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2 Killed, K9 Stabbed In San Diego Police Officer-Involved Shooting
A man who apparently had just stabbed his wife to death in their Paradise Hills home was fatally shot by police today when he charged them with a knife and slashed a service dog, authorities reported.
Obama Announces Plans For $500 Million Hospital At Pendleton
President Barack Obama has announced construction of a new $500 million hospital to treat wounded troops and military retirees at Camp Pendleton.
Family, Friends Gather For Natasha Richardson
Liam Neeson looked distraught as he greeted grieving family members and friends who attended a private viewing for his wife, Natasha Richardson, on Friday.
San Diego-Based Navy Ship Collides With Submarine In Middle East
County Workers Approve Contract Extension, Two Percent Pay Raise
[San Diego Police use their K-9 dogs as they are trained to do and they are the best that I have heard on any scanner.
I was listening to San Diego last year when a dog got stabbed, by a nut walking down the street, stabbing all he could reach.
The K-9 found him, laid him out and got stabbed in the gut for his efforts.
LOL, the paper reported that the K-9 had held on to the man’s arm, so firmly that the man had a broken wrist...
[Sounded good to me.]
granny]
>>>County Workers Approve Contract Extension, Two Percent Pay Raise<<<
LOL Increase? Today our Governor proposed an 8% across the board pay cut for all State employees... PLUS another 2% average cut in their insurance - they will have to now pay part. Facing a 10% total pay cut, they are livid! Demonstrations, calling for Governor to resign, like they were the only thing the State was there for... And he is a Democrat....
I remember a few years back, when there was a budget shortfall and they decided to cut 10% of the State Parks revenue... So the parks cut the toll takers jobs and then closed the parks because they were required to charge but had nobody to collect the fees... Of course all the other deadwood continued to collect their full salaries - but nothing really to do all day except answer the phones and tell people the park was closed...
Not one of them was smart enough to do as the Salisbury, Md. Zoo does... they put a donation box at each entrance and nobody there to collect the fees. Most people put in more than would normally be charged and they have no labor costs for collection. Their revenues went up considerably.
http://www.josayoung.co.uk/page14.htm
Cooking Organic Food
No-one knows when human beings began to cook their food. There is a theory that early man found animals killed and cooked by bush fires, appealing, as well as easier to pin down, and decided to replicate the effect for himself. Cooking food makes it safer to eat by killing off harmful bacteria and neutralising poisonous elements.
For instance it is vital to boil beans, particularly kidney beans, hard for at least ten minutes to neutralise poisons. But it is a swings and roundabouts situation, because cooking food makes it softer and more digestible, and less likely to pass through the gut without being processed. When you cook grains with water, you burst the tough cellulose wall and allow the soft starch inside to expand and soften. But boiling vegetables and then discarding the cooking water removes much of the nutrient value. Steaming vegetables is a preferable method, as it retains nutrients. The water underneath can be used in soups.
Cooking vegetables in the minimum of water, and then pureeing them without discarding it maximises nutrition. And finely grating vegetables makes them easier to digest, has all the benefits of juicing without the effort, and retains the fibre. Roasting vegetables with olive oil until softened, or stir frying rapidly in a little cold-pressed sunflower oil, are both healthy choices.
Eat plenty of crunchy raw green leaves as salad, dressed with lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and garlic if you like it. As well as vitamins C and B-complex, plus iron and potassium, tomatoes contain carotene which converts in the body to Vitamin A and the star of the show, lycopene, a plant (phyto) chemical that makes them red . Lycopene is easier to absorb from cooked tomatoes, as cell walls are broken down releasing it. There is five times more lycopene in tomato sauce than tomato salad. It is a potent antioxidant thought to neutralize harmful substances in the body called free radicals. These molecules, the result of normal cell metabolism as well as other causes, have been implicated in cancer and cardiovascular disease. Recent research involving thousands of men suggested that those gorging on tomatoes and getting the most lycopene had about half the risk of heart attack as men who eschewed the tomato. Ten helpings of tomato a week ward off prostate cancer too. Lycopene seems to be effective in reducing the risk of other cancers, such as colon, rectal and breast.
Other pink produce such as watermelon and pink grapefruit contain some lycopene, but nothing like as much. Like all fresh food, the range of nutrients tomatoes contain is complex and interacts in unknown ways. It is no good just isolating lycopene and taking it as a supplement, the best place to get your goodness is by going back to basics and consuming the source, in combination with plenty of different kinds of fruits and vegetables.
Key Organic Vegetable Recipes
A key component of good nutrition, which cannot be emphasised enough, is the need to enjoy what you eat before you can benefit from it. Below is a selection of recipes that combine nutrient preserving cooking techniques, with high fibre ingredients, plenty of vitamins, essential fatty acids, minerals etc.
It is up to you how much fat you use in each recipe. They are all delicious, and should give you the idea that devoting 60% of your diet to vegetables, fruit, pulses and grains is no kind of hardship at all. It was carrots that revealed to me the true difference between organic and conventional produce, it is not always so obvious with other fruit and vegetables. Organic carrots are an almost fluorescent orange, they smell strong and sweet and the juice stains your hands. Conventional carrots, grown in vast chemically-fertilised monocultures, sprayed with pesticides to deter the carrot fly, which then persist in the vegetable, are pale and flavourless in comparison.
Along with an explosion of art and culture in the West, the Renaissance also brought us delicious carrots suitable for the table. Before that, carrots were coarse yellow roots with woody middles usually fed to animals. Try not to peel organic carrots, the vitamins (particularly A) being concentrated just under the skin; you can scrub or scrape them lightly if you must.
Organic carrots are particularly rewarding when eaten raw. Grate them, and season with lemon juice, a little onion, salt and pepper. You can add a handful of raisins, grated onion, or in the Gujerati manner, a spoonful of black mustard seeds which you have fried briefly until fragrant in sunflower oil.
Raw cauliflower also makes a refreshing change. Break it into small florets, and then dress with vinaigrette and dust with chopped parsley.
Beetroot too is very rewarding peeled, grated, and dressed with a mustardy vinaigrette to which you have added some grated onion.
To create an organic hors d’oeuvre on a large platter, arrange the above, add celery heart finely sliced, some steamed leeks (they can be a bit overwhelming raw) dressed while hot with vinaigrette, some sliced mushrooms marinated in lemon vinaigrette flavoured with a little tomato paste and finely chopped onion and some hard boiled eggs. Serve with good organic wholemeal or sour dough bread.
Roasted Carrots (or other roots)
If it is mid-winter, and your roots are stored in their protective coating of earth, they might need peeling as thinly as possible, and are very good roasted. Scrape and trim carrots, and cut into sticks. Put the carrots or other roots such as parsnips, potatoes, celeriac, beetroot into a roasting tin all cut into the same size pieces. Sprinkle with olive oil, and toss to cover. Sprinkle with salt and a little vegetable or other stock and a good squeeze of lemon (orange is good with carrots too). Roast at 200C/Gas 6 until the veg has begun to colour, stirring them around from time to time. The liquid should cook off.
Whole hulled millet with carrots and onion
Sometimes you can get very bored with the conventional grains of the West. So here is an easy introduction to millet, an African staple, and a very ancient food. This recipe makes an excellent hot dish to serve with salad and cheese. Millet must be roasted before cooking, and this is how you do it. Measure your millet in a glass measuring jug to the 12 fl oz level (about 9 oz or 255 g). Heat a cast iron frying pan over a medium flame. Put in the millet and stir to toast. It is done when it smells roasted and some of the seeds turn light brown. Some might even burst open like popcorn. Take off the heat. In a heavy casserole pot melt 3 tbspns butter or oil. Add a couple of large carrots peeled if necessary and julienne (into matchsticks), plus a finely chopped onion, a stick of cinnamon and 5 cloves. Cook for 5 mins, until the onion has browned at the edges. Add your pre-roasted millet, pinch of salt and 22 fl oz or 6 dl water or stock. Bring to the boil. Put the lid on and turn heat low for 30 mins. Then, take the lid off and pour in 2 fl oz (1/2dl) boiling water stirring quickly with a fork. Cover again and cook for another 10 mins. Turn the heat off and let the pot sit, covered and undisturbed for another 15 mins. Remove spices before serving.
Communist Coleslaw
Finely slice red cabbage. Grate a couple of carrots (no need to peel), grate onion to taste. Chop a sprig or two of parsley finely. Add a handful of sultanas if liked. Mix together and dress with half mayonnaise and half low fat plain yoghurt, seasoned to taste with a pinch of cayenne.
Carrot and Cumin Soup
Roughly chop your scrubbed but not peeled carrots. Peel and chop two onions. Cook both gently in butter with garlic, saffron, cumin and salt to taste, until soft and aromatic. Add a glass of white wine and stock to cover, and bring to the boil, cook until all is soft and liquidise. This can be made in advance and reheated. You can serve bits of roasted tomato floating on top, or garlic sippets (the old English word for croutons). Rub some slices of bread with garlic, cut bread into cubes, spread on a baking sheet and sprinkle with a few drops of olive oil and bake. To my taste, doing it like this is more delicious because you don’t get the sensation of the inside of a crouton delivering a great deal of oil when you bite it.
Organic Vegetable Stock
There is nothing like making a good batch of this useful stock, reducing it, and freezing it in old ice cream tubs to make you feel virtuous. In a large pot, put any vegetable trimmings, slightly squashy tomatoes from the bottom of the fridge, a couple of sliced carrots, a couple onions, 3 or 4 cloves, an organic orange cut in half and roughly squeezed (peel and all), mushroom stalks and peels (or a couple of mushrooms if you can spare them), outer celery stalks, parsley stalks, thyme sprig and bay leaf. Cover with water. Bring all to the boil and skim off any scum. Simmer for one hour (not a precise art). Strain, taste for flavour. Reduce by boiling if you like. Cool. Freeze. Or use immediately in risotto, soups or sauces.
Vegetable Stew with Coconut
This can be made with any combination of root vegetables and winter squashes: ie pumpkins, sweet potato, turnip, carrots, swede, parsnip, potato etc. In a large saucepan, heat a little oil, add a chopped onion, and cook gently until soft. Add cubed vegetables and coat them in the oil and onion. Add herbs (marjoram, a touch of rosemary, thyme, coriander etc), plus a pinch of ginger and one of cinnamon, plus seasoning to taste. Cover with vegetable stock, and simmer until tender. Add creamed coconut to taste, and check the seasoning. It can be good to sharpen it with a drop of lemon juice, and a dusting of cayenne. Serve chopped fresh coriander or parsley, and with brown rice.
Minestrone
This is the perfect spring soup. Simply bring a pan of well flavoured vegetable stock to the boil. Use a wide variety of vegetables, clean and prepare them, cubing any that this will suit. ie, carrots, celery, courgettes, cauliflower, potatoes, broad beans, beetroot, garlic, leeks, spinach. Add these to the boiling stock, with a drained can of organic borlotti beans (or beans you have soaked overnight and cooked until soft). Add a couple of skinned and sliced tomatoes. Cook until everything is tender for about ½ hour. Taste before seasoning. A squeeze of lemon juice is good, plus torn basil leaves. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.
Omi Houriya
Eat this carrot salad with hot bread. Steam scraped and trimmed carrots until soft. Whizz them up in a food processor or mash with a fork. Stir in olive oil, red wine vinegar, 2 crushed garlic cloves, big pinch paprika and another of chilli, 2 tsps ground cumin, salt and pepper. Leave to mellow for an hour or two. Serve with a little more olive oil on top, and scattered with black olives. Fasulya Pilakisi In Turkey everyone eats this delicious staple bean dish all the time. Soak cannelini or other white beans overnight. Bring to the boil in fresh water, and boil hard for at least 10 minutes. Then simmer until soft (about 1 hr). When really tender but not falling apart, drain and set aside. Cook an onion in a little olive oil with garlic and brown slightly. Add chopped celery, carrots, tomatoes, plus 2 tsp sugar and salt to taste. Stir in the drained beans and cook covered for about 1 hour. Check seasoning. Serve lukewarm with a dribble of raw olive oil and plenty of chopped parsley or coriander.
Casserole of Hot Bulgar Wheat or Barley or even Brown Rice
Peel and chop shallots. Wash and slice leeks and mushrooms. Scrub and slice carrots, swede, celeriac or other rooty things you have by you into smallish bits all the same size (this is a pretty adaptable dish). Saute the whole lot in a cast iron casserole dish with lots of garlic in olive oil until everything has turned golden. Add seasonings to taste (which could include a spice or two, such as whole cinnamon sticks, paprika and/or cayenne), then add about 1 lb (450 g) bulgur wheat or pearl barley and stir it with the veg for a few seconds to coat. Then add a combination of stock (vegetable or chicken), wine, and water up to about 1 pints (900ml), plus a handful of sultanas. Put the lid on and cook in the oven Gas 4/180C for 40 minutes. Toast some slivered almonds or pinenuts in the same oven until golden (watch them like a hawk). Check all liquid has been absorbed and the grains are soft (if not return to the oven for a bit) and fluff up with a fork. Sprinkle with nuts and chopped parsley
Black Bean Soup
Soak black beans overnight in cold water. Rinse and boil for 10 minutes, then drain. Heat olive oil in a heavy pan and fry chopped onion, carrots, garlic and a red de seeded chilli for about 10 mins. Extract seeds from 8 green cardamom pods, and crush them in a pestle and mortar. Add with 2 tsps ground cumin, bay leaves, 2 tsps cayenne and fry for a couple more minutes. Add beans, and cover with water or vegetable stock. Bring to the boil. Skim off scum. Add a glass or so of white wine or cider. Simmer for an hour or so, until the beans are soft. Meanwhile, peel (pour over boiling water to the count of 12) and dice tomatoes, and cucumber, and avocado if you have it plus a little finely chopped onion and coriander or chopped parsley. Dress with lemon juice and olive oil salt and pepper. Remove bay leaves. Reserve a cupful of cooked, drained beans and mix with the small salad above. Puree the rest until smooth. Thin with more vegetable stock if necessary. Taste and season. Serve with lemon wedges, tsps of sour cream or Greek yoghurt and the small salad for people to help themselves.
Tarator
This is a nut sauce used to dress vegetables much as aioli or garlic mayonnaise is in France. Steam a selection of vegetables (fennel, cauliflower, beans, potatoes, carrots etc). Place all the vegetables on a platter and pour over the sauce just before serving. To make the sauce: in a food processor blend 4oz (125g) hazelnuts, 2 garlic cloves, 4 tblspns olive oil, 3 tblspns red wine vinegar or lemon juice, ¼ pt (150ml) natural yoghurt and a pinch of chilli powder.
Walnut and Garlic Sauce for Crudites
Cut up a selection of chilled, raw vegetables such as carrots, celery, sweet pepper, fennel and chicory, and serve with this sauce from Toulouse as quick supper when it’s to hot to think about cooking. Cover 3 oz (85g) fresh shelled walnuts with boiling water, drain, rinse with cold water and dry on kitchen paper. You can peel them, but it might drive you mad, and if they are not old, they shouldn’t be bitter anyway. Chop nuts with 2 or 3 cloves of garlic in the food processor with 3 - 5 fl oz (85 -150ml) good olive oil and 2 - 4 tblspns hot water. Don’t let the puree get too smooth - I find using the pulse button gives me more control. Season to taste with salt and a dash of sherry vinegar or lemon juice. Stir in a little walnut oil if you like. Let it sit for an hour or so to allow flavours to blend. Overnight in the fridge would be good - but let it come up to room temperature before serving. This is also good served sparingly with pasta, and dusted with plenty of chopped parsley.
Green Lentils with Vegetables
Soak green lentils over night in cold water, and then drain. Place in a pan with a bay leaf, cover with fresh water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer until soft. Remove the bay leaf. Heat olive oil in another saucepan and cook in it chopped garlic, sliced onion, leek and celery, or any other vegetables you have about you, like fennel, carrots, mushrooms etc until soft. Add drained lentils with a pinch of ground cloves and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 15 minutes to blend the flavours. If you like, puree the whole lot. For a less monastic dish, stir in a little butter and/or cream at the last minute for flavour. Serve at once.
