Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition [Survival Today

Did you hear about the guy that lives on nothing? No seriously, he lives on zero dollars a day. Meet Daniel Suelo, who lives in a cave outside Moab, Utah. Suelo has no mortgage, no car payment, no debt of any kind. He also has no home, no car, no television, and absolutely no “creature comforts.” But he does have a lot of creatures, as in the mice and bugs that scurry about the cave floor he’s called home for the last three years.

To us, Suelo probably sounds a little extreme. Actually, he probably sounds very extreme. After all, I suspect most of you reading this are doing so under the protection of some sort of man-made shelter, and with some amount of money on your person, and probably a few needs for money, too. And who doesn’t need money unless they have completely unplugged from the grid? Still, it’s an amusing story about a guy who rejects all forms of consumerism as we know it.

How to Brew Your Own Beer and Maybe Save Some Money. A fantastic introduction to home brewing, something I’ve never done myself, but always been interested in trying. (@Generation X Finance)

Contentment: A Great Financial Principle. If I had to name one required emotion for living a frugal lifestyle it would be contentment. Once you are content with your belongings and your lot in life you can ignore forces attempting to separate you from your money. (@Personal Finance by the Book)

Use Energy Star Appliances to Save On Utility Costs. I enjoyed this post because it included actual numbers, and actual total savings, from someone who upgraded to new, energy star appliances. (@The Digerati Life)

Over-Saving for Retirement? Is it possible to “over-save” for retirement? Yes, I think so. At some point I like the idea of putting some money aside in taxable investments outside of retirement funds, to be accessed prior to traditional retirement age. (@The Simple Dollar)

40 Things to Teach My Kids Before They Leave Home. A great list of both practical and philosophical lessons to teach your kids before they reach the age where they know everything. I think that now happens around 13 years-old. (@My Supercharged Life)

Index Fund Investing Overview. If you are looking for a place to invest with high diversification and relatively low fees (for broader index funds with low turnover), index funds are a great place to start. (@Money Smart Life)

5 Reasons To Line Dry Your Laundry. My wife and I may soon be installing a clothesline in our backyard. In many neighborhoods they are frowned upon - one of the reasons I don’t like living in a neighborhood. I digress. One of our neighbors recently put up a clothesline, and we might just follow his lead. (@Simple Mom)

* 4 Quick Tips for Getting Out of a Rut * Young and Cash Rich * Embracing Simple Style * First Trading Experience With OptionsHouse * The Exponential Power of Delayed Consumption * How Much Emergency Fund is Enough? * 50 Questions that Will Free Your Mind * Save Money On Car Insurance

Shepherd’s Pie in a Jar

Recipe By : Real Food for Real People
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Beef Casserole
Main Dish O.A.M.C.
Potatoes

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
———— —————— —————— -———— -———— —
1 pound Lean Ground Beef
1 small Onion — chopped
10 1/2 ounces Cream of Mushroom Soup — (1 can)
2 cups Green Beans — French cut, drained
4 cups Mashed Potatoes
1 1/2 cups Cheddar Cheese — shredded
to taste Salt and Pepper
6 wide-mouth pint jars

Brown ground beef with chopped onion in a large skillet; drain. Add soup to ground beef mixture; spoon evenly into 6 wide-mouth pint jars. Add a layer of green beans to each jar. Top beans with a layer of mashed potatoes, and top each jar with shredded cheese. Put lids on jars and store in refrigerator up to one week. (each jar contains 1—2 servings)

*To Freeze for later use: Label cooled jars and freeze for up to 6 months. To serve, thaw overnight in refrigerator, heat in microwave or in the oven.

Source: “”Meals in Jars””
Copyright: “(c)2008, Kaylin White/Real Food for Real People”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 469 Calories; 30g Fat (57.8% calories from fat); 25g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 90mg Cholesterol; 768mg Sodium.

Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch) ; 3 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 4 Fat.

