake layers 30 to 35 minutes, sheet cake 35 to 40 minutes, at 350 degrees.

Easy Very Tasty Brownies

Mix dry ingredients. Add melted butter, then add beaten eggs. Mix well. Bake at 350 degrees in 9 inch square pan for about 15 minutes. Icing: Mix 1/3 cup milk, 1 stick oleo and 4 tbsp of cocoa, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add 2 cups powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Spread on brownies.

Easy Very Tasty Brownie Mix

Mix 6 cups flour, 6 cups sugar, 2 cups cocoa. Use two cups mix in place of dry ingredients in Easy Very Tasty Brownie Recipe

Biscuit Mix Cake

Mix biscuit mix, sugar, butter, egg, and 1/4 cup milk. Beat vigorously for 1 minute. Add vanilla to remaining milk, stir in gradually the ½½ cup milk. Beat 30 seconds. Pour into 8 inch square pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes.

Chocolate, Banana, or Pineapple Pudding

Mix flour and sugar together, add milk and beaten eggs, mix very well, so there are no lumps. Add butter and cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Add sliced bananas and vanilla. Put a layer of vanilla wafers in a dish. Pour pudding over wafers. Chill and serve. Variations: use crushed pineapple in place of bananas. Use 1/4 cup cocoa instead of bananas for chocolate pudding.

Fruit Cocktail Bars

Beat eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add fruit cocktail (with syrup) and beat again. Mix dry ingredients together, add to fruit cocktail mixture, mix well. Add vanilla, mix. Spread in a 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan that has been greased and floured. Sprinkle coconut and nuts over the top (optional), Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Glaze while warm with icing:: mix 3/4 cup sugar, ½ cup butter, 1/4 cup milk in pan and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, add ½ tsp vanilla and cool.

Standard Cookie Recipe

Cream sugar and butter together. Mix dry ingredients, add to sugar mixture. Mix well. Add remaining ingredients, mix well. To this basic cookie, you can add: chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, lemon juice, etc. You can also substitute one cup oats for one cup of the flour. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. These cookies are very easy to make and taste good just as they are without any added flavorings. They are good made with white flour OR with 100% whole wheat flour.

Yellow Cake

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, dash of salt. Add butter, milk, lemon and vanilla. Beat for two minutes. Add unbeaten egg yolks, beat for two more minutes. Pour into two 8” pans (greased and floured) or one 13 x 9 pan. Bake in 350 degree oven. Layers: 30 to 35 minutes, large cake, 35 to 40 minutes.

Your Basic Very Easy One Cup Cake

Take a cup, any reasonable size, fill it with sugar. Put it into a bowl. Take the same cup, fill it with flour, put it into bowl and add baking powder. Mix the butter with the dry ingredients. Break eggs into the cup and beat with fork. Add milk to fill the cup, pour over sugar and flour, beat. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Custard Pie

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Beat eggs, add rest of ingredients. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Bake 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until a knife inserted one inch from the side o the pie comes out clean. The center may still look soft, but it will set. If you bake it too long, the custard becomes watery. You can make this pie with three eggs, if so, reduce milk to 2 cups.

Easy Very Tasty Fruit Cocktail Cake

Mix all ingredients together well. Pour into a greased and floured 9 x 13 pan. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. (For richer cake, use 2 eggs. For icing: cook 1 stick butter, 1 cup sugar, ½ cup milk, for 3 minutes (boiling). Remove from heat and add 1 cup nuts (optional), 1 cup coconut, 1 tsp vanilla, spread on cake.

Easy Very Tasty Chocolate Cake

Mix the dry ingredients together, then add the melted butter, buttermilk (or milk with a tbsp of vinegar in it), eggs, and vanilla. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Makes two 8” layers or a 9 x 13” pan or a cast iron skillet-full. Icing: combine in a pan one stick of butter, 6 tbsp of milk, and 4 tbsp of cocoa. Bring to a boil, add 2-3 cups of powdered sugar, vanilla, and nuts (optional). Mix thoroughly, spread on cake while hot. Variation: add 1/2 cup mayonnaise to the batter for extra richness. Add 2 tsp cinnamon for cinnamon chocolate cake. To make this cake with regular milk, use 2 tsp baking powder instead of 1-1/4 tsp soda.

Cream Filling for Cakes.

