FRUGAL FRIDAY #5

Right now it is so cold here. I know it isn't as bad as what most of the country is going through but it is THAT bad for me. Tonight will be the third night in a row with the temps at 20 or the high teens. Brrrrrr. This cold weather really makes me want to eat hot and delicious soups. I got an email from a healthy eating group with links to allrecipe for these different types of soups. It is like the mother lode of soup recipes. I hope you can find one that you enjoy. I use that site regularly but I have never searched for a soup recipe. Soup is a great way to stretch your food dollar especially if you make your own vegetable, chicken or beef broths. It is so much healthier for you as well since you control what goes into the broth such as sodium.

I want to thank Shirl4116@aol.com with HealthyCooking-GreenLiving for sending me this email. Some of these sound so yummy like Spinach and Leek and White Bean Soup, Miso Soup, love it but have never made it.

Bean Soups
More Bean Soup Recipes
Black Bean Vegetable Soup
Grandma B's Bean Soup
Spinach and Leek White Bean Soup
Escarole and Bean Soup
Pea Soups
Moong Dal
Vegan Split Pea Soup I
Yellow Split Pea and Frankfurter Soup
Split Pea Soup with Rosemary
Lentil Soups
Indian Dahl with Spinach
Rhinelander Lentil Soup
Moroccan Lentil Soup
Vegan Red Lentil Soup
Lentil Soup

First-Course Soups
Most of these soups have fewer than 100 calories per serving.
Miso Soup I
Tortilla Soup I
Japanese Onion Soup
Delicious Mushroom Soup
Garden-Fresh Tomato Soup
Main-Dish Meat Soups
Make your own stock, or use low-sodium canned broths as the base of these soups.
Peanut Butter Vegetable Chicken Soup
Caldo De Res (Beef Soup)
Vietnamese Beef Pho
Chicken Vegetable-Barley Soup
White Wine Chicken Soup
Main-Dish Vegetarian Soups
(If you are a vegetarian, omit the Worcestershire sauce from your recipe or check the label, as some brands contain anchovies.)
African Peanut Soup
Butternut Squash Bisque
Bissara
Corrigan's Minestrone
Beaker's Vegetable Barley Soup
Hearty Lentil Soup

Low-Fat Substitutions
Here are a few tricks for upping the flavor of your soups while lowering their fat content:

If your recipe calls for pre-cooked vegetables--such as onions, celery, or carrots--use a very small quantity of oil or cooking spray. If the vegetables start to stick to the pan, add a tablespoon or so of water, wine or broth to keep them from burning.

Brown meats in a separate pan. Discard fat, and pat meat dry before adding to your stock pot.

Miso--fermented soybean paste--adds savor to soup stocks, especially vegetarian broths. Add a tablespoon or so per quart of water, or to taste.

Fry your spices for a minute or so over medium heat before adding them to your soup. Add dried herbs at the beginning of the cooking time, and fresh herbs right before serving.

If your recipe calls for a heavy cream, use pureed cooked potatoes instead. Or remove about two cups of your cooked soup and blend until smooth. (Use a stick hand blender for best results, or puree it one cup at a time in a blender. Hold the lid on tight with a kitchen towel to protect yourself from burns.) Stir the puree back into the soup to thicken it.

To add real cream flavor, stir in a few tablespoons of heavy cream when the recipe calls for 1 cup--a little cream will go a long way.

Note: because cream is an emulsion, it doesn't "break" or curdle--like milk or sour cream can do--if the soup starts to boil. Use the real thing, but in small amounts, if you're watching your saturated fat intake.

Quote of the Day

"Character is simply habit long enough continued."– Plutarch

About Plutarch
Plutarch, the Greek historian who penned more than 46 anecdote-laced biographies of famous Greek and Roman figures in his Parallel Lives series of books, was more interested in exploring the influence of character on a man's personal destiny than in writing dry histories. He was born in Greece during Roman rule, most likely in the year 46. He traveled extensively through the Roman Empire, finally returning home to become a priest of Apollo at the Oracle of Delphi. He died in the year 120.

