Bacon Potatoes Au Gratin (from the garden, in the crockpot)
Posted on 2009-Jun-18 at 02:47 PM
It was 90* in our house last night, after a day of upper 90's temperatures and the use of the stove for supper preparation. Today is supposed to be about 95* again, and I am NOT going to use the stove or oven.
So it's a crock pot night! And to make it even better, this meal is mostly locally grown. The pork cured bacon is from a local pig (not ours) and the peas and onions are from our own garden! The potatoes and everything else came from the grocery store, though. Maybe later this year we can try it again with our own potatoes.
Bacon Potatoes Au Gratin
(this is my own recipe, combining ideas from several other recipes ... my favorite way to cook!)
Ingredients:
8-9 medium potatoes
1 lb. ham cubes or pork cured bacon
1 - 2 cups peas
1 large onion
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Cream of mushroom soup (10.5 oz. can)
milk
pepper
Directions:
Peel and slice 4-5 potatoes into thin slices. Layer in bottom of crockpot.
Chop onion and layer half the onion over the potatoes.
Pour half the peas over the onion.
Sprinkle half the ham or bacon over the peas.
Sprinkle half the cheese over the ham/bacon.
Repeat layers (potato, onion, peas, ham, cheese).
Pour 1 small can of Cream of Mushroom soup over it all.
Pour 1/2 can of milk over the soup.
Sprinkle the top with pepper.
Cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 8-10 hours.
I have no idea how many this would feed. Six is probably a safe assumption. I'd like to take this to a potluck sometime.
I hope my kids will all eat it, but many of them reject potatoes in all forms except fried.
Molly Makes $5 Dinners and $3 Desserts e-book is coming!
Posted on 2009-Mar-19 at 10:28 AM
If you've been reading my blog, you know I love Molly Green, Econobusters, and Molly's Money-Saving Digest. When I found out they were going to make a Molly cookbook full of $5 dinners and $3 desserts, I was very curious. Steve and I agreed that this was an e-book we wanted to own. We try to cook frugally most of the time, but we can always use more ideas for inexpensive meals, especially if they're healthy and can feed the whole family.
I'm so glad I got the chance to review an advance copy of Molly Makes $5 Dinners and $3 Desserts. I wasn't disappointed with the cookbook at all! There are a wide variety of recipes to enjoy with your family, including some of my own recipes. *wink*
Some of the recipes sound elegant:
Chicken Piccata
Greek Spinach and Rice with Black Beans (vegetarian)
Others are obviously family favorites:
Uncle Bob's Potato Soup
Grandma's Stovetop Tuna and Noodles
Rice Stuff (love the name)
Some of the recipes make your mouth water with their name alone:
Yummy Chicken Legs
Spicy Vegetable Beef Soup
Then there are the comfort foods:
Broccoli Cheese and Chicken Soup
Chicken Pot Pie
Fearless Fried Chicken
The luscious desserts:
Cherry Chocolate Dessert
Favorite Chocolate Pie
Health-conscious recipes:
Gluten Free Donuts
Healthy Brownies
Broccoli and Pasta (vegetarian)
Mixed Bean Soup
Those are only sixteen of the delicious and frugal recipes you'll find in the Molly Makes $5 Dinners and $3 Desserts e-book. I counted over 70 recipes in all. I'm personally looking forward to trying the "Cherry Chocolate Dessert", "Minute Minestrone", and "Fearless Fried Chicken"!
Although my children would love to eat the same favored meals weekly (at least they think they would), my husband and I appreciate more variety. I'm thankful to have Molly's cookbook of frugal meals to choose from, so we can add to our repertoire without raising our grocery bill. I won't have to dig through my cookbooks trying to figure out the costs of the meals, either. With the Molly Makes $5 Dinners and $3 Desserts e-book, the costs are already listed for me.
If your grocery bill is just too high, and you need to lower it, then this e-book can help! You can't lower a grocery bill unless you lower the cost of each meal you're cooking. I know I can't make lasagna from scratch using my Mother-in-law's recipe every week, because it's too expensive! (Not to mention really time consuming.) Not only can you find new recipes to try, you can also find cost-cutting ideas for changing your own recipes.
