A Thrifty Mom

Did you get the brown paper bag in yesterdays Sunday paper?  It was from Office Max and everything you fit inside is 15% off. Here is another way to use the bag.  I used it to make a yummy Sunday snack with my kids.  We love to make Caramel Popcorn in a bag….yes a brown paper bag.

You will need

• 5 quarts of popcorn
• 1/2 cup Karo Syrup
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup Butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 large brown paper bag

Measure  5 quarts of popcorn, and pour into a brown paper bag.

Set aside, while you make the caramel

In a large sauce pan add:

• 1/2 cup Karo Syrup
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup Butter
• 1/2 tsp salt

Stir over Medium heat, bring to a boil.

Once it comes to boil…cook for 2 mins, then take off heat.

Add 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla…..this will cause the caramel to change color and get “fluffy”

Quickly pour the Caramel on top of popcorn, fold the top over and SHAKE….SHAKE…. SHAKE about 30 seconds

The Caramel will start to coat the popcorn, but will still be one large clump.

You will want to put the whole paper bag in your microwave for 1 minute....then take out and Shake again for 30 seconds

and repeat this 2 more times….for a total cooking time of 3 mins in the microwave.

This is my little boy Matthew….laughing as he does the shake, shake, shake dance with our popcorn.  Got to love the black socks with shorts.  We are also in the middle of a kitchen remodel, so we have subfloor  right now in our kitchen….tile goes in this week!!!

After you have cooked it 3 times for 1 minute …..the popcorn will be fully coated.  It will still be hot and sticky so you will need to pour it out into a large bowl, and stir till it cools. Once cooled it will no longer be sticky. It will be crunchy like cracker jacks.

It is hot and sticky, but comes right out of the bag.  As long as you pour it out while it is hot.  Hope you enjoy this Thrifty Recipe!

You will need:

• Sliced ham ( I use deli meat)
• Box of stuffing mix
• Swiss or Mozzerella cheese
• 1/2 cup Apricot or Peach Jam
• 1/4 cup water

I have been a bit under the weather, the last week so Matt picked up some ham, for easy lunches.  I am kind of weird when it comes to lunch meat, I will only serve it on a cold sandwich the first few days the package is open.  Then after that I will only use in cooked….This is one of my favorite ways to use it.

First cook your boxed stuffing mix per the box instructions.

Take one or two slices of ham, add a row of stuffing and a slice of cheese.

Roll up, try to keep it tight so the stuffing does not fall out.

Line up in a buttered pan.

Once you have the pan full of  ham rolls, spread about 1/2 cup peach or apricot jelly or jam, on top (thinned down with 1/4 cup water) .  As it cooks it will create a glaze on the ham.  These will already be warm due to the Stuffing being hot. But cover with foil and cook on 350 degrees for 25-30 mins.  Till cheese it melted and sides start to bubble.

We eat these on top of white rice.  To be honest I was not sure I would like this the first time I heard about this recipe.  But now it is one of my family’s favorites.  Hope you enjoy it too.

To be honest I had never even heard of Fondue till I was married.  ( I grew up in a small town, don’t laugh)  For our Honeymoon one of our friends gave us a gift card to a local Fondue restaurant….. it was good don’t get me wrong.  But  $75 for one meal about made me sick.  I found you can make your own Fondue really easy, at a fraction of the price.  You can find lots of recipes online, but this is one I have used several times and it is super easy.

In a small crock pot add:

Dip fruit, cake, or whatever you like.  Enjoy

This is part 2 to the recipe I posted earlier today for the Sweet Shredded Pork.  This is the Dressing that goes on the tacos…it is SO GOOD.  I like to eat it over beans and rice as well…heck I could drink it…lol.

You will Need:

• 1 pkt Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
• 8 oz can Salsa Verde Green Salsa ( come in a can)
• 1/2 Bunch of cilantro with stems ( washed)
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1/4 cup Mayo
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/8 teaspoon Hot Sauce

Put all ingredients in a blender, and mix till  smooth and creamy….add buttermilk to thin if needed.  It will be thin a first and thicken up over time.  So I always thin it down a bit. If you do not have buttermilk, normal milk works just fine.  This is great on tacos, salads, Chip dip….love it!

