Quick & Easy Fall Snacks

Here are some quick and easy fall snacks:

My husband's favorite is: peanuts mixed with candy corn! It's really easy - a jar of peanuts mixed with a bag of candy corn. You can always add whatever little things you'd like in with it: for example you could add raisins and/or another type of nut. Separate into little snack ziplock bags and you have an easy to grab snack!

Chocolate Covered Pretzels is another great snack you can make with a bag of pretzels and chocolate melts. Of course, I'm all for chocolate! :)

Here is a really fast to whip up, good tasting and healthy snack recipe:

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Dip and Apples

Freshly sliced apples ready to dip into the mixture after it's done!
1 cup smooth peanut butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup brown sugar - you can use less than that - less sugar = more healthy!
1 cup milk - I don't use quite that much milk, so you may want to "eye" it - you don't want the dip too runny, yet you don't want it too dry.

In a medium bowl, cream together peanut butter and cream cheese.
Stir in brown sugar and mix well.
Slowly stir in milk. Mix until well combined.
Chill for 1/2 hour in refrigerator.
Serve with apple slices.
Yield: About 3 cups

Of course, you don't have to refridgerate the dip before using it - it tastes good both ways. You'll want to make sure that you do refridgerate leftover dip. This dip also tastes great on graham crackers and it might also taste good on celery sticks. :)

Recipes!

Here are some recipes that we have had over the past month that are on my "make again" list!

Baked Potato Casserole
8 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
6 slices turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided
Sliced green onions (optional)

Place potatoes in pot, cover with water, bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain. Preheat oven to 350... grease casserole dish (2 1/2 to 3 quart dish). Add evaporated milk to the potatoes along with the sour cream, salt and pepper. Beat with hand mixer until smooth. Stir in 1 1/2 cup cheese and half of the bacon. Spoon mixture into prepared casserole dish. Bake 20 - 25 minutes until heated through. Top with remaining cheese, remaining bacon and green onions. Bake for about 3 more minutes until cheese is melted.

Makes 16 servings.


Cottage Cheese Yeast Rolls

Ingredients

• 2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
• 2 cups (16 ounces) 4% cottage cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a small saucepan, heat cottage cheese to 110°-115°. Add the cottage cheese, eggs, sugar, salt, baking soda and 2 cups flour to yeast mixture. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough (dough will be sticky).

• Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 30 pieces. Shape each piece into a roll. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks.
  Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

I think my rolls had a slight "salty" flavor, so next time I make them I might cut out the salt and just add the baking soda. These are very soft yummy rolls that taste great warm out of the oven!

Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

• Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness. In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and basil. In another shallow bowl, beat the egg. Dip chicken into egg, then coat with crumb mixture.
• In a large skillet, brown chicken over medium heat in butter and oil for 3-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Yield: 4 servings.

This is a yummy chicken recipe! I normally do NOT use an egg when I make this chicken recipe. I just coat the chicken breast in melted butter and then dip into the crumb mixture and sprinkle in some dry ranch seasoning.


For dessert I cheated and just through a can of pumpkin pie mix into a frozen ready-made crust and topped it with a scoop of whipped cream - yummy!

What are some of your favorite fall dishes?

Recipes!!!

I'm sitting here with the front door open, the rain pouring, laptop in my lap, while being surrounded by coupons and recipe books! It's delightful!

I will have to try to figure out how to post a document on this blog (if anyone knows how to do that please leave me a reply!). I'm almost finished with my May menu, recipes, and grocery list and want to share it with you.

Here are some cheap recipe ideas for your monthly planning:

We had never had lentils before until a friend made this lentil dish for us. After trying it I had to ask her for the recipe....I loved it! Besides, lentils are healthy, low calories, & cheap.....

Lentils are a low calorie, low fat and cholesterol free food and they contain folic acid. The U.S. Health Service recommends that all women of childbearing age consume 400 mcg of folic acid per day. Most women do not meet this guideline. One cup of cooked lentils provides 90% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA). Lentils provide more folic acid than any other unfortified food.

