Living the Simple Life

It will soon be green bean season here

My green beans are blooming so you know what that means I will soon be up to my elbows in green beans! Nothing tastes like fresh green beans straight from the garden to the table in the same day.  One of our family favorites is to cook fresh green bens in a pot with a piece of ham and some new potatoes, serve it up with a hot pan of cornbread and a fresh green salad and you have one of our favorite meals. Another way we use fresh green beans is by cooking them with fennel and feta cheese;

 1 pound fresh green beans

1 fennel bulb, cut into thin slices

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Fill a saucepan half full with water and bring to a boil. Add the green beans and fennel slices; cook until just beginning to become tender, about 4 minutes. Pour into a colander to drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Return the empty pan to the stove and set heat to medium. Pour in the olive oil and let it heat for a minute. Return the green beans and fennel to the pan. Season with basil, salt, and pepper; cook and stir until coated and warm, and toss with feta cheese.

 Does anyone have any other green bean recipes they would care to share?

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Saving Money on Meals/ Stacked Enchiladas

I fixed these for lunch today and they were very good!

Stacked Enchiladas from Living on a Dime

2 lb. ground beef 1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
1 onion, chopped, or 1 tsp. onion powder    1 tomato, chopped
2 1/2 cups enchilada sauce  2 cups lettuce, chopped
8 corn tortillas sour cream (optional)
vegetable oil for frying olives (optional)

In a saucepan, brown ground beef and onions and drain. Add enchilada sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a frying pan. While you are waiting for the oil to heat, prepare bowls of tomatoes, lettuce and cheese. The oil is hot when it sizzles when the tortilla is placed in it. Have your plate ready in one hand and dip the tortilla in oil for 5 seconds. Turn it over and cook 5 more seconds. Lift out of pan, hold over oil and drain slightly. Place it on the plate and put 1/4 cup beef mixture on top. Dip another tortilla in the oil and fry the same as above, place on top of beef mixture. Top with more beef mixture, tomatoes and lettuce and then finish with a little cheese, sour cream and olives if desired. Serve warm. Serves 4.

, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Fruit Leather

I made up a batch of this a few days ago and my nieces and nephews were over today, it went fast, perfect snack, especially if you have extra berries.

Fruit Leather from Organic Gardening

2 cups Fresh strawberry puree
1 tablespoon Lemon juice
1 cup Applesauce
1/4 cup Sugar

1. Combine pureed berries and applesauce with lemon juice and sugar. Line a 10x15 in jelly roll pan with plastic wrap.

2. Pour mix into pan and spread evenly.

3. Bake about 5 hours at 200F or until leather pulls away from wrap.

4. Flip leather onto counter, peel away plastic and remove any mixture that has not "set."

5. Cut into slices, roll and wrap each in plastic.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Saving Money on Meals/Turkey Stroganoff

Easy, quick and ground turkey can be found for much less than ground beef.

    Turkey Stroganoff
 
   1 package uncooked egg noodles
   1  can condensed cream of mushroom soup
   1 tablespoon vegetable oil
   1/2 cup water 
   1 pound ground turkey
   1 tablespoon minced onion
   1 tablespoon paprika 
   salt to taste salt to taste

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place the egg noodles in the pot, cook 6 to 8 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the turkey and onion in the skillet and cook until turkey is evenly brown and onion is tender. Mix in the bouillon.
Stir the cream of mushroom soup and water into the skillet. Cook and stir until heated through. Season with paprika and salt. Serve over the cooked egg noodles.
 

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Saving Money on Meals/Quick and Easy Calzone Rolls

Quick and Easy Calzone Rolls

2 loaves frozen bread dough, thawed (I make my own)
1/2 pound sliced ham
1/2 pound sliced hard salami
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup jarred marinara sauce(make it at home)

Roll each loaf of dough into a rectangle about 8 inches by 12 inches.
Layer ham and salami down the center of each rolled loaf lengthwise.
Top meats with 1 cup shredded mozzarella for each roll.
Fold short ends of each loaf in about 1/2 inch and seal. Roll from the long sides and pinch well to seal the entire loaf. You should have 2 long rolls.
Bake, seam side down on a greased baking sheet in a 375 degree F oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Cut each roll into 8 slices and serve with marinara for dipping.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Saving Money on Meals/Chicken & Pepper Egg Rolls