Please Don’t Despise Lentil Soup
Even though I have made this for years, I am still astonished by how such simple ingredients make such a delicious and beautifully textured soup. When we have this at home, we always repeat the line from an ancient etiquette book, which makes us all laugh feebly: ‘Do not crumble your bread or roll in the soup’. This soup is served with buttered brown bread triangles, which the children are encouraged to dip. In a pan soften an onion in a little olive oil until slightly browned around the edges. Scrub and cut up a couple of carrots and add them, plus some chopped celery heart and leaves, a chopped, washed leek; even a parsnip for a slightly sweeter taste. Pour in a few handfuls of ordinary orange lentils and stir around. Then pour over boiling water or stock. Reduce to simmer and put on the lid. Cook over a low heat or in the oven (AGA bottom oven is good) until the lentils have formed a voluptuous puree. Whizz up in a blender or food processor. Season to taste and thin if necessary with more water or stock. Serve with dollops of yoghurt to cool it slightly for young mouths, and snipped chives to make it pretty for grown-ups.
Grilled Summer Vegetables
Make a marinade with olive oil, two crushed garlic cloves, thyme leaves and basil chopped. Slice courgettes lengthways, an aubergine into rounds, red or green pepper in half lengthways with the white bits and seeds removed, tomatoes deseeded and cut in half lengthways. Put the prepared veg in the marinade and stir so they are coated in olive oil. Cover with cling film and marinade overnight. Heat the grill and group the vegetables on the grill tray which you have lined with foil. Cook on both sides, turning once until soft and fragrant. Lift out of the grill pan, and arrange on a dish. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.
Sandwich fillings: Roast vegetables with green garlic sauce Cube aubergine, courgette, pepper and onion. Peel a head of garlic. Pour a little olive oil over the bottom of a roasting pan, and heat in the oven at Gas 4/180C. Add vegetables above, plus cut up or cherry tomatoes, and toss in oil to coat. Season, and roast until soft, fragrant and slightly charred. Break a couple of eggs into a food processor. Add two or three cloves of garlic, fresh deseeded chilli to taste, salt, pepper, mustard and a tsp of runny honey. Whizz up until light yellow. Begin to pour in slowly olive oil and/or sunflower oil until you have a rich, thick and glossy sauce (very Ascot Royal Enclosure!). Taste for seasoning and leave to blend flavours in the fridge overnight.
When you come to make the sandwiches, choose a vigorous bread with substance such as rye bread or wholewheat sourdough, or pain de campagne. Spread each side with a thin layer of the sauce, and add a mound of the vegetables. Press together firmly and wrap in silver paper.
Orange and Olive Salad
Peel oranges, making sure all the pith is removed. Slice them across into rounds and divide between small plates. Slice an onion very thinly and scatter on top. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a little finely chopped fresh chilli if you like. Cut best black olives in oil off their stones, and scatter the pieces over the salad. Dress with a little good olive oil, and lemon juice to taste.
Organic Fruit Salad
It is always worth making a big bowl of fruit salad and keeping it in the fridge for a day or two. It gives everyone a lift. Grate off the zest of a lemon and put it in a bowl with the juice. Stir in a tblspn of honey, and a little grated fresh ginger if you like it. Then cut up as much fruit as you like that is in season. It is an excellent way to stretch a luxurious and expensive fruit like organic strawberries. Judge for yourself which fruits need peeling, and remember kiwi fruit contains more Vitamin C than almost any other fruit.
Apples, pears, oranges, strawberries, raspberries, bananas, peaches, nectarines, and on and on. It really doesn’t need cream!
Whole Lemon Lemonade
Lemons arrived here in the Middle Ages, oranges a little later in the 15th century. The entranced people used them first as ornamentals or a spice fruit. There is more Vitamin C in the pith and peel than in the flesh, so take advantage of the lack of pesticides and silicone wax by making fresh lemonade. Roughly chop and remove the pips from your lemons. Put them, flesh, pith, peel and all into a blender or Magimix, add a little water and whizz to a pulp. Drain this through a fine, non-metal sieve or cloth. Sweeten with organic sugar, honey or maple syrup and dilute to taste with still or fizzy water.
A wise snippet from a writers blog.
Teach children not only to read, but the habit of reading, and they will always have a way of occupying themselves. Deprive them of this, and a huge proportion will end up in prison. Seems to me a simply equation. So why do children still leave primary school unable to read when there are now proven methods of managing this? Beyond me, Gov. Small son can read well, and wants to. Sees his siblings reading, and wants to be like his big brother. The fact that big brother reads the wrong books under his desk in class is I suppose a side effect we hadn’t anticipated....
Posted @ 10:07:43 on 02 February 2008
http://www.josayoung.co.uk/page3.htm
[Does not teaching them to read, fall under the communist manifesto?
That is what I thought, when I read the above paragraph.
granny
http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/RECIPES/RECIPES/fruits_and_veggies.html/zucchini_slice.html
Zucchini & Vegetable Slice
“In Australia, ‘slice’ describes any food such as a cake or biscuit that is cut into squares in the tin or dish, and lifted out with a knife to serve. The best comparison is to call it a cake or a loaf, but it is definitively a savoury dish to be served with either hot vegetables or salad, or on its own as a snack, perhaps with your favorite sauce.
* 1 large zucchini, grated
* 2 carrots, washed, peeled and grated
* 1 onion, peeled and chopped
* 1 sweet potato, peeled and grated
* 1 bunch of parsley, chopped
* 1 cup Self-Raising flour
* 1 cup grated low fat cheese
* 5 eggs
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 1/4 cup grated cheese
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place grated and chopped vegetables into a large basin together with flour and 2/3 cup grated cheese. (Reserve 1/3 cup for top.) Beat eggs until frothy with olive oil and add to bowl. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.
Spread mixture over bottom of an oven proof dish, sprinkle reserved cheese on top, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes. This slice is delicious served hot and accompanied by salad, or cold with hot vegetables for a snack meal.
Serves: 4 - 6
This recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com
Contributor: Margaret Walker
“This is great food for vegetarians, but for meat lovers, a little chopped ham can be added for extra flavor. It’s one of those adaptable dishes where a tin of corn kernels can be substituted for one of the other vegetables, or one can add chopped chives for color, or capiscum. One can go on and on.” Margaret Walker
http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/RECIPES/RECIPES/Desserts/simnelcake.html
Simnel Cake
Simnel cakes take their name from the Latin word ‘simila’ which refers to the fine flour used in their preparation. Both the English and the French baked simnel cakes on Sundays in Lent. The French cakes were the size of muffins with sugar crosses on top and may be compared to the English Hot Cross Buns.
Almond Paste
*
4 ounces (125 grams) sugar
*
4 ounces (125 grams) almonds, ground
*
1 egg, beaten
*
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Cake
* 4 ounces (125 grams) butter, softened
* 4 ounces (125 grams) soft brown sugar
* 3 eggs, beaten
* 5 ounces (150 grams) all-purpose flour
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
* 12 ounces (350 grams) mixed dried fruit
* 2 ounces (50 grams) mixed citrus peel
* Grated zest of 1/2 lemon,
* 1 teaspoon apricot jam warmed
* Beaten egg for glazing
METHOD
Almond Paste: Mix together sugar and ground almonds, and add enough beaten egg to give a soft consistency. Add almond extract and knead for one minute or until the paste is smooth and pliable. Set aside, covered.
Preheat oven to 140°C (275° F)
Cake: Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, a bit at a time. Sift flour, salt and spice, and add to mixture alternately with dried fruit, mixed peel and zest of lemon. Mix well together.
Place half the mixture into a well lined 7 inxh (18 cm) tin and smooth top with a wooden spoon. Roll out 1/2 the almond paste into a circle and place on top of the cake mixture. Pour in remainder of cake batter and smooth top, hollowing the top slightly. Bake in a preheated oven 140°C (275° F), for one and a half to two hours. Remove and set on rack to cool. When cake is quite cold, brush top with slightly warmed apricot jam.
Roll out remainder of almond paste to fit top of cake. (Save scraps.) Lay it on top of the apricot jam. With the scraps of paste, form eleven small egg shapes, and place eggs around the edge. Brush entire top including eggs with a little beaten egg. Return cake to the oven for about 10 minutes at 180° C (350° F) for almond paste to brown.
The eleven eggs symbolise the eleven faithfully Disciples of Christ.
This recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com
Contributor: Margaret E. Walker
back to Easter recipes
Almond paste is also called marzipan, a favorite among bakers for its pliability.
http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/RECIPES/RECIPES/Cookies/soldbiscuit.html
Soldier’s Biscuits
A biscuit is the same as a cookie, depending on where you live. These soldier’s biscuits are from Margaret’s grandmother’s handwritten recipe book.
* 2 cups flaked oats
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 good tablespoon golden syrup or honey
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 tablespoon of boiling water
METHOD
Preheat oven to 180° C (350° F).
Combine oats, flour and sugar in a bowl.
Melt butter and Golden Syrup (or honey) in a saucepan over a low heat. Mix baking soda with water and add to the butter mixture.
Combine liquids with dry ingredients and mix well. Spoon dollops of mixture, about the size of a walnut shell, onto a greased tin, leaving as much space again between dollops to allow for spreading.
Bake in a preheated, 180° C (350° F) oven for 15-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and seal in airtight containers.
Tips: The American tablespoon is a little smaller than the British tablespoon, so be generous with your Golden Syrup (or Honey) and Water.
recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com
Contributor: Margaret E. Walker
read more about australian food more cookie recipes
From our friend, Brian Wilson come this information about Soldier’s cookies: “Soldiers Biscuit was one of the original names for these biscuits and was only changed to ANZAC sometime after the Gallipol landing. Therefore, you can date the Soldier’s Biscuit recipe to somewhere most likely between 1914 and 1920 or so. The anzac recipe however, would be dated after 1927 as they didn’t begin to include coconut until after this year.”
http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/RECIPES/RECIPES/DESSERT2/CAKES/frt_veg_MW.html
Fruity-Veggie Cake
From our down-under friend Margaret in Australia.
* 1 cup of self-rising flour
* 1 cup of plain flour (can be whole-meal)
* 1 teaspoon bi-carbonate soda
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg or mixed spice
* 3 cups of dried fruit (diced apricots, sultanas or mixed fruit, cranberries, currants, dates etc. combinations are endless)
* 1 large peeled, grated beetroot or 2 carrots or 1 med. Sweet potato or 2 grated apples
* ½ cup walnuts
* Zest and juice of one lemon
* 1 tablespoon of marmalade or fig jam
* 4 eggs
* 7.5 fluid oz. Sunflower or canola oil
* 1 cup sugar
Method
In a large bowl, mix together the first nine ingredients (flours through jam).
In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, oil and sugar.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients, mixing well.
Fill a well lined square cake tin or two log tins.
Bake in a preheated moderate oven 165° C (350° F) for 1 hr 45 minutes or until cooked right through - test with skewer.
If the top begins to brown too quickly place a sheet of foil over the cake and remove 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
Remove from the oven and place on a rack for 5 minutes then turn out and leave until cold before storing in an air-tight container. This cake keeps extremely well.
Contributor: Margaret Walker
http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/RECIPES/RECIPES/breakfast/bac_egg_pie.html
Bacon and Egg Pie
If, as the saying goes, ‘Real men don’t eat quiche’ there is a manly-man alternative in this down-under favorite, egg and bacon pie...Sliced and served, either hot or cold, along with a side of warm vegetables or a cool salad, this is a hearty dish fit for a big appetite.” 1001 Foods to Die For
* 8 ounces shortcrust pastry
* 6 eggs
* 1 cup milk
* 4 strips bacon, chopped
* 1/3 cup grated Cheddar cheese
* 2 tablespoons chopped chives
* 1 tablespoon chopped dill
* 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
* Cracked black pepper
* 6 thin strips bacon, rind removed
Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until 1/8 inch thick. Place the pastry in a 10-inch pie dish and trim the edges. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Prick the base of the pastry and line with nonstick parchment paper. Fill the shell with baking beans and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the weights and paper, and cook for a further 5 minutes. (This process keeps the pastry crisp when adding wet ingredients to the pastry shell.)
Place the eggs and milk in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the bacon, Cheddar, chives, dill, mustard, and pepper and mix to combine. Pour the mixture into the pastry shell, top with thin bacon, and bake at 315°F for 35 to 45 minutes or until the pie is set. Serve hot or cold with a peppery arugula salad.
Serves: 6
Reprinted with permission from ©The Madison Press Limited, 1001 Foods to Die For, published by Andrews McMeel. Adapted from Donna Hay’s The New Cook. click for book review and more recipes
http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/RECIPES/RECIPES/Breads/Cornbreadsweepotato.html
Cornbread with Sweet Potato
Sweet potato is often mixed with all-purpose flour to make biscuits. We loved it as a cornbread, mixed with the same meal used for polenta, instead of plain flour.
* 2 cups sweet potato, boiled and mashed
* 125 grams (4 ounces) unsalted butter
* 4 eggs, lightly beaten
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 cup plain yoghurt
* 2 cups coarse ground corn meal
METHOD
Preheat oven to 180° C (350° F).
Butter a 20cm (9 inch) cake tin.
Blend sweet potato, butter, eggs, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a food processor until smooth. Stir in yoghurt and cornmeal and pour into greased, lined tin.
Bake for 45 minutes in preheated oven, or until a fine skewer comes out clean. Cool a little before turning out. Cut into squares to serve with meat and salad.
Cold cornbread can be fried quickly on both sides and served as a base for grilled meat.
It is possible to substitute pumpkin for sweet potato, but it must be a dry pumpkin.
Yield: 12 - 15 pieces
recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com
Contributor: Margaret E. Walker
http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/RECIPES/RECIPES/Desserts/CocoJamtart.html
Coconut Jam Tart
We wish we had some of Margaret’s home made jam for this lovely tart.
* 1 cup butter, softened
* 1 cup sugar
* 2 eggs - beaten
* 2 cups Self Raising Flour, sifted
* 1/2 cup jam - any flavor
Topping
* 1/4 cup butter, softened
* 1/2 cup sugar
*
1 egg
* 1 1/2 cups dessicated coconut
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cream butter and sugar, add beaten eggs. Mix in sifted flour with a fork. When dough holds together and ingredients are well combined, shape into a ball and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll out to fit a 8 inch pie dish. Fill with jam.
Topping
Cream butter and sugar, and beat in egg. When combined, mix in coconut.
Spread this topping over the jam.
Bake for 40 - 45 minutes in preheated 350°F (175° C) oven.
This recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com
Contributor: Margaret Walker
http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/OPENING_PAGES/mainrecipe.html
Potato Salad Australia Style
This potato salad comes to us from Australia. It is a creamy salad that is excellent with meats.
* 6 large potatoes
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1/2 cup chopped parsley
* 1 tablespoon fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped click for note
* 1 teaspoon deli-style mustard click for note
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 2 hard-boiled eggs
* Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
Gently boil scrubbed potatoes until a skewer will penetrate to the centre. Turn off heat, pour off water and fill pot with cold water. Leave until potatoes are quite cold. Lift from water and peel off outer skin.
Chop potatoes into even sized cubes and place into a bowl with onion, parsley and coriander.
Mix together mustard and mayonnaise. Add to potatoes with chopped eggs, and mix gently to combine.
Refrigerate until served.
Serves: 6 - 8
This recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com
Contributor: Margaret Walker
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The pungent herb that Margaret calls coriander is also known as cilantro or Chinese parsley. It is frequently used in Latin and Chinese cooking.
There are many varieties of mustard. Please don’t use a smooth variety, but one that has a trace of the seed still in it.
Pepper-crusted Lamb with Plum Chutney
A delicious Australian native spice is Blue Mt. Pepper. This is the ground leaf of the Mountain Pepper tree, which grows in the Blue Mountain rain forests of New South Wales, the rain forests of Queensland and Tasmania. The ground leaf has a very intense peppery flavour and less is required than ordinary pepper.