Grandma’s Meatloaf

Set oven to 350 degrees

2 lbs lean hamburger
1 lb sausage (I like it with sage)
1 med. onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 sleeve of saltine crackers crumbled fine
2 eggs
1 sm. can tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Spray a 9 x 11 cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Put all the ingredients except the tomato sauce in the pan and mix well (I usually use my hands for this. If you don’t want to get your hands messy, try using latex gloves like they use in hospitals. You can buy them in the pharmacy). Smooth it out in the pan and poke holes in the top with your fingers. Pour the tomato sauce over the top and smooth it out with a spoon. Bake for 1 hour.

This will serve 6 people easily and more if you like small servings. It makes great sandwiches the next day! We’ve mixed in grated cheddar cheese sometimes and my kids really love it!

My friends Roy and Margie visited over New Years and Roy made this for us. It was so good and just fell apart. Melt in your mouth tender and juicy!

Pulled Pork Roast

(Prepared by cooking in Crock Pot)

Use a Boston Butt cut of Pork
1 can of Campbell’s French Onion Soup (Condensed - Don’t add water)
1 Cup Ketchup
1/4 Cup of Cider Vinegar
3 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar

Put a little garlic salt and pepper all over the roast and then Brown it. Place in Crock Pot. Put above ingredients over Roast. Cook on Low for 8-10 hours. Shred apart with fork and serve. (we just served it, didn’t pull it. It was so tender it melted in your mouth)

Roy says afterwards he pulls it and adds barbq sauce and heat and serve on a bun. It was so good though we ate it just like it came out of the crock pot.

Taco Chicken

1 1/2 cups nacho cheese tortilla chips (1 3/4 oz)
1/2 cup Original Bisquick® mix
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 lb)
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons taco sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Place tortilla chips in 1-gallon re-sealable plastic food-storage bag; crush with rolling pin. Add Bisquick mix to chips; mix well. Between sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper, flatten each chicken breast half to about 1/4-inch thickness. In small shallow dish, mix egg, taco sauce and salt. Dip chicken into egg mixture, then shake in bag to coat with Bisquick mixture. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook chicken in oil 10 to 12 minutes, turning once, until juice is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F).

Variation Looking for a little spicier version of Taco Chicken? Use spicy nacho cheese chips and medium taco sauce for the coating. Success Using a nonstick skillet will work best for cooking this coated chicken. If you don’t have a nonstick skillet, you may need to add about 1 tablespoon more oil halfway through cooking. Serve With Serve this crispy chicken alongside Spanish rice, warm flour tortillas or corn muffins and sliced avocados.

OREO DELIGHT

35 Oreo cookies (1 whole pkg.) - I prefer mint flavor
6 Tbsp. margarine, melted
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
1 (12 oz.) tub Cool Whip, thawed
3 1/4 c. cold milk
2 pkg. instant Jell-O pudding
optional: more crushed Oreos or Andes Mint baking chips to sprinkle on top

Mix crushed cookies and butter in medium bowl. Press firmly onto bottom of 9” x 13” baking dish. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and 2 Tbsp. milk in medium bowl with wire whisk until blended. Stir in 1 1/4 c. Cook Whip. Spread over crust. Pour 3 1/4 c. milk into bowl. Add both pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk for 2 minutes. Pour over cream cheese layer. Let stand 5 minutes. Drop remaining Cool Whip over pudding and spread. Sprinkle more crushed Oreos or Andes Mint baking chips on top. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Patty

10-Layer Slow Cooker Dish

6 med potatoes, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 med onion, thinly sliced
15 oz can corn
15 oz can peas
1/4 c water
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef, browned
10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup

Layer 1: 1/4 of potatoes, 1/2 onion, salt & pepper
Layer 2: 1/2 can of corn
Layer 3: 1/4 of potatoes
Layer 4: 1/2 can of peas
Layer 5: 1/4 of potatoes, 1/2 onion, salt and pepper
Layer 6: remaining corn
Layer 7: remaining potatoes
Layer 8: remaining peas and water
Layer 9: ground beef
Layer 10: soup

Cover and cook on High 4 hours.

Nicole

Conversion Charts: http://www.realfood 4realpeople. com/convert. html

Archives: http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/RealFood4RealPeople/

Scandinavian Beer Bread (1 1/2-Pound Recipe)

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Bread

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
———— —————— ————————————————
1/3 cup water (70º to 80ºF)
3/4 cup light or dark beer
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons light molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon anise seed
2 1/4 cups bread flour
3/4 cup medium rye flour
1 tablespoon gluten (optional) — * see note
2 teaspoons Fleischmann’s® Bread Machine Yeast

Measure all ingredients into bread machine pan in the order suggested by the
manufacturer.

