Posted on 07/24/2009 3:37:21 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition Category: Roundups | Comments(15)
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.
The Frugal Roundup
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)
A Few Others I Enjoyed
* 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
nw arizona granny,
I have also been lurking/reading this thread a long time.
Actually it is one of my fave, esp the recipes.
I saw a recipe for lemonzest/cranberry cookies a couple of weeks ago here.
I bought the makings and some other cookie baking stuff as Wal Mart had all the stuff on one area exclusive and cheap.
I don’t bake (time restraints/and single).
However I am on a restricted diet and buying store baked goods go to waste or are just to sugary tasting, no flavor.
With that being said and now having a pantry stocked to make cookies on a whim, the PB ones I bought prepackaged though for a couple of bucks.
It I make cookie dough, can or how can I freeze the dough and how so I can just bake a few at a time.
Freezing and baking a few at a time would not make them available so I have to take time to feed a goody urge. Else I just don’t keep any in the house and that can be torturous living in the country.
Thanks and keep up the work on this thread.
I am not one to be on ping lists but if you do ping I would like to be on the list.
Regarding the Cheesecake recipe.
For those who are on portion control or single serve:
I found lil graham cracker mini pie shells.
Can cheese cake be frozen?
The reason for the single ones also is my Priest likes my fruit topped ( I do freeze summer fruits for winter) cheese cake and I think the single lil pies would be nice when sharing with Father or anyone who come over like KV’s volenteer gal who reads to him on Fridays.
Any tips would be appreciated.
I am intruding again.
I thought about going to those lil single serve soup/stew/food containers w/lids to freeze single serve meals.
Will this soup freeze/thaw re heat well.
This recipe sounds wonderful tasty.
Just don’t want to be eating it for a week straight and then have to toss the left overs out.
Good For you Mash tators.
Nice.
I am going to guess I can steam the ing. instead of boiling. (my steamer has a timer/off and I can use that instead of leaving the stove on high as I get busy with KV med care and don’t leave the stove unattended, hence never enough time, too feet to tired after a shift, but if the veggies steam and instant off it is safe and helpful)
bookmarked pumpkin bread.
Freeze or not?
Book marked
Cookie Recipe I have been looking for, bookmark.
Sunset mag had a similar minuse the zest which I would add fer sure, and they were thumb print and in the print you put leftover cranberry sauce. Hope that makes sense.
Sunset Nov. 2010 issue
Note to self good recipe for pork roast that needs to come up out of freezer stock rotation.
Note on canned refied beans.
Or suggestion rather.
If one can not stand canned refried you can get a pint to go from local Mexican eatery.
We have a drive through family run Oscars or better known up here in the PNW as Mucho Gracias.
If mexican flare ing. end up in the grocery cart I just run through the drive through to buy the pint of beans and stick in the fridge untill the need that week.
Bump to small micros for reheat.
We have a not so good well.
KV has a lil micro wave in his room/bathroom.
It is big enough to heat water in a square bed bath basin.
He requires a warm washcloth for face care AM/PM and wet and heat in micro also good for heating attends wipes if needed, but his waterbed drawers where I stoe them keep them nice and warm.
My Ten Biggest Money Savers Since Starting The Simple Dollar
Posted: 30 Oct 2010 01:00 PM PDT
Today is the four year anniversary of The Simple Dollar. Rather than just lauding myself by posting a big pile of my favorite articles from the past, I decided to just cut straight to the heart of the matter and offer up specific useful tactics that have helped me to save money over the past four years.
What follows are the ten specific things that have had the biggest positive impact on our day-to-day finances over the past four years (in no particular order).
PaperBackSwap
I have, quite literally, received hundreds of nearly free books in the mail thanks to this service. Considering that I’m an avid book reader, devouring three books a week when I’m really rolling, that’s a tremendous savings compared to my earlier habit of buying piles of books at Borders and from Amazon.
PaperBackSwap is really simple. You sign up, list ten books you own that you don’t want, and pledge to send them out to any member that requests them. This earns you two “credits” on the site. For a credit, you can request that any book on the site be sent to you (and there are millions of them). You can earn more credits by fulfilling the requests of others who ask you to mail them a book that you’ve listed – it costs about $2 to send one via Media Mail. That’s it – you’re basically getting access to an enormous used book library for $2.
The library
I love my local library. It’s that simple.
Most people see the word “library” and think “books.” Books merely scratch the surface of the free stuff available there: magazines, audiobooks, CDs, DVDs, children’s programs, adult discussion groups, community messageboards, meeting rooms … the list goes on and on. All of this stuff is just sitting there waiting for you to use it.
Learning to cook well at home
Once upon a time, my wife and I ate out several times a week. Why? In our minds, it gave us an opportunity to talk while someone was making a meal for us.
After my financial meltdown, we started making more and more food at home. At first, it was a money saving tactic, but at some point, we realized that we were making some really good meals at home. Plus, we weren’t really missing out on the conversation, since we were often making the meals together and talking while we were doing it.
Keeping a pocket notebook
How can this be a big money saver? Easy. I use it to jot down prices on items for comparison shopping. I use it to note sales. I use it to note gift ideas that people mention. I use it for shopping lists.
I also use such a notebook to earn more money, too. I use it to record ideas. I use it to make very rough outlines of posts. I use it to make note of important things I need to get done in my own life.
I use it for so many things that have a positive effect on my finances (and my broader life) that I could scarcely live without it.
Netflix
On Tuesday, we’re losing our cable box. The biggest reason, honestly, is Netflix.
Why? For $9 a month (way cheaper than our cable bill), we get a giant mountain of commercial-free entertainment that we can watch on our television. We choose what we want, wait three seconds, and it’s showing. Plus, we get new movie releases in the mail.
It’s drastically cheaper than the $60 a month or so that our cable bill is and we don’t feel like we’re missing out on much, especially in conjunction with over-the-air signals.
Used video game trading
My late-night-when-everyone-else-is-asleep hobby is usually video games. Once upon a time, I had accumulated a massive video game collection. What I’d usually do is buy (or be gifted) lots of new games over the course of a console generation, then sell all of it off to buy a console and a few games for the next generation.
What I’ve started doing instead is simply trading my already-defeated games for new titles that I haven’t played. This has pretty much killed my new game purchasing habits. Now, when I defeat a game or two, I go down to the local used game shop, trade them for something I’ve not played before, head home, and enjoy something new.
Craigslist and thrift stores
We bought our wonderful 2004 Honda Pilot off of Craigslist, paying cash and getting a tremendous deal. That alone saved us a big fist full of money.
Beyond that, though, I’ve picked up quite a few items off of Craigslist, including a recent acquisition of a big pile of barely-used high quality kitchen implements.