DELISH CREPES

Wow. I have been in a funk. It is very cold and I can't stand it. This tells me that I should never move North. I don't think I would function very well. I missed posting yesterday because of the worst headache I have had in years. I rarely have one but this was a throbber that moved around but was mostly in the back of my head.

So dear friends I thought I would post another recipe to at least post something....

I got this recipe from Bon Appetit January issue. It sounds delish.....

Bacon- and Squash-Filled Crepes with Salsa Verde and Baby Greens Salad

Photograph by Maria Robledo January 2009

8 Servings

Ingredients
crepes
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 large eggs
1 cup (or more) whole milk, divided
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
Melted butter (for cooking crepes)

filling:
8 oz bacon, diced
6 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled seeded butternut squash (from 4-pound squash)
2 cups chopped onions
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1/2 cup crème fraîche
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

salsa verde:

1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup chopped fresh tarragon
6 tablespoons chopped shallots
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

salad:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Flaked sea salt (such as Maldon)
1 5-ounce container mixed baby greens
Preparation
crepes
Cook 1/4 cup butter in small skillet over medium heat until butter browns, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes; cool slightly. Blend eggs, 1 cup milk, 3/4 cup water, and salt in blender. With machine running, add flour 1/2 cup at a time, blending until smooth after each addition and stopping to scrape down sides of blender as needed. Blend in browned butter. Blend in more milk by tablespoonfuls to thin to consistency of thick cream if necessary. Let batter rest at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Reblend 5 seconds before using.
Heat 10-inch-diameter nonstick skillet with 8-inch-diameter bottom over medium-high heat. Brush with melted butter. Add scant 1/4 cup batter, shaking and rotating skillet so batter covers bottom. Cook until crepe is brown on bottom, 30 to 40 seconds. Run heatproof rubber spatula around edge and turn crepe over. Cook until brown in spots on bottom, 30 to 40 seconds. Turn crepe out onto paper towel. Repeat with remaining batter to make 16 crepes, brushing pan with butter each time and stacking crepes between paper towels. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap crepe stack in foil and refrigerate.
filling
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook bacon in large deep ovenproof skillet (or pot) over medium-high heat until light brown. Add squash, onions, and herbs to skillet; toss to coat evenly. Place in oven and bake until squash is tender and onions are beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Mix crème fraîche and lemon juice into filling. Season with salt and pepper.
Brush 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish with butter. Arrange 1 crepe, brown spots up, on work surface. Spoon 1/4 cup filling in strip down center. Fold sides over; place filled crepe, seam side down, in prepared dish. Repeat with remaining crepes and filling. Cover dish with foil. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead; chill.
salsa verde
Combine chopped herbs and shallots in processor. With machine running, pour oil through feed tube and blend until coarse sauce forms. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature. Whisk to blend before using.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Bake crepes covered until heated through, about 20 minutes.
salad
Whisk olive oil and lemon juice in large bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt flakes and pepper. Add greens and toss to coat.
Place 2 crepes on each plate. Drizzle crepes with salsa verde. Serve salad alongside crepes.

Quote of the Day

"When you cannot make up your mind between two evenly balanced courses of action, choose the bolder."– William Joseph Slim

About William Joseph Slim
The courageous British commander William Joseph Slim, who led forces during both world wars, led an impressive turnaround of the so-called Forgotten Army in Burma during World War II after he trained them how to fight in jungle conditions. He was born in 1891 in Bristol. He joined the army as a second lieutenant at the outbreak of World War I and was wounded in the battle of Gallipoli. He served as governor-general of Australia, a ceremonial role, from 1953 to 1960. He died in 1970.

HOT CHOCOLATE

I love hot chocolate in the winter time. I looked all over the internet for a recipes for hot chocolate mix. Every one I found had powdered coffee creamer in it. I suppose that may make it creamy but I don't like the stuff.

I found this recipe on Nestle's web site.