Process in basic/white bread or whole wheat cycle: medium/normal crust
setting. Timed-bake feature can be used. Remove baked bread from pan and
cool on wire rack.
++++++++++++++++++++

To make Crisp Bread Slices: Cool bread at least 2 hours. Thinly slice.
Remove crusts and cut into squares or triangles. Or use cookie cutters to
cut out holiday shapes. To crisp, place slices on baking sheets. Brush
lightly with melted butter. Bake at 375ºF for 5 to 10 minutes or until
lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Serve with fruit- or
herb-flavored cream cheese or thinly sliced meats and cheeses.

Cuisine:
“Scandinavian”
Source:
“Fleischmann’s Yeast”
S(Internet address):
“http://www.breadworld.com/index.html";
Yield:
“1 Loaf”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 117 Calories; 2g Fat (17.4% calories
from fat); 4g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg
Cholesterol; 137mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0
Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : Select loaf size recommended by the manufacturer of your machine.

* Gluten, a protein product from flour, helps improve loaf height, texture
and structure. Look for it in your supermarket or health food store.

Jewish Rye

Recipe By :Linda West Eckhardt, Diana Collingwood Butts
Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Bread Bread - Rye

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
———— —————— ————————————————
1 cup water
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups bread flour
3/4 cup rye flour
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast — to 3 teaspoons

Add all the ingredients to the bread machine pan. Process on the basic bread
setting.

Remove the bread from the pan to cool on a rack’ Store wrapped in aluminum
foil or in a paper bag.

Source:
“Rustic European Breads from your Bread Machine”
Yield:
“1 1/2 pounds”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 93 Calories; 1g Fat (12.8% calories
from fat); 3g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol;
135mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fat;
0 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : Made on 3/05/08 used dough cycle, rose in basket, baked in oven on
cookie sheet. I used 2 1/2 tsp yeast, its more than enough.

1/5/10 added about 3 tablespoons Caramel color, King Arthur Catalog product

Russian Black Bread by Lora Brody & Millie Apter
“Bread Machine Baking Perfect every Time” 1993

1 Tablespoon vinegar
2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup water
1 teaspoon minced dried onion (I used) or 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons gluten (I used) or 3 Teaspoons of Lora Brody’s Bread Dough
Enhancer (optional for a higher loaf)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup rye flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour (4 gr. Protein)
1/2 cup oat bran
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon instant coffee (powder or granules) - I used granules
1 1/2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Place all ingredients in the machine, program for bread, basic white bread,
whole wheat, Basic Wheat, Whole wheat/Multigrain, White/wholegrain or Wheat,
and press Start or ON.

I used the machine for the dough only, shaped a round loaf and left to rise.
Nothing happened.

Donna

Messages in this topic (2)
________________________________________________________________________
6b. Re: More notes on the saga of Russian Black Bread
Posted by: “Hal”

The only thing that jumps out at me is the oat bran. I know every time that
I had that ingredient in a recipe that I had to really up the fluid. They
soak of a lot of liquid. Also, most - note most - not always - a Black
Bread is a slack dough. It doesn’t form the nice dough ball that you might
be used to getting. That is why it spreads out if you don’t use something
to control it becoming a pancake.

BUT - I need to make a trip to the Natural Food Store and buy two cups of
rye flour, which I don’t have on hand. I got the rest of the ingredient and
haven’t made a new recipe bread in a couple of years. You find four or five
that you really like and you make them over and over. At least that what I
do. This one sounds interesting enough to try if I can get the rye flour
without buying a large bag of it.

To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bread-machine/

BBB Alerts Consumers about U.S. Census Workers: Be Cooperative, But
Cautious!

_http://www.bbb.http://www.bbb.http:_ (http://www.bbb.org/us/article/10306)

For years, Better Business Bureau has educated consumers about not giving
out personal information over the telephone or to anyone who shows up at
their front door. With the U.S. Census process beginning, BBB advises people
to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or
identity theft.