Last week I shared with you my idea on making FREE recipe cards, many of you asked for the recipe on that post.  So here is the pork recipe, I will post the Cilantro Ranch next.  This is a copy cat recipe of the shredded pork that is served at Cafe Rio.  Thanks to my Friend Ann for sharing it with me!

You will need:

• 1-10 lbs Pork tenderloin roast ( any pork roast will work)
• 2 cans of Tomato sauce 15 oz
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 can of coke or Dr Pepper
• 1 clove garlic diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro minced

Add your meat to the Crock pot, I think it taste best if you use about 5 lbs….I did it with 8 lbs and the flavors were not as bold as I would have liked them.  But the Recipe says you can use up to 10lbs so it is all a matter of taste.

Add you Tomato sauce, brown sugar, and garlic.

Add  can of soda, and cilantro.   ( If you do not want to cook with soda I guess you could use broth instead)

Put the lid on your crock pot, cook over Medium Heat at Least 4 hours.  ( you can cook longer)

Once tender and pulls off easily with a fork, take out of liquid and shred with a fork.

Once Pork is shredded, return to liquid.

Eat on tortilla, with rice, black beans, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and Cilantro Ranch.

Earlier this week I posted a recipe for Egg Rolls.  We really enjoy them, but they are even better when you dip them in sweet and sour sauce.  We like to make ours…it is quick easy and cost a fraction of the premade bottled sauce.

You will need:

• 2/3 Cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
• 2/3 Cup Pineapple Juice ( or Orange juice)
• 1/4 Cup White Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon  catsup ( ketchup)
• 1 Teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoon corn starch
• 1/4 cup water

In a saucepan bring the first 5 ingredients to a boil over medium heat, stir so it does not burn.  Thicken with Cornstarch diluted with water, cook one more minute. Take off heat.  Enjoy!

I have had many of you ask for “thrifty ideas” for your Super Bowl Parties this weekend.  I thought I would pass along some of my favorite finger food ideas.  Hope they help you have a great party!

Veggie Pinwheels click here

Cheese Ball click here

Graham Cracker Toffee Bars click here

French Dip - click here

Chilled Veggie Pizza - Click here

Bean Dip ( hot or cold)-  click here

You will need :

• One package of egg roll wrappers ( found in produce section at most stores)
• Bag of Shredded cabbage or one small head, cut into fine shreds
• 4 green onions chopped
• 3/4 cups celery chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots ( super fine I use a veggie peeler, to shred them)
• 1 -2 cup cooked sausage ( I only use one cup but if you like more meat add 2)
• 2 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 large egg (raw)

Mix above ingredients together in bowl

This is the brand of wrappers my local Walmart sells.

Add filling to the middle of the egg roll wrapper

Fold bottom corner up and pull towards bottom, till snug.

Fold corners in to make it look like a little envelope.  If you rub a little  water on the corners it till make them stick closed.

Roll up, try to keep as tight as you can.

Add a little water to the end to keep the flap shut

Do this with the whole package of wrappers

At this point you can deep fry, pan fry or bake them in the oven.  I pan fried them ( about a minute on each side).  We like our filling to still have a little crunch so we do not cook the veggies ( it cooks enough when pan frying) …but if you want to you can stir fry the veggie filling for about 3 minutes before you add it to the wrappers.

We like to eat ours with Sweet and Sour sauce ( will post recipe tomorrow), wasabi  paste, and honey.  Hope you enjoy!

You can make these for much less then they cost premade…..and we think they are much better home made as well!

You will need:

• Chicken breast grilled (1-3)
• 1 bag Cabbage shreds (on sale this week for $1.00 at Albertsons)
• 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 green onions chopped
• 3 Tbsp toasted almonds
• 2 pkg Ramen noodles dry crushed
• Balsamic vinegar

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp oil

Start out by toasting the sesame seeds and almonds.  Put them in a pan over medium heat and stir till they are lightly toasted and golden brown.