* Rib eye fillet of lamb, sufficient to serve four
* 1/2 cup mint jelly
* 1/4 cup Blue Mt. Ground pepper Or 1/3 cup black pepper
Plum Chutney
* 1/2 cup cranberry sauce
* 1/2 cup canned plums drained and chopped
* 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
* 2 tablespoons sifted brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
METHOD
Preheat oven to moderate 180°C (375°F).
Brush lamb with mint jelly.
Place pepper on a greaseproof sheet and roll lamb fillet to coat evenly.
Place lamb onto an oiled baking dish and bake for twenty minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing
Chutney: combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Chutney can be made up to three days ahead and stored in the refrigerator until required.
Serve with baked potatoes, baked garlic and a salad of green leaves topped with fried bacon and bottled French dressing mixed with yoghurt, salt and pepper to taste.
Serves: 4
Contributor: Margaret E. Walker
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More about Blue Mountain Pepper:
The berries of the Mountain Pepper tree are also used in food preparation. The berries are used either fresh in sauces, or dried and ground, when they provide a beautiful pink colour to a sauce along with the wonderful hot spicy taste.
Lamingtons
Lamingtons are chocolate coated cubes of sponge cake, rolled in desiccated coconut; usually served with whipped cream and afternoon tea.
* 6 ounces /(170 grams) sugar
* 2 ounces(60 grams) butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
* 2 eggs, well beaten
* 1/4 cup (65 mls) milk
* 8 ounces (220 grams) self raising flour, sifted
* 1/4 cup hot water
* 1 cup icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar)
* 1 dessertspoon cocoa
* 2 cups desiccated coconut (approximate)
METHOD
Cream sugar and butter together. Stir in vanilla to blend. Add eggs and milk alternately with the sifted flour.
Pour the mixture into a 11 x 9 inch baking pan. (In Australia called a lamington tray.) Cake will be about 2 inches high.
Bake in a moderate 375° F (185° C) oven for about 30-40 minutes.
Icing: Mix hot water with icing sugar and cocoa.
Place coconut into a shallow tray.
When the cake is quite cold, cut into two inch squares and dip into the chocolate icing then roll each cube in the desiccated coconut until well coated.
Yield: About 20 lamingtons.
This recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com
Contributor: Margaret E. Walker read Margaret’s article about Australian food
Golden Syrup Dumplings
Dumplings for dessert? Yes when they are cooked in golden syrup.
Dumplings
* 1 cup self-raising flour
* 1 egg
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1 tablespoon milk
Syrup
*
1 cup water
*
1/2 cup sugar
*
2 tablespoons Golden syrup or honey
*
1 tablespoon butter
METHOD
Sift flour into a bowl. and rub in the butter until it is like breadcrumbs. Beat the egg and milk together, and carefully mix with the flour to make a soft dough. Do not over-mix as this will make the dumplings tough.
Place the water, sugar, butter and golden syrup into a large saucepan and bring to the boil.
Drop in teaspoonfuls of the dough, cover with a lid and simmer over a moderate heat for about 12 minutes or so until cooked. Remove from the heat and serve with warm runny custard or ice-cream.
Serves 4 - 6 people
Contributor: Margaret Walker
http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/OPENING_PAGES/mainrecipe.html
Cottage Pie
Cottage pie, or shepherd’s pie is the ultimate comfort food.
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1 large onion, finely chopped
* 1 medium leek, white only, finely chopped
* 3 carrots, finely chopped
* 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
* 1 tablespoon oil
* 2 pounds lean ground beef
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 6 medium potatoes, peeled and boiled
* 1/2 cup milk, heated
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
* 1 cup peas
* 1 tablespoon butter, cut in pea-size piece
METHOD
Melt butter in large, heavy pot. (As always, a Dutch oven is good.) Cook onions, leek, carrots and celery over low heat until soft, about 15 minutes. While that is cooking, sauté ground beef with oil in a frying pan, breaking up any large pieces with a wooden spoon.
When beef has lost its red color, drain excess fat, and add to vegetables. Pour in chicken broth. Mix in tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine, and turn into a baking dish.
Bake in preheated 350° F oven for 10 minutes.
Put potatoes through a ricer or a food mill. Stir in milk, butter and grated nutmeg.
Take pie from oven and stir in peas. Spread the mashed potatoes on top, forming swirls with a fork. Dot with diced butter bits and return to the oven for another 30 minutes.
Serves 6 - 8
Time is a good storyteller - Irish Proverb
recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com
Contributor: Mary Merz for Theresa Farrell
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London Butterbean Hotpot
Isobel said that a hotpot could be considered a descendant of the English pot pie. It’s discovery must have must have been simultaneous with the widespread use of the fork. Lima beans may be substituted for butterbeans.
* 4 ounces (110 grams) dried butterbeans (or one 8 ounce can)
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 medium onion (about 3/4 cup)
* 1 medium leek, white part only (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup)
* 1 medium parsnip (about 1/2 cup)
* 1 large carrot (about 3/4 cup)
* 1/3 cup pearl barley
* 2 cups (1 pint) hot vegetable stock
* 1 cup (25cl) lager
* 1 teaspoon marjoram
* 1 teaspoon dried parsley or 1 tablespoon fresh, minced parsley
* 1/4 teaspoon rosemary
* 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
* Salt and freshly milled pepper to taste
METHOD
If using dried beans, clean and soak overnight. Cook in water to cover by three inches for about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. When tender, drain and set aside.
Heat oil. Stir in onion and cook over medium heat until onion is just becoming translucent.
Stir in leek, parsnip, and carrot. Cook, stirring for two minutes.
Add barley, reserved butterbeans and hot stock.
Pour in lager slowly. It will foam. When foaming subsides, stir in marjoram, parsley, rosemary and mustard. Bring to the boil, turn down heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables and barley are cooked, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Taste for season. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serves: 2 to 4 people
“ENJOY with hunks of bread or jacket (baked), boiled or mashed potatoes.” Isobel Lane
Contributor: Isobel Lane
Leek and Mushroom Hotpot
For this leek and mushroom hotpot, Isobel recommends Emmenthal or Gruyere cheese “ because they melt into nice blobs and strings.” We like that description!
* 1 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (enough to cover bottom of pan)
* 2 large, or 3 or 4 small leeks, white only
* 6 large mushrooms (about 8 ounces)
* 1/2 cup cooked lima beans
* 6 ounce can chopped plum tomatoes
* 1/4 teaspoon marjoram
* Freshly milled black pepper to taste
* Salt to taste
* 1 -2 cups vegetable stock
Topping
*
5 large potatoes
*
1 cup (about 1/4 pound) grated Emmenthal or Gruyere cheese
METHOD
Put the oil into a flame and oven proof casserole over a medium flame.
Chop the leeks into rounds and add to the warm oil. Cook until softened.
Quarter the mushrooms and add to the leeks. Stir together.
Add tomatoes, beans, marjoram, pepper, and salt. Stir well. Add enough stock to reach the top of the casserole contents and stir well. (You don’t want it too wet)
Bring to the boil, turn heat down to simmer, cover tightly, and allow to simmer while you make topping.
Peel and slice potatoes into thin rounds, about 1/4 inch. Put in cold water and boil until nearly cooked.
While potatoes are cooking heat oven to 400°F.
Remove potatoes from water. Drain well.
Put one layer of potatoes on casserole, completely covering the contents. Sprinkle on a layer of grated cheese keeping enough for one more layer. Add another layer of potatoes. Finish with remaining cheese.
Put lid back on and place casserole in pre-heated 400° F oven. Cook for 25 minutes.
Remove lid. Cook for another 5-10 minutes until cheese topping is brown and bubbly.
Serves: 2- 3
This recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com
Contributor: Isobel Lane
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Eggplant, Mozzarella and Cheddar Hot Pot
* 4 large white potatoes, peeled
* 2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 medium eggplant (about 9 inches long) in 1/4 inch rounds
* 1 large onion in 1/4 inch slices
* 1 cup plum tomatoes (one 10 ounce can)
* 2 cups cooked chick peas (one 15 ounce can)
* 2 tablespoons green lentils
* 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
* 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
* Freshly milled black pepper to taste
* 1 ounce mozzarella cheese, grated
* 1 ounce cheddar cheese, grated
* boiling water as needed
METHOD
Slice potatoes in 1/4 inch rounds. Place in saucepan of cold, salted water. Bring to the boil and cook until beginning to soften. Drain and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in frying pan. When warm, gently sauté the eggplant until it begins to brown. Turn and repeat on other side. As each piece is done, remove to paper towel.
When eggplant is finished, stir onion in frying pan. (Add additional oil only if necessary.) Cook until softened, but not browned.
Stir in tomatoes, chick peas, lentils, garlic, parsley and black pepper. Cook over medium heat for 40 - 45 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Add boiling water if necessary to prevent drying.
Mix grated cheeses together. Add one tablespoon boiling water or the whey from fresh mozzarella to make a paste.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
When sauce is finished, spoon 1/3 of the sauce over the bottom of an ovenproof casserole with a lid. Cover with 1/2 the eggplant and add another 1/3 sauce. Layer on remaining eggplant.
Spread 1/3 of cheese mixture onto eggplant. Add 1/2 the potatoes, another 1/3 cheese and then remaining potatoes. Finish with last 1/3 cheese.
Cover and bake in middle of oven at 400°F for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake 10 additional minutes to brown and bubble.
Serves: 4 - 6
recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com
Contributor: Isobel Lane
Four and Twenty Blackbirds, or Pot Pies and Pasties
by Diana Farrell Serbe
Sing a song of sixpence, pocket full of rye,
Four and twenty blackbirds, baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened, the birds began to sing,
Wasn’t that a dainty dish to set before the king.
This familiar children’s rhyme informs us that a large number of birds can be baked in a pie when rye is abundant enough to fill up one’s pocket. It goes on to tell us that the resultant dish would be festive enough to serve to royalty. A monarch would have been one of the few in possession of a fork, so it was an elegant choice for other celebrants at a feast. A richly sauced pot pie would be eaten with finesse when a crust was used as a utensil. The alternative was the less delicate method of using fingers to pick up the juicy contents of the pie. The world owes many crusty dishes to the absence of cutlery.
In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer mentions “All of pasties be the walls of flesh, of fish, and rich meat.” He spoke of pasties, pouches of dough that were small and portable rather than their next of kin, pot pies, which were very large and stayed on the table.
Pot pies were used as feast day dishes in medieval England. Pigeon, partridge, pheasant, grouse and squab were baked in the pies, as were rabbits, venison, mutton, fowl, fish, pork. We know from reading old recipes that the pies were cooked long enough to ensure that no birds could have been singing when the pies were opened. Small birds were boned and stuffed into larger birds, following the Roman tradition noted in the works of Apicius. (See the 18th century English recipe below.) As for rye, the old recipes merely say to use flour. Although Finland produced a pasty that was made with rye flour, barley flour was more common in England.
In the English tradition, the early pies were ‘raised,’ which signified the the dough stood by itself. To make this dough, lard or suet was melted with milk or water, and poured into the well in the center of a pile of flour. The dough was kneaded and set aside to rest. After resting, it was rolled and shaped around a pot or casserole (hence the name pot pie). The pot was removed, leaving the pastry case standing alone, ready to be filled. The shell, a thick and heavy affair, was called a ‘coffin’ which certainly would lead one to think that no birds, least of all four and twenty, were singing.
Fillings often combined sweet and savory together. Currants and raisins were mixed with meat, then sprinkled with sugar. The minced meat pie that we eat as a Christmas dessert today is but the ghost of the original which was similarly sweetened, but actually had minced meat in it.
Cornish Pasties were large and round, filled with a meat stuffing, folded in half and sealed with more dough. The dough was sturdy, enabling miners and fishermen alike to use their pasties as portable lunches. (A serviceable lunch pail that was brought by immigrants to the Upper Peninsula in Michigan, - read Pierogi, Pasties and a Big Bowl of Corn Flakes.) The pastry maker carved the owners Initials in one end of the pastry, both as a steam vent while cooking, and as a territorial marking so no one would mistake who was the owner of the pasty.
The Finnish of North Karelia, a region that is now part of Russia, also had a pasty, this one generally stuffed with rice and made with a rye flour. The kalakukko fish pie is another delicacy from Finland. These are round, loaf-shaped pasties filled with fish and pork and baked at low heat.
ABOUT THOSE FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS: Yes, there is evidence that a pot pie could be baked with a removable lid. On at least one festive occasion, the lid was removed, live birds put in, the lid returned to the pie. More than likely, when the pie was opened, the birds sang with the joy of liberation. Considering that live birds would be subject to nature’s process of digestion and elimination, we do not dare to imagine what they left behind in the pie. We are extremely grateful that today’s superstar chefs compete with each other through swirls and whirls, rather than the use living creatures.
Yorkshire Christmas Pie (1765) from County Recipes of Old England, 1929 by Mrs. Helen Edden
‘First make a good standing crust, let the wall and bottom be very thick; bone by opening down the back, a turkey, a goose, a fowl, a partridge, and a pigeon. Season them all very well, using 1/2 oz. of mace, nutmeg, and black pepper, 1/4 oz. of cloves, two large spoonfuls of salt, and mix them together. First bone the pigeon, then the partridge, cover them one with the other; then the fowl, the goose, and the turkey, which must be large, covering each bird in turn, so that at the last it looked like one large turkey. Lay the turkey in the pie and fill up the corners with hare or woodcock cut in small pieces. Fill the pie closely and put at least 4 lb. of fresh butter on the top. Cover with a thick lid of past and let the pie be well baked for at least four hours. This crust will take a bushel of flour.’
Get contemporary recipes:
Chicken Pot Pie
London Hotpot, a savory descendant the creation of member, Isobel Lane
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© Diana Farrell Serbe
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Mince Meat Filling
Mary Merz uses a recipe from her mother’s book which dates back to 1910. This mince meat filling was in her mother’s handwriting, and acknowledged that it came from Mrs. Soden. We salute you, Mrs. Soden, and we salute you, Mary, for saving this mince meat recipe. Read about Mary in flour by the sackful.
* 3 cups golden raisins
* 3 cups raisins
* 3 cups currants
* 2 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples
* 1 pound beef, cooked and minced
* 3/4 cup citron
* 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon mace
* 2 teaspoons grated nutmeg
* 3 cups brown sugar, packed
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1 quart apple cider
* 1/2 pound beef suet, minced
* 1/2 cup brandy
METHOD
Roughly chop the dried fruit.
Peel, core and chop apples into half inch dice.
Put all ingredients, except for brandy, into a 8 quart pot. Mix well, and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until apples are soft, stirring frequently. When softened, cook for 30 minutes, partially covered. Season with brandy.
Pack into sterilized jars. Distribute freely in neighborhood, wishing everyone a happy holiday.
Yield: About 1 gallon or enough for about 10 pies.
This recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com
Contributor: Donna Davis for Mary Merz
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dessert recipes
English Christmas Pudding
A quick version of classic English Christmas pudding. “My wife started making it years ago, now my daughter carries on the tradition. It’s not as difficult as it looks.” Roland Greenwold
* 11 ounce can of mandarins
* 2 ounces sultanas (golden raisins)
* 2 ounces seedless raisins
* 2 tablespoons sherry wine
* 3 ounces glace fruits
* 4 ounces butter
* 4 ounces confectioners sugar
* 2 ounces ground almonds
* 1 (8 ounce) package trifle sponge cakes (or ladyfingers)
* 1 (5 ounce)` carton double cream (heavy cream)
* 2 tablespoons milk
METHOD
Lightly butter a 1 pint pudding basin.
Drain mandarin oranges, reserving syrup.
Put sultanas and raisins in a small bowl. Stir in sherry.( If you prefer to make without alcohol, you can substitute 2 tablespoons reserved mandarin syrup. )
Chop glace fruits if they are not already chopped. Chop mandarin oranges. Set aside.
