Home gardening offers ways to trim grocery costs [Survival Today, an on going thread]

Dallas News.com ^ | March 14th, 2008 | DEAN FOSDICK

[nw_arizona_granny]

Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick

Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.

At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."

Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.

A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."

[snipped]

She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.

"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/quick-and-easy/r/rice-batter-bread-2.html

Name: Rice Batter Bread 2

Category: Quick And Easy

Ingredients and Directions

2 c AM Brown Rice Flour

2 tb Non-alum baking powder

1/2 ts Sea salt (optional)

1/4 c Potato starch or other flour

2 Eggs; beaten (optional)

1 c Water or soymilk

2 tb AM Unrefined Vegetable Oil

3 tb Honey

Mix dry ingredients and liquid ingredients separately; then combine both mixtures. Pour into oiled and floured 4” x 8” loaf pan and bake 45-50 minutes at 350 F. Let cool completely in pan. Source: Arrowhead Mills “Recipes for Special Dietary Needs” tri-fold Reprinted by permission of Arrowhead Mills, Inc. Electronic format courtesy of: Karen Mintzias

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/quick-and-easy/r/ro-tel-cornbread-xxxj77a.html

Name: Ro*Tel Cornbread Xxxj77a

Category: Quick And Easy

Ingredients and Directions

3/4 c White cornmeal

3/4 c Yellow cornmeal

3 tb Flour

1/4 ts Soda

1 1/2 ts Baking powder

1 ts Salt

2 tb Vegetable shortening; melted

1 c Buttermilk

1 Egg; beaten

1 Jalapeno; finely chopped

10 oz Ro*tel tomato w/green chili

All ingredients together. b degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. This recipe comes from a book “Snake; Rattle; and RO*TEL.”

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/f/french-onion-beef.html

Name: French Onion Beef

Category: Main Dish

Ingredients and Directions

1 1/4 pound beef round steak, boneless

8 oz mushrooms, fresh, sliced

1 lg onion, sliced into rings

1 cn french onion soup condensed

1 pk 15 minute herb stuffing mix

1/4 cup margarine, or butter, melted

4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

Cut beef into 6 serving-size pieces. Layer half of the beef, mushrooms and onion in 3 1/2 to 4-quart slow cooker; repeat layers.

Pour soup over ingredients in slow cooker.

Cover; cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours or until beef is tender and no longer pink.

Before serving, toss stuffing mix and contents of seasoning packet with melted margarine and 1/2 cup liquid from pot.

Place stuffing on top of contents in slow cooker; cover. Increase heat to high setting. Cook 10 minutes or until stuffing is fluffy.

Sprinkle with cheese; cover. Cook until cheese is melted.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/r/ribs-and-kraut-for-crockpot.html

Name: Ribs and Kraut For Crockpot

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

1 each sauerkraut, 32 oz can

1/4 cup white wine or vermouth

2 tablespoon flour

2 pound spareribs, country style

1 pepper, to taste

Rinse and drain sauerkraut in a collander. Rinse well with cold water. Squeeze excess water out with hands.

Place in crockpot.

Add 2 tb. flour and the 1/2 c wine or dry vermouth. Mix with fork.

Put the ribs on top of the sauerkraut. Season with pepper. Cook on low setting 6-12 hours, or less on high setting.

Variation - Add sliced peeled apples to the saurkraut.

Also can substitute pork chops for ribs. May wish to brown first, if fatty.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/q/quilters-beef-stew.html

Name: Quilters Beef Stew

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

1 1/2 pound beef, stew meat

5 each potatoes, chopped into bite sized pieces

9 each carrots, sliced

2 each onions, chopped

6 each celery, stalks, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 each onion soup mix, dry package

6 oz tomato paste

2 cup water

1/2 cup wine, red, cooking, optional

Place all ingredients into the crockpot. Set on Medium heat. Let the mixture cook no less than 6 hours.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/w/working-person-s-crockpot-country-pork-dinner.html

Name: Working Person’s Crockpot Country Pork Dinner

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

3 pound pork loin country-style ribs, cut into serving pieces

1/3 cup flour

2 tablespoon oil

1 1/2 cup apple cider

1 cup water

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 pound red potatoes, small

16 oz carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 each onion, coarsely chopped

1 each cabbage, small, shredded

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

All preparation can be done the night before and assembled in the morning before leaving for work so you’ll be greeted with a hearty supper at the end of the day.

In a large plastic bag combine flour, salt and pepper. Drop meat into bag and coat pork loin country-style ribs with flour mixture; reserve leftover flour.

In large skillet over med-high heat, in hot salad oil, cook meat, a few pieces at a time, until well browned on all sides, removing pieces as they brown.

Reduce heat to medium, into drippings in skillet, stir reserved flour until blended. Gradually stir in apple cider. Simmer to thicken to gravy. Remove from heat and set aside.

In 6 qt crockpot add potatoes, carrots, onions and cabbage. Sprinkle with caraway seeds. Top with meat. Pour on gravy.