Mix in saucepan 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1/4 tsp salt, gradually stir in 1 cup milk (or put milk in a jar, mix dry ingredients, add to milk, put lid on jar, shake until mixed). Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Put 1 egg yolk, slightly beaten into another bowl. Add a couple of spoonfuls of the milk and sugar mixture to the egg yolk, mix, add 2 more spoonfuls, mix, then pour back into the remaining milk mixture in saucepan, mix thoroughly. Boil one minute more, remove from heat, add 1 tbsp butter and 1 tsp vanilla. Stir well and cool, stirring occasionally. For Chocolate Cream Filing, add 1/4 cup cocoa with the dry ingredients.

Chocolate Cake Mix

Mix ingredients and store in an airtight container. Use four cups mix for one cake. Add 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 cup water, 2 beaten eggs, and 1 tsp vanilla. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

Fast and Quick Short Cake

Mix dry ingredients, add milk, vanilla, and eggs, mix well until smooth. Bake in a 9 x 9 inch pan at 350 degrees until brown and the top springs back when you touch it. Serve with strawberries and ice cream, or other favorite topping. For small shortcakes, fill muffin tins about 2/3 full and bake.

Apple Dumplings

2 cups flour | 1/2 tsp salt | 4 tsp baking powder | 1/3 cup butter | 2/3 cup milk

Mix dry ingredients, add melted butter and mix until it is the consistency of coarse corn meal. Add milk and stir. Turn out onto floured board and knead for a minute or two. Roll the dough out so it is 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 8 squares. Place some sliced apples into the center of each square and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, dot with butter (apple pie filling can be used in place of apples and sugar). Fold in the corners over the apples and pinch together. Place folded side down in a 10 x 13 baking dish and cover with sauce. Sauce: mix together 2 cups sugar, 2/3 cup melted butter, 3 tbsp flour, 1 tsp vanilla. Add 3 cups boiling water. Continue to boil until the sauce thickens, so it is like a think white sauce (it will thicken more while baking. After covering with sauce, bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve warm: variation: use prunes or cherries or apricots instead of apples.

Pudding Mix

1-1/2 cup sugar | 2-3/4 cup dry milk | 3/4 cup cornstarch | 1 tsp salt |

Combine all ingredients and stir until well blended. Store in tightly covered container. Keep mix on hand and you’ll always be able to fix a good dessert or snack fast.

Vanilla or Chocolate Pudding from Mix

1-1/4 cup pudding mix | 2-1/2 cups water | 1 egg, beaten | 1-1/2 tsp vanilla | 1 tbsp butter

Combine pudding mix and water in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add butter and remove from heat. Stir some of the hot mixture into the beaten egg, then blend this mixture into the pudding and cook one minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla, pour into dessert dish. Serve warm or chilled. Makes six servings. For chocolate pudding, add 1/4 cup cocoa.

Better than Twinkies

Bake white cake in a 9 x 13” pan. Let cool. Split cake in half between top and bottom. Mix flour & milk, cook until thick. Cool and then add shortening, butter, vanilla, and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Spread between the two layers of cake and let set. Cut into bars. Bars may be wrapped and frozen.

Cake Icings and Frostings

Essential Frosting Basics Courtesy of Mary Freeh: Combine equal amounts butter and shortening, add powdered sugar until the mixture is almost dry, add a drop or two of vanilla, a dash of salt, and enough milk to make the consistency you want.

Fluffy White Frosting. Blend 1/4 cup flour and 1 cup milk, cook over medium heat until thick, cool. Cream together ½ cup butter, 1/3 cup shortening, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup sugar. Add the cooked milk mixture, whip until it looks like whipped cream. Frosts 2 layers or a 9 x 13 inch cake. Variation: add cocoa for chocolate fluffy frosting.

Quick White Icing. Put a cup or two of powdered sugar in a bowl, add a little (say two tbsp) milk until it is to spreading consistency. Add flavorings if desired (such as lemon extract, for lemon icing). Color with food coloring, if desired.

Cocoa Quick Icing. Mix 2-2/3 cups powdered sugar and 1/3 cup cocoa, add 1/3 cup butter (room temperature) and 3 to 4 tbsp milk. Stir until well blended.

Butter Icing. Blend together 5 tbsp butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, add about 3 tbsp milk and 1-1/2 tsp vanilla and stir until smooth. Makes enough frosting for two 8 inch layers or one 13 x 9cake. Can substitute butter.

Orange or Lemon Icing. Make butter icing, only omit the vanilla and use orange or lemon juice instead of the milk. You can add a little grated orange or lemon rind.

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