Cream together butter and confectioners sugar until light and fluffy. Fold in ground almonds and glace fruits. Crumble sponge cake into mixture. Fold in oranges, sultanas, raisins and syrup.
Place mixture in pudding basin and press down firmly. Level top with back of spoon. Cover with foil and chill in refrigerator overnight or for 4 days.
Just before serving, whisk cream and milk together until thick.
Remove foil from pudding. Run a knife around top of pudding to loosen it from basin. Place basin in hot water for about 30 seconds. Invert onto a plate. Spread cream over pudding and swirl with palette knife.
Place a sprig of artificial holly on top of pudding .
Serves: 8 - 10
This recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com
Contributor: Roland Greenwold
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Happy Holiday Cooking
Traditional English Plum Pudding (Christmas Pudding)
In the English tradition, all the children help stir the lum pudding, making their Christmas wishes wishes as they stir. Classic Plum Pudding, there’s not a fresh plum in it. Since the pudding needs a month to mellow and mature, that’s a head start on making a Christmas list.
#
1 pound sultanas
#
1 pound currants
#
1/2 pound raisins
#
1/2 pound chopped dates
#
1 cup candied peel
#
2 tablespoons blanched, slivered almonds
#
2 cups chopped suet
#
1 1/4 cups flour
#
1 teaspoon salt
#
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
#
1/2 teaspoon allspice
#
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
#
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
#
1/2 cup free-flowing brown sugar
#
1 tart cooking apple, peeled and grated
#
6 eggs
#
juice of 1 orange
#
juice of 1 lemon
#
1/2 cup buttermilk, ale or stout
#
3 cups fresh white bread crumbs
# 1/2 cup brandy
METHOD
Oil 2 medium pudding tins or basins. Set aside.
Put dried fruits, candied peel, almonds and suet in a large mixing bowl. Lightly dredge with 1/4 cup of flour.
Sift together remaining 1 cup flour and spices. Add to fruit mixture with sugar and grated apple. Mix well.
Beat eggs until frothy. Mix in citrus juices, buttermilk, ale or stout. Add to pudding mixture. Mix well. Add bread crumbs and mix again.
Pour into molds, filling each mold 3/4 full. (See note if using pudding basins.) Cover tightly and steam for 6 hours. The water should not go off the boil. The water may need replenishing. Be sure to add boiling water.
When finished, remove pudding and let cool. Uncover. Pour brandy over cooled pudding. Cover again and save in refrigerator for one month. When ready to serve, steam again for one hour. Serve with hard sauce.
COVERING A PUDDING BASIN - THE WAY IT WAS: Today we can get pudding molds in specialty stores, but our mothers frequently used coffee cans or pudding basins. Should you want to try it their way, here are the instructions.
Butter a piece of heavy freezer paper. Cut a piece of foil the same size as the freezer paper. Make a one inch pleat across the top, and place both on top of pudding basin with the foil on top. Tie securely with string, forming a loop at one side. Tie again with another loop at the other side. The loops will function as handles for easy removal from the water.
Serves 16.
This recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com
Contributor: Alison Binkerd for Debbie Farrell
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Happy Holiday Cooking
According to Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management (1861), the pudding should be topped with a sprig of holly when it is unmolded. Pour a glass of brandy around the pudding, light the brandy, and bring it to the table flaming
Salsa Cotta (Dipping Sauce from Modena)
“This recipe is easy to do and goes well with meats especially pot roast. My relatives in Northern Italy (Modena) use it as a dipping sauce for meat. I personally like to eat it just as is along with my meat (beef).” Loretta Harrison
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 1 small carrot, diced
* 1 large tomato
* 2 tablespoons celery, chopped
* 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 2 tablespoons parsley, minced
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 4 ounces water
* 2 tablespoons vinegar
* 1 beef bouillon cube
METHOD
Put onion, carrot, tomato, celery, red pepper, garlic and parsley in large sauté pan. Cook over medium until ingredients begin to brown.
Add olive oil, water and vinegar. Cook for 3 - 5 minutes. Add bouillon cube. Stir to dissolve. Simmer over low heat, covered, for about 1 hour. Let cool.
Yield: About 1 1/2 cups dipping sauce
recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com
Contributor: Loretta Harrison
Mushroom Ragout
Versaltility reigns! This is a wonderful topping for polenta, but it can also be the sauce on fettucine to make a quick pasta meal. In Italy, you see mushroom ragout as part of an antipasto. This is also a fine side dish for roasted meats. Go for it.
* 1 pound fresh white mushrooms
* 1 pound fresh porcini mushrooms
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
* 1/2 cup chicken broth
* 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley
* Salt to taste
* 1/2 cup sour cream
METHOD
Wash mushrooms and chop in large chunks. If the white mushrooms are small, leave whole.
Melt butter and oil in frying pan over moderate heat. Cook garlic until it starts to color. Add mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add chicken broth and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until mushrooms are almost cooked and liquid has reduced. Add parsley, and season with salt. Cook for another 2 minutes.
Remove pan from heat. Cool for 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream.
Serves 6 - 8 with polenta or pasta.
This recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com
Contributor: Jenny Cavanna for Caterina Boselli
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Chinese Turnip Cake
Turnip cake is a classic item on the dim sum menu.It is also traditional at New Year’s where it represents rising good fortune. It is equally good served at lunch or as an appetizer to a Chinese inspired meal.
* 2 tablespoons dried shrimp
* 4 Chinese dried black mushrooms
* 1 1/2 pound white turnips
* 2 cups water
* 1/2 cup chopped Chinese sausage
* 1 1/2 cups rice flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 scallions, green part only, finely sliced
* Hoisin sauce
METHOD
Soak shrimp in warm water for 20 minutes. In separate bowl, soak mushrooms in warm water for 20 minutes.
While shrimp and mushrooms are soaking, peel and grate turnips. Bring water to boil. When boiling, add turnips, lower heat and cook for 10 minutes or until turnips are soft.
Remove shrimp and mushrooms from water. Drain and pat dry. Chop into fine pieces. Add with chopped sausage to turnip mixture.
With a whisk, slowly stir in rice flour and salt.
Pour into a 9 inch cake pan and steam on a rack in large pot for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The Chinese use the wok for this. Be sure to watch the level of the water used for steaming. Test for doneness as you would with any cake, by inserting a toothpick in the center. When it comes out clean, cake is done.
Cool cake slightly. Cut into squares the size of a brownie. Garnish with scallions and hoisin sauce.
Alternatively, the small cakes can be fried in a little oil until golden and then garnished.
Serves 4 - 6
This recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com.
Contributor: John Liang for Karen Liang
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Tip: Bacon is a acceptable substitute for Chinese sausage which is a hard sausage, akin to Italian salami. You are after the crunch to surprise the palate when eating the soft cakes.
Maurine’s Coconut Buns
Maurine brought this recipe with her from British Guyana when she immigrated to New York. She also brought with her the tradition of cooking on Saturday. This is a favorite of the entire family.
* 2 cups flour
* 1 cup sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 pound margarine, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup whole or skim milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup grated/flaked coconut
* 1/2 cup chopped pecans
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
Add margarine to dry ingredients and mix with a pastry cutter or a fork until mixture looks like oatmeal.
In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, milk and vanilla. Add to flour mixture, along with coconut and pecans. Mix just enough to blend.
Drop dough by tablespoons onto a cookie sheet about two inches apart.
Bake for 45 minutes in preheated oven.
Yield: about 24 buns.
recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com
Contributor: Maurine Crawford
http://www.festivaloffrugality.com/
Frugal Tip: Coupon Strategies For The Novice Couponer
February 26th, 2009
When I entered the wonderful world of using coupons, I had no idea that it could be so complex. I thought I would just clip a coupon, go find that item, and hand the coupon to the cashier when I was checking out. Yes, you can do that (and I often do), but there is a whole set of strategies that go along with using coupons effectively. Here are a few of the things I’ve learned as a semi-seasoned couponer:
1. You can use more than one coupon for the same item in certain circumstances. In most cases, if you have a store-issued coupon and a manufacturer-issued coupon, you can combine them on the same item.
2. The order you hand the coupons to the cashier can matter. At Walgreens for example, if you have a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon, hand the cashier the manufacturer one first. Then the store one - for if your discount makes the item better than free, this will give you the most savings.
3. Search online for a coupon before you buy. There are lots of coupons online available for everything from everyday items to specialty ones. Once you have a grocery list in hand, search online for coupons before you go!
I hope these simple coupon tips help you save even more on your next shopping trip!
Frugal Tip provided by paidtwice who has never met a coupon she didn’t love.
Posted in Frugal Tip |
Frugal Tip: Cold Water, Please!
March 12th, 2009
Sometimes, you want to use hot water in the washing machine. Maybe you’ve got whites with a lot of stains and feel hot water is the only way to get them really sparkling clean. But every load? Don’t do it! Just don’t.
Heating the water that goes into your washing machine is, by far, the most expensive part of the cost per load of running the machine. So if you use cold water, you significantly reduce the amount of electricity needed to run a load of clothes.
Hot water fades and shrinks your clothes anyway. Cold water rules! And clothes still come out clean. Some stains actually set when hot water is used - blood for example needs cold water to get it out, not hot.
Turn that dial to cold and watch your electric bill shrink!
This frugal tip by paidtwice who has not used hot water in her washing machine in so long she doesn’t remember how to change the dial.
Posted in Frugal Tip |
20 Things You Can Sell or Re-Use That You Already Have In Your Home
Written by Kathryn on February 9, 2009
I don’t know about you but the first thing that I do when I suddenly realize that money is getting tight towards the end of the month is to look around my home to see if there is anything that I can sell. The immediate benefit of this is the quick cash that you get from the sale. However, there are also longer-term benefits to be considered.
When you regularly get rid of items in your home in this manner, you give yourself the chance to continually de-clutter your home. This helps you to realize how much you buy that you don’t actually need which can ultimately help you to change your buying habits. It also frees up physical space in the home which can clear up your mental space and help you to have a calmer, more “zen” approach to life.
Additionally, focusing on how to sell or re-use the items that are in your home already allows you to use your creative side in being frugal. This means that you’ll not only save money but also improve your overall quality of life. You’ll be richer in your bank account and richer in your life experience.
Perhaps you’re thinking that you don’t have that much stuff around the house right now that you can get rid of. Think again. Here’s a look at twenty items that you probably have in your home right now that you can either sell for cash or re-use to avoid spending money on something new.
1. Books. Almost everyone has books hanging around their homes that they don’t actually need to keep hanging on to. You may be surprised at how much money you can get for some of these books (especially if you have some good textbooks hanging around!) Your best bet is to set up a seller’s account on Amazon.com and sell them individually through that site. However, you can also sell books to local bookstores or list them on a classified ad site either individually or in bulk. (photo source)
2. Unused electronics. Many of us hang on to electronics that we aren’t using. The laptop that started to get old but still works, the digital camera that we replaced with a better one, the video game system that we never really got that into after all … these are all things that are taking up space in our homes and that may be turned into a few bucks with a quick sale.
3. Kitchen stuff. Do you have kitchen stuff that you don’t use? If you’ve got a set of good dishes that were given to you but aren’t being used, consider selling them. Perhaps you’ve got a gently-used toaster or blender or George Foreman grill that you know you could live without. Maybe you’ve just got some extra pots and pans. These things can be sold through classified sites. If they’re in good condition, they can also be cleaned up and wrapped to give to someone as a gift which saves you from having to purchase a gift for the next wedding or birthday party you attend.
4. Clothes. It can be difficult to make a lot of money off of selling your old clothes but it’s possible to get some pocket change while clearing out your closet. Sell these locally to a used clothing store, on classified sites or through an auction site like eBay. Make sure that you pay particular attention to clothes that are brand new, vintage or designer as these will garner you the most money. If you’ve got some sewing skills, you can get creative by adding your own embroidery to customize the piece. This makes it unique and may make it valuable. If you have a lot of clothes to get rid of, you might even want to get into the business of altering clothes to create new designs and open up an online store on a site such as Etsy.
5. CDs. How many CDs do you have that you don’t need to keep hanging on to? Rip them to your computer and then sell the originals. You can sell them to a local music store or sell them online through a wide variety of sites including Amazon.com.
6. Jewelry and accessories. Take a look in your closet and see if you’ve got any items that you aren’t accessorizing with anymore. That hat that looked so cute on the mannequin but never looked right on you, the brooch that your grandma gave you but you never really liked, the beaded bracelets from your college days … these things can all be sold locally or online to clean up your jewelry box and earn you a few bucks. Alternatively, these can be set aside to give as gifts to others so that you don’t have to spend money on gifts for them at the holidays.
7. Tools. Men are particularly prone to purchasing tools that they never end up using but women have this problem sometimes as well. If you take a look in the tool shed and see that there are some things there that you’ve only used once or twice (or never at all) then you should think about selling them. Get back some of that money that you spent and get yourself something that you’ll really use around the house! (photo source)
8. Games / toys. Kids rapidly outgrow their games and toys. Often, these things are still in decent condition. We hang on to them thinking that we’re going to pass them on to younger kids in the family one day but then we never bother passing them along. Consider selling these gently-used items instead. Don’t forget video games which can be quite valuable!
9. Musical instruments. How many of us have yearned to play an instrument, bought a brand new flute or drum set or guitar, and then quickly realized that we just didn’t have the musical ear? Sell these to a local music store or through a classified ad to someone else who has that musical dream.
10. DVDs. Many families have big DVD collections of films that they haven’t watched more than once or films that they stopped watching years ago. Go through your collection and see how many movies you can bear to get rid of. List them on a site like Amazon and watch them sell.
11. Furniture. Take a good look around your home at each piece of furniture that you have. Do you really need it? Does the desk in the den actually get used? Would your bed be just as nice without the frame? Do your decorative lamps never get turned on? You probably have at least one item of furniture that you could sell and possibly get a pretty penny for.
12. Magazines. The truth is that it’s really difficult to sell magazines for very much money at all unless you happen to have some rare magazines stacked up in your home. Check this first but then consider all of the things that you can make with old magazines. Turn those pages into art and DIY projects that you can sell through a site such as Etsy.
13. Paper bags and plastic bags. Everyone has extra bags lying around their homes, taking up space. You won’t be able to sell these but you can certainly re-use them to avoid spending money in other places. Use paper bags as book covers, shelf liners, and wrapping paper. See other tips for reusing paper bags here. Use plastic bags so you don’t need to buy so many trash bags. See other tips for reusing plastic bags here.
14. Art. A lot of people have art in their homes that they keep out of habit. Even if it’s not particularly valuable, you may be able to get a few bucks for it by selling it to someone else who will appreciate it more than you do. Have a yard sale or list items individually for sale online.
15. Knick knacks. Go through your home and collect all of the little knick knacks and tchotchkes that are collecting dust throughout your home. Take some good digital pictures and post them on an online classified site or auction site and let them clutter up someone else’s home. (photo source)
16. Bicycles. A lot of people have a bicycle hanging around the house that they never use. If you’re one of those people, consider starting to use the bike to save yourself some money on the wear and tear of your car. However, if you know that you’re not ever going to really do that, stop just letting the bike sit there. Sell it and the helmet that you got with it and put that money away for a rainy day.
17. Other sports equipment or gym equipment. Bicycles aren’t the only sports equipment that people keep and don’t use. Basketballs, tennis racquets and yoga mats often get purchased and then barely used. Even more common to see just sitting there is fancy gym equipment. You may want to use these things to get fit for cheap at home. Or you may realize that you don’t need a lot of equipment to work out at home and decide instead to sell these items now so that you have more room in your house and more cash in your pocket.
18. Arts and crafts stuff. Most people either keep a bunch of random arts and crafts stuff in their homes or just toss it away. If you put it together in a set, you can probably sell it online or at a yard sale. Art students are always looking to purchase half-used paints, crayons, markers, notebooks, canvases, ribbons and other stuff that you might not even have thought of as art stuff. Gather everything that you’ve got together into a big box (or several smaller boxes of related items) and see if you can sell them in your area.