Beyond that, I go thrifting fairly regularly and am constantly finding things like nearly-new great board games for $0.50, nearly new shirts for a buck, and countless other things like that.
Forcing myself to be more social
When I force myself to be more social, I find my social calendar filling up. My wife and I have things to do pretty much every evening. Here’s the interesting thing, though – most of those evenings are free activities, and sometimes they’re free meals, too.
Being really social goes against my basic nature. I like being a quiet homebody. However, I’ve found that evenings at home often add up to more spending. I’ll rent a movie. I’ll finish reading a book and desire to pick up a new one. However, if I have an exchange of dinners with a friend, I’ve spent two evenings without spending a dime – I make one larger meal one night, but then get a free meal another night, and the entertainment is usually free or close to it.
Not only that, this expanding social network also gives me lots of opportunity to save money in other ways. I hear about good deals that are out there. I have more sources of advice and suggestions when I’m making a purchase, which can often lead to big savings. I also have people to rely on during my moments of need.
Board games
Five years ago, a social evening would have involved a night out on the town – eating out, seeing a movie, maybe getting some drinks. That can get expensive if you do it regularly.
Instead, my wife and I often just play board games, either with each other or with a small handful of other regular friends. We meet at someone’s house, often have dinner together, and just play whatever games we have on hand. If a game isn’t getting play, I find someone online to swap it with, giving us something new to try.
Board games have become a part of many of our social events, offering us something to do while actually conversing with each other (instead of just ignoring each other while watching a movie or attending a concert). Even better, they also offer my wife and I something to do together in the evenings while we talk about our day or the ongoing issues in our lives, cementing our own relationship.
Volunteerism
I volunteer as a secretary for one community group, as financial chairman for another group, and as a basketball and soccer coach. I’ve volunteered for political committees, charities, and civic groups.
What do these things have in common? For one, they’re all fulfilling ways to spend time without any cost – and they better the community. For another, they’re a great opportunity to meet like-minded people.
The time I spend volunteering not only helps me to grow as a person, it keeps money in my wallet instead of finding ways to spend it.
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The Simple Dollar Time Machine: October 30, 2010
Posted: 30 Oct 2010 07:00 AM PDT
Many newer readers of The Simple Dollar haven’t been exposed to the hundreds of great articles in the archives of the site, so this is a weekly series that highlights the five best posts from one year ago this week, two years ago this week, and three years ago this week. I call it … the Time Machine.
One Year Ago (October 24 – October 30, 2009)
The Ten Most Important Things I’ve Learned About Money and Life Since Starting The Simple Dollar This article really sums up the valuable things I’ve learned over the past several years.
Ethical Frugality Week: Regifting I don’t think regifting is necessarily a bad thing. If you can put an item into the hands of someone who will genuinely enjoy it more than you, I’m fine with it.
Stress and Overspending When I’m stressed, I simply spend too much. There’s a deep connection between the comfort level in your psyche and your ability to make good choices in the moment.
14 Ways a Notebook in Your Pocket Can Save You Money Quite seriously, my life would be far less productive without a note-taking device of some kind in my pocket.
Why Windfalls Make Many People Unhappy We’ve all heard stories about the lottery winner who discovered that it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
Two Years Ago (October 24 – October 30, 2008)
Brand Preferences and the Two Year Old Child What can make a very young child prefer some brands over other brands? I was mystified by this when my first child was two, so I dug into the question.
Some Follow-Up Thoughts on Fruity Cheerios and Branding Our Kids My investigation into marketing to very young children continued a few days later. I was really stunned by this.
Should an Entrepreneurial High Schooler Go to College? My answer was yes, but part of that is fueled by a sense that college is often wasted on people straight out of high school.
Eleven Tactics for a Cheaper Christmas It’s so easy to overspend during the holiday season. Here are seven ways my family commonly reduces holiday spending.
Exploring the Connection Between Time and Money I think that money is simply a representation of time spent, and the more money you get for your time, the more effective that time was.
Three Years Ago (October 24 – October 30, 2007)
Spam Emails About Individual Stocks: What’s The Scam? The scam is “pump and dump” – they want you to escalate the price so they can sell the stock at a profit.
A Deeper Look At Dave Ramsey’s Seven Baby Steps To Financial Freedom – And How They Apply To Us I have a strong respect for Dave Ramsey’s straightforward debt management tactics (even if I’m not a big fan of the product upselling).
Preserving The Things That Money Can’t Buy Relationships are the big one here. A relationship with a loved one or a close friend can’t be represented in dollars.
The Eternal Question: Am I Doing The Right Thing? I find myself pondering this question quite a lot, actually. I’m never quite sure.
The Ten Most Important Things I’ve Learned About Money and Life In The Last Year This summarizes many of my revelations during the first year of The Simple Dollar’s existence.
If you’d like to browse through more of the archives, visit the chronology, where all posts are listed in chronological order.
Ten Ways to Get More out of The Simple DollarUpdated!
This is kind of a FAQ for new readers and is posted each week along with the Time Machine. Here are ten great ways for new readers to dig deeper into The Simple Dollar.
1. Subscribe by email or RSS. Visiting The Simple Dollar’s website is great, but for many people, it’s more convenient to receive the articles in another form. It’s easy to join 60,000 other subscribers and get The Simple Dollar’s content by email or in your RSS feeder (if you’re unfamiliar with RSS, check out Google Reader.
2. Comment. Each article on The Simple Dollar has lively discussion. Just click on the green square in the upper right of each article on the website and join in!
3. Become a fan of The Simple Dollar on Facebook. I put up questions and other materials about once every week or two on Facebook (so you won’t be flooded with Simple Dollar updates). Join in the conversation with other Simple Dollar fans and occasionally get some interesting freebies, too.
4. Follow me on Twitter. I post interesting articles, quotes, follow-up material, commentary, and other material on Twitter. Follow me! If you’re unfamiliar with Twitter, it’s essentially an open discussion forum for people to share ideas and thoughts with other like-minded folks – you just choose the people you want to listen to and their ideas and thoughts are all delivered to you on a single page.
5. Read my story of financial meltdown and recovery. The Simple Dollar isn’t based on what I’ve read in books or learned in school. I’ve made a lifetime of financial mistakes – The Simple Dollar is a record of what works for me during the process of getting my life on a better track.
6. Download my free 49 page e-book. Everything You Ever Really Needed to Know About Personal Finance On Just One Page is completely free. It summarizes all of the key lessons I’ve learned along the way about personal finance in one tidy package – in fact, all of the main principles can be found right on the cover.
7. Dig through “31 Days to Fix Your Finances.” 31 Days to Fix Your Finances is an article series that outlines how you can get a grip on your finances over the course of a month.
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[Good recipe for camping..]