The first phase of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way as workers have begun
verifying the addresses of households across the country. Eventually, more
than 140,000 U.S. Census workers will count every person in the United
States and will gather information about every person living at each address
including name, age, gender, race and other relevant data.

“Most people are rightfully cautious and won’t give out personal
information to unsolicited phone callers or visitors, however the Census is an
exception to the rule,” said Steve Cox, BBB spokesperson. “Unfortunately,
scammers know that the public is more willing to share personal data when
taking part in the Census and they have an opportunity to ply their trade by
posing as a government employee and soliciting sensitive financial information.
”

The Census data will be used to allocate more than $300 billion in federal
funds every year, as well as determine a State’s number of Congressional
representatives. Households are actually required by law to respond to the
Census Bureau’s request for information.

During the U.S. Census, households will be contacted by mail, telephone or
visited by a U.S. Census worker who will inquire about the number of
people living in the house. Unfortunately, people may also be contacted by
scammers who are impersonating Census workers in order to gain access to
sensitive financial information such as Social Security, bank account or credit
card numbers. Law enforcement in several states have issued warnings that
scammers are already posing as Census Bureau employees and knocking on doors
asking for donations and Social Security numbers.

The big question is - how do you tell the difference between a U.S. Census
worker and a con artist? BBB offers the following advice:

• If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a
handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag and a confidentiality notice.
Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their
questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don’t know into your home.

• Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address
information. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking
information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census.
While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as
a salary range, it will not ask for Social Security, bank account or
credit card numbers nor will employees solicit donations.

• Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail or in
person at home. However, they will not contact you by e-mail, so be on the look
out for e-mail scams impersonating the Census. Never click on a link or
open any attachments in an e-mail that are supposedly from the U.S. Census
Bureau.

For more advice on avoiding identity theft and fraud, visit www.bbb.org

People are like stained glass windows: They sparkle and shine when the sun
is out, But when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only
if there is a light shining from within. ~Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FoodStorageTheBasicsandBeyond/

Impossible Pies are quiches that have baking mix
mixed into the liquid ingredients. As it bakes,
the baking mix forms a crust. The original idea
first shows up in a give-away recipe pamphlet by
Pillsbury dueing the depression. They included
in it a larger booklet 75 years of Best Baking
Ideas or something like that in the 50’s. A few
people were coming up with variations in the 40’s
and 50’s. Then General Mills grabbed the concept
and promoted it in their Bisquick ads with the
lines - “A pie that makes its own crust? That’s
impossible!” Since then, 100’2 of variations
have shown up. The older versions tend to be
pretty high in fat, lots of cheese. The newer
more healthy versions have more vegetables and
are referred to as Impossibly Easy Pies.

Here’s a couple examples -

{ Exported from MasterCook Mac }

Impossible Mushroom Pie

Recipe By:
Serving Size: 6
Preparation Time: 0:00
Categories: Vegetables

Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation Method
1 tb Butter
1 tb Oil
2 c Mushrooms sliced
1/2 c Green onions chopped
1 c Swiss cheese shredded
1 t Tarragon dried
3/4 c Bisquick or baking mix
1/4 ts Salt
3 Eggs
Tomato slices or wedges opt
Parsley opt

Preheat oven 400F. Heat butter and oil in large frypan. Toss in mushrooms
and cook over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Season. Spread
mushrooms, green onions, cheese and tarragon in bottom of greased 10 inch
pie plate. Beat remaining ingredients 15 seconds in blender or 1 minute
with hand beater till smooth and pour over vegetable mixture. Bake in
preheated 400F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or till top is golden and pie is
cooked. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Granish with tomato and
parsley.

File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/mm-impos.zip

Per serving (excluding unknown items): 457
Calories; 46g Fat (89% calories from fat); 9g
Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 130mg Cholesterol;
191mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 8 1/2 Fat
_____

{ Exported from MasterCook Mac }

Impossible Asparagus

Recipe By:
Serving Size: 6
Preparation Time: 0:00
Categories: Onion Cheddar Cheese Asparagus
Pimentos Water Chestnuts

Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation Method
1 cn Waterchestnuts coarsely
-chopped
1 pk Frozen asparagus spears
-thawed and drained
1 Jar pimientos chopped
1/2 c Chopped onions
1 1/2 c Sharp cheddar cheese
-shredded
1 1/2 c Milk
3 Eggs
3/4 c Bisquick baking mix
1/2 ts Garlic salt
1/4 ts Pepper
1 Jar pimientos chopped

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly grease 10” pie plate.