19. Storage accessories. Now that you’ve gotten rid of a bunch of the stuff in your house that you didn’t really need, you may find that you have empty storage accessories that are no longer necessary. Closet organizers, tote boxes and other items used for storage can also be sold.
20. That thing you’ve been hanging on to for no good reason. After getting rid of all of these items, you may feel like your house is empty and you’ve got nothing left to sell. Think again. There is probably at least one more item that you’ve been hanging on to for years that you just don’t need to hang on to anymore. Perhaps it’s an antique that was passed down to you, maybe it’s a bookcase that’s only half filled with books, or it could be an old dress that you’ve kept for sentimental reasons. Think about whether or not it has monetary value and whether or not you really want to keep hanging on to it. It may finally be time to get rid of it!
See, you probably have a lot of stuff that’s in your house ready to be sold for some quick cash, re-used or gifted to someone. Remember when selling items online that you should consider the cost of packing and shipping items so that you don’t lose money on that. If traditional outlets for selling used items aren’t working, try posting them for sale through your online social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. If items still don’t sell or just aren’t worth much, think about whether they can be used in a new way in your home or given as a gift to someone else. And make sure that you don’t get rid of anything that you’ll just want to buy again new in a couple of months. If you think through your home’s items carefully, you’ll probably be glad to see some things go and watch at least a little bit of money come back to you.
http://www.promotionalcodes.org.uk/2475/20-easy-tips-for-reducing-what-you-spend-on-food/
20 Easy Tips for Reducing What You Spend on Food
Written by admin on January 22, 2009
If you are the type of smart person that budgets your money and pays attention to where you spend your income then you are probably well aware of the fact that a large percentage of your paycheck goes to putting food into your body. We certainly have to eat and we don’t want to scrimp so much in this area of life that our bodies suffer. But that doesn’t mean that we need to keep forking over fistfuls of cash to keep ourselves fed each day.
If you would like to spend a little bit less of your money on food so that you can use it for something else, start testing out these 20 easy tips for reducing the amount of funding that you’re spending on the food that you buy at the grocery store as well as the food that you buy at restaurants and other places outside of the grocery store.
10 Tips For Reducing Your Grocery Bill
The majority of people who are interested in being frugal are spending a bulk of their food money at the grocery store. This is smart because it keeps food costs down in comparison to dining out. However, it’s easy to overspend at the grocery store as well. Here are ten easy tips for reducing your grocery store bills:
1. Do not underestimate the value of using coupons. Coupons seem like something old-fashioned that our mothers clipped out and used but the smart shopper is going to realize that coupons can still be used today when shopping for groceries. Pay attention to both the printed coupons offered at your store and the coupons that you can print out from the Internet. Just make sure that you don’t purchase anything with coupons that you wouldn’t have purchased anyway.
2. Know what is cheapest where. The main key to keeping grocery costs down is to really get to know the costs of the most commonly-purchased food items at different locations near you. For example, your favorite vegetables may be cheapest at the local farmer’s market but the milk there may be expensive. You may discover that the corner store near you actually has really cheap milk but you wouldn’t want to get your meat or cheese there because that’s overpriced. Make a list of those things that you buy most often and the stores that you shop at most frequently and start noting what’s cheapest where.
3. Go vegetarian. The fact of the matter is that most fruits and vegetables are considerably cheaper than most meats and dairy products. You don’t have to give up meat entirely but start supplementing a few of your week’s meat meals with vegetarian dishes and you should find that your grocery bill goes down considerably.
4. Buy fresh. In addition to buying produce in general, you should make sure that you’re buying fresh produce. Try to make it so that at least fifty percent of what you purchase at the grocery store is fresh rather than packaged or frozen. This should significantly reduce the amount of money that you’re spending on groceries (and the challenge will also be likely to introduce you to some new foods that you didn’t know you could love!)
5. Buy only groceries at the grocery store. Many of us find it easy to just pick up what we need at the grocery store and that doesn’t always mean food. We buy our toilet paper, deodorant, batteries and light bulbs at the grocery store as well. The problem is that this usually isn’t the best place to get those items. Get those from discount stores, dollar stores and online outlets that offer them at a much cheaper cost and leave your grocery store shopping just for the purpose of buying food.
6. Stop paying for brand names. There are some items that you just may not like the generic brand taste of but for the most part, you can go generic. Don’t pay money for nice packaging or a specific name. Pay money for the food that you’re going to be putting in to your body.
7. Stop looking at sticker price and start looking at price per. The sticker price on one item may be cheaper than the next but if you take a look at the fine print you’ll find that the “cheaper” version is actually costing you more per ounce or per pound than the item that initially looks more expensive. (This is why people who buy in bulk save money.) Get in the habit of looking beyond the big price and down to the actual cost of what you’re paying for what you get.
8. Buy long-lasting items only when they are on sale. If you know that your family always eats a lot of pasta and that the pasta you buy lasts forever (or almost forever) then you can stock up on lots of boxes of it when it’s on sale. Don’t, however, make the mistake of stocking up on sale items that you don’t actually eat frequently or that you wouldn’t have bought if they weren’t on sale. Do this only for long-lasting items that are staples in your family.
9. Allow yourself one or two indulgences and be aware of what they are. Indulgences are expensive – cookies, crackers, alcohol, great cheeses, special breads … these things are great to enjoy but they’re hard on the grocery budget. Choose one or two special items that you want to spend your money on and then agree with yourself not to waste your money on the others. Be aware of what these items are so that you can continue to make limited choices in the future. For example, if you normally buy the fancy cheese but you’re in the store and you really want the cookies, let yourself indulge in the cookies this time but skip the good cheese.
10. Stick to a grocery budget. Determine what a reasonable amount of money is to spend on groceries each week or each month and then make sure that you stick to that amount. When it gets down to the wire is when you start buying the beans and rice and other inexpensive foods. Living this way for a couple of weeks will make you more aware of what you’re spending and eventually you’ll find yourself easily sticking to your food budget without sacrificing in terms of nutritious meals.
10 Tips For Reducing What You Spend On Food Outside of the Grocery Store
Although it is really important to reduce the amount of money that you are spending at the grocery store, you are probably well aware of the fact that the bulk of your excess food spending actually happens when you buy food at places other than the grocery store. Here are ten easy tips for reducing what you spend on food at restaurants and other spots you might find yourself at:
1. Significantly reduce the number of times per week or month that you eat at restaurants or fast food places. The number one thing that you can do to save money on food is to stop eating at restaurants. You don’t have to quit entirely but work on cutting back by at least fifty percent, if not more. So, if you normally eat out three times a week for lunch and two times for dinner, cut that back to eating out just 2-3 meals total per week. Try to decrease from that as time goes on.
2. Order appetizers as entrees. The appetizers at most restaurants are significantly cheaper than the entrees and they are usually enough food to satisfy the average person. If you find that they aren’t enough on their own then you should supplement your calorie intake by eating a small snack before the meal or carrying a protein bar with you to have after the meal.
3. Drink water. Stop spending money unnecessarily on juices, sodas and fancy alcoholic beverages when you’re eating at a restaurant. If you’re going out for drinks, skip the meal and spend the money on drinks. Otherwise enjoy your meal and just drink water.
4. Order stronger alcoholic beverages. When you do go out for drinks, you want to pay attention to your total alcohol cost. Many people make the mistake of just ordering beer because it’s cheaper than alcohol. That’s true unless you’re the kind of person that drinks five or six glasses of beer for every one alcoholic drink that you’d get. Get one great strong drink and enjoy it. Better yet, carry a flask from home!
5. Start sharing meals. This is particularly a good idea if you’re the kind of person who can’t go to a restaurant without getting an appetizer, an entrée and a dessert. You probably don’t eat all of that food in one sitting (or you don’t need to anyway) so start sharing it with others at the table. It helps if you have a dining partner who is also interested in saving money.
6. Take half of the meal home with you. If you must go to restaurants and order a lot of food, at least make it a habit not to waste what you’re buying. Take half of that food home with you to have as a meal the next day so that you’re cutting back on what you need to buy in terms of groceries for the home.
7. Do not pick up the tab. This is a big problem for a lot of people. They go out to restaurants or bars and they feel this strange urge to pick up the tab. Don’t do it. Another problem comes when everyone puts their tab on the same check and then tries to figure out the cash amount they owe; many people end up spending more than their fair share to get the bill covered. Only pay for what you order. It’s not your responsibility to spend your food money on anyone else that chose to dine with you.
8. Play the “if this then not that” game with yourself. You know, you really want to spend the $5 on that fancy coffee so you tell yourself, “okay, I’ll spend the $5 on the coffee but then I won’t go out to lunch tomorrow, I’ll just bring my lunch from home”.
9. Skip the snack bar. Most people spend a lot of their food money on eating out at restaurants. However, that’s not the only place that money gets wasted on food. A big culprit is the snack bar. If you’re the kind of person who gets popcorn at the movies and a hot dog at the game, you’re the kind of person that is wasting way more money than you need to be. Stop saying that it’s part of the experience and start sneaking in your own snacks instead.
10. Stick to a dining out budget. Figure out what you currently spend on dining out. Set a goal to spend a reasonable amount less than that amount next month. Then make sure that you stick to that budget. For example, if you usually spend $300 per month on dining out then you could set a goal of spending no more than $200 on dining out. If you run out of that before the end of the month, skip the restaurants and fast food joints until a new month begins.
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* Weekly Roundup of the Best Money Saving Posts (23rd January 2009)
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http://www.promotionalcodes.org.uk/1888/150-ways-to-save-money-this-christmas/
150 Surefire Ways to Save Money this Christmas
Written by Christine Buske on December 5, 2008
Christmas is likely the one single holiday that cuts into your bank account the most. Forget birthdays and weddings, hosting a Christmas party for family and friends, buying gifts, and entertaining can put you on a diet for months after and your budget in severe need of counseling.
You can still have a Merry Christmas without the obscene spending though. It just needs a little bit of creativity, and perhaps just as much time as you would normally spend planning. You don’t even have to worry about shortchanging your loved-ones, chances are nobody will feel the difference. Except for your wallet.
Here are our 150 ways to save money during Christmas time by spending less on food, entertainment, gifts, and even Christmas cards, gift wrapping, and decorations. All together, you can save big bucks using these tips.
Save Money on Christmas Decorations
Christmas starts in early December. Heck, it even starts sometime in November for some retail stores. The bottom line is that you generally start decorating for Christmas well before mid-December. So here is how you can shave dollars off your decorating budget.
1. If you have no decorations at all, buy them close to Christmas when they go on sale.
2. Buy decorations after Christmas at 75% below the original price and store them for next year.
3. Save your kid’s (or grandkid’s) holiday crafts and artwork from school every year. After a few years you will have a home full of free and meaningful ornaments and decorations. The kids will feel great having their work displayed and appreciated, while you save big on Christmas decorations.
4. Instead of waiting for a few years for the artwork to pile up, round up the kids and get together to make your own ornaments and decorations a few weeks before Christmas. This is also a great opportunity to tell them family stories or share your view of what the Christmas spirit really is all about.
5. A cheap way to decorate: pop some popcorn and string it to decorate your tree and house. Add cranberries for some color if you like.
6. Decorate with free things you can find in Mother Nature: use pinecones and acorns. This also makes for more environmentally friendly decorating than the (expensive) plastic pinecones you can buy. If you live in the city, how about spending a family day out in a forest sometime before Christmas and collect a few pinecones to decorate your home with? Your travel costs should be far less than you would spend on decorating otherwise. Less environmentally friendly, but you can also spray paint your pinecones gold and silver for an extra festive touch.
7. After Christmas, buy an artificial tree that will last you for years. They will go on clearance as soon as you are done unwrapping presents.
8. There are endless decorations you can make yourself with items you already have in your home. Browse the internet for nice Christmas craft ideas and you’ll be surprised. There really is no need to spend a penny on decorations this Christmas. Here is an example: make a (mini) Christmas tree out of a paperback.
9. Make decorations out of items you would normally throw away.
10. Use empty boxes and cans, wrapped in Christmas themed paper, as decoration. Stack them in a corner or on a table for a festive look. You can use cereal boxes, or boxes you pick up from the grocery store.
11. Use fiber optic decorations: fiber optic trees are very energy efficient. Most of them use only one light bulb in the base of the unit to light the entire decoration.
12. Limit the time your Christmas lights are on for. If you wait to turn them on until it is dark, and turn them off before going to bed, you are using a lot less energy.
13. Put all your electricity powered decorations on a timer to limit the ‘on time’ to a maximum of six hours a day.
14. Turn off the lights in the living room when the tree is lit.
15. Decorate with candles. Going back to old times and using candles can cut down your December energy bill.
16. Drop a tea light candle in a cleaned out glass mayonnaise or jam jar. Tie a red or gold ribbon around the neck and you have a nice Christmas decoration. You can go further by nestling the candle in sand, nuts, or (Christmas) candy.
17. For outdoor light strands, use the ones that are wired in parallel. When one bulb blows out, the rest still works and you don’t need to replace the entire string.
18. Use smaller light bulbs that have lower wattage to save on energy.
Save Money on Christmas Cards
19. Don’t send Christmas cards at all, or write down every single person you want to send a card to, and cut the list in half.
20. Send letters (decorate them with a nice Christmas-themed stamp!) or postcards instead.
21. Send free e-cards.
22. Cut off the front of last year’s Christmas cards and send those as post cards. It’s a greener, cheaper option.
23. Postcards cost less postage than regular cards. So whether home-made or purchased, postcards will always translate to a savings.
24. If you must send Christmas cards, they go on sale in December so pick some up last minute.
25. Buy some cards at deep discounts after Christmas, and save them for next year.
26. Deliver as many as you can yourself, but only to locations you already go to anyways. For example, don’t mail them to colleagues at work or to relatives you are visiting.
27. Instead of sending a card, call instead. A seven minute call would still cost less than a postage stamp, and your loved one will appreciate it more to hear your voice than to receive a card.
28. Make Christmas cards yourself using construction paper and some inexpensive glitters or stamps. This is also a great project if you have children.
29. Take a family picture with your Christmas tree and write a message on the back. On average, printing a photo should not cost more than $0.25 and it will make a great card with a personal touch. Pictures of pets or children dressed up as Santa also do well.
30. Take a digital picture and send an email instead of a card. It’s even cheaper (virtually free) and you know it will arrive on time!
Save Money on Christmas Gifts
Now that the decorations are up and the cards are in the (e)mail, it is time to look at some frugal Christmas gift shopping. The most frugal way to say money this Christmas is not to shop at all, of course. So these gift options go from very frugal (spend no money at all), up to strategies for reducing your spending if you must buy gifts.No gift is ever truly “free”, there will always be either time, or items you already own, involved. However, they are free in the sense that you are not spending any cash on them outright.
31. Print ‘love-coupons’ that entitle the receiver to back massages, movie nights (at home of course), dish-washing, baby sitting, dog walking, you name it! The possibilities are endless, and they can be a great (cheap) way to offer the gift of time and attention throughout the year.
32. Seniors will enjoy a gift certificate giving them homemade baking once a month for the entire year. It will be very little extra effort to bake a few more muffins if you already make them for your own family, and it can mean the world to an elderly person who might enjoy your company even more than the baked goods.
33. A babysitting certificate will really compliment a restaurant voucher for new parents. This gift can be as cheap as $10-20 and some of your time.
34. If you have kids, frame some of their art work and give it to your parents or in-laws.
35. Print and decorate customized address labels using your home printer.
36. Find a nice journal or binder and make a recipe book with your favorite (family) recipes.
37. Instead of presenting recipes in a book, print out nice looking recipe cards. Here is a link to free recipe card downloads. They will look best when printed on card stock instead of regular paper.
38. Print out a “birthday sheet”. This sheet is a list of interesting things that happened on the day the recipient was born. You can find free birthday information here or also using the Wikipedia “On This Day…” feature. You can go into the archive and select any date to see interesting events that happened throughout history. Select some that are of interest, and print them out on a sheet. Decorate or frame the sheet for an interesting and original Christmas gift idea.