Watch for Molly Makes $5 Dinners and $3 Desserts at the Econobusters Store later this Spring. It's another bargain -- over 70 frugal recipes for your family's enjoyment, for only $8.00! It's scheduled to release around May 1st, so stay tuned!
additional ingredients:
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg
1 500 mg vitamin C tablet, crushed
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup bread flour
whole wheat flour for kneading
In mixer bowl (Kitchen Aid or Bosch), dissolve yeast in water. Then, stir in 2 tablespoons honey and 3 cups flour and let "sponge" 30 minute until big and bubbly.
After it has "sponged", add 1/4 cup honey, oil, salt, egg, vitamin C, gluten, and 2 cups flour. Mix until well combined.
Add additional flour by 1/2-cupfuls, until dough cleans the sides of the bowl and holds together in a mass. Let machine knead for 6-8 minutes.
Remove dough to a lightly-greased bowl, turning once to coat top. Cover and let rise until double, about 45 minutes.
Punch down in the bowl. Remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured counter top. Divide into two equal pieces, and form into 2 loaves. Place the loaves in 2 greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise until 1.5" above rims of pans. I set the oven to the lowest temp possible, toss two ice cubes in the bottom of the oven, put my bread pans in uncovered, shut the door, and then turn off the oven after a few minutes. So it rises in a warm, moist oven. Check after 30 minutes.
Bake in preheated oven (350*) for 25 minutes. Since my bread has already risen in the oven, I don't preheat the oven, I just turn it on to 350* and set my timer for 25 minutes.
Brush tops with butter or cover with a dishtowel while hot to prevent crusts from getting hard.
Sometimes, I replace 1/2 cup of the whole wheat flour with oat flour or wheat germ, but not always.
Tip of the Day -- Finding New Uses For a Common Item
Posted on 2007-Jun-12 at 09:47 AM
I've been writing the Homeschool Tip of the Day for June at the Homeschool Blogger Front Porch. Since this tip wasn't just about homeschooling, I decided to add it to my homestead blog, as well.
Today's tip isn't about homeschooling. Today's tip is for our other job as homeschool parents -- housekeeper. But it can help with cleaning up after art projects gone awry.
One of the all-purpose wonder items I've grown to love is baking soda. It seems I am constantly finding new uses for it, besides baking. We use it for so many things, we've begun buying it in a 4 lb. box. Here are some uses I've personally tried:
sprinkle it on my stove top and use a damp dish cloth to clean the buildup around the burners
sprinkle it on my counters and use a damp dish cloth to clean away stains
sprinkle it in my sink and use a damp dish cloth to clean away grease and other grime, or soap scum in the bathroom
dissolve in boiled water and (after cooling) use it to swab out a baby's mouth when it has thrush
dissolve it in water and use it like a mouthwash when I'm having gum problems
make a paste with water and use it to brush my teeth, occasionally
dissolve it in water and pour it over my hair to remove build up
add it to a shampoo bottle to work as a clarifying shampoo
mix it with conditioner or honey to form a paste and use as a scalp scrub
mix it with water, facial cleanser, or facial moisturizer to form a paste and use to exfoliate my face
sprinkle it in the diaper pail to absorb odors
open a box and store it in the fridge to absorb odors
sprinkle it on a carpet (house or car) and let sit awhile before vacuuming to remove odors
sprinkle it in the cat litter box to absorb odors
add 1/4 - 1 cup when washing my cloth diapers to help remove odors and soap build up
make a paste with water and use it to scrub my dirty grimy light blue kitchen trash can -- and remind me not to buy a light colored trash can again
and last week's new discovery!! sprinkle it on the maple dining room table and scrub gently with a wet wash cloth to remove permanent marker. I'm so glad it worked!
I'm sure that others have used baking soda in ways I have not yet tried, and I'm sure that I'll discover new uses for it over time, as well. For instance, I've heard that a little baking soda dissolved in water can help relieve indigestion, but I haven't tried it.