Reserve 1/4 cup of the water chestnuts.

Layer asparagus, remaining water chestnuts, 1 jar pimiento, the onion and
cheese in pie plate.

Beat remaining ingredients except reserved water chestnuts and 1 jar
pimientos until smooth, 15 seconds in blender on high or 1 minute with
electric mixer on high.

Pour into pie plate.

Bake until golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to
45 minutes.

Cool 5 minutes.

Garnish with water chestnuts and pimientos.

Possum Kingdom Lake Cookbook

MC Formatted using MC Buster 2.0d by Barb on 4/7/98

Recipe by: Bisquick “No Time to Cook” Recipe booklet

Posted to MC-Recipe Digest by Barb at PK on Apr 16, 1998

Per serving (excluding unknown items): 198
Calories; 14g Fat (64% calories from fat); 13g
Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 146mg Cholesterol;
409mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 2 Fat
_____

Cheaper And Better Creamy Hot Cocoa Mix

beverages

2 cups instant nonfat dry milk powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Combine all ingredients and stir to blend.
Store in a tightly closed jar or container up to 2 months.
Makes 20 ounces

TO USE:
Put 2-3 heaping tablespoons of this mix into a coffee mug and fill with
boiling water, or for an extra rich
drink, hot milk. Top with whipped cream and cinnamon for a special
treat.

SOURCES:
Cheaper and Better by Nancy Birnes

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cheapcooking/

=== Google News Alert for: frugal living ===

America’s Unhappy New Year
Lew Rockwell
... retirement savings and the soaring costs of health care which will
demand far more frugal living than was true of their predecessor waves of
retirees. ...
http://www.lewrockwell.com/douglas/douglas30.1.html
See all stories on this topic:
http://news.google.com/news/story?ncl=http://www.lewrockwell.com/douglas/douglas30.1.html&hl=en

In 2009, ‘furcations’ taught us to live on less
The Coloradoan
She’s super-stylish on a tight budget, making frugal living look glamorous.
She a magnet for a good deal, wearing her second-hand shop finds like she
picked ...
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100105/LIFESTYLE/100104017/1024/In+2009++%E2%80%98furcations++taught+us+to+live+on+less
See all stories on this topic:
http://news.google.com/news/story?ncl=http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100105/LIFESTYLE/100104017/1024/In%2B2009%2B%2B%25E2%2580%2598furcations%2B%2Btaught%2Bus%2Bto%2Blive%2Bon%2Bless&hl=en

Cheap Foods and Garments Dominate Bulgarian Market Colliers International ...
Standart News
It is expected that money-saving retail formats, adapted to a more frugal
living standards, will establish strong positions on the Bulgarian market.
...
http://paper.standartnews.com/en/article.php?d=2010-01-06&article=31622
See all stories on this topic:
http://news.google.com/news/story?ncl=http://paper.standartnews.com/en/article.php%3Fd%3D2010-01-06%26article%3D31622&hl=en

This once a day Google Alert is brought to you by Google...

I use this hard candy recipe with horehound for a cough drop. A lot of folks don’t care for horehound, but it’s a taste from my childhood and I enjoy it.

Heather

-— On Tue, 1/5/10, ShineFox Rose Hip Candy
To: ForageAhead@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, January 5, 2010, 10:33 AM

using strong tea/decoction you can use that as the water required to make
hard rock candy
2 c. sugar
1 c. white corn syrup
1 c. water
boil until it reaches hard crack stage (300 degrees) remove from heat add
food color if desired, pour into shallow greased pan, allow to cool hit
with heavy object (hammer or drop pan on table) dust with powdered sugar,
store in airtight contianer
if you need medicinal lozenges use a medicinal herb decoction instead of
plain water, herbal candy made with rose hips, berry juice etc.
the same recipe brought to a boil and cooked until it begins to thicken
will produce cough syrup, oil of mint/cherry/ lemon will help mask the herbs
that are best for coughs and usually taste awful such as with horehound
shine

henwhisperer@

nice!