Add onions, dry noodles, seeds and nuts to Cabbage shreds.

In a small bowl make your dressing.

Wisk together and pour on top of salad

Top Cabbage salad with grilled chicken breast, then  sprinkle a little  balsamic vinegar  (optional)

The other day we had some friends over for dinner, they brought the salad.  It as simple yet delicious…blend of greens, blue cheese sprinkles, a pear (little under ripe so it had a good crunch) , and candied pecans with poppy seed dressing.  Only 4 things, yet a nice change from your standard iceberg lettuce with ranch.  Our friends said they had this salad at an up scale restaurant  they went to …which was rather pricey, so the recreated it at home.  They now enjoy it  at a fraction of the cost.

Since then we have made this salad several times and really enjoy it, I thought I would show you how to make your own glazed nuts.  It only takes a minute and you can make them for a fraction of what they cost in the store.

On your stove top combine 2 tablespoons butter, and 1/2 cup sugar.  Start to melt over medium heat.

Once butter has melted, and sugar has started to dissolve add 1 tablespoon water

Add 1 cup of chopped pecans ( or any nut you want).  Stir so they are well coated with sugar glaze.

Continue to stir till for 3-5 minutes still sugar turns into more of a  caramel glaze

Take off heat but continue to stir in pan as it cools.

Once the nuts have cooled ( only takes a minute or two) spread on a piece of wax paper.  Enjoy them as a snack, salad topping, or on ice-cream!  Enjoy!

Are you looking for a quick thrifty recipe for a finger food to take to New Years party… How about Veggie Pinwheels.

You will need:

• 8-10 flour tortillas
• 5 different veggies 2/3 cup each
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 8oz sour cream
• 1 ranch packet

Start out with 5 veggies…what ever your family likes.  Cut up 2/3 cup of each into small bits. I used Green onions, broccoli, celery, carrots and tomatoes (seeded or they are too juicy).

In a mixing bowl add  ranch packet, 8 oz soften cream cheese, 8 oz ( half big container)

Mix till well blended

Spread about 3 tablespoons on a flour tortilla…make sure you get it all the way to the edge.

Spread veggies on top of cream mixture.  Make sure to leave about an inch on top with no veggies so it will stick closed.

Roll up

Place on a plate…cover with plastic wrap….and let chill for 2 hours till cream cheese is firm again

Cut….and enjoy.  These are great made the day before.

Earlier this week I told you that I made White chocolate mix with my kids.   Many of you have asked for the recipe, it is really simple.  My family loves it, we make it every year around Christmas.

White Chocolate Chex Mix Recipe

• 13 Cups Cereal ( we use a mix of Chex, Cinnamon toast crunch, Golden Grams)
• 2 cups pretzels
• 2 cups marshmallows
• 1 lb of White chocolate (I use the vanilla candy melting squares)

You can add nuts or what ever you want….But this how we make it

Add dry ingredients in a bowl….pour melted white chocolate over top and stir till well coated.  Allow to dry…and enjoy!

Need an idea for a finger food for an upcoming party?  I like make little brownie bites.  You can take a plain box of brownies and jazz them up a bit, and make different kinds of brownies.

I like to make 5 different brownie bites by adding these to the top, White Choc. Chips, Peanut butter chips, Choc. Chips, Coconut, and chopped nuts.

I like to use the Mini muffin baking pan.  Spray them with a little oil to help prevent sticking.

Fill them with the brownie batter, then add the topping .  You will need to cut the baking time, because they are so small.  Each oven will vary, but normally about 13 mins at 350 degrees.

Sorry forgot to take a photo of them after they were baked.  They went quick!

This is one of our Family’s favorite snacks, and a great way to use up all the cereal we get with coupons.