Several pregnancies ago, I heard about Red Raspberry Leaf tea, and how it helps strengthen the uterus and prepare it for labor and delivery, and can help reduce bleeding. I ordered a lb. of pregnancy tea mix which included Red Raspberry Leaf. And I began drinking it iced. At first I always mixed it with a decaf spearmint or peppermint tea bag.
Eventually, my source quit selling the pregnancy tea mix, so I had to find a new source. I found one, but that tea mix included comfrey, which I began to hear some negative things about. We finished off that lb. of pregnancy tea, but didn't buy more.
Then we joined a health food co-op (buying club) and I found I could order some herbs in bulk. We ordered a lb. of Red Raspberry Leaf, 1 lb. of Nettles, and 1 lb. of Spearmint. I mixed them together to make a loose-leaf tea. It was 3/4 (or more) Red Raspberry Leaf and 1/4 (or less) of the Nettles and Spearmint. (I didn't really measure as I mixed them). Nettles for its health benefits and Spearmint for flavor.
We continued with that method for a couple years, but our buying club was coming to an end, so I decided to order from www.herbalcom.com. They have very good prices on bulk loose herbs. I was able to get Red Raspberry Leaf, Peppermint, Alfalfa (another wonderful herb for women), and Oat Straw. My new Red Raspberry Leaf mix is still mostly Red Raspberry Leaf, with nettles, alfalfa, oat straw, peppermint and spearmint added. Very yummy! I drink a 2.25 quart pitcher of it in 1.5 - 2 days. And it counts for water since it's unsweetened and decaffeinated.
So, why am I still drinking Red Raspberry Leaf tea daily, even though I'm not pregnant? Well, besides toning the uterus, I knew that Red Raspberry Leaf helps to balance a woman's hormones. Some even refer to it as "Cranky Lady Tea" or "PMS tea". And, there are times that I can use some help in that area.
But recently I have read about a few other benefits of Red Raspberry Leaf tea. I was surprised a couple months ago to read that it was a recommended herb when fighting a cold or the flu. Although I'm sure hot tea is more soothing when sick than iced tea. But I tucked that information away in my mind as another benefit of one of my favorite teas.
Yesterday I was reading in another of my herbal books and read that Red Raspberry Leaf tea helps to decrease the appetite and increases your energy. Wow! With my history of over-indulgence, that is something I could use. I have relied on sugar and chocolate to give me an energy boost or deal with stress much too often -- an unhealthy habit!!
With all these benefits, I think I'll be drinking Red Raspberry Leaf tea for the rest of my life! I've also really come to enjoy my iced herbal tea, as an alternative to water.
EDITING TO ADD: that this is not the raspberry zinger style tea. It's not fruity tasting. It's the leaf that carries these health benefits. You have to look for Red Raspberry Leaf, not just Raspberry tea.
EDITED TO ALSO ADD: In order to get the full benefits of the herbs, bring water to boiling, pour over the herbs in a jar or pan, cover with a lid, let steep for at least 30 minutes. I often let mine infuse for a couple hours. I have a friend who lets hers sit overnight. I use a rounded 1/2 cup measure for 2 quarts of iced tea.
Our church has cookies served after services each week. Every week, two volunteers bring 7 dozen cookies each for this fellowship time. This quarterly commitment helped me develop my "cheater cookies".
Ingredients:
Family Size Brownie mix (store brands work just as well as name brands)
Oil, water, eggs required for brownie mix
Your choice of baking chips (chocolate, caramel, peanut butter, white chocolate, etc.)
Mini-muffin pan
I have two mini-muffin pans. They each make 2 dozen mini-muffins. A family size (9x13) brownie mix will fill both pans. 4 dozen "cheater cookies" in half an hour.
I mix up the brownie mix per its instructions. Then I stir in whatever baking chips I have on hand and desire to use that time. I've used white chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, milk chocolate and peanut butter, milk chocolate and caramel, etc. Use baking spray in each mini-muffin hole and fill 2/3 full of brownie batter. Bake at 350* for about 9 minutes. Test with a toothpick in one of the middle mini-muffins.