I’m keeping a file of these luscious recipes.

Thanks all.

Sharon..wishing she’d harvested and dried some Bone Set over the summer.
Sure would come in handy right now. :-)

dogville1

> I spend a lot of time out in the woods during ‘non-traditional’ seasons.
> There are few of the summer berries to found in mid-December in Montana.
> And I have a sweet tooth.
>
> But I can make do if I find a rose bush that still has some hips on it.
>
> Gather rose hips, grind into a paste, mix with tallow (butter can be
> substituted) and add sugar to sweeten. Shape into balls, put a stick or a
> toothpick into them and roast over hot coals.
>
> Heather

To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ForageAhead/

Mexican Pork and Beans Casserole
Posted by: “mamacheese2004”

Mexican Pork and Beans Casserole
Serves: 6
Source: Betty Crocker

Taco seasoning mix, enchilada sauce and tortillas take pork and beans on a trip south of the border.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground pork
1 can (15 to 16 oz) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 envelope (1 oz) Old El Paso® taco seasoning mix
1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso® enchilada sauce
1/2 cup water
6 corn tortillas cut in half, then crosswise into 1” strips , about 2 cups
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers (4 oz)
1 medium tomato chopped (3/4 cup), if desired

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook pork over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until no longer pink; drain.

2. In ungreased 2-quart casserole, stir pork, beans, taco seasoning mix, enchilada sauce, water and tortilla strips until well mixed.

3. Cover and bake about 40 minutes or until heated through. Stir casserole; sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered 5 to 8 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Top with tomato.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft) No changes.

***Health Twist***
For a change, try this casserole with 1 pound lean (at least 80%) ground beef or ground turkey instead of the pork.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. Slow Cooker Mediterranean Minestrone Casserole
Posted by: “mamacheese2004”

Slow Cooker Mediterranean Minestrone Casserole
Serves: 8
Source: Betty Crocker

With a 20-minute prep time, a hearty pasta casserole can be assembled in the morning on even the busiest days.

Ingredients:

3 medium carrots sliced (1 1/2 cups)
1 medium onion chopped (1/2 cup)
1 cup water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 to 16 ounces) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (6 ounces) Italian-style tomato paste
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Green Giant® frozen cut green beans (from 1-pound bag), thawed
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (3 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients except green beans, macaroni and cheese in 3- to 4-quart slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours.

3. Stir in green beans and macaroni. Increase heat setting to High. Cover and cook about 20 minutes or until beans and macaroni are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Use 1 1/4 cups water. In step 3, cover and cook on High heat setting about 25 minutes.

***Note***
If you prefer, substitute a can of kidney or great northern beans for the garbanzo beans. If you have cooked beans on hand already, use 1 3/4 cups instead of the can of beans.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. Frozen Burrito Bake
Posted by: “ny14467”

Frozen Burrito Bake

1 pkg. frozen bean and cheese burritos (usually come in pkg. 8)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 4 oz can diced green chillis
1 1/2 cup of shredded mexican blend cheese
3/4 cup sour cream

Place frozen burritos in 9x13 casserole dish. Mix mushroom soup, chillis, and sour cream together and spread over burritos. Top with cheese and bake at 350 or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. DINNER RECIPES
Posted by: “angelkisses51

http://thousands-of-recipes.com/?recipe=dinner

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. THE AFRICAN COOKBOOK
Posted by: “angelkisses51

http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Cookbook/about_cb_wh.html

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
6. RAGU® PASTA SAUCE RECIPES
Posted by: “angelkisses51

http://www.ragu.com/?utm_source=redirect&utm_medium=eat.com&utm_campaign=eat.comcookbook/index.html

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
7. SEASONED COOKING
Posted by: “angelkisses51

http://www.seasoned.com/

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
8. CP APPLESAUCE
Posted by: “angelkisses51

CROCKPOT APPLESAUCE

8-10 large cooking apples, peeled, cored, and chopped in pieces of
desired size
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup (or less) sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
Combine all ingredients in large crockpot.
Cover;
cook on low setting eight hours.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
9a. Cheesy Pork Chop Casserole
Posted by: “misscarolp77”