You will need:

• 16 cups of dry cereal ( chex, cinnamon toast crunch, life, or what ever you want)
• 2 cups grated coconut
• 1 cup sliced almonds ( I use sun flower seeds instead, so my friends with nut allergies can eat it too)
• 2 cups pretzels
• (Sprinkles for the top is you want to ad them at the end)

Sauce you will need:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup Light Karo syrup
• 3/4 cup butter ( 1 1/2 sticks)
• 1 cup chopped candy cane dust ( click here to see easy way to make)

In large bowl, mix together, cereal, coconut, nuts or seeds, and pretzels. Set aside to make sauce.

In a medium sauce pan add, sugar, butter and Karo. Over MEDIUM heat slowing melt butter and blend ingredients together. Stir while heating.

Once it comes to a boil cook for 2 minutes….( set a timer, if it cooks longer it will be too hard, if it does not cook longer enough it will be too soft)  Once it has cooked at a full boil for 2 min take off heat.

Sprinkle in the chopped candy canes ( I dumped it in so I could take the picture and then it was a big ball…and hard to work with, not a good idea)

As you sprinkle in the candy cane, wisk  to prevent big lumps.

Pour over the top of cereal mixture in bowl, stir till all cereal is well coated.

Then pour out on a greased cookie sheet, and top with sprinkles if you want.  Let cool, store in zip lock bag, enjoy!

I know you can eat a cheese ball any time of year…but I always seem to make them more around the Holidays.  They are so easy to make…and do not cost much either. There are 100’s of recipes but here is one my family enjoys.

Bacon cheddar cheese ball

In a bowl combine;

• 1 brick of cream cheese softened
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ( you will need additional 1 cup for outside of ball)
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 cup chopped onion ( green or normal whatever you have)
• 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
• 1/3 cup crumbled cooked bacon

Mix all items listed above till well mixed.

With a spoon pull mixture toward middle of the bowl, and try to form a ball.  Then cover and place in refrigerator till chilled and firm.

After it has chilled, it will be easier to work with. Roll the cheese mixture into a ball, and roll in grated cheddar cheese.  I found the best way to get the cheese to stick it is freeze the grated cheese….it is then hard and sticks to the cheese ball really well.  Other wise it tends to get smashed and does not look as nice.

Roll the ball in the cheese till all sides are coated, press the cheese into the ball.

You can make this days ahead of time, or the day of…..Enjoy!

Are you looking for a thrifty Christmas treat idea?

One way to save money is to always think and plan ahead.  I stock up on items at their lowest price point, and use them to save my family money for months to come.   This summer I was able to get Keebler cookies at a really good price.  Both Target and Albertsons had great promos for  .50 or less a package ( normal price $2.50-$3.99 each).  I checked the sell buy date, they do not expire till Oct 2010, so I knew I had plenty of time to use them.  I wanted to show you one way to make these thrifty summer deals a great Christmas treat.
I used 3 packages of cookies, 1 cup of white chocolate chips and some Christmas sprinkles.

Melt the chocolate ( per melting instructions on package)

Dip just the tip of the cookie into the white chocolate, and place on wax paper.

I then let my daughter sprinkle them with red and green sprinkles.  Which she thought was SO much fun!

I found it was easier for me to just dip the tip into a pile of sprinkles.

We did the same think with the circle cookies as well.  Let them dry on wax paper.  These look so cute….and did not take much work at all!

This weekend Mckeely my 4 year old daughter, and I spent lots of time in the kitchen making treats.  Every year I make a few treats that require smashed up bits of candy cane.  Normally I take a rolling pin or hammer and try to break up the candy…but tend to make a huge mess.  This year I got the idea to try to chop them up in my little coffee grinder that I use to grind spices.  I was not sure if it would work …but thought it was worth a try.

I broke up the candy cane a little, put the lid on, hit chop ……I opened it up and Mckeely giggled and said ” Mom you made candy cane dust”  It worked like a charm…. I was so excited!  It took me less than 5 min to chop the whole box, a job that normally would have taken much longer!  Maybe this is a trick that everyone already knew about?  But I thought I would pass it on…in case I wasn’t the only one out there beating candy canes with a hammer?