Rio Grande Fritter Cakes
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy mix)
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus some for frying
3/4 cup milk
1 Anaheim or poblano chile pepper, seeded and very thinly sliced
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup shredded Cheddar
Salt
Directions
Combine dry mix with egg, 2 tablespoons oil and milk to make batter then
stir in the chile peppers, corn and Cheddar.
Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a large skillet and cook 6 small
cakes, 3 inches each, at a time for 2 to 3 minutes
on the first side and 1 to 2 minutes on the second side, until evenly
deep golden in color.
Transfer to a towel lined plate and salt the fritter cakes.
Repeat, adding and heating a little additional oil for the second batch.
Source : The Food Network
This is another great group owned by *~Tamara~*
——————————————————————————————————— To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Simply-Spicy/
* Exported from MasterCook *
Pumpkin Pasties
Recipe By : Real Food for Real People
Serving Size : 36 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Desserts Holiday
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
———— —————— ————————————————
2 Eggs — slightly beaten
3/4 cup Sugar
16 ounces Canned Pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Ginger
1/4 teaspoon Cloves
1 2/3 cups Evaporated Milk — (1 can)
1/2 teaspoon Allspice
9 ounces Pie Crust, frozen — enough for 2 pies (or fresh)
Bake the pie filling only (no crust) in a large greased casserole dish in hot oven (425F) for 15 minutes. Keep oven door closed and reduce temp to moderate (350 degrees F/180 degress Celsuis) and continue baking for 45 minutes or until table knife inserted in center of dish comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.
Make or purchase pie crust pastry (enough to make 2 pies). Roll thin and cut into circles approx 4” in diameter. Put a spoonful of the cool pumpkin mixture towards one side of the center of the circle. Fold over the crust into a half-circle and firmly crimp the edges closed. Slice three small slits in the top for venting, place on a greased cookie sheet, and bake only until crust is a light golden-brown. The pumpkin filling will begin to make the crust soggy, so best baked the day of serving. Can be made ahead by freezing the assembled pasties unbaked on cookie sheets, then thawed and baked the day of serving. Great served at room-temperature, then you don’t have to worry about your guests possibly burning their mouths from the steaming hot pumpkin inside!
Description: “A treat straight from Hogwarts!”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 73 Calories; 3g Fat (39.7% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 15mg Cholesterol; 87mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
*Note: Please forward this recipe post to as many people as you like. All I ask is that you forward the entire message, and that you encourage the recipient to subscribe. Thank you so much! Kaylin
White Crunch
10 oz bag mini pretzels
5 c cheerios
5 c Chex or Crispix
2 c peanuts
1 lb m & m’s
2 c vanilla chips
3 T oil
Combine first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Combine chips and oil in small bowl. Microwave on medium power for 2 minutes. Stir and mix until smooth. Heat longer if necessary. Pour over first 5 ingredients, mix and spread onto wax-lined cookie sheets - about 3. Cool. Break apart into pieces and store in airtight container.
Patty
I got this recipe from Martha Stewart online. These macabre treats, so sweet yet so sinister, will make even the bravest eaters tremble. The marshmallow skulls top Madeleines shrouded in bittersweet chocolate. Makes about 5 dozen.
Marshmallow Skulls
FOR THE MADELEINES
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water
1 large egg, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
7 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
FOR THE GLAZE
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 61 percent), finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
Make the Madeleines: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter mini-Madeleine pans.
Whisk cocoa powder and water in a medium bowl until smooth. Let cool slightly, then whisk in egg, yolk, and vanilla until incorporated.
Beat flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt with a mixer on low speed until combined. Raise speed to medium, and add butter and 1/2 the cocoa mixture. Beat for 2 minutes, then scrape sides of bowl. Beat in remaining cocoa mixture on medium speed until completely combined, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip, and pipe into buttered pans, filling each 3/4 full. (Refrigerate batter between batches.) Bake, rotating halfway, until testers inserted in centers come out clean and Madeleines spring back when pressed, 8 to 10 minutes. Unmold onto wire racks, and let cool. (Unglazed Madeleines can be refrigerated up to 3 days.)
Make the glaze: Place chocolate in a food processor. Bring cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a small saucepan, whisking until combined. Pour over chocolate and process until smooth.
Set racks with Madeleines over parchment-lined baking sheets. Spoon some of the glaze over each Madeleine to coat. Transfer to clean parchment-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until glaze is firm, 15 to 20 minutes. Push sticky side of marshmallow skulls into Madeleines, and serve immediately.
Marshmallow skulls
5 dozen large marshmallows
Black sprinkles for the face
1. Using scissors, trim 1/3 of curved side from each marshmallow to create a flat surface. Trim a sliver from 2 sides of the bottom of each marshmallow at an angle for a tapered chin. Cut a slit above chin for a mouth.
2. Using a toothpick, poke 2 holes halfway down each marshmallow for eyes and 1 in between for a nose. Pour sprinkles onto a plate. They will be different sizes; choose 1 small and 2 large for each. Insert small sprinkle for nose and larger sprinkles for eyes.
Gail Jones
Triple-Chocolate Cherry Bars
1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist chocolate fudge cake mix
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 bag (12-oz size) miniature semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
1 container Betty Crocker Whipped chocolate frosting
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease and flour 15x10x1-inch or 13x9-inch pan, or spray with baking spray with flour. In large bowl, gently mix dry cake mix, pie filling, eggs and chocolate chips with rubber scraper; break up any un-dissolved cake mix by pressing with scraper. Carefully spread in pan. Bake 15x10x1-inch pan 25 to 30 minutes, 13x9-inch pan 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Frost with frosting. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows. Or leave whole and cut as you use it….that is what we do.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Heat oven to 350°F for all pans. All I can say is yum!!! They are good.
These are absolutely a family favorite and a wonderful gift to give a friend or neighbor at the holidays. (Just use a disposable pan when giving it away.) Makes:48 bars
Jackie
QUICHE LORRAINE
8 large eggs
1 pint heavy cream
1 tablespoon pepper
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 pound Swiss cheese, grated
1/2 pound cheddar cheese, grated
1 pound bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
Two 9-inch pie shells
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the first 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl or blender. Whip or blend until well combined. Fry the bacon until crisp; drain on paper towels. Arrange the bacon in bottom of both pie shells. Mix together the grated cheeses and sprinkle on bacon. Pour the cream mixture on top. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving. This is best served warm.
Yield: 2 9-inch pies Category: Breakfast, Brunch, Pies, Eggs
Cyndi Berger
Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RealFood4RealPeople/
Making It All Work – Getting Control: Reflecting
Posted: 29 Oct 2010 07:00 AM PDT
This is the eighth entry in a twenty part series discussing the wonderful time and priority management book Making It All Work by David Allen. New entries in this series will appear on Tuesday mornings and Friday mornings through December 10.
making it all workFor me, the single most important part of keeping my life on track and headed in the direction I want is the time I spend reviewing what I’ve done, what I need to do, and whether I still want to reach that destination. It takes time – time that’s seemingly not productive – but it adds so much value to everything else I choose to do that without it, I would simply feel aimless and lost.