Cheesy Pork Chop Casserole

4 potatoes, peeled and sliced
4 thick cut boneless pork chops
1 (11 ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan with sliced
potatoes. Arrange the pork chops on top of the potatoes.
In a bowl, stir together the cheddar cheese and French
onion soups. Pour the soup over the pork chops.
Cover pan and bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or
until internal pork temperature reaches 160 degrees F (70
degrees C). Sprinkle chops with Monterey Jack cheese and serve.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
10a. Cheesy Potato Casserole
Posted by: “misscarolp77”

Cheesy Potato Casserole

1 pound processed cheese
2 cups mayonnaise
1 (2 pound) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 white onion, chopped
1 (3 ounce) jar real bacon bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In the microwave, melt cheese in a large microwave-safe
bowl. Stir in mayonnaise, potatoes and onions. Spread in a
9x13 inch baking dish and top with bacon bits.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until hot and bubbly.

To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/casseroles_and_crockpots/

[Live links at site]

http://bohemianrevolution.com/container-gardening-tips-and-resources/

Container gardening tips and resources
by Jen

817391_basilIn a few weeks, I may have a patio or balcony of my own where I can grow some potted plants. When you do this with herbs and vegetables, it’s called “container gardening” and you can grow a surprising amount of food in a very small area, if you pick the right plants for the amount of sunlight they’ll be getting. Produce is ridiculously expensive out here on the West Coast, so this is a way to save money, know exactly what you’re eating and take pride in your ability to provide (at least somewhat) for yourself and your household.

I’ve never done container gardening before, so I had to research. Then I decided the notes I put together would make a good article. Here you go!
Tips for container gardening

1. My plants will need 5 hours sunlight a day, minimum. Not a problem where I live, but if you can’t be sure they’ll get that, choose leafy vegetables like cabbage and lettuces. There are expensive lights you can buy that simulate sunlight fairly well, so that’s another option.
2. The best pots are glazed ceramic. Cedar and redwood are rot-resistant and therefore good choices if you want wooden containers, as long as you make sure they’re not treated with anything that could hurt the plants. Plastic, as always, sucks.
3. I’ll need to research each plant I’m interested in growing to determine what soil mix it needs, what its watering schedule will be, what fertilizer to add to the water and what sort of container it should be in. Here’s a very general list of plants and their particular needs. Scroll down on this page for a nice chart listing how much sun and other information about a long list of plants you can grow in containers in or around your home.
4. Ha! I just figured out how to get specifics. Go to your favorite search engine and query “container gardening los angeles”, except replace Los Angeles with a name for your region. Pick a city nearby that has the same climate (“container gardening buffalo ny”), or use your state’s name, or use a regional name (“container gardening southern california” also brings up great tips for me). Not only will this bring up online articles from local newspapers and other region-specific tips, but it may direct you to offline resources, such as gardening groups you can join. Don’t expect the best results to be on the first page. You may need to dig a bit.
5. Of course, the library/bookstore is your friend for this research, too. I’d try to library first because they could have out-of-print books that might be better than what’s currently in print. If you prefer buying to borrowing (and since you may need these books again every year, that could be a wise investment), you can buy out of print books at used bookstores or online.
6. Some plants may attract insects, so I’ll need to learn what I can spray on them or plant next to them to repel insects without putting damaging chemicals on my future food. I also need to learn which insects are not my enemy.
7. I should log everything I do, and the results of it. This will help me refine and improve my methods as time goes by. There’s no way I’m going to remember from one spring to the next just what I did.
8. I can compost to make quality soil for my garden (see here for a composting bin you can build yourself). Here’s a link to a couple of homemade, compost-based soil recipes. But remember: to make your compost organic, you can’t put chemically treated crap into it. I think if you carefully wash the skin of a vegetable that wasn’t grown organically, it’ll be more or less okay for your compost. But if you want to be safe, just buy some organic soil for your garden, then begin composting strictly from the garden and any organic produce you buy (and those of you with yards can include your yard waste if you know there’s nothing nasty being sprayed on it). In short: to keep your compost organic, don’t put non-organic produce or yard waste in it.