Ingredients:
6 cups NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Instant Nonfat Dry Milk
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Baking Cocoa
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows, (optional)

Directions:COMBINE dry milk, sugar, cocoa and marshmallows in large bowl. Pour into 2-quart jar or tall container. Seal with lid and decorate with fabric and ribbon.

RECIPE TO ATTACH: Measure 1/2 cup cocoa mix into mug. Stir in 1 cup hot water or milk. Makes 12 servings.

VARIATION USING PINT JAR:1 1/2 cups NESTLÉ CARNATION Nonfat Dry Milk1/3 cup granulated sugar1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Baking Cocoa1/2 cup miniature marshmallows (optional)RECIPE TO ATTACH: Measure 1/2 cup cocoa mix into mug. Stir in 1 cup hot water or milk. Makes 4 servings.

I like the fact that this one doesn't really have that much sugar compared to some and is a relatively low fat recipe considering that the nonfat dry milk is, well, nonfat. I also changed up the chocolate. I made it half dark chocolate and actually added more than what it called for. You can never have too much chocolate. I don't need to use as much as it calls for to make a cup of hot chocolate since I added the extra powdered dark chocolate. I typically use 3 heaping tablespoons.

Enjoy.......

FRUGAL FRIDAY #3

Angel Food Ministries Link and a Quick and Easy Recipe below:


There is an organization called Angel Food Ministries. They offer packages/boxes of food once a month at a greatly reduced rate. Each month there are different items. You can go to http://www.angelfoodministries.com/ to find one close to you. This is a great way to stretch your food dollar. I have never used them before but I will start doing so next month. Here is what the one close to me will offer for February:

REGULAR BOX

Balanced nutrition and variety with enough food to feed a family of four for a week.
1.5 lb. Sirloin Strip Steaks(4 x 6 oz.)
2 lb. Tray Pack Chicken Breast
1 lb. Boneless Pork Chops
2 lb. Breaded Chicken Nuggets
28 oz. Salisbury Steak Entrée
12 oz. Sliced Bacon
1 lb. All-Meat Hot Dog
1 lb. Stir Fry (Broccoli, Red Peppers & Onions)
1 lb. Carrots
10 oz. Peanut Butter
32 oz. 2% Shelf Stable Milk
35 oz. Crinkle-Cut Fries
7.25 oz. Mac ‘n Cheese
1 lb. Rice
1 lb. Bean Soup Mix
Dozen Eggs Dessert
$30.00


This is a lot of food for the price. You can get additional packages such as fruit and veggies, more meat packages, etc. I am going to get the 20 pounds of tangerines for 15.00. If anyone has any special recipes or ideas for using these up please let me know.



I saw this today on Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller. I thought it was an awesome idea. I normally make my pizza dough in my bread machine. I like that it has wheat flower and honey in it. When I saw this being made I thought there was a lot of potential for using leftovers and other things you keep in your pantry. You could easily substitute the sausage with leftover ham, ground beef, chicken, etc.


When I get into my cooking mode I make a lot of whatever I am making. I feel that it is more efficient. It may take me a little longer to make 4 meat loaves than 1 but not much longer. I am not wasting the energy used for my oven and I will have plenty for future meals. So when you are making spaghetti why not cook a little extra and save it for another dish such as this pizza.


Instead of having to work your pizza dough and get it spread out properly in your pan you simply mix the ingredients for this and pour it over your "toppings". I thought this was awesome.


UPSIDE DOWN SAUSAGE MUSHROOM PIZZA
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound sweet or hot turkey sausage, casing removed
1 cup onion, sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 cup pasta sauce
1 cup pizza sauce
1/2 cup black olives, sliced
16 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook for 3 minutes, or until browned and cooked through, breaking up the meat as it cooks with a wooden spoon. Add onion and mushrooms and cook 2 minutes, until soft. Add pasta sauce, pizza sauce and olives and bring to a simmer, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer sauce to the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and oil until blended. Whisk in flour and salt until well blended. Pour mixture over sauce in pan. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

FRUGAL FRIDAY #2

I know everyone is ready for the weekend. I have a few recipes to share that are for mixes. Instead of buying prepared mixes at the grocery store you can save money and make your own.