Because of this, I regularly allude to the power of review, as I did yesterday when discussing procrastination. I do small reviews at least twice a day and at least one big review a week, where I look at every goal and aim I have in my life and ask myself whether this is really of value to me and, if it is, what I can be doing right now to move forward with it.
What do I mean by “review”? It parallels quite closely with what David Allen talks about in this portion of Making It All Work.
Allen argues that there are dual functions to reflection and review, on page 163:
Reviewing your system serves two distinct but equally critical purposes: (a) to update its contents and (b) to provide trusted perspective.
Let’s look at these two roles that a review can provide.
Updating
On page 163, Allen offers further insight into the value of updating:
Invariably, the world comes at us faster than we can keep up with its details. By the very nature of work, when you are doing one task, you’re not thinking about others – nor should you. You may be capturing along the way, but you won’t be clarifying and organizing everything as it happens.
During a given day, tons of little things blip across my mind and my computer screen and the phone and the mail and from the lips of my wife that I need to take care of. Most of this stuff gets jotted down quickly so I can return to the task at hand, and most of those jottings get dealt with in some way later in the day. I either take care of the task or add it to my to-do list.
The problem is that, frankly, some of that jotted-down stuff is junk – and it’s rarely completely obvious whether it’s junk or not junk. Reviewing those things a time or two goes a long way towards making that distinction, rather than just adding more junk to your to-do list.
An example: I got a letter from my bank informing me of their refinancing offers. I jot it down and add it to my to-do list, since refinancing to a much lower rate would be very valuable to us. This is one of those “important but not urgent” things that’s easy to leap over.
Without review, that kind of item would easily be left undone on my to-do list and probably discarded and forgotten. A quick review of my to-do list, though, reveals several little things that are essentially wastes of time. There’s no real importance to reshelving all of these books, since they’re mostly just going out via PaperBackSwap anyway, so I toss them in the PBS box. I don’t need to make a trip to Ames just for some new photo paper, so I just add that to-do to the grocery list. It’s not vital that I fertilize my lawn, especially since it’s late in the year and dry. Suddenly, my to-do list looks barren and I have room for that “important but not urgent” thing.
This is a simplification, of course, but that’s the kind of thought process that happens when I stop for a moment and review what needs to be done. I see through the “urgent but not important” stuff and toss it, leaving me time for the “important but not urgent” things that really matter in my life.
Similarly, as the activities in your life change, the priorities that you put on various things changes as well. On page 164, Allen expands on that:
Because projects are likely to change their meaning over time, your system also needs to reflect that fact. What was an active project last week may have turned into a “someday” one, given all the new demands that have arisen since then.
The things left undone on my to-do list are often just as important as the things that I’ve done, because they indicate how the priorities in my life are shifting over time.
For example, if I’m consistently not keeping up with some activity I’ve adopted in life, I know it’s time to sit down and ask myself whether it’s something I really value or not. If it’s not – and if I’ve adopted a pattern of avoiding it and mostly just thinking about it, it’s not something I value – then I make the hard decision to just move on as soon as I can, without regrets.
Otherwise, it hangs on like a cobweb in my mind and my to-do lists, slowing down my thoughts and popping up as something I ought to be doing. For a long time, my life was chock full of those things – things I thought I should be doing and were taking up space in my thoughts and often physically in my home. Systematically reviewing all of it and getting rid of the cobwebs makes it incredibly easier to do the things that actually are important with gusto, focus, and passion.
Getting Perspective
All of the above material comes from applying a bit of perspective to all of the things going on in your life. Just as important is reversing that paradigm to look at the big picture things in your life and seek out how they lead to the day-to-day things you’re doing.
Once a week, I sit down and go through every major goal and project I have in my life and simply ask myself if this is still important to me and, if it is, what am I going to do in the next week to move forward on it. This takes about two hours, believe it or not – I usually do it when the children are napping on Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
This seems like a lot of work, and I like how it’s addressed on page 167:
“Write everything down? Decide the actions you need to take on everything? Keep all that on… how many lists? Keep an index of all my projects? And … what? Take two hours every week to review all of that and get all these lists complete? You’ve got to be kidding! I’m too busy.”
That’s exactly how I felt about all of this when I first started. “I have too much to do to waste my time with this,” I thought. What I found, though, is that I was constantly making poor choices in my life that didn’t reflect on what I really valued. I would choose work projects over my kids. I’d burn time on pointless conference calls instead of getting useful projects done. I’d deal with piles of paperwork that really didn’t need to be done while big projects sat untouched. I’d run around doing household busywork while my children were out in the yard wishing Dad was there. I’d devote hours and hours to things I didn’t really want to do because I was convinced I was supposed to be doing them.
Having a weekly review and a consistent system ended all of that. I threw out mountains of busy work – it wasn’t really important. I started spending a lot more time with my kids and a lot less time on household projects or other things. I let go of some unrealistic projects and started focusing on hitting home runs on projects more in line with my life goals (like The Simple Dollar, for example).
The simple process of having a list of all of my goals and dreams in life and all of my ongoing projects and a to-do list and then sitting down once a week to go through all of them and ask myself whether they’re really important and how I’m moving forward on the important ones is the single most valuable part of my week. It keeps me from wasting my time on the less important things and redirects me to spend my time on the more important things.
That’s well worth two hours on a Saturday afternoon, if you ask me.
Thought for the Day
A friend is a lift, not a load, a boost, not a burden.
1a. Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Posted by: “Dorie”
Banana Oatmeal Cookies
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup shortening
1 egg, beaten
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 3/4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cut in shortening until almost no lumps remain. Stir in the egg and bananas; mix well. Finally, stir in the oats and walnuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are browned. Remove from pans immediately to cool on wire
racks.
Dorie
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Momsmenuplan/
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2. CATHI-ANNE’S CHICKEN DIVAN
Posted by: “Cathi-Anne T”
CATHI-ANNE’S CHICKEN DIVAN
6 chicken breasts, roasted and chopped
2 boxes frozen broccoli spears, cooked and drained
Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, 1 tsp. of each
1 cup mayonnaise
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. curry powder
butter
paprika
Butter the bottom of a 13 x 9 casserole dish. Line it with the broccoli spears, shake the Parmesan cheese on top of the broccoli, and then layer the chicken over the broccoli. Combine the next six ingredients and spread it on top of the chicken. Dot with butter and sprinkle with paprika. Cook at 350°F until bubbly.