Cover crockpot and cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/v/vegi-spagetti.html

Name: Vegi Spagetti

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

1 md Green pepper, chopped

1 md Zucchini, cubed

1 sm Onion, diced

8 oz Fresh mushrooms, sliced

2/3 c Grated parmesan cheese

1 lg Jar spaghetti sauce

1/4 c Sliced olives

1 t Oregano

1 t Garlic salt

16 oz Pack of spinach noodles

Put everything except noodles in a crock pot for 6-8 hours on med. Pour over cooked noodles.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/p/peppers-and-steak-kxmt69b.html

Name: Peppers and Steak (Kxmt69b)

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

2 lb Lean round steak

2 ea Green peppers, chopped

2 T Minced dried onion

1 c Beef boullion

1/4 c Soy sauce

1/2 t Ground ginger

1/2 t Garlic powder

Cut steak into serving size portions. Place half the steak in Crockpot. Arrange green peppers on steak. Place remaining steak on top. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over meat. cover and cook on Low setting for 8 to 10 hours, or high for 4 to 5 hours. Each serving: 186 calories.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/p/pot-roasted-pork.html

Name: Pot-Roasted Pork

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

5 pound pork, roast, loin end

1 salt, to taste

1 pepper, to taste

1 each garlic, clove, minced

2 each onions, sliced

2 each bay leaves

1 each clove

1 cup water, hot

2 tablespoon soy sauce

Rub pork roast with salt and pepper. Make tiny slits in the meat and insert slivers of garlic.

Place roast in broiler pan and broil 15-20 minutes to remove excess fat.

Put 1 sliced onion in the bottom of the crockpot. Add browned pork roast and remaining onion and other ingredients. Cover and cook on Low until done, about 10 hours.

To thicken gravy: Remove roast to serving platter. Blend 2 tb cornstarch with 2 tb water to form a smooth paste. Set crockpot on High and pour in the paste. Stir well and let it come to a boil, about 15 minutes, or until thickened.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/c/caribou-stew.html

Name: Caribou Stew

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

2 lb Caribou (Boneless)

Flour; for dredging Salt and pepper to taste Oil; for browning meat 1/2 c White Wine

1/8 c Worcestershire Sauce

1 c Lentils

4 Small potatoes, quartered

1 Carrot; peeled and sliced

1 Celery rib; chopped

1/2 c Parsnip or turnip; diced

1 Jalapeno pepper, diced

2 md Banana peppers, chopped

1 Bay leaf

Spices and herbs to taste Dredge meat in seasoned flour and brown in a frying pan with a little oil. Transfer to a large sauce pan or crockpot, add the rest of the ingredients with enough water to cover. Simmer for 2 hours on low or 10 hours in the crockpot. Adjust seasonings and serve.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/c/curried-lentil-soup.html

Name: Curried Lentil Soup

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

4 c hot water

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

3 med potatoes — peeled and diced

3 med carrots — thinly sliced

1 lg onion — chopped

1 celery rib — chopped

1 c dry lentils

2 cloves garlic — minced

2 bay leaves

4 tsp curry powder

1 1/2 tsp salt — optional

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients; stir well. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or until vegetables are tender. Discard the bay leaves before serving.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/c/chinese-country-ribs.html

Name: Chinese Country Ribs

Category: Main Dish

Ingredients and Directions

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoon vinegar, rice or white

2 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon five spice powder, optional

1 each onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoon ginger, fresh, minced

1 each garlic, clove, minced

1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tb cold water

4 pound country ribs, cut into individual ribs

1 rice, cooked, hot

In a 3-1/2 quart slow cooker, combine ketchup, honey, vinegar, soy sauce, five-spice powder, onion, ginger and garlic.

Position a broiler rack 6 inches from the source of the heat and preheat the broiler. Broil the ribs, turning once, until browned.
About 10 minutes. Transfer the ribs to the slow cooker.

Stir to coat the ribs with the sauce. Cover and slow cook until ribs are tender. About 5-6 hours at 200 degrees (low). Transfer the ribs to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Skim the fat from the surface of the sauce. In a medium saucepan bring the sauce to a simmer over a medium heat.

Cook until reduced to about 1 cup, 6-8 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook just until thickened.

Pour the sauce over ribs and serve immediately with hot cooked rice.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/c/crockpot-lentil-kale-soup.html

Name: Crockpot Lentil-Kale Soup

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

1 cup lentils

7 cup water

4 cup kale or spinach or chard, chopped into 1/2 inch strips

1 each onion, chopped

1 each celery stalk, chopped

3 each tomatoes, chopped

1 each carrot, chopped

3 tablespoon parsley, fresh, chopped

1 each bay leaf (remove before eating)

1/4 teaspoon thyme, ground

1-2 tablespoon soy miso or worcestershire sauce

1 pepper, to taste

Place the ingredients in a crockpot. Turn to low if leaving it for a long while. Serves 4-6. Comes out thick, almost like a stew.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/t/texas-crab-grass.html