Lentils are also an important source of iron, especially for women, whose iron needs are greater. Eating lentils with foods rich in Vitamin C, such as tomatoes, green peppers, broccoli, and citrus fruits or juices, helps the body absorb iron more efficiently.Lentils are also protein rich. They lack only one protein, methionine. Adding grains, eggs, nuts, seeds, meat, dairy products, or eggs will provide a complete protein.Soluble fiber is also found in lentils. Soluble fiber acts as a scrub brush, cleaning the digestive system. This type of fiber also decreases serum glucose and cholesterol and decreases insulin requirements for people with diabetes.

Tasty Lentil-burgers

• 1 1/2 C. cooked lentils
  


• 1/2 C. chopped onion
  


• 2 gloves of garlic
  


• 2 Tbs. butter, divided
  


• 1 heaping Tbs. of tomato paste
  


• 2 slices bread, cubed
  


• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  


• 2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
  


• 1tsp. mustard
  


• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
  


• 1/2 tsp. salt



• 1/4 tsp. pepper



• 1/4 C. Italian bread crumbs
  


• 4 slices sharp Cheddar cheese
  


• 4 Whole-wheat buns

Drain lentils very well, placing in a sleve and pressing gently with spoon, if necessary. Set aside.
Saute' onion, adding garlic later, in 1 Tbs. of the butter. Add tomato paste, bread, eggs, vinegar, and seasonings. Combine well, adding lentils to mixture. Shape into 4 large patties. Mixture will be moist, but if too wet, add more crumbs or some wheat germ. Coat each patty in dry bread crumbs. Chill about 1hr. (this makes the patties easier to fry). Heat remaining butter until sizzling. Fry patties about 5 minutes each side until crisp. Turn gently. Cover each with a cheese slice, if used. Cook until melted.Serve on heated whole wheat buns. Garnish with green pepper and onion rings, or any other burger garnishes.

Tips: One pound dried lentils = 5 batches of lentil-burgers.

***Mixture may be placed in a buttered baking dish. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Sprinkle or place cheese for last 5 minutes of baking. - This is the way we normally make our lentils. I love it with cheese and ketchup on top! It tastes good reheated as well.ENJOY!

Here is a recipe that I found for making your own mayonnaise:

Mayonnaise

• 1 egg *use 1 pasteruized egg or 1/4 C. cholesterol-free egg substitute if you're concerned about using raw eggs*



• 2TBPS white wine vinegar or white rice vinegar
  


• 1 tsp. honey
  


• 1/8 tsp of dry mustard



• 1/8 tsp ground white pepper



• Salt to taste
  


• 3/4 C. canola oil

Blend all ingredients, except the oil, in a blender until smooth. With the machine running, add the oil very slowly in a steady, then stream, until the mixture is well combined and thickened. (Homemade mayo will not be as thick as store bought mayo.) Taste and adjust the seasoning, Transfer the mayonnaise to a glass container with a tight fitting lid.

Variations:
You can add flavor to your mayonnaise.....

Garlic mayonnaise - add 4 cloves of garlic or 2 tsp prepared minced garlic with the first group of ingredients.

Basil Mayonnaise- Stir in 1/4 C basil pesto ( 1 C. loosely packed fresh basil leaves, 1/4 c. pine nuts, 2 TBPS of extra-virgin olive oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, or 1tsp prepared minced garlic, 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper.....all those ingredients makes 1/3 C of basil pesto) and add an extra dash of salt and some freshly ground pepper.

Herb Mayonnaise- Stir 1-2 TBSP minced fresh herb, such as flat-leaf parsley, watercress, basil, oregano, or tarragon into the completed mayonnaise.

NOTE: This recipe makes 1 cup of mayonnaise and it can be stored in a tightly closed container with a tight-fitting lid in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Here is another quick & easy breakfast recipe that I got from a friend several years ago!