Chicken & Pepper Egg Rolls

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into thin strips
2 large bell peppers (any color) cut into thin strips
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
12 egg roll wrappers
oil for frying

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add 2 Tablespoons oil. Cook chicken strips just until no longer pink. Push to one side of pan.
Add pepper and onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add soy sauce, garlic and ginger and stir well. Cook until most liquid has evaporated.
Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes. This is important; adding hot ingredients to the egg roll wrappers will cause them to break down and leak.
Once cooled, lay several strips of chicken, onion and peppers in the center of an egg roll wrapper that has been laid on a surface with one point toward you. Fold the right point over and under the filling. Fold the top and bottom points down and roll from right to left, securing the left point with a touch of water.
Repeat with all wrappers and filling. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry egg rolls, turning over once during cooking, until golden brown. Drain on paper toweling.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Saving Money on Meals/Lemon Spaghetti

Quick, easy, filling and a zesty twist!

Lemon Spaghetti

Begin by boiling a box of spaghetti in salted water.  Pour a cup of olive oil into a mixing bowl.  Zest a medium lemon into the olive oil and squeeze the juice of half the lemon into the mixture as well.  Stir in a cup of grated Parmesan cheese to create a cheesy olive oil sauce and set aside.  Once the spaghetti is al dente, stop boiling, reserve a cup or two of the pasta water and drain the rest.  Slowly add the sauce to the pasta and carefully add a bit of the pasta water as you desire to thin it out.  Season with black pepper and chopped fresh basil or sprinkle in some dried basil to taste.  The measurements are flexible so before serving, taste it and you can add more zest, lemon juice, pepper or basil as you like.

Saving Money on Meals/Creamy Chicken and Rotini Primavera

Creamy Chicken and Rotini Primavera

1/2 pound dry rotini
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast - cubed
1 pound frozen vegetable mix - thawed
4 ounces Neufchatel cheese (reduced fat cream cheese)
1/2 cup lite Italian dressing
1/2 cup 2% fat milk

Cook rotini per package directions to desired doneness. Drain well and keep warm.
Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken cubes and cook until no longer pink.
Combine cream cheese, dressing and milk and whisk until smooth.
Add thawed frozen vegetables to chicken along with sauce mixture. Stir well and heat through - about 5 minutes. Serve.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Saving money on Meals/Crockpot Chicken and Mushrooms

An oldie for sure, but  one worth making again, especially now  during the heat of the summer months;  why not use your crockpot?

Crockpot Chicken and Mushrooms

4 bone-in chicken breasts with the skin removed
salt
pepper
lemon pepper
paprika

1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 small can of mushrooms or 8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth

After removing the skin, sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, lemon pepper, and paprika, then place in the crockpot.

Mix together the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken pieces.

Cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve over rice or egg noodles.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Saving Money on Meals/Kids Pasta and Cheese

My nieces and nephews love this, it's easy, quick and yes frugal!

Kids' Pasta & Cheese

1 cup acini di pepe pasta(or any small pasta pieces of broken pasta work just as well)
1 cup frozen peas
2 turkey or chicken hot dogs - sliced thinly
4 ounces (about 1 cup) shredded melting cheese such as American, cheddar or gruyere
1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper as desired

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions until just before desired doneness is reached.
Two minutes before pasta is done, add peas and hot dogs to cooking water and cook until heated through.
Drain water from pasta, hot dogs and peas.
Put back into pot and add milk and cheese. Heat over a very low flame, stirring constantly until cheese is melted and pasta is coated well.
Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Saving Money on Meals/ Quick Chicken Lo Mein

This is low cost, quick and very tasty!

Chicken Lo Mein
1 tablespoon oil-sesame or peanut oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin slices
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce or teriyaki sauce
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger or 1 teaspoon powder
1 3-ounce package chicken flavor ramen noodle soup
1 1-lb bag frozen mixed oriental vegetables
1/4 cup water

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until no longer pink.
Add vegetables and lid. Cook until vegetables are cooked through, about 5 minutes.
In the meantime, cook the noodles (without the flavoring packet) according to package directions. Drain.
Add soy sauce, garlic, ginger and seasoning packet to water. Mix well. Pour over chicken and vegetables, add noodles and toss to mix.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Saving Money on Meals/Rosemary Beef and Vegetables

Rosemary Beef and Vegetables

1 pound ground beef
6 to 8 garlic cloves, crushed
1 medium onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
3 medium stalks celery, diced
1/2 small-medium head of cabbage thinly sliced
1 quart diced canned tomatoes
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
sea salt
black pepper

Brown the beef with the garlic and onions.  Drain.

Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 or 20 minutes.  Adjust seasonings.

Serve alone or over cooked brown rice.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Sunday Baking

It's been a bit damp and rainy today so I have been busy in the kitchen trying out a couple of recpies, that we really liked today so I thought I would share them with you.

Lemon-Thyme Cornmeal Quick Bread

     1/3  flour
  1  cup  fine yellow cornmeal
  1  teaspoon  baking powder
  3/4  teaspoon  salt
  3/4  cup  egg substitute  o2 2 whole eggs
  2/3  cup  sugar
  1/3  cup  plus 2 tablespoons canola oil
  1  tablespoon  chopped fresh thyme
  1  tablespoon  grated lemon rind
  2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
  2  tablespoons  pine nuts, toasted and divided
  Cooking spray
  1  tablespoon  butter melted

              Preheat oven to 350

Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring mixture with a whisk.

Place egg substitute (or eggs)  sugar, and oil in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium-high speed 1 minute or until well blended. Add thyme, rind, and juice; beat at low speed until combined. Add flour mixture; beat just until combined. Chop 1 tablespoon nuts; stir into batter.

Pour batter into a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon whole nuts. Bake at 325° for 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven (do not turn oven off). Drizzle butter evenly over batter. Bake an additional 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Feta 'n' Chive Muffins 

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Home Made Vapor Rub

There are lots of folks in our area with the flu and the sniffles; I have been making batches of this during the past couple of weeks and  I keep getting requests for it, It does work well.

Home Made Vapor Rub
Gently heat 4 ounces of olive oil and add 1/2 ounce of wintergreen, eucalyptus an peppermit oil. (essential oils) Add 1/2 ounce of beeswax and pour into a jar and allow to cool and set up.

I usually put this into the refrigerator if it is not going to be used up within a week or so. The original recipe called for benzoin but we didn't  have it on hand, and we have been happy with the results.

I had a few messages asking where I get the ingredients for this ;

I buy my essential oils from  AromaLand  at  http://www.aromaland.com/aromaweb.html the beeswax i get from Hive Harvest at http://hiveharvest.com/bulk_beeswax.html. I make a lot of candles so I usually have the supplies to make this on hand. Here at home I store it in baby food jars when I make it up to deliever it to my customers I use small tins purchased at Hobby Lobby.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

October 1, 2008 100 Foot Diet Challenge Meal

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Tonight’s supper in keeping with the 100 Foot Diet Challenge at path to freedon.org was Butternut squash soup, Cesar salad with crusty French bread and for dessert fresh gingerbread scones.

The recipe for the soup is from vegcooking.com

Butternut Squash Soup

1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 Tbsp. whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 cup white wine
5 cups water
2 large onions, diced, with 1/4 cup reserved
3 cups peeled and diced butternut squash
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch of nutmeg, to taste
Chopped parsley (optional)

•Place the carrot, celery, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaf, white wine, water, and all but 1/4 cup of the onions in a large pot, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Strain the soup, discard the pulp, and return the liquid to the pot.

•Add the squash and remaining onion to the pot and cook over medium heat until the squash is tender.

•Transfer the squash, onion, and one cup of the liquid (reserving the remaining liquid in a separate container) to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

•Pour the purée back into the pot and add some of the reserved liquid, stirring to achieve the desired consistency. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

Blueberry Streusel Scones

I made these this afternoon and the family loved them!

Scone Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk or cream
Brushing tops of scones:
Milk or Cream
Streusel Topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and place rack in middle of oven. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 
For the Scones: In a large bowl  whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Gently fold in the blueberries. In a small measuring cup combine the cream, beaten egg and vanilla. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough or the scones will be tough.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead  the dough gently four or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches  round and about 11/2 inches  thick. Cut this circle in half, then cut each half into four pie-shaped wedges (triangles).  Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with a little cream or milk.
For the Streusel Topping: In a small bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until crumbly. Top each scone with a teaspoon or two of the streusel mixture. Cover and refrigerate any leftover streusel mixture.
Bake the scones until nicely browned, about 15 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a scone comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. These are best eaten the day they are made but can be covered and stored for a few days.
Makes 8 scones

From the Joy of Baking

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976