BisQwick Baking Mix
You can make tons of recipes, including Parmesan Biscuits, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and muffins with this simple baking mix, saving you time and money.


8 cups flour
1-1/4 cups nonfat dry milk powder
1/4 cup baking powder
1 Tbsp. salt
2 cups solid vegetable shortening


In a large bowl, combine flour, milk, baking powder, and salt. With a pastry blender or your food processor, cut in shortening until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal and the shortening is evenly distributed. Store in tightly closed covered container in a dark, cool place. Use in place of 'Bisquick' in any recipe. From About.com

FOR PANCAKES ;........2 CUPS BISQUICK TO 1 CUP OF MILK AND 1 EGG....MIX AND COOK MAKES 14 PANCAKES
FOR BISCUITS ;......2-1/4 CUPS BISQUICK AND 2/3 CUPS MILK
FOR WAFFLES ;......2 CUPS BISQUICK AND 1-1/3 CUPS OF MILK 2 TBSP OIL AND 1 EGG MIX AND POUR

Lite Cream Soup Mix



This is a low fat, low-cost recipe for creamed condensed soup. It contains almost no fat and is lower in sodium. Keep the mix on hand for convenience.



2 cups instant nonfat dry milk

1 cup cornstarch

3 Tbsp low-sodium instant chicken bouillon granules

2 Tbsp dried minced onion

½ tsp thyme leaves, crushed (optional)

¼ tsp pepper



Yield: 3 ½ cups.Slim Cream Soup



To reconstitute this mix to equal one can of condensed cream soup:



1/3 cup Slim Cream Soup Mix to 1 ¼ cups water



Combine soup mix and water in small pan. Bring to a boil and stir until thick.For a casserole or cream soup:Combine soup mix and water in small pan, then boil to thicken before adding to your casserole. Yield: 1 ¼ cups (Equal to 1 10 ¾ oz. can of condensed soup.)



Variations:

Cream of Mushroom Soup: Add 1 4 oz. can of mushrooms drained or 1/2 C cooked fresh.

Cream of Vegetable Soup: Add ½ cup diced and cooked vegetables.

Cream of Chicken Soup: Add ½ cup cooked and diced chicken.

Cream of Celery Soup: Add 1/2 C minced sauteed celery

Cream of Potato Soup: Add 1 C diced or mashed cooked potatoes,

Cream of Broccoli Soup: Add 1 C chopped cooked broccoli,

Cream of Asparagus Soup: Add 1 C chopped cooked asparagus



Depending on how creamy you want it you can put the soup and veggies in the food processor or use a stick blender. You can definitely experiement with different flavors and add garlic, onions and other seasonings.



When I cook brown rice I cook enough so that I can use the leftovers for a casserole of broccoli, brown rice, Italian cheese blend and cream of celery soup. Season to taste.



Quote of the Day "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." – Mark Twain

WHAT DAY IS IT?

Oh right. Monday. Blah... I did not want to work today. Right before going to bed last night I decided to check my computer to see if I had any awesome emails other than the normal "extend your penis" "become rock hard" or "someone has sent you a $1000 gift card". As if.

I heard chewy, grandson #2's current nickname. I listened to him for quite a while until #1 got woke up and went to the bathroom. So I went and got the little chunky butt out of bed. I took him into the kitchen and gave him goldfish and milk. He had a second round of goldfish. You see where I am going here right? Feed him and get him sleepy. Didn't work.

So I let him play in the den for a short period. #1 had glow sticks that were given to him at his party yesterday. And of course they were in the floor, where else would he put them. Next thing I know chunky chewy's shirt was glowing and I was freaking out. I was chasing him all over the den try to get into his mouth to see if he glowed. He didn't. The floor and his shirt did. I found all of them that I could and tossed them in the garbage. That was around midnight.

I finally got him in the bed again. He kept calling for his brother and acting like he was going to start howling. I turned on the light, showed him his brother asleep and under the blankets and tossed him in the bed. He wanted to get up but I kept telling him to lay down and go to sleep like brother. He did... I died.