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

• 1 spice cake mix




• 1 large can of pumpkin pie mix
  

Mix ingredients together until well combine. Scoop spoonfuls into muffin tins with paper liners.Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!!!

** Those muffins work great for breakfast with a hot cup of cocoa or coffee!***

Recipe Books!

BOOKS!!! RECIPE BOOKS!!!

Are you already thinking about what you'll eat and make next month, are you already planning ahead? I'm such a planner and I LOVE recipe books - so I'm already planning my menu for the month of May! I went to the libary yesterday and enjoyed picking out quite a few recipe books. I was surprised to find a lot of books on freezer meals! My book list consists of:

• The coupon mom's guide to cutting your grocery bills in half By: Stephanie Nelson


• Rodale's book of hints, tips & everyday wisdom


• Feeding the whole family By Cynthia Lair


• Chef on a shoestring By: ???


• Mix 'n match meals in minutes for people with diabetes By: Linda Gassenheimer


• Eat cheap, but eat well By: Charles Mattocks


• The $5 mom cookbook By: Erin Chase


• Dinner's in the freezer! By: Jill Bond


• Dirt-cheap gardening By: Rhonda Massingham


• The golden book of baking By: Rachel Lane


• Quesadillas By: Donna Kelly


• Vegetarian sandwiches By: Paulette Mitchell


• Ice cream and frozen desserts By: Peggy Fallon


• Can I freeze it? By: Susie Theodorou


• Jane Butel's freezer cookbook By: Jane Butel


• Don't panic, more dinner's in the freezer By: Suise Martinez


• The family kitchen By: Debra Ponzek


• Pillsbury Doughboy family pleasing recipes


• Glorious one-pot meals By: Elizabeth Yarnell


• Make it fast, cook it slow By: Stephanie O'Dea

Why not visit your local library soon to see what new and exciting recipes you can find for the month of May? Why not, also purchase a small photo album where you can print your favorite recipes out on recipe cards and slide them into your album for save keeping.

I'll show you how to make your own designed,cloth-covered recipe book album next week! Stay in tune for the step-by-step how to instructions!

Cooking!

Well, I managed to try some cooking and get a few meals in the freezer this past week! I came down sick over the weekend and lost some of my energetic zap for getting everything done that I wanted to accomplish, but I think I got a pretty good start.

I made:

• 1 9x13 pan of Chicken tortillas - shredded chicken breast, 1 small jar of mild salsa, shredded cheese and cream cheese cut into cubs.


• 3 spinach spaghetti pies - angel hair noodles, eggs, Parmesan, canned or frozen spinach (I used canned this time, but normally I use frozen thawed & drained), sauce, ground beef, cream cheese, and shredded mozzarella cheese.


• 1 chicken/veggie lasagna - lasagna noodles, cream of mushroom soup (you're suppose to use cream of chicken, but I had forgotten to put that on my shopping list.....so I used the cream of mushroom instead), shredded chicken breast, 1 can of mixed veggies (you can also use 1 small package of frozen cooked mixed veggies), a little milk (to mix with the mushroom soup), sliced cheddar cheese (to put in-between the layers of noodles, veggies, chicken and soup).

I bought the foil pans (I bought mine at Family Dollar - two 9x13 pans for $1) so that I could just freeze them without worrying about freezing something in a glass pan, then taking it out and wrapping it up and putting it back into the freezer out of the pan. I tried that once with crab lasagna and it ended up making a mess in my freezer, so I decided that I was going to try the foil pans this time. It made a mess in my freezer because the pan tilted sideways while it was in the freezer, so that when I went to go get it after it had frozen I had a mess to clean up since a lot of the sauce and leaked out before becoming frozen.

WARNING: Make sure ALL food is level in the freezer! :) Here are the recipes that I used (or at least used the basic foundation and then adapted them to fit whatever ingredients I had)........ Spinach-Beef Spaghetti Pie - my favorite way to eat spaghetti and it is a great meal to make when having guests! This recipe came from Taste of Home. It freezes well and you can change it to fit your tastes (like leave out the spinach and use sausage instead of ground beef).