Got more tips? Add them in the comments.

1. Apartment gardening
2. Attract pest-eating bugs to your garden
3. Make your own plant food and keep your garden blooming
4. Getting free plants
5. Composting in an apartment?

http://bohemianrevolution.com/recycling-plastic-bags-into-durable-plastic-sheets/

Recycling plastic bags into durable plastic sheets
by Jen

Spotlight Post: Long Overdue Fusing Plastic Bag Tutorial

Now, you can use this stuff to make a million things. We’ve made re-usable grocery totes, wallets, and floor cushions; I think its an inexpensive way to make waterproof linings for beach bags and makeup clutches.

This is so brilliant! The tutorial is very easy to follow, and your end result is a durable, fairly thick sheet of plastic that you can use for all sorts of things or make into tote bags or small wallets – or just about anything, really.

http://etsylabs.blogspot.com/2007/05/long-overdue-fusing-plastic-bag.html

[an excellent how - to site. granny]

Instead of buying enough canvas totes to do grocery shopping without plastic bags, you could make enough totes this way to cover it. Keep one at work so when you run errands on lunch you won’t have to use their bags. Keep one in the car, one at home.

Want more tips on how to conserve and reuse plastic bags?

* Reuse Plastic Grocery Bags – Thrifty Fun has an inspiring list of things you can do with old plastic bags, ways to make sure you always have them handy when you grocery shop, and some tips from readers about where to recycle them when you just can’t reuse them anymore.
* Fake Plastic Fish offers a sensible look into what to do with plastic bags instead of recycling. Since we’re stuck with them and they can’t be recycled into anything that’s going to break down any faster, and recycling uses a lot of energy (renewable resource), reusing plastic bags is actually the greenest way to go.

1. Throwing out trash in plastic bags
2. Tips for easy recycling
3. How to save money at the farmer’s market
4. Folding fitted sheets
5. Recycle small electronics for free

[Links are live on site]

Start here for a photo spread, info and links to more wonderful recipes for the Madeleines.....granny

http://pinchmysalt.com/2010/01/07/my-first-madeleines/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PinchMySalt+(Pinch+My+Salt)&utm_content=Yahoo!+Mail

The recipe she used above is here:

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/madeleines-recipe.html

Madeleine Recipe

Lanha and I both prefer metal pans to the newer silicon molds. My metal pan brings a beautiful golden hue to the cookies, and to be honest I don’t like the looks of the silicon molds - all those zany colors. Madeleines look better baking in metal, I promise.

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (6 ounces)
2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter (for greasing pan)
3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
a pinch fine-grain sea salt
2/3 cups sugar
zest of one large lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
powdered sugar

a bit of extra flour for dusting baking pan

Special equipment: A madeleine baking pan, regular or small

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Melt the 1 1/2 sticks of butter in a small pot over medium heat until it’s brown and gives off a deliciously nutty aroma, roughly 20 minutes. Strain (using a paper towel over a mesh strainer) - you want to leave the solids behind. Cool the butter to room temperature. By doing the butter first you can complete the rest of the steps while it is cooling.

While the melted butter is cooling, use the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to grease the madeleine molds - get in there and make sure you get in all the ridges. Dust with flour and invert the pan tapping out any excess flour. Lanha uses “cooking spray” with flour to simplify this part.

Put the eggs with the salt in the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until thick - you are looking for the eggs to roughly double or triple in volume - approximately 3 minutes. Continuing to mix on high speed, slowly add the sugar in a steady stream. Whip for 2 minutes or until mixture is thick and ribbony. Now with a spatula fold in the lemon zest and vanilla (just until mixed).

Sprinkle the flour on top of the egg batter, and gently fold in. Now fold in the butter mixture. Only stirring enough to bring everything together.

Spoon the batter into the molds, filling each mold 2/3 -3/4 full. I use a small cup filled with batter to keep things clean and manageable, it is easier than using a spoon.

Bake the madeleines for 12 - 14 minutes (7-10 minutes for smaller cookies), or until the edges of the madeleines are golden brown. Remove from oven and unmold immediately. Cool on racks and dust with powdered sugar.

Makes 2 -3 dozen regular madeleines.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.