39. Some parents or siblings make it their business to keep track of all family occasions. Birthdays, anniversaries, etc. If you have an event-loving family member, make him or her a personalized calendar with all these important dates pre-filled into it! Whether you get free trail software (do an internet search for free calendar creators), or use a program you already have (like photo shop), the investment will be minimal! If you want to spend a few more dollars, you can get it professionally bound to make it look even better.
40. Re-gift: although there are some important regifting etiquette tips to follow, it can be a very cheap way of getting around gift-giving around the holidays.
41. Plan gifts in advance. If you plan in advance you are better equipped to stick to your budget. Instead of buying something last minute for the sake of getting a present.
42. Give a “shopping spree coupon”. In the spirit of coupon giving, make one that promises a shopping spree (up to a certain amount) to your loved-one. After all, just after Christmas prices drop and even if you won’t spend less, at least you get more for your money and reduce pre-holiday stress.
43. Agree to buy gifts for kids only. This is one way to cut back big time on Christmas spending: agree with all adults not to buy each other gifts.
44. Agree to an maximum amount for adults. If you want to get each other a little something, stick to a small (fixed) amount. For example, $10. See how creative you can get for very little!
45. Initiate a gift exchange (“secret Santa”). Instead of buying one gift for everyone, have everyone only receive one gift. You can draw names or figure out another way to pair up the adults. The point is that you are responsible only for one person’s gift.
46. Give a framed picture. You can give a picture of yourself, or of another family member of the recipient. For example, if you have a nice picture of your niece lying around, framing it and giving it to your sister-in-law is bound to be appreciated.
47. Instead of using a frame, pick up a customizable coffee tumbler (Starbucks carries them as well), and use a picture of your choice. Wrap it, and it makes a very nice and cheap gift that can be used every day of the year.
48. Pool resources for a big gift. Instead of buying someone something small, get together with other family members of friends and pitch in to get one bigger gift together.
49. Make a basket. Fill a basket (you can get one at a thrift store!) with homemade chocolates, jam, candies, or sauces. There are endless ways of being creative with this, and you will always save money while giving a really substantial and nice looking gift.
50. Shop in antique stores and flea markets for unique, frugal Christmas gifts.
51. Knit and afghan or a scarf.
52. Sew a quilt from scraps of fabric or cut-up old T-shirts.
53. Instead of a gift only for your spouse, agree to “give” each other one large item for the house, or that in some way benefits you both. If you are married or living together, ultimately what you spend comes out of the same combined resources. Pool your budget and get something for both of you.
54. If you have children, give them one item from their wish list, and not all. Spoiled kids are not happier kids.
55. Give a savings bond. There is no waste, and it gives something for the future. It is also a great way to teach children about money and saving.
56. Buy gifts that don’t need electricity or batteries. 40% of all batteries are purchased during the Holidays. Cut the spending by curbing electronic gifts.
57. Does your loved-one love to read? Get them a magazine subscription! Subscriptions are, compared to other gifts, very cheap and they look quite substantial. Buy one issue off the rack and wrap it up nicely with a note saying the recipient will receive one each month of the year.
58. Recycle last year’s Christmas cookie tins: fill them up with freshly baked cookies (or buy some in the store).
59. Another great idea is to fill your recycled Christmas tins (or mason jars from a local thrift store) with baking ingredients and your favorite recipe. Turn an ordinary tin and some flower into a ‘ready to bake’ kit for a thoughtful and fun gift that costs less than $5.
60. Iron-on T-Shirts can be a cheap personalized gift idea. Print out cute pictures of your kids or grand kids, and iron them onto a T-shirt. This can run at less than $5 per shirt if you buy a pack of them.
61. Stuff mugs with candy or nuts. Wrap the whole thing in cellophane and you have a nice fancy looking gift. You can do the same with bowls or glasses. Kids can get a mug with school supplies (pencils, crayons, etc).
62. Put together a ‘care-kit’: get a nice looking box and fill it with soaps, shampoo, deodorant, mints, face wash, and razors. You can make a ‘girls’ and ‘guys’ kit and personalize it easily. Using coupons this can cost less than $10, depending on what you put into it.
63. Put together a White Elephant gift exchange.
64. Look around your house: old clothes and jewelry make a great dress-up box for kids!
65. Make a meaningful gift for your spouse or boy/girlfriend by putting together a photo album full of pictures of the past year you spend together. Include notes, or mementos related to the events in the pictures.
66. Make a slide show of your favorite digital pictures or videos. Add your favorite songs or some romantic music.
67. A gift for people who travel a lot: record yourself reading one of their favorite books as an MP3 file they can upload to an MP3 player or burn onto a CD.
68. If you do the traveling, record a month’s worth of bedtime stories for your kids to listen to when you are away.
69. Family heirlooms and memorabilia make great gifts for the next generation. The older we get, the more stuff we have. Some of it is valuable and some is a reminder of our past. These make great gifts from parent to children or grandchildren. It doesn’t cost any extra money, and it can pass on a sense of family history.
Save More During Christmas with Gift Ideas Under $10
Here are some more gift ideas that cost less than $10 each:
70. Gourmet coffee with a coffee mug.
71. Pound of nuts, wrapped in a nice cello or organza bag and ribbons.
72. Journal with a personalized message on the first page.
73. Homemade cocoa mix in a nice jar.
74. Family photo collage.
75. Stationary & good pens or note cards.
76. Bottle of wine or sparkling cider.
77. Home baked cookies, bread, or cake with the recipe!
78. Baking mix and a nice baking pan.
79. A famous family recipe, framed or in a recipe book.
80. A basket with deli cheeses
81. Craft supplies (great for kids too!)
82. A serving bowl or platter, with fruit or other food in it.
83. Decorative napkins with napkin rings
84. Fancy chocolate bars, wrapped or tied together.
85. Flower seeds with a nice pot, or with gardening gloves.
86. A photo album you personalized or decorated by hand.
87. A collection of different magazines tied together.
88. Gift certificated for a movie theater
89. Board games (pick classics you loved when you were a kid for nostalgic value! Particularly if you are giving them to a sibling, and have fond memories of playing together).
90. Specialty cookbook (did your friend love traveling through Asia? Get him an Asian themed cookbook!)
91. Paperback books, or certificates for a bookstore.
92. Set of dishtowels.
93. Nail polish kit.
94. PJs.
95. Kitchen gadgets
96. Pepper mill and fresh peppercorns (great for the cook in the family).
97. Nice box for keepsakes, or some home-organization help for those living in cramped spaces (or friends who are just challenged in that area).
98. Christmas ornaments are also a favorite cheap gift: it is very personal and the recipient will always remember you for giving it. As a result, it will have special meaning every year.
99. Embroider a favorite quote and frame it, or embroider it on a pillowcase.
Ultimately…
100. Plan your shopping far ahead of time so you stick to your budget, and make fewer trips. Take public transit when possible, or drive once for one large shopping trip. Don’t underestimate the money being wasted with all those little extra trips to the store for gifts you forgot to pick up.
Save money on wrapping paper
After buying the gifts, you will need to wrap your packages. Whether you are spending a penny or a hundred dollars on gifts, at least you can save some more on the packaging. Don’t worry; your Christmas gifts will still look amazing.
101. Use colorful magazines pages to wrap small presents.
102. Use the comics section of your local newspaper for nice wrapping paper, particularly for kids. You can save them up a few weeks before Christmas, and have a stash of paper.
103. If there is artwork your kids made that won’t make it to the fridge, and they don’t mind giving it to their aunt or uncle, use it to wrap gifts.
104. Use packing paper. Large reams can be bought for very little money.
105. You can even decorate packing paper (fun, cheap family event!) with glitter, stamps, and paint. If anyone you know is moving, you can probably get all the paper you need for free.
106. Save wrapping paper you receive throughout the year and roll the pieces onto a tube to protect them. Reuse paper that still looks nice and is undamaged.
107. If you live in a big city, look for free Asian newspapers. The pages will make neat looking wrapping paper. So will regular newspaper pages.
108. Use cheap ribbons, they will look just as nice as expensive ribbons!
109. Instead of buying ribbons, hunt around the house for fabric scraps that can be made into great ribbons.
110. If you like to sew and have quite a bit of fabric scraps, use them to wrap your gifts as well. It will be lovely, and creative, wrapping.
111. Use kraft paper or recycled brown paper bags to wrap your gifts. You can reuse paper grocery bags as well, just add a bow or ribbon and you’re done.
112. Wrap in take-out containers. Rinse out empty Chinese take-out containers well, and ask for extra ones when you order. Changes are you’ll get them and, provided they are clean, they make for really nice gift boxes that don’t cost a penny.
113. Use left over wallpaper, or browse your local thrift store for wall paper. If you are going the thrift store route, look for paper that work for Christmas. Anything green, gold, yellow, red, or stripes work perfectly.
114. Don’t spend money on gift tags: make your own. Use scraps of wrapping paper too small to wrap a gift with, but too large to toss away.
115. Cut up old Christmas cards also make for good gift tags.
Save On Your Christmas Food Budget
The gifts are under the tree, but hopefully you didn’t wait this long to start planning Christmas dinner. There are a number of ways to save on food, no matter how large your party is!
116. First and foremost: plan ahead. If you know what you need for Christmas, you can keep an eye out for your local deals. Browse store flyers and stock up on canned items or dry goods that are on sale.
117. Compare prices: not every sale is a good deal. Shop at different grocery stores in your neighborhood and take advantage of their best deals. Don’t buy the items that are more expensive though, get them on your next trip to a cheaper store.
118. Cook at home. No matter how busy the Christmas season is, if you want to save money you need to cook at home. Resist temptation of buying ‘ready to eat’ packaged foods. They are less healthy and they cost more money.
119. Use store brands whenever possible. If you cook at home, no one will notice the difference!
120. Use coupons when you shop. Frugal-minded shoppers do this all year long, but Christmas time can be a good time to save as well on items you buy anyways. Look for coupons online and in your local flyers.
121. Host a pot-luck Christmas dinner. Ask each family member of friend to bring one particular dish, and you can provide the main course (for example the turkey). All side dishes will be taken care of this way, and your food budget can be slashes down to a third of what you would normally spend.
122. Use dishes instead of paper plates. It can be tempting to buy paper plates if you are having a large party, but dealing with the mess afterwards can save you a lot of money. Disposable dishes are not free either, after all.
123. Bake/Cook several dishes at a time. An oven will cost just as much energy to heat for one dish as it does for two. Bake several dishes at a time and use your oven less.
124. Use the smallest possible appliance: if a microwave or toaster oven can do the job, then don’t fire up your largest oven for a small cooking task.
125. Keep lids on pots. This reduces time needed (=energy) to cook, and over time it adds up.
Christmas Entertaining and Saving Money
126. Rent movies and host a family movie night, instead of going to the theater. By renting a movie, and popping your own popcorn, the average family can save $50 or more in one evening.
127. For formal evenings, consider renting formal clothing or buying them cheaper at consignment stores.
128. Sew your own dress for formal Christmas dinners, or spruce up an old dress shortening a long gown, adding rhinestones, ribbons or other decorations.
129. Carpool or walk to neighborhood or family parties.
130. Bring your own camera instead of using disposable cameras to capture holiday memories.
131. Faster film speeds, such as 400 or 800, reduce the use of flash and extend battery life, and cost you less money in replacement batteries.
132. Buy rechargeable batteries and a charger to save big over time. Particularly if you have a digital camera.
133. Play board games or share stories. Bond with your loved-ones and save money while having fun.
134. Take your family for a drive around town to see the Christmas lights.
135. Leave the car at home for even bigger savings, and walk around the neighborhood to see the Christmas lights, then come home to hot cocoa.
136. Sing Christmas carols together. Attend a community group or church and participate in Christmas activities that don’t cost a penny.
137. Gather the family to decorate the tree together, bake cookies, make gifts or gift wrapping and spend time together.
138. When entertaining guests, turn down the thermostat. Filling a house with extra bodies will bring up the heat, at zero cost to you (as long as you turn down the heat).
139. While spending time together as a family (or if you go on vacation), unplug your electronic devices. TVs, DVD players, computers, printers, and radios still use energy even when they are turned off. Unplug them to save on energy.
140. Attend a Christmas pageant in your community. Many churches and schools put them on and are a great way to spend an evening during your Christmas holiday.
141. Set up a family slumber party in your living room and camp out together using sleeping bags. Keep the Christmas lights on for this one night, and enjoy each other’s company as a family.
142. Look at pictures from past years Christmases. You can leaf through your photo albums, or set up a slideshow. You can show your kids pictures from Christmas when you were their age, and tell family stories. With the size of an average family’s photo collection these days it is easy to spend an evening this way.
143. Read Christmas stories together. Get books from the library or buy classics that will be enjoyed year after year.
144. Visit a nursing home. Christmas is a difficult time for elderly people who don’t have (m)any loved ones left. Bring someone a card and some cookies or food and your company will brighten their day.
145. Track Santa Claus using NORAD.
146. Go ice skating. Ice skating rinks often have special rates around the Holidays. Call around to find a good deal. Most big cities have free rinks as well.
147. Use Skype to call loved-ones who are far away. It’s free, so it will cost less than sending a Christmas card, and if you have a web cam it can mean the world.
148. Watch the Christmas specials on TV. My personal favorites are Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and A Charlie Brown Christmas.
149. Have a Christmas tree picnic. Gather with your family, or just with your spouse for a nice dinner by the Christmas tree. Turn of all the lights and just leave your Christmas lights on.
150. Last, but never least: invite someone you would never think of inviting. You never know who will be alone this Christmas, and inviting someone to celebrate with you can be the biggest gift you could ever give.
Christmas is not about spending money, it is about spending time together with the people you love. Regardless of your view on Christmas, if you are planning a frugal Christmas this year these 150 strategies and ideas should get you pretty far. Do you have any of your own ideas to add to this list? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf740430.tip.html
We all use plastic bags from the store to put garbage in and throw it out, but there are several other good ideas on this page.....granny
Store empty grocery sacks, rolled into empty cardboard paper towel rolls. Great for the car. We always keep a couple of rolls in the trunk. Great disposable trash bags.
By Sean C
Store In Pill Bottles
I stuff two to three of the plastic bags in old pill bottles. I can just put the pill bottles full of plastic bags in my purse or car, this not only lets me save the plastic bags but I am also reusing pill bottles too.
By Ziggee
Use As Overshoes
As a building contractor, I use the plastic grocery bags as overshoes to prevent dragging mud/dirt into a client’s home. Also if I’m in dress shoes and have to make a quick trip out into a muddy garden.
By rich51
Use To Remove Poison Ivy
Use plastic bags in your garden if you spot any poison ivy! Double-bag the dominant hand to grasp the plant at ground level (moistening the soil if necessary, to make it looser) and pull the plant out by the roots, bravely. Using the bare (other) hand, pull the bottom plastic bag around the root ball of the offending plant and, while holding it thus protected in the bare hand, ease (reverse) the dominant hand from the remaining bag, thus covering the top of the plant securely without any possibility of either hand being touched by the plant. Tip: Before reusing plastic bags for such serious uses, gather air into their necks and twist tightly to detect any existing slits or holes.
By CheepieGal
Garden Shoes
I tie them around my shoes to protect them when I’m out in my garden, especially after it rains and my garden is muddy.
By dixie35481
Ideas From Mr. Thrifty
1. Use a plastic bag to separate your current sewing or knitting projects or other hobbies. It is right there to start anytime you need it.
2. Recycling your crushed tin cans and plastic bottles.
3. Cover your plants to protect them from a frost.
4. An emergency pair of plastic pants to put over your baby’s diaper.
5. A signal that your vehicle has broken down along a highway.
6. A pair of disposable gloves for handling greasy and grimy projects.
7. A disposable wind sock to see which way the wind is blowing.
8. A campfire starter with a bag full of collected twigs.
9. A kitchen drawer liner.
10. Use at garage sales and flea markets even if you are just buying, take a few plastic bags along for your purchases.
By Mr. Thrifty
Crafts
Fold And Use In Crochet Projects
You can fold them accordion style from the side; cut 1-1/2” wide loops; hook the loops together to make a plastic yarn and crochet tote bags, rugs, etc. These last forever and use lots of bags.