I get up this morning and low and behold.... I started. I know you don't want all the gory details but it had been two months since my last one and I was so hoping this was it the big Men O Pause..... but it wasn't. I knew that I hadn't been having any hot flashes that I have heard others talk about. Everyone is different though. Damn it.

So one of my account managers called in sick today. That just pissed me off even more. If you can't handle your damn booze well enough to not miss work then don't drink. Then everyone decided they needed to tromp through my office area talking and arguing and crunching potato chips. That was it. The head started spinning, the mouth opened and out came loud..very loud...vulgarities, and threats and more of the same.

I am better now. I will probably have to go to the hospital soon. I think I am about to overdose on sugar. I was so good today..again... and then stress, and period and work got to me. I ...ate...cupcakes. Now I think I am sick. blah........ Oh what the hell. I gotta get them out of the house and right now I tell you. I may crawl into the kitchen and get more. I don't got no chocolate. What do you expect. I am on my period and no chocolate in the house....that is a sin.

Look below....this is how I started this blog this morning telling you how to eat a delicious low carb, low fat breakfast.... I had good intentions....but then isn't that what the road to hell is paved with?

This morning I had a delicious omelet. However, when calculating the numbers the sodium content blew my mind. The culprit is canned asparagus and those tiny three olives... the bastards. I love them. Why can't they be low sodium?

The Ingredients:

1/4 C Egg Beaters

1/4 C Asparagus tips/pieces - You can certainly use fresh but I didn't have any

1/3 C Italian Blend Cheeses

3 Olives of choice - I used Kalamata which are my favorite

Nutritional Value:

Calories 145

Fat 8.5 g

Sat Fat 3.5 g

Sodium 760 mg

Carbs 4.5 g

Protein 14 g

Sugar 1 g

Potassium 90 g

And you can cut this in half and share and serve with a whole grain toast for added fiber.

Quote of the Day "You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result."– Mahatma Gandhi

THE PARTY IS OVER...

Everyone had a great time at the party. I survived. Mostly because Chewbaca decided to stay home and take a nap. The theme was Pirates of the Carribbean. Big Girl ordered cup cakes instead of cake which meant serving was so much easier and the kids liked it better.

Granddaughter wants to be a spy or detective. Here she was trying on her disguises she got out of the machine. Pretty good huh? Big Girl decided to try her hand at it.

Grandson had a great time playing with old friends. Some he had not seen in a couple of years. Some were new.

I was glad when it was all over. The pizza was lousy but I am picky. They didn't have much selection until after I suffered through a pepperoni slice. I wanted spinach and they finally put that out. I didn't eat any at that point. I was already dreaming about starting my diet. So much so that I dragged out my Low Carb bible and pulled some ideas off them. I rarely use a recipe 100%. I typically change them to my tastes. I had a great idea for a chicken artichoke pasta salad. I was a good girl. I used whole wheat pasta.

Here is the recipe:

CHICKEN ARTICHOKE WHOLE WHEAT PASTA SALAD

1 14oz box whole wheat pasta of choice - I usedPenne - cooked to your taste

I can of quartered artichokes

2 cups diced rotisserie chicken breasts

1/4 -1/2 Cup of Roasted Garlic Oil - the one I used was made with Canola and Olive oils

2 Tbsp of Pesto of choice

1 pkg of sundried tomatoes - You could use fresh

Garnish with fresh Cilantro - optional

I tried to calculate the calories and other nutritional information based on the serving amounts. This is for 10 servings. Don't hold me to the values, I am new at this. Ps...I didn't hijack this photo. I took it myself which you can probably tell.

CALORIES 150 TOTAL FAT 5g
SAT FAT 1g
TRANS FAT 0g
POLY FAT 0.5g
MON FAT 1g
CHOLESTEROL 50 mg
SODIUM 41.6
CARBS 0
DIETARY FIBER 0
SUGAR 0
PROTEIN 17.36
SERVINGS 10