Serve this with consomme rice and Seven-Layer salad, and you have an outstanding meal.·.,¸¸,.·´¯`·.,¸¸,.·´¯`·.»§«©©©»§«·.,¸¸,.·´¯`·.,¸¸,.·´¯`·
” ...so plant your garden and decorate your own
soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you
flowers......”
·.,¸¸,.·´¯`·.,¸¸,.·´¯`·.»§«©©©»§«·.,¸¸,.·´¯`·.,¸¸,.·´¯`·
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3. CATHI-ANNE’S TORTILLA CASSEROLE
Posted by: “Cathi-Anne T”
CATHI-ANNE’S TORTILLA CASSEROLE
1 1/2 lb. browned beef, drained
1 pkg. taco dry seasoning mix
Chopped onion
Chopped green pepper
Add last 3 ingredients for the last 5 minutes of browning.
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 lb. grated Cheddar cheese
1 can kidney beans, drained
Crushed Tostito chips or corn chips
Salsa
Layer chips, beef, soup, beans and cheese. Make 2 layers like this, ending with the cheese. Pour over 1 pint of salsa or something similar. Use 8 1/2 x 11 Pyrex pan. Bake about 30 minutes at 325 degrees until hot and bubbly.
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4. CATHI-ANNE’S HOT ROAST BEEF SANDWICHES
Posted by: “Cathi-Anne T”
CATHI-ANNE’S HOT ROAST BEEF SANDWICHES
1 lb. thinly sliced roast beef
1 can beef broth
1 whole onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can sliced mushrooms
3 tablespoons Wondra flour
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper
In a medium saucepan, bring beef broth to a boil. Add onion and garlic powder, ketchup, minced garlic and sliced onion.
When broth comes to a rolling boil, drop in the separated sliced roast beef and remove immediately from heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove roast beef from broth after 2-3 minutes. Return broth to stove on high setting and sprinkle Wondra flour over surface, stirring briskly to avoid lumps.
Simmer over medium heat 5 minutes. At the last minute, drain the sliced mushrooms and add. Pour over roast beef on white bread or buttered and toasted buns or bulkie rolls. Top with a thin slices of tomato or a few lettuce leaves , if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve.
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5. CATHI-ANNE’S BEEF GYRO
Posted by: “Cathi-Anne T”
CATHI-ANNE’S BEEF GYRO
3/4 lb. ground beef
3/4 lb. ground lamb
2 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cucumber
1 3/4 c. sliced onions
1/4 c. water
1 c. yogurt
1/3 c. vinegar
1/4 c. chopped parsley
2 lg. tomatoes
8 round hard rolls (5 inch)
Brown ground beef and lamb along with 1 1/2 tsp. salt, basil, oregano and pepper. Break up meat with a fork as it cooks. Keep warm.
Wash cucumber, score rind with a fork, then slice thinly. In a medium saucepan combine cucumber and onion slices with water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 10 minutes or until soft. Drain and place in a bowl.
Add yogurt, vinegar, parsley and remaining 1 tsp. salt. Mix until vegetables are evenly coated. Cut each tomato into 4 thick slices.
To assemble sandwiches: Split each roll halfway through, then cut across top to remove half of top. Press soft insides to make room for filling. Make a layer of meat mixture, cover with a tomato slice, then top with cucumber mixture. To serve, replace top crust halves. Serves 8. Mixture is equally good served in pita bread.
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6. CATHI-ANNE’S BAKED TUNA SANDWICHES
Posted by: “Cathi-Anne T”
CATHI-ANNE’S BAKED TUNA SANDWICHES
2 cans tuna, drain well
4 hard cooked eggs, chopped
1/2 c. sliced stuffed olives
Few sliced ripe olives
3 tbsp. grated onion, very scant
2/3 c. mayonnaise, scant
24 slices sandwich bread
1/3 c. soft butter
1 (5 oz.) jar sharp cheese spread, room temperature
Mix tuna, eggs, olives, onion and mayonnaise. Trim crust from bread. Butter both sides of bread. Spread generously with tuna mixture. Top with slice.
Blend 1/3 cup butter and cheese to form smooth paste. Spread lightly over top of sandwich. Arrange on baking sheet. Cover with foil and refrigerate 20 minutes or longer before serving.
Heat 400 degrees. Uncover and bake 10 minutes or until nicely browned. Makes 12 servings. (Can make day ahead).
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7. Smoldering Jack -O’- Lantern
Posted by: “Lynnda”
Smoldering Jack -Lantern
shallow plastic bowl
Dry ice chunks
water
Pumpkin
Hide a shallow plastic bowl filled with dry ice chunks inside your cared pumpkin; add water. Smoke will come pouring out of your jack-o’-lantern’s gaping mouth. Freshen up the bowl with more dry ice and water every 30 minutes.
Source: Food Network
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8. Kids’ Octopus Soup
Posted by: “Rhonda
This is from the AllRecipes.com website...
~~~~~
Kids’ Octopus Soup
Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 10 Min
Ready In: 30 Min
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
* 1 (16 ounce) package hot dogs
* 2 (48 ounce) containers chicken broth
* 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh chives
Directions
1. With a sharp knife, cut the hot dogs in half the short way. Slice each piece
in half vertically, cutting about 3/4 of the way up towards the rounded end.
Leave about 1 inch of the rounded end as the head of the octopus. Rotate the dog
90 degrees, and make another vertical cut. Cut the 4 legs in half again, to make
8 legs and a head. The hot dogs should look like tassels with rounded heads.
2. Bring the chicken broth and chives to a boil in a soup pot. Place the
octopus hot dogs into the boiling soup, and simmer for about 5 minutes. The legs
will curl to make the octopus shape. Serve in bowls with an octopus or 2 in each
bowl.
~
Rhonda G in Missouri
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9a. Upside-Down Apple Skillet Pie
Posted by: “Rhonda
This is from the Food Network website...
~~~~~
Upside-Down Apple Skillet Pie
Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee
Show: Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra LeeEpisode: Comfort Food Zone
Cook Time: 40 min
* Level: Easy
* Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
* 1 stick butter
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 (21-ounce) can apple pie filling
* 2 cups pre-sliced apples
* 1 refrigerated pie crust
* 2 tablespoons apple juice concentrate, thawed
* 1 tablespoon sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, apple
pie filling and sliced apples in a large bowl.
Heat a 10-inch cast iron skillet or oven-proof pan over medium-high heat, and
add the pie filling. Once mixture begins to bubble, unroll pie crust over
skillet. With a wooden spoon, push down edges of crust into pie. Cut steam slit
in crust and brush with apple juice concentrate and sprinkle with sugar. Bake
for 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and let
cool 1 hour before slicing.
~
Rhonda G in Missouri
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10a. Loaded Mashed Potatoes
Posted by: “Rhonda Gray”
This is from the Food Network website...