Name: Texas Crab Grass

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

10 oz Spinach

1/4 lb Butter

1/2 ea Onion

6 1/2 oz Crabmeat

3/4 c Parmesan

Thaw spinach. Squeeze water from spinach and set aside. Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Chop onion. Add

spinach and onion and saute until onion is translucent, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add crabmeat and Parmesan, stirring well to blend. Transfer spinach mixture to 1-qt casserole and bake 15-20 minutes. Or transfer mixture to crockpot to keep warm, stirring occasionally. Can be served hot or cold with crackers. Makes 1/2 cup per “serving”

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/t/tender-pork-roast.html

Name: Tender Pork Roast

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

3 pound pork, roast, boneless

8 oz tomato sauce, can

3/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoon mustard, ground

Cut roast in half, place in a 5 quart slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over roast. Cover and cook on Low for 8-9 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160-170 degrees. Remove roast to a serving platter and keep warm. If desired, skim fat from pan juices and thicken for gravy. Yield 8 servings.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/t/tender-and-tangy-ribs.html

Name: Tender and Tangy Ribs

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

3/4-1 cup vinegar

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

1 each garlic, clove, minced

1 teaspoon mustard, ground

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2-1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 pound pork, spareribs

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Combine the first nine ingredients in a slow cooker. Cut ribs into serving-size pieces; brown in skillet in oil. Transfer to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until tender. Yield 2-3 servings.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/t/tangy-red-bulgar.html

Name: Tangy Red Bulgar

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

1 tablespoon oil, olive or vegetable

1 cup bell pepper, red or green, or combination, chopped

1 cup zucchini, or yellow squash, or combination, chopped

2 1/4 cup bloody mary mix, or vegetable juice

1 cup bulgur wheat

1 tablespoon lemon, juice

1 teaspoon basil, dried, crushed or 1 tb fresh, minced

1/3 cup onions, green, chopped

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Cook pepper(s) and squash(es) until tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in Bloody Mary mix or vegetable juice, bulgur, lemon juice, and basil. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to Low. Cover and simmer 5 to 8 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Garnish with green onions. May be served warm or as a salad at room temperature. To Microwave: In a 2-quart microwave-safe casserole dish, combine oil, red pepper and zucchini. Cover with lid; microwave on high 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring twice during cooking. Add vegetable juice, bulgur, lemon juice, and basil. Cover and microwave 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, stirring twice during cooking. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Garnish with green onions. Crockpot: Add all the ingredients except the basil and green onions and cook on Low for 8 hours, adding the basil after 7.5 hours. Garnish with green onions just before serving.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/s/sacramento-beef-pot.html

Name: Sacramento Beef Pot

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

4 pound beef, blade or chuck roast

1 each onion, sliced

6 each potatoes, halved

6 each zucchini, sliced

1 each bell pepper, red, sliced in rings

1 cup wine, red, or beef broth

2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 each bay leaf

3 tablespoon flour

1/3 cup water, cold

Trim all excess fat from meat. Brown beef in its own fat in a large skillet; remove and set aside. Drain all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet. Saute onion until soft in fat. Place meat, sauteed onion, potato, zucchini, red pepper rings, wine, salt, pepper and bay leaf in slow cooker; cover. Cook on Low for 10 hours or on High for 5 hours, or until meat is tender when pierced with a fork. Place meat and vegetables on heated platter and keep warm. Turn heat control to High. Combine flour and water in a cup. Pour into liquid in slow cooker, cover. Cook 15 minutes. Pass sauce separately in heated gravy boat.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/a/autumn-pork-chops.html

Name: Autumn Pork Chops

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

6 Thick pork chops

2 Medium acorn squash

3/4 teaspoon Salt

2 tablespoons Margarine, melted

3/4 cup Brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet

1 tablespoon Orange juice

1/2 teaspoon Orange peel, grated

Trim excess fat from pork chops. Cut each squash into 4 or 5 crossways

slices; remove seeds. Arrange 3 chops on bottom of crockpot. Place all

squash slices on top; then another layer of three remaining chops. Combine

salt, butter, sugar, bouquet sauce, orange juice and orange peel. Spoon over

chops. Cover and cook on low 6 8 hours or until done. Serve one or two

slices of squash with each pork chop.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Index of Thai recipes:

http://www.cookingindex.com/recipes/201/thai/

About 50 Potato Salad recipes:

http://www.cookingindex.com/recipes/165/polish/

All kinds of Bread:

http://www.nancyskitchen.com/bread-recipes.htm

The world in recipes:

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes.html

6 Venison Stew recipes for crockpot:

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/v.html

Chicken and misc. meat recipes for crockpot:

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/p.html

Crockpot for main dish recipes:

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/c.html

Crockpot:

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker.html

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/s.html

http://www.google.com/search?q=International+Cooking+with+Coca-Cola&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

http://www.google.com/search?q=Sweet+potato+noodles&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

http://www.google.com/search?q=THE+FRUGAL+GOURMET&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a