I made three pies by using 4 eggs ($1.92 for 18 eggs - 40 cents) ), 1 box of angel hair noodles ($1), 1/2 of a large jar of spaghetti sauce ($2.98 per jar and therefore 1/2 jar would of been: $1.49) , 1 1/2 8oz packages of cream cheese ($1.28 per package+64 cents for half package: $1.92) , 1 jar of spinach -$1.35, 1/2 or 3/4 amount of 1lb ground beef (I'm using the rest of the meat for a chili dish)-$2.68 per 1lb.....$1.34 for 1/2lb, 3/4-1 small package of shredded mozzarella cheese - $1.86 per bag. Total price of 3 pies: $9.36 or $3.12 per pie.

These pies will last us for 6 meals and come to the total price of: $1.56 per meal - not too bad if you ask me. :)

Ok, the next meal I made was Chicken Lasagna. I found this meal a few months ago when I wanted to make something other than traditional meat, cheese lasagna and it turned out to be a hit! I can't find the exact recipe but I tend to do my own thing anyway when I'm cooking, so I'll give you the "Heather version" -

• 1 Cooked/shredded chicken breast - $1.92


• 1 small can of mixed veggies (or a small bag frozen veggies already cooked) -$0.68


• 1 large can of cream of chicken soup - $1.54


• A little bit (perhaps 1 cup?) of milk - to mix with your soup $3.54 per gallon (16 cups per gallon) Total cost of the milk used: $ 0.22


• 18 slices of cheddar cheese (I use the individual wrapped cheese slices) $2.36 per 24 slices Total cost: 10 cents per slice of cheese: $1.80 (it's a little less than that).


• 9 cooked lasagna noodles -$1.00

Total Cost: $ 7.16 this meal will last the two of us for 3 meals, plus lunches.

Cost per meal: $2.38

Take your 9x13 pan and spoon a small amount of the cream of chicken soup on the bottom of the pan and and a touch of milk to make it "spreadable", then take 3 of your noodles and lay them on the bottom of the pan. Take some of your shredded chicken breasts and lay on top of the noodles, add several spoon fulls of veggies and then several spoon fulls of the soup and drizzle some milk on top to help spread it around. After you have those ingredients mixed up on top of the noodles, take 6 slices of cheese and place on top of your veggie/chicken mixture. Repeat layers. You should end with the cheese slices on the very top of your noodles. I'm pretty sure that you could combine the milk with the soup and add it to the lasagna that way, instead of taking the milk and drizzling it on top of the soup. You probably could also combing the veggies and chicken into the soup/milk mix and then just layer that with the noodles & cheese. At least you have the idea of how the chicken/veggie lasagna is suppose to be made and I do apologize for not having the exact recipe to share with you. You can freeze this recipe uncooked or you can cook it up right after you make it for an easy and wonderful tasting dinner! Bake at 350 degrees until heated (approx. 30 minutes).

Chicken Tortillas

I created this recipe to help me use up the 1/2 of cream cheese I had left over from the spaghetti pies and the chicken breast that I had left over from the lasagna (the chicken came in a package of two breasts for $3.84, so it's $1.92 per chicken breast).

• 1 cooked chicken breast, shredded - $1.92


• 1/2 8oz package of cream cheese - $0. 64


• 1 jar of salsa - $1.50 (it was on sale at Food Lion for 2/$4 and I had a 50 cent coupon)


• 1 bag shredded cheddar cheese - $2.36


• Floured tortillas - $1.22

Total Cost: $7.64

We will probably get two good meals out of this for the total cost of: $3.82 per meal, plus we will get several lunches as well.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients (except for the tortillas) until well mixed. Place heaping spoonfuls into the center of the tortilla wraps and wrap them up and place into your 9x13 pan. Repeat. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, or until well warmed.

Hint: Typically the larger the meal the cheaper it will be per meal/serving because it will last for more meals than a small dish therefore stretching your money & time!