~~~~~
Loaded Mashed Potatoes
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Show: Paula’s Best DishesEpisode: Fried Christmas
* Cook Time: 45 min
* Level: Easy
* Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
* 2 heads garlic
* 6 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and quartered
* Salt
* 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 (12-ounce) carton sour cream
* 1 (8-ounce) block sharp white Cheddar, grated
* 1 1/2 pounds cooked bacon, julienned
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut tops off 2 garlic heads. Wrap in foil and
roast for 30 minutes. When cool enough to handle remove the flesh from the
garlic heads and set aside. In a large stockpot, cook potatoes in enough salted
water to cover for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and return to
stockpot. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth; adding salt, to taste,
pepper, butter, garlic and sour cream. With a spatula stir in cheese and bacon.
Add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve immediately.
~
Rhonda G in Missouri
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11a. Death by Chocolate
Posted by: “Rhonda
This is from the MyRecipes.com website...
~~~~~
Death by Chocolate
Yield: 8 Servings
Cost per Serving: $1.90
Ingredients
* CAKE:
* 2 sticks (1/2 lb.) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
* 1 pound bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
* 8 large eggs, lightly beaten
* GLAZE:
* 6 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
* 6 tablespoons heavy cream
Preparation
Make cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch springform pan. Wrap pan
bottom in heavy-duty foil. Melt butter and bittersweet chocolate in a large bowl
set over a pan of simmering water. Remove bowl, stir to combine and let cool to
lukewarm.
Whisk eggs into chocolate mixture until well-combined. Scrape batter into
prepared pan. Place springform pan in a roasting pan; pour hot water to 1 inch
deep into roasting pan. Bake until cake is set around edges but wobbly in
center, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove foil and let cool on a rack. Cover with plastic
and chill for at least 6 hours and up to 3 days. Make glaze: Put milk chocolate
in a bowl. Bring cream just to a boil; pour into bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes;
whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature. Remove cake to a platter; spoon on
glaze. Refrigerate for up to 5 hours. To create spiderweb, spoon canned vanilla
frosting into a ziplock bag; snip off a tiny corner. Pipe straight lines from
center of cake to outer edges. Connect lines by piping curved lines in between,
creating web pattern. Pipe spider or place a candy spider on web.
~
Rhonda G in Missouri
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12. Bat Bites
Posted by: “Rhonda Gray”
This is from the MyRecipes.com website...
Keep it simple by preparing just about everything ahead of time.
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 16 Servings
Cost per Serving: $.82
Ingredients
* 1 (4 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
* 8 ounces soft, mild goat cheese, at room temperature
* 1/4 cup pesto
* 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
* 8 pitted olives, sliced
* 32 peppercorns
* 32 triangular blue corn chips or free-form wing shapes made from leftover
tortillas from Ghost Chips
Preparation
Mash together cream cheese, goat cheese and pesto. Chill for 40 minutes. Shape
mixture into 16 2-inch balls, about 1 heaping tsp. each. Roll in black pepper
and poppy seeds to cover. Press two olive slices into balls for eyes and place
peppercorns in centers for pupils. Insert chip on either side of ball for wings;
serve.
~
Rhonda G in Missouri
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13a. ROCKY ROAD HALLOWEEN SQUARES
Posted by: “Cathi-Anne T”
ROCKY ROAD HALLOWEEN SQUARES
1 (12 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups dry roasted peanuts
1 10 1/2 oz. pkg. white miniature marshmallows
Assorted soft Halloween candy pieces such as candy corn or M&M’S®
In top of double boiler melt chocolate with milk and butter, remove from heat. In a large bowl, combine nuts and marshmallows. Fold in chocolate and press into a waxed paper lined 13x9 inch pan. Top with candy pieces.
Chill until firm and cut into squares.
Store at room temperature.
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14. HALLOWEEN FUNNEL CAKES
Posted by: “Cathi-Anne T”
HALLOWEEN FUNNEL CAKES
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
few drops vanilla (optional)
powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar (for sprinkling)
large funnel
about 2 cups vegetable oil (for deep frying)
Stir together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a medium bowl, beat eggs and stir in milk until well combined.
Add flour mixture to egg mixture and whisk together until smooth.
Heat vegetable oil in a deep, heavy bottomed pan (cast iron works well).
When oil is very hot (about 375°F) pour the batter through the funnel to form a steady stream; fry about 3 minutes or until golden brown, turning once, then for another minute or until equally browned on both sides. Remove using a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar or for Halloween treats, drizzle with orange icing. Serve accompanied with syrup, if desired.
Tip: Fry the funnel cakes in batches (about 4). It helps to use a frying thermometer, but if you don’t have one, test the oil temperature by cutting a 1 inch square piece of bread and dropping it into the hot oil. It should brown in 1 minute; if it browns more quickly, turn the heat down. If it takes longer than 1 minute to brown, turn the temperature up very slightly and try this test again in 5 minutes.
An easy method of dusting the cakes: toss into clean brown paper bags into which has been added a few tablespoons of sugar, then shake to coat. Small lunch bags are great for individual servings and for Halloween treats.
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15. CATHI-ANNE’S OSSO BUCCO
Posted by: “Cathi-Anne T”
CATHI-ANNE’S OSSO BUCCO
4 veal shanks
1 c. red wine
1 c. white wine
2 onions, finely chopped
3 (or more) cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, chopped
1 (16 oz.) can tomatoes with juice
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. oregano
3 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tbsp. chopped or grated lemon peel
Saute veal in red wine in Dutch oven, 10 to 15 minutes. Cover. Take veal out and saute the onions, garlic, carrots, bay leaves, basil, ground pepper, salt and oregano. Cook another 10 minutes. Add white wine and tomatoes. Crush tomatoes with masher or hands. Add veal. Simmer, covered about 2 hours or until veal is tender and sauce thick. Serve over linguini. Gremolata (secret) : Mix 1 tablespoon oregano, 1 tablespoon lemon peel and 3 tablespoons parsley together. Place on top of each veal shank.
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16. Dark Chocolate Martini
Posted by: “Lynnda”
Dark Chocolate Martini
2 T. each raw sugar and finely chopped dark chocolate
2 oz. each chocolate liqueur and vodka
1 oz. chilled espresso
1/2 t. fresh orange juice
Strip orange zest
Directions:
Mix the 2 T. of raw sugar and finely chopped dark chocolate on a plate. Mix 2 oz. each of the chocolate liqueur and vodka, the 1 oz. chilled espresso, the 1/2 t. orange juice and a strip of orange zest in cocktail shaker with ice. Stir well. Moisten rim of chilled martini glass and dip it in the sugar chocolate mixture. Strain the cocktail into the glass land garnish with an orange wedge. Serves 1
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17. Simmering Sodas
Posted by: “Lynnda”
Simmering Sodas
17 gallon tub
10 pounds dry ice chunks
Styrofoam plates
10 lbs. regular ice
Drinks
Directions:
Fill bottom of a 17 gallon tub with 10 pounds of dry ice chunks. Cover dry ice with layer of Styrofoam plates. Add 10 pounds of regular ice on top of plates, then add drinks. Pour a cup of water into the tub.