By Sue L.
Use As Child’s Smock
Split the bag from top to bottom mid-between the handles and use as an impromptu smock, putting arms thru handles and close with a clip, tape or closepin, for a messy pre-school project.
Cut And Crochet
I take them and cut them into 1 inch strips, slip knot them together, and crochet a bag out of them. It ends up being 2 ply and lasting a really long time. And most grocery stores; like Winco; will give a discount on your groceries if you bring your own bags; Winco’s is 6 cents per bag you use. It may not be much of a saving but it does add up. Sally
By sally97128
Make Kites
I use plastic grocery bags to make kites for little one to fly. They love it and it gets them moving.
By Evelyn
Braid Strips Together
Braid strips of them for everything, they never wear out, it seems! Hold up or train plant tendrils, lash a soap bar end or two in a worn nylon knee high near your garden hose, make a new pet collar with the buckle from the old one attached, fasten loops of the braid to a beam or rafter in a shed from which implements and tools can be hung, summer chairs can be strapped. Braids have endless uses and are strong and free. The kids are great at making them, and the color combinations are intriguing! Good rainy day projects.
By Cate
Paint Clean Up
Use to store wet paint brush if you are not finished with painting or use to thrown paint brush away if it is no longer usable.
By Melody from White City, Oregon
A page about saving money, using promotional codes, several articles.
http://www.promotionalcodes.org.uk/frugal-blog/
http://www.promotionalcodes.org.uk/3049/10-tactics-to-lower-shipping-and-handling-fees/
10 Tactics to Lower Shipping and Handling Fees
Written by Kathryn on March 10, 2009
Many people are making the switch from shopping in stores to shopping online. That’s because you can save a lot of money with online shopping if you are smart about the way that you do it. However, you can also lose money by shopping online if you aren’t careful. One of the quickest ways that people lose money when shopping online is that they pay through the nose for shipping and handling fees. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be this way. Just like with every other aspect of online shopping, all you really need to do to save money on shipping and handling is to get educated in how to be smart about the topic.
To get you started on that road, here are ten tactics to use to lower shipping and handling fees when shopping online:
1. Always do comparison shopping. The key thing to know about shipping and handling fees with online shopping is that some retailers include the fees in their stated prices and others don’t. You need to be able to do comparison shopping with this understanding in mind. You want to add up the total price of each item including the shipping and handling fees before you do your comparison shopping. As always, choose the retailer with the best product and the best terms at the lowest price.
2. Enter phrases like “free shipping” in your search engines. When there is something specific that you want to buy, do your normal comparison shopping first. However, before you make a final purchase, enter the same product’s name into a search engine (like Google) along with the phrase “free shipping”. You will find that this results in new search results that you may not have otherwise found. In some cases, you will find a better deal on the product this way.
3. Look for promotional codes for shipping and handling fees online. One of the best ways to truly get free shopping online is to learn to search for online discount codes for the retailers that you are purchasing items from. There are often promo codes for free shipping on things you were going to buy anyway. In fact, there are even some websites out there that specifically exist to offer free shipping codes online. These may not be the best deals though so look around at all of your favorite promo codes sites to see what’s out there.
4. Always purchase things well in advance of when you need them. The biggest expense people pay when shopping online is the expense of expedited shipping. Make sure that you purchase all items many weeks in advance of when you actually need them so that you can choose the slowest (and usually the cheapest) shipping. If you have to put a rush on something, you’re going to pay the price. If that’s the case, you may find that it’s cheaper to go out to a local store to buy the item rather than ordering it online.
5. Find out if the item can be shipped to a local store for free. In some cases, you want an item that you see online and it’s not available locally but you don’t want to pay for shipping. If the store is a chain store, they might offer to ship the item to a local branch of the store and then you can pick it up at no charge. They can do this because they just ship it with items that were going to ship to that store location anyway so it doesn’t add to their costs. REI and Walmart are examples of stores that offer this perk.
6. Buy in bulk but only carefully. One of the key tricks that people use when they seek to save money on online shipping and handling fees it that they try to buy in bulk. Almost all websites reduce shipping fees after you buy a certain amount of merchandise. This can be really great for items that you buy on a regular basis and will actually use. However, it may not be a money saving tactic to use if you end up buying more than you’ll use just to save money on shipping and handling.
To determine whether or not you should buy in bulk when shopping online, you’ll want to do some math. First, figure out what the cost of the bulk item is that allows you to get reduced or free shipping. Write down that amount. Next, determine how much of the item you will actually use. For example, you want to order a bulk set of Christmas tree ornaments but you’ll only use 4/5 of them. Calculate the cost of buying only 4/5 of them including the cost of shipping. Is it cheaper then the number you wrote down before? If so, don’t buy in bulk.
Another thing to consider when buying in bulk is whether or not you can re-sell the excess items that you are getting to get back some of your money. Doing so would allow you to buy in bulk, save on shipping and handling fees and get some cash in hand following your sale. Always, remember to follow the standard rules for saving money when buying in bulk and you should be able to apply this to saving money on shipping and handling fees online.
7. Look for stores that offer flat rate shipping fees when you need large items. This is basically the opposite of buying in bulk. It’s when a store offers a single shipping fee no matter what the size or amount of product is that you’re buying. This isn’t good when you’re buying a single small item because the rate is usually higher than what it would cost to ship just that item through another retailer. However, if you’re buying many items or one large item then a flat rate could be considerably cheaper than if you have to pay full shipping fees at another site. Old Navy is one example of a store that offers flat rate shipping but look around to find others.
8. Join the club or get the card. Many online retailers offer free memberships that give you access to reduced shipping and handling fees through email announcements and newsletters. Also, if a store offers their own credit card then you may want to find out if they also offer perks with that card. Sometimes one of the perks is free or reduced shipping and handling fees when you make online purchases using the card. However, you want to make sure that you’re responsible about paying those bills off as soon as they come so that you don’t see those fees come back two-fold in the form of credit card interest rates.
9. Shop online using a cash back rewards credit card. Another way credit cards can help you to save money is if you get a really good rewards credit card and then use that for all of your online shopping. Even though you’re paying some shipping and handling fees, you’re getting that money back in the form of cash. You still want to reduce your shipping and handling fees as much as possible before purchase but this can be another way to add to your savings. Again, make sure you’re responsible about paying off the credit card to avoid interest charges.
10. Be aware and read the fine print. The final thing that you can do, but the one that is ultimately the most important, is to always remember to pay attention to the fine print whenever you are ordering anything online. Make sure that you carefully read through all of the fees. Look closely at the totals of any payments with respect to the shipping and handling fees before you make a payment online. By committing to being vigilant about shipping and handling fees, you will protect yourself from excessive charges and ultimately you’ll save money when shopping online.
Source: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf54483554.tip.html
Make Your Own “Name Brand” Hair Products
When my 3 boys hit puberty, they wanted name brand hair products. I bought one bottle and as it emptied, I added about 1/4 cup Dawn regular dish detergent and then filled with water. It thickens and I never bought another bottle of expensive shampoo again. Inexpensive shampoos and conditioners, like the Suave brand at Walmart, can have water added to them and they thicken and work very well.
Also I took the labels off the Walmart clothes I bought them and put them in old “acceptable” store bags. They never suspected.
Source: Many people know this and many don’t. I have been a frugal mom for nearly 40 years.
By Jeanne from Elysian Fields, TX
Source: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf54483554.tip.html
© 1997-2009 ThriftyFun.com
Homemade Fingernail Polish Remover Jar
I bought one of these in a plastic jar at the store a long time ago and I used it up. Put sponge in the jar to fit snugly. cut a hole in the middle to fit your finger. Pour nail polish remover in to fill jar and put cap on tightly.
Posted on: 03/02/2009 | 4
Save Money by Making Your Own Hair Products
By Patti McKenna
Everybody’s noticed the wide variety of hair styling products sold commercially in the stores. They range in price, and some are quite expensive. You can make your own hair products for a lot less, and they are better for your hair because they don’t contain alcohol or other chemicals which can dry hair.
Styling Gel
Ingredients:
* 1 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin (available in grocery stores)
* 1 cup of warm water
Directions:
Mix the gelatin and warm water together and pour it into a jar. Refrigerate the jar to allow the gelatin to thicken. Take the jar out of the fridge when needed and apply to hair as normal for styling.
Tip: Clean and save an old squeeze top bottle and use it for the styling gel. It’ll make it easy (and less messy) to squeeze out the amount of gel needed.
Deep Conditioning Treatment
The simplest recipe for make at home deep hair conditioning!
Simply work mayonnaise into your hair. Wrap your mayo-covered hair in a towel or cover with a plastic cap and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Wash twice to remove all traces of mayonnaise. Your hair will feel like you’ve just gotten a salon treatment!
A similar method uses honey instead of mayonnaise. Mix one-half of a cup of honey with a similar amount of water and spread into hair. Cover as above, and allow to sit for 20 to 30 minutes. The honey naturally conditions and shines the hair shaft. Again, wash twice to remove all traces of the honey.
Source: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf79425326.tip.html
© 1997-2009 ThriftyFun.com
RE: Leave in Conditioner Recipe
Post By RagingHippie (Guest Post) (12/30/2008)
I mixed 1/2 oz jojoba oil, 1/2 oz sweet almond oil, 1/4 oz vegetable glycerin, 10 drops rosemary oil. In spray bottle combine ingredients, add water to fill, shake well and spray on wet hair. Leaves it silky, shiny, and gets rid of frizz.
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RE: Leave in Conditioner Recipe
Post By mamaof5 (Guest Post) (05/07/2008)
Thank you SO much for the conditioner recipes. My dd3 has been bedridden for 3 days. It is too painful to get her up to wash her hair and laying so much was making her hair a dry tangled mess! The leave in conditioner recipe did the trick, for no money at all. Thank you from a grateful Mama.
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RE: Leave in Conditioner Recipe
Post By guestpost (Guest Post) (01/16/2007)
I need a homemade recipe recipe for science fair for my horse what recipes should I use??
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RE: Leave in Conditioner Recipe
Post By Amanda (Guest Post) (12/26/2006)
mix one egg with 4 oz of olive oil and a drop of your favorite conditioner mix it up thoroughly an use as much as necessary the save the rest in a closed container in your refrigerator
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RE: Leave in Conditioner Recipe
Post By michelle (Guest Post) (05/21/2006)
Use 2 ounces of fabric softener to 22 ounces of water this will detangle and leave your hair silky soft
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RE: Leave in Conditioner Recipe
Post by sylviecyn (25) | (04/07/2006)
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I buy Aussie “Hair Insurance” a leave-in conditioner. It’s cheap at a discount store like Walmart, less than $3.00 US. Another even cheaper cream-rinse-type conditioner that takes out stubborn tangles is Alberto VO5 “Hydrators w/extra moisure” conditioner. I’m sure that would work as a homemade leave-in by diluting it with water.
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RE: Leave in Conditioner Recipe
Post By c b (Guest Post) (04/07/2006)
Make your own “No More Tangles” leave in conditioning spray: use a small spray bottle (old hair spray bottle is fine), and for normal hair use 1 part regular hair conditioner to 3 parts water, shake well and it is ready to use. For dry hair use 1 part regular hair conditioner to 2 parts water, shake well and it is ready to use.
Note: The small amount of conditioner that is left in the bottom of the bottle (turn bottle upside down to get it out) is usually perfect for this.
I use this (dry hair formula) on my hair and my 2 daughters’ hair every day.
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RE: Leave in Conditioner Recipe
Post By pam (Guest Post) (03/03/2006)
They have great new leave-in anti-frizz conditioners (Dove makes one) - I got mine in an end lot close out at the dollar store & stocked up.
The new generation of hair products are really great - try them out - get samples over the internet, etc. I pick up the little packets whenever I can and use them for travel, etc.
Oh, leave in hair gel may do the trick,too
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RE: Leave in Conditioner Recipe
Post by cookwie (1166) | (01/26/2006)
Profile | Contact
I use Infusium by Clairol. It’s a spray that comes in different preps depending on the type of hair. A little bit goes a long way.
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RE: Leave in Conditioner Recipe
Post By (Guest Post) (01/25/2006)
I just leave ordinary conditioner in my hair which works as well as any commercially marketed product that proclaims it’s a “leave-in conditioner”. Also I read on one of the handy hint sites (maybe this one) that one can use hand lotion on dry hair in the same way that “Pantene” is used.
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RE: Leave in Conditioner Recipe
Post By siris (Guest Post) (01/23/2006)
“Mane & Tail” make a leave-in conditioner for horses. Works wonderfully on human hair and smells great. Try your feed store or pet supply place.
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RE: Leave in Conditioner Recipe
Post By 1southerngal (Guest Post) (01/23/2006)
I use 1 part regular conditioner to 5 parts water in spray bottle ( you can wash out pump hairspray bottle and use it). Brand isn’t important - I use the Suave.
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RE: Leave in Conditioner Recipe
Post by smathis123 (28) | (01/22/2006)
Profile | Contact
You can use any conditioner in a spray bottle and leave it in your hair. Just use a couple of teaspoons of conditioner and then fill spray bottle with water.
Make Your Own and Save
By Kelly Ann Butterbaugh
Make Your Own and Save
Some products just aren’t worth the money consumers pay for brand names and store packaging. Instead, make your own and save money. Here are a few recipes for common household items that can be made for less. In fact, ask the kids to help and make a family activity out of it as well.
Windex Window Cleaner
Avoid the pricey label and make your own window and surface cleaner.
* 1/2 cup ammonia
* 1 pint rubbing alcohol
* 1 tsp. Joy dishwashing soap
Mix all together. Then, add enough water to equal a gallon of the mixture. Store and use.
Playdoh
There are several recipes, but this one is the most popular. Remember to store your finished products in airtight containers for long shelf life. Make the colors match the season and whip up a new batch whenever the original loses its texture.
* 1 cup flour
* 1 cup water
* 1 tbs. oil
* 1/2 cup salt
* 2 tbsp. cream of tartar
* food coloring of choice
Combine ingredients into a saucepan and continually stir while cooking until the dough leaves the side of the pan. Remove from heat and continue stirring until it begins to set. Let cool and store.
Laundry Soap
Create a large batch of this for pennies of what it costs in the store.
* 5.5 oz. of Fels Naphtha bar soap
* 4 cups of water
Cook over low heat while stirring. Do not allow it to boil. Transfer it to a large container or bucket and add 3 gallons of hot tap water. Stir until all is dissolved. Then, add 1 cup of washing soda available in the laundry aisle. Mix well. Allow it to set overnight until it becomes gel. Stir it before each use. Approximately 3/4 cup should be used for each load.
Plant Fertilizer
Save on pricey fertilizers by using unflavored Knox instead. It can’t be your only source of fertilizer because is lacks several nutrients, but it does contain nitrogen which will give plants the energy they need. Avoid regular gelatins because the sugars in them can harm the plant’s water absorption.
About The Author:
Kelly Ann Butterbaugh is a freelance writer who regularly contributes to a variety of magazines and has written a history book for middle readers. Visit her website for writing help, lesson plans, history fun, or work for hire at http://www.kellybutterbaugh.com
Source: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf93208413.tip.html
© 1997-2009 ThriftyFun.com
Homemade Deodorant
I found this recipe somewhere on the Internet, from someone who had also tried baking soda alone, with no successes. They eventually found out that the right formula was the one below:
* 6 parts of corn starch: (act as antiperspirant)
* 1 part of baking soda: (deodorant)
No aluminum chloride.
Blend thoroughly. Put the powder in a sugar bowl and apply with a powder sponge from the dollar store. I have tried it, and it works well for me. I did try baking soda alone last year, but it irritated me.