Remove from oven and let cool in pan for a short while. Use a plastic knife to loosen the "cookies" from each mini-muffin slot. Set aside to finish cooling.
While these are still hot, you could add a candy to the top of each one. Yesterday, I pushed a caramel/chocolate chip into the top of each one. You could do the same with an M&M, a Reeses piece, or a Hershey's kiss. Hmm. Other add-ins could be mini M&Ms, crushed peppermint candy, Reeses pieces, etc.
I like that they're easy and quick. I like that I can change their flavor by changing the "add-in". I can dress them up by adding a candy to the top. Since we only buy brownie mixes and baking chips when they are on sale, they aren't *that* expensive, either. We stock up on those sale items whenever we can.
I also like using my Pampered Chef small cookie dough scoop. It's the perfect size for filling the mini-muffin holes in the pan. One scoop per hole.
I know this isn't a brilliant recipe. I know it isn't from scratch. But it is something that has made my life easier. It stretches the brownie mix further than a pan would, and it is easier to serve than cutting up the pan of brownies. (Am I the only one who usually butchers the brownies by cutting them while they're still too warm?) It's also easier than making cookies the traditional way, one dozen at a time on the cookie trays. And it's certainly cheaper than buying cookie mixes or cookie dough.
Tonight I'm going to a cookie exchange (barring any unforeseen circumstances between now and then). Yesterday, Baby L took a nap. I wasn't sure how long she'd sleep or how fussy she was going to be this week since she was so sick all weekend long. So, I decided to make the cheater cookies, and I prayed I'd get them in the oven before she woke up. In the long run, she actually took a very long nap, but my cookies were done. One less thing to worry about. And I actually was able to accomplish several other tasks while she slept instead of having cookie making take up the whole time.
I also like using muffin mixes in my mini-muffin pan ... 2 or 3 mini-muffins per child are less messy than one big muffin. Also, they work better for the Sunday Fellowship.
Just an idea that might make someone else's life easier.
I confess I've never grown zucchini, although we are occasionally given
some. We were given 3 last week, and they shredded up to make 15
cups of shredded zucchini ... most of which I froze.
Yesterday I made chocolate zucchini bread. And I have
a zucchini brownie recipe I want to try. But what I
really want is to find a devil's food cake recipe using zucchini.
I remember eating a really rich dark chocolate zucchini cake at
church potlucks as a teen in Maryland. I loved it!! The
best I can think to describe it as is Zucchini Devil's Food Cake.
Does anyone have a recipe like that?
Here are the two recipes I have, but I'd love to try others. Please share if you have a favorite.
Chocolate Zucchini or Pumpkin Bread
3 cups shredded zucchini OR 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin 1 2/3 cup sugar 2/3 cup vegetable oil 2 tsp. vanilla 4 eggs 3 cups all-purpose flour OR whole wheat flour 2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 cup cocoa optional 1/2 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips
Heat oven to 350* and grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans. Mix
zucchini/pumpkin, sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs together. Stir in
remaining ingredients. Pour into pans. Bake 50-60 minutes
or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10
minutes. Loosen sides of loaves, remove from pans. Cool
completely before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room
temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.
Chocolate Zucchini Brownies
2 cups grated zucchini 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 cups flour 1 tsp. salt 1.5 tsp. baking soda 1/3-1/2 cup cocoa 1/2 cup oil 2 tsp. vanilla 1/2-3/4 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat oven to 350*. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake 30-35 minutes.
What's your favorite zucchini recipe? If you share it on your
blog, please leave a comment here so I can see all the yummy recipes.
We are a Christian homeschooling family with 7 children (ages 13, 12, 10, 8, 5, 3, and 9 months). We love having "room to breathe" in rural Central Kansas, and are working to make the "family homeplace" our own home.
• Steve 36 yo hubby
• April 35 yo SAHM
• A - 13 yo girl
• R - 12 yo girl
• C - 10 yo girl
• J - 8 yo boy
• M - 5 yo boy
• L - 3 yo girl
• G - 8 month boy
sprinkle it on the maple dining room table and scrub gently with a wet wash cloth to remove permanent marker. I'm so glad it worked!