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18. Smoldering Jack O Lantern
Posted by: “Lynnda”
Smoldering Jack O Lantern
shallow plastic bowl
Dry ice chunks
water
Pumpkin
Directions:
Hide a shallow plastic bowl filled with dry ice chunks inside your cared pumpkin; add water. Smoke will come pouring out of your jack-o’-lantern’s gaping mouth. Freshen up the bowl with more dry ice and water every 30 minutes.
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19. Bob’s Mexican Pumpkin Punch
Posted by: “Lynnda”
Bob’s Mexican Pumpkin Punch
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
4 cinnamon sticks, preferably Mexican
1 can pure pumpkin, 29 oz., about 3 1/2 cups
2 limes
splash of rum, optional
Pineapple chunks and/or pecans, for serving
Directions:
Mix 12 cups water, the brown sugar and cinnamon sticks in large pot and bring to boil over medium high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Stir in pumpkin and return to simmer. Meanwhile, remove zest from limes in wide strips using vegetable peeler; add zest to pot and simmer 15 minutes. Let coo, then refrigerate until liquid is cold and pumpkin pulp settles to bottom,2 to 3 hours. Working in batches, ladle liquid into fine mesh strainer set over pitcher. Repeat if needed to strain out all pumpkin pulp. Discard pulp and limed zest. Return cinnamon sticks to punch and refrigerate until ready to serve. Pour punch into ice filled glasses. Add rum, pineapple and/or pecans if desired. Serve with cinnamon sticks. Makes 8 to 12 servings.
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20. Danielle’s Pumpkin Pie Parfaits
Posted by:
Danielleâ s Pumpkin Pie Parfaits
13 gingersnaps, chocolate wafers or graham crackers
1 T. unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup plus 1 T. powdered sugar
1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin
2 1/2 t. bourbon
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
2 cups cold heavy cream
Put 7 cookies in resealable plastic bag and crush into crumbs with a heavy pan. Brush bottom and about 1 inch up sides of 6 parfait glasses with the butter. Add a spoonful of crumbs to each and roll them around the insides of the glasses; pour out the excess crumbs and reserve for topping. Refrigerate prepared glasses. put 3/4 cup powdered sugar the pumpkin, 1 1/2 t. bourbon and the nutmeg I food processor. Pulse until smooth, about 1 minute. Put white chocolate chips in microwave at 50% power until melted, about 1 minute. Stir halfway. Add to pumpkin mixture and process until mixed. Transfer to large bowl. Beat 1 1/2 cups cream in bowl with mixer until soft peaks form; fold into pumpkin mixture until smooth. Divide among prepared glasses and refrigerate until ready to serve. Beat remaining 1/2 cup cream with mixer until foamy. Add remaining 1 T. powdered sugar and 1 t. bourbon and beat until soft peaks form. Top the parfaits with whipped cream, reserved cookie crumbs and the remaining 6 cookies. Makes 6 servings
Source: Food Network
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21a. Impossibly Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake
Posted by: “Lynnda”
Impossibly Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened, 8 oz
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Bisquick, original or reduced fat
1 t. grated orange peel
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. vanilla
3 eggs
1 can pumpkin, 15 oz., NOT pumpkin pie mix
Sour Cream topping:
1 cup sour cream
2 T. sugar
2 t. vanilla
Heat oven to 350. Lightly grease pie plate, 9 x 1 1/4 inches. Put all ingredients except sour cream topping in blender. Cover and blend on high speed about 2 minutes, stopping blender occasionally to stir, until smooth. Or beat in large bowl with mixer on high speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl constantly. Pour into pie plate. Bake about 45 minutes or until just puffed and center is dry. Do not overbake. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Mix all ingredients for sour cream topping. Carefully spread topping over top of cheesecake. Refrigerate at least 2 hours until chilled. Store covered in refrigerator. Serves 8
Source: Betty Crocker
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22. Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake
Posted by: “Lynnda”
Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake
Crust:
2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
Cheesecake:
4 pkg. cream cheese, 8 oz. each, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie mix
1 1/2 t. ground ginger
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
Heat oven to 300. Grease or spry a 9 inch springform pan. Wrap outside of pan in foil. In bowl, mix crust ingredients. Press in bottom and 1 inch up side of pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 5 minutes. In large bowl, beat cream cheese with mixer on medium speed just until smooth and creamy; do not overbeat. On low speed, gradually beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a t time, just until blended. Spoon 3 cups of the mixture into pa; spread evenly. Add pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg to remaining cream cheese mixture. Mix with wire whisk until smooth. Spoon over mixture in pan. Bake 1 hour 25 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until edges are set but center of cheesecake still jiggles slightly when moved. Turn oven off; open oven door at least 4 inches. Leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes. Remove form oven to cooling rack. Without releasing side of pan, run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes. Cover loosely; refrigerate at least 6 hours but no longer than 24 hours. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake again; carefully remove side of pan. Place cheesecake on serving plate. Cover and refrigerate any remaining cheesecake.
Hint: The key to a smooth top on a cheesecake is using the correct oven temperature, bake time and beating the cream cheese mixture just until smooth. It also helps to place a shallow pan of hot water on the oven rack just below the cheesecake during baking. Garnish this luscious dessert with whipping cream.
Serves 16
Source: Betty Crocker
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23. APPLE QUICHE
Posted by: “Cathi-Anne T”
APPLE QUICHE
1/2 lb. bulk sausage
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/4 tsp. dried leaf thyme
2 Red Delicious apples, pared, cored and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (1 1/2 c.)
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 c. (2 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
4 beaten eggs
2 c. light cream or milk
Pastry for single crust 9-inch pie
In large skillet, cook sausage, onion, and thyme until sausage is browned and onion tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; drain off excess fat.
In bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and sugar. Add prepared sausage mixture, Cheddar cheese, eggs, and cream; mix well. Line a 9-inch quiche dish or pie plate with pastry. Turn apple mixture into dish. Bake in 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until custard is set. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Serves 6.