Andre
Source: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf36950243.tip.html
© 1997-2009 ThriftyFun.com
RE: Homemade Deodorant
Post by Tapestry Lady (2) | (03/17/2009)
Profile | Contact
I like to use the more natural deodorants but as they’re a bit expensive I recently decided to give the baking soda thing a try. I couldn’t believe how well it works! I use a 50/50 blend of baking soda and corn starch with a few drops of essential oils for scent. Lavender is nice, it smells fresh plus has anti-bacterial properties. It makes a great body powder, too!
RE: Homemade Deodorant
Post by katnip (3) | (03/15/2009)
Contact
I found a recipe and am now using is with good results.
1/2 cup arrowroot (not cornstarch)
1/2 cup baking soda
mix it together and add 3 to 5 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil. (purchase at healthfood store). Cream it all together.
Store in a clean jar with lid and use your finger to dab it on your underarm. It smells so good. It is healthy too.
Craft Project: Fabric Covered Easter Eggs
Fill a basket with these easy and pretty fabric-covered foam eggs.
Approximate Time: 2 hours
Supplies:
* a dozen 2 and 3/4 inch foam eggs
* lightweight cotton or cotton-blend fabrics (1/2 yard will do 12 eggs)
* narrow satin ribbon (12 inch per egg or 4 yards for a dozen eggs)
* 24 flat-headed straight pins
* white craft glue
* scissors
Instructions:
Cut fabric into half-inch wide strips. You will need about three yards of strips for each egg. Vary the fabrics on each egg for an interesting look. Mix solids and prints as desired.
Choose your first fabric strip, apply a dot of glue to one end, and place it at the thick end of a foam egg. Pin it in place, right through the glued end. Wrap the strip long-ways around the egg several times, leaving blank spaces for another fabric. Continue wrapping vertically until you reach the end of the fabric strip. Glue in place at top of egg and cut off excess.
Repeat with a second fabric strip, and then a third. You will need about three 30 inch strips for each egg.
Make a figure-eight bow out of a 12” piece of ribbon and pin it into the egg where all the fabric strips ended.
Pile eggs in a basket or attach a ribbon loop and hang on an Easter tree.
By Patty from Northwest PA
Source: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf30348585.tip.html
© 1997-2009 ThriftyFun.com
Related Links:
* Craft Project: Lacy Easter Eggs
* Craft Project: Easter Deviled Eggs Tray
* Craft Project: Easter Themed Fabric Crayon Rolls
* Craft Project: Eggshell Mosaic Easter Eggs
* String Easter Eggs
* Craft Project: Easy Plastic Chocolate Easter Eggs
* Very Quick and Easy Easter Eggs
* Eggs and Clay Pot Easter Decorations
* Craft: Crocheted Recycled Easter Basket
* Easter Egg Dye Marking Boiled Eggs
* Easter Cross Craft Project
* Craft Project: Easter Napkin Ties
Inexpensive Finger Food Recipes
I am looking for quick inexpensive recipes for finger foods for my niece’s wedding.
Jackie from GA
Feedback About This Post:
RE: Inexpensive Finger Food Recipes
Green Olive, Cheese and Cracker Appetizers
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup green olives, drained and chopped
1/4 cup cream cheese
Triscuits
Combine mozzarella, cheddar, olives and cream cheese in a bowl. Spread on Tiscuits and place on non-greased baking sheet. Bake at 375° for seven minutes.
_________
Hummus
You can add fresh chopped basil, or chopped sun dried tomatoes, or chopped olives, etc, etc, etc to your liking/taste:
1 19 oz can chick peas, drained
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of one lemon
Coarse salt to taste
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
Serve with bagel chips or slices of pita bread.
__________
Quick Mediterranean Cucumber Appetizer
1 cucumber, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 Tbsp Red bell pepper, chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup hummus, flavor of your choice
3 Tbsp Feta cheese, crumbled
Arrange cucumber slices on serving plate/tray. Top each cucumber slice with a dollop of hummus. Sprinkle each cucumber with Feta and finish by topping with red bell pepper.
Post by Deeli
Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)
1. Make the rice:
1 C short-grain rice or long-grain rice, UNWASHED
2 C water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Prepare rice per directions on rice package.
2. Make the zushizu (vinegar):
1/2 C mirin (rice wine vinegar, available in most Asian groceries and in the “ethnic” sections of supermarkets)
1/4 C granulated white sugar
1 TBSP sea salt (you can use regular iodized, but it imparts a wonky flavor)
Put all in a little pot on the stove, simmering and stirring until the grains of salt and sugar dissolve. Allow to cool. Put into a spray-bottle with a wide-spray nozzle (not just a strong stream).
3. Combine zushi (rice) with zushizu (vinegar):
While the rice is still steaming hot, scoop it into a glass casserole dish with a spoon or rice paddle. Spritz rice lightly with the zushizu, about five spritzes to cover all the rice. Turn it over with the paddle and spritz more. Keep spritzing and turning, never more than about 4-5 spritzes in between turns, and only until the rice stops steaming.
When the rice is barely cool enough to handle, wet your hands with tap water. This will keep the rice from sticking. Then salt your hands with table salt. Pick up a bit of rice, about the size you would use for a meatball (I use an ice cream scoop to get an accurate size), and gently pat the rice into a ball shape. Set on platter. Repeat until all the rice is made into balls.
4. Make the Best Ever Dipping Sauce:
1/2 C soy sauce or tamari
2 tsp sugar
2 TBSP mirin (rice wine vinegar)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1” piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Optional: 1/2 tsp hot Viet Namese pepper sauce OR wasabi sauce (not both in the same batch)
Optional: 3 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
Optional: 2 TBSP fresh cilantro (coriander leaf), finely chopped
Mix together until sugar dissolves.
5. Optional: Make more rice.
If the first batch of rice doesn’t look like it will be enough, make more rice in a second batch. Never make a larger batch at one time. You want to be able to work fast so that the rice doesn’t cool and harden and become so that it won’t stick together into balls. It sticks together because of the heat and moisture, and won’t stick together if you take your time or wait too long before shaping it.
The rice balls will be delicate for a couple of minutes, but once they’ve had about 5-10 minutes to get used to their new shape, they’ll hold. However, this recipe should be served within 3 hours of preparing, at most, and DO NOT refrigerate, or they’ll get hard and tasteless. Prepare the rice balls, set them out with a bowl of the dipping sauce, and serve. You’ll be having so many other delicious and flavorful options that some guests may want something a little more taste-gentle like rice to soothe their stomachs or settle their taste buds down.
Total cost:
If you have to buy all the sauce ingredients, it’ll cost you, but you’ll be able to use the ingredients for countless other dishes. If you have them on hand, the cost for these is quite low — say, 50 cents for the rice (if you didn’t get it on sale at Sam’s Club), maybe $2-3 for the ingredients you use up for the sauce (and then the rest, you leave in the fridge for another time).
Post by Chayil
RE: Inexpensive Finger Food Recipes
A favorite around here is Lil’ Smokeys (cocktail weiners) in BBQ sauce in the crock pot. I also get turkey meatballs from Aldi and put them in the crockpot with a jar of spachetti sauce.
Post by Bethmom1961
RE: Inexpensive Finger Food Recipes
My favorite spread for small finger sandwiches or crackers or as a dip:
1 pkg of cream cheese softened
1/2 cup mayo
Small can chopped black olives drained
1/4 cup chopped green olives with pimento
1/4 cup finely minced onion
1/4 cup finely mince celery
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
Mix all together and store tightly sealed in jar.
This is great to use for a regular sandwich with meats, stuffed celery, and to use as a dip, add liquid from green olive jar until dipping consistency is achieved. I do use low fat cheese and mayo.
Post by Lgoff15
RE: Inexpensive Finger Food Recipes
Thanks kffrmw88! Those will come in handy and they sound delicious! Jackie
Post by jjohnson
RE: Inexpensive Finger Food Recipes
Get bread from bakery or an out let.
Cut off the crust, also can use fancy toothpicks stuck in the sandwiches. (Not all of them just here and there)
Now there are different spreads you can use.
Seafood Filling:
1- 6 1/2 oz. shrimp, tuna or crab (in cans)
2 Tbsp. chopped dill pickles
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
In small bowl combine all filling ingredients. Mix well and then put your sandwiches together and cut into quarters.
I made the shrimp salad and it was delicious. Makes 1 cup, I also doubled it
Chicken Salad Filling:
3/4 finely chopped cooked chicken*
2 Tbsp mayo or salad dressing
2 Tbsp. pimento (optional)**
1/3 cup finely chopped celery.
Salt and Pepper
*Depending on how much you want to make depends on how much chicken you will need, say one or two chicken breasts. 1-5 oz. can of chicken can be substituted. They can all be made the night before, however do not put sandwiches together the night before. **you can use 1-2 tsp pickle relish.We used this and it was really good!
In small bowl, combine ingredients, mix well. You can make the night before.
Ham Salad Sandwiches
8 oz. cooked ground ham, we just cut ours into small pieces
2 Tbsp. mayo or salad dressing
1-2 tsp. pickle relish
In small bowl combine mix well. May also be chilled.
Egg Salad Filling
2 hard cooked eggs, chopped.
1 tsp. pimento (optional)
1 tsp. celery
1/8 tsp. salt
Mix together, chill. This one only makes 3/4 cup
Pineapple Cheese Filling
1 -3 oz pkg cream cheese softened
1/4 cup drained crushed pineapple
Mix together well and can chill overnight. I have to tell you, this one was also delicous!
Creamy Pimento Spread
8 oz. cream cheese softened
2 Tbsp. milk or half and half
1/8 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 oz. (1/2 cup) shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped pimento
In a small bowl, combine first 3 ingredients. Beat until light and fluffy. Add cheese and pimiento, mix well. Chill. Makes 1 1/2 cups
Variations
You can also create others from these recipes.
To 1-3 oz. package of softened cream cheese, add any of these to make sandwiches:
1-2 Tbsp. chopped green peppers
1-2 Tbsp. bacon fried, crisp, drained and crumbled
2 oz. (1/2 cup) shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 Tbsp. chopped pimento
1-2 Tbsp. chopped green olives
Keep chilled also.
Good luck.
Post by kffrmw88
Source: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf17090612.tip.html
© 1997-2009 ThriftyFun.com
Imperial Salad Freeze
Ingredients
* 2 large ripe bananas
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
* 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
* 2 Tbsp. chopped maraschino cherries
* 2 cups sour cream, softened
* 1/2 cup chopped pecans (opt.)
Directions
Mash bananas with fork. Blend in other ingredients and stir well. Pour into glass Pyrex dish (1 1/2 qts.). Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving, for ease of cutting into squares.
By Robin from Washington, IA
Source: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf47466924.tip.html
© 1997-2009 ThriftyFun.com
Lemon Lusk
Ingredients
* 1 stick margarine
* 1 pkg. cream cheese (8oz.)
* 1 cup flour
* 1 Cool Whip (9oz.)
* 2 boxes instant lemon pudding (3oz. size)
* 3 cups milk
* 1/2 cup nuts
* 1 cup powdered sugar
Directions
Mix margarine, nuts and flour like a pie crust and pat into 11x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Mix 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 cup Cool Whip and cream cheese. Spread on cool crust. Mix pudding and milk, let set until thick; spread on top of cheese mixture. Spread remaining Cool Whip on top. Sprinkle with nuts, if desired.
By Robin from Washington, IA
Source: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf51160120.tip.html
© 1997-2009 ThriftyFun.com
Cabbage, Rice and Beef Casserole Recipe
I need a good recipe for Cabbage Casserole that has ground beef and rice included in the recipe. I can’t seem to find the really good recipe I had. Thanks!
Dee from Franklin, LA
Feedback About This Post:
RE: Cabbage, Rice and Beef Casserole Recipe
Go to Eastern Europe.About.com They have stuffed cabbage leaves using ground beef, rice and tomato sauce. You won’t be disappointed.
Post by castleberrycc
RE: Cabbage, Rice and Beef Casserole Recipe
This is a recipe I recently posted on my blog.
Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
2 cups grated cabbage (or cole slaw mix)
1/2 pound ground beef, pork or turkey
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup rice, cooked
In large skillet or medium saucepan, cook meat until lightly browned. Drain fat and place meat in a covered container.
In same skillet, place cabbage and 1 cup of tomato sauce. Saute for 20-30 minutes or to desired tenderness.
Mix cooked meat and rice into the cabbage. Add the rest of the tomato sauce and broth. Season to taste with salt, pepper, dried minced onion, dried parsley flakes, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, etc. Heat thoroughly.
Serves 4
source: my blog
http://www.samaree.com/2009/03/17/267/
Post by thriftyboo
Source: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf98342059.tip.html
© 1997-2009 ThriftyFun.com
Fudge-Full Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
* 1 pkg. yellow cake mix
* 1 cup peanut butter
* 1/2 cup margarine, melted
* 2 eggs
Filling:
* 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces
* 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
* 2 Tbsp. margarine
* 1 pkg. coconut pecan frosting mix
Directions
In large bowl, combine cake mix, peanut butter, butter and eggs. By hand, stir until dough holds together. Press 2/3 of dough into bottom of ungreased 9x13 inch pan. Reserve remaining dough for topping. Prepare filling. Spread filling over dough in pan. Crumble reserved dough over filling. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.
For Filling: In saucepan, combine chocolate pieces, milk and butter. Melt over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in frosting mix.
By Robin from Washington, IA
Source: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf82691076.tip.html
© 1997-2009 ThriftyFun.com
Marinated Carrots
Ingredients
* 1 onion
* 2 lb. carrots
* 1 small green pepper
* 1 can tomato soup
* 1/2 cup salad oil
* 1 cup sugar
* 3/4 cup vinegar
* 1 tsp. mustard
* 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
* salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Slice carrots and boil in water a few minutes. Alternate slices of carrots, peppers, and onions. Boil last seven ingredients until thickened. Pour over carrot mixture. Marinate at least 12 hours before serving. This will keep 3-4 weeks. Serves 8-10.
By Robin from Washington, IA
Source: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf84054716.tip.html
© 1997-2009 ThriftyFun.com
Strawberry Soda Pop Cake
Strawberry Soda Pop Cake I
Ingredients
* 1 package Strawberry Cake mix (any brand)
* 1 12 oz Can Strawberry Fanta soda (or 1 1/2 cups)
* 1 Egg
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 2 Tubs Cool Whip (I used about 1 1/2 to “frost” a double layer cake)
* Fresh Strawberries (Sliced)
Directions
Add cake mix to a large mixing bowl. Add egg, oil and strawberry soda. Beat until smooth. Pour into two baking pans that have been greased and floured. Bake as directed (depending on pan used, I used 2 round cake pans). Once cake is done and completely cooled, Frost first layer with with cool whip and arrange strawberrie slices on top and then frost the top of the cake and add more sliced strawberies and one whole strawberry in the middle.
Source: This recipe was originally a Weight Watchers recipes, but it just called for 1 egg white and 1 can of soda. the cake ended up being dry and flat so i played with the ingredients a bit and came up with my own version, naming it The Strawberry Soda Pop Cake.
By Tina from Mesquite, TX
Mommys Kitchen
http://tinamommyx3.blogspot.com/
Strawberry Soda Cake II
Ingredients
* 1 box yellow cake mix
* 2 pkg. strawberry gelatin (3oz. size)
* 1 c. boiling water
* 1 c. strawberry soda
Frosting:
* 1 pkg. cream cheese (8oz.)
* 1 stick margarine
* 1 box powdered sugar
* 1 tsp. vanilla
Directions
Bake cake mix as directed, in 9x13 inch pan. While baking, mix remaining ingredients. Take cake from oven; price all over (well) with a fork. While cake is still hot, pour gelatin mixture over it very slowly, swirling it slightly to give marble effect. Cool, then top with the following:
Cream all frosting ingredients together until fluffy. Spread on cake and sprinkle with nuts and coconut.
By Robin from Washington, IA
Source: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf31700156.tip.html
© 1997-2009 ThriftyFun.com