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24. CORN BREAD PUDDING
Posted by: “Cathi-Anne T”
CORN BREAD PUDDING
1 (17 oz.) can whole kernel corn
1 (17 oz.) can cream style corn
1 stick butter, melted and cooled
1 (8 oz.) pkg. sour cream
2 eggs, beaten
1 pkg. Jiffy corn muffin mix
Beat eggs. Add melted, cooled butter, add sour cream, corn, and Jiffy mix. Put into 2 1/2 quart casserole. Bake about 1 hour at 350 degrees
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25. ALMOND SNOWCAP COOKIES
Posted by: “Cathi-Anne T”
ALMOND SNOWCAP COOKIES
3/4 c. shortening (half butter, softened)
3/4 c. confectioner’s sugar
1 1/2 c. Gold Medal flour
3/4 c. raspberry jam
3 egg whites
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. flaked coconut
1 c. sliced blue diamond almonds
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream shortening and confectioner’s sugar. Blend in flour. Press evenly in bottom of ungreased oblong pan 13 x 9 x 2 inches. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Spread jam over hot layer. Beat egg whites until foamy. Beat in granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do not under beat. Fold in coconut and 1/2 cup almonds; spread over jam. Sprinkle remaining almonds on top. Bake 20 minutes. Cool. Cut in squares 1 1/2 inch. Store in airtight container.
——————————————————————————————————— To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SimpleMeals/
Harvest Snack Mix
Posted by: “violet4622002”
2 cups pretzel sticks
1 cup mixed nuts
1/2 cup sunflower kernels
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
8 cups popped popcorn
1 cup candy corn
1 cup chocolate bridge mix
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the pretzels, nuts and sunflower kernels. Combine the butter, cinnamon and cloves. Drizzle a third of butter mixture over pretzel mixture; toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 300° for 15 minutes.
Place popcorn in a large bowl; drizzle with remaining butter mixture and toss to coat. Stir into pretzel mixture. Bake 15 minutes longer or until heated through. Cool; transfer to a large bowl. Add candy corn and bridge mix; toss to combine. Yield: 3 quarts.
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2. Applebee’s Apple Chimi Cheesecake clone
Posted by: “missvergie”
Applebee’s Apple Chimi Cheesecake
10 to 12 (6 1/2-inch) flour tortillas
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (20 ounce) can cooked apples, very well drained
1/2 cup almond toffee bits
Cinnamon sugar (1/2 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons ground
cinnamon, mixed well)
Vanilla ice cream
Caramel topping
Beat cream cheese until fluffy; add sugar and eggs, then beat again. Add vanilla extract and mix well. Fold toffee bits and apple pieces in cheese mixture. On tortilla place a serving in the middle, about 2 1/2 inches from the side of shell. Tuck sides in slightly and roll shell to seal the filling and hold in the cream cheese. When shells have been stuffed and rolled, place in refrigerator; chill to set filling.
In deep fryer heat vegetable oil. When ready, place chimi cheesecake and fry until slightly golden while carefully turning on each side. Remove from oil and drain.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place chimi cheesecake on cookie sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and liberally sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Serve cheesecakes slightly warm with vanilla ice cream and caramel topping.
Makes 12 to 14 servings.
.
My other groups: favoritefamilyrecipes@yahoogroups.com and moderator of BisquickRecipes@yahoogroups.com, and BakingMixes
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1. CATHI-ANNE’S LONDON BROIL
Posted by: “Cathi-Anne T”
CATHI-ANNE’S LONDON BROIL
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. vinegar
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic
1 med. onion, sliced
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
London Broil (2 inch thick top round)
Mix ingredients and pour over steak in dish. Marinate 3 hours (poke with fork and turn over). Heat large frying pan until very hot. Sprinkle salt in pan. Drain steak. Cook in frying pan 7 minutes on each side. Lower fire and cook for 10 minutes for medium to well done. Slice on diagonal.
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2. CATHI-ANNE’S ORANGE JUICE CAKE
Posted by: “Cathi-Anne T”
CATHI-ANNE’S ORANGE JUICE CAKE
1 pkg. yellow butter cake mix
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
1 c. orange juice
1/2 c. oil
4 eggs
1/2 c. or more nuts
Grease and flour bundt pan. Pour chopped nuts over bottom. Mix rest of ingredients and pour over nuts. Bake in preheated oven at 325 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes.
GLAZE:
Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes: 1/2 c. orange juice 1 stick butter
Pour over hot cake in pan. Let set for 30 minutes. Remove cake from pan.
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3. PUMPKIN MOUSSE DESSERT
Posted by: “Cathi-Anne T”
PUMPKIN MOUSSE DESSERT
1 env. unflavored gelatin
1/4 c. cold water
3/4 c. canned pumpkin
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, separated
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. chopped pecans
Soften gelatin in water; stir over low heat until dissolved. Add pumpkin, 1/2 cup brown sugar, spice, salt and egg yolks. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until thoroughly heated. Cool. Beat egg white until foamy; gradually add granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold into pumpkin mixture.
Combine cream cheese and remaining brown sugar, mixing until well blended. Stir in sour cream and vanilla. Alternate layers of sour cream mixture, pecans and pumpkin mixture in parfait glasses. Chill. 4-5 servings.
———————————————————————————————————— To visit your group on the web, go to:
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NO BAKE FRUIT CAKE
1 lb. graham crackers
10 oz. marshmallows
15 oz. raisins
2 c. pecans, chopped
1 stick butter
8 oz. cherries
Crumble graham crackers; melt butter and marshmallows. Add to graham crackers and pecans, raisins, cherries, and cherry juice. Mix by hand. Roll into cylinder shape. Wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate 1 week before serving.
From cooks.com
Babbie
-— In Vintage-Recipes@yahoogroups.com, “WINKY”
>
> My dear, dear grandmother used to make what she called Icebox Fruitcake every Thanksgiving and Christmas but alas, I haven’t been able to locate the recipe. I’ve also heard it called no bake fruitcake. Hers was with crushed graham crackers,melted marshmallows and butter (or marsmallow creme in the jar), vanilla I think, pecans, and dried fruit. However I’m not sure if it’s the complete recipe. She also used to cut the front of the cracker box, line it with wax paper and press the mixture back into the box. I’d be forever grateful if someone has this recipe!
>
> THanks and Love and God’s blessings to all!
>
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2. Pineapple Ambrosia Salad
Posted by: “GardenFay
Pineapple Ambrosia Salad
“From Our Home to Yours”
Ozark First Church of the Nazarene”
2004
1 15 oz can chunk Pineapple in it’s own juice
1 cup Sour Cream or plain Yogurt
1 cup Seedless red or green Grapes
1 cup Mini Marshmallows
1 teaspoon grated Oranger Peel
1/2 cup Flaked Cocont
Drain Pineapple, reserving 2 Tablespoons of the juice. Combine with
remaining ingredients. Mix well and chill.
Billie C.
A home should be clean enough to be healthy,
and dirty enough to be happy.
anoonymous
Group owned by Beth Created by Tamara
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