Eating Organic on a Budget: Part 2

I used yesterday to e-a-s-e you into the basics of eating organically on a budget. Today, I'm going to stretch it just a little. Joining a co-op, shopping locally, and growing a garden were among the wonderful suggestions we received, but they weren't the craziest by far. I'm going to save the most extreme suggestion for last!

Today, we're going to go just a bit deeper. After all, eating organically isn't something that happens overnight, is it? Whether you're just starting out on your organic journey, or whether you've been blazing that trail for decades, all of us started somewhere. And I'm going to guess that somewhere didn't include a trip to Whole Foods for every.single.item on the list...at least not the first trip. {smile}

One easy way to save money and still eat organically is to avoid packaged items and make what you can yourself. {Stay tuned for a couple of homemade yogurt recipes!!}

Gem, one of our wise forum friends, pointed out something very important to keep in mind every time you visit the store: Just because a box of Oreos is organic doesn't make it healthy. VERY GOOD REMINDER. My kids in particular seem to think the word 'organic' is a synonym for 'healthy'; and the truth is, it's just not.

Packaged cookies, crackers, cake mixes, and the like can, indeed, be organic. That does give them a benefit over their conventional cousins: Oreos, Chips Ahoy, Zesta, and Betty Crocker. If, however, you rotate that pretty box with the big "ORGANIC" label just 90 degrees and read the nutrition facts and ingredient list, you will certainly find sugar, salt, and a host of other ingredients found in conventional food items.

Making your own snacks, cookies, cakes, crackers, and breads at home gives you the ability to control everything that goes into your food, and subsequently, your body. And, you get the added bonus of paying for real food, not a pretty box or a high-end organic brand name.

Remember, you can take any recipe and make it organic just by buying organic ingredients. If you're an experienced or fearless cook or baker, you can also experiment with your old stand-by recipes to make them dairy-free, gluten-free, yeast-free, or sugar-free. All it takes is a little time and knowing what and how much to substitute.

A few of my favorite sites are listed below. If you're new at all this, I hope these sites will give you a place to jump from. If you're an old pro, I bet these recipes will be excellent additions to your repertoire. {We are a gluten-free family, ergo most of my favorite sites boast GF recipes. If your family isn't GF, either enjoy these recipes anyway or leave us a comment to your favorite DIY snacks, cookies, breads, or cakes.}

Simply Sugar- and Gluten-Free

Silvana's Mousse Cloud Pie from Elana's Pantry

GNOWFGLINS: funny name, seriously good, traditional food

Health, Home, & Happiness

Recipes from Keeper of the Home

P.S. From our family to yours, we pray you have a blessed and exciting Resurrection Sunday!

Written by Lindsey @ Penny-wise

A Breakfast, Brunch, or Supper Dish

I just have to share another recipe from the More-with-Less cookbook. If you haven't figured it out by now, this cookbook is a great investment in any kitchen. I made this Cheese Strata this evening, and it was gobbled up without complaint. It is so simple to make, and I'll bet you already have everything on-hand to throw one together later this week.

Here's how it goes:

Ingredients:

12 slices bread (I used homemade, gluten-free bread, and it was fantastic!)
butter
2 cups cheese
2 2/3 cup milk
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. dry mustard

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Lightly butter one side of each slice of bread. Lay six slices in the baking dish. Sprinkle with the cheese. Layer the next six slices of bread next. Then, mix the remaining ingredients well and pour over the bread. Bake 40 minutes, or until puffy and golden.

Adjustments:

• My homemade, gluten-free bread is smaller than a "regular" loaf. I still used 12 slices, but found that a 8x8 pan was large enough.
• I sprinkled 2 cups of the cheese between the bread layers and reserved the remaining 2/3 cup for the top of the strata. I topped the strata with the cheese during the last 10 minutes of baking.
• I also added about 1/4 tsp of black pepper to the milk/egg mixture.
• I served my Cheese Strata with grilled chicken-apple sausage, and then realized we were having a version of breakfast or brunch for supper. This meal is really versatile. We're saving our small amount of leftovers to have for breakfast tomorrow morning!
• Make this dish gluten-free and dairy-free by using GF bread and rice milk instead of regular milk.
• The cookbook gives a variation of adding vegetables along with the cheese between bread layers.

Thank you, More-with-Less, for another wonderfully simple, wonderfully inexpensive meal!

Submitted by Lindsey @ Penny-wise

Golden Potato Bake

At the recommendation of one of our submitters, I purchased the More-with-Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre. Boy, was that ever a good investment! I am constantly amazed at how I can make simple, but hearty food that's also healthy for our bodies and our budget. Today, I wanted to share a very easy, very inexpensive recipe from that cookbook:

Golden Potato Bake

Ingredients:
2 lbs. potatoes (about 6 medium), peeled
2 cups sliced carrots
1/3 cup dry milk powder
1 Tbsp. butter or Earth's Balance
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grated cheese, optional

Cook the potatoes and carrots together in salted water until tender and preheat oven to 350. Drain the veggies, saving some of the liquid, and mash using a beater or hand masher. Add the dry milk, butter, and salt and pepper. Beat together, adding the vegetable liquid a little at a time, until fluffy and creamy. Turn into a 2-quart, greased casserole dish. If using cheese, stir it in just before baking. Bake 25 minutes.

The cookbook suggests making potato cakes with any leftovers. This, I plan to do later in the week (assuming we even have leftovers!).

Recipe from the More-with-Less Cookbook.

Submitted by Lindsey @ Penny-wise

Wheat- and Gluten-free Pancakes

Ingredients:

2/3 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup white bean flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup fresh buttermilk
1 Tbsp. honey
3 egg whites beaten stiff (this is optional)
2 Tbsp. canola oil (this is optional)

Mix all ingredients except the egg whites for 30 seconds with a whisk or if using electric use low speed. Fold in egg whites gently. Drop by tablespoon onto a lightly oiled griddle. I use a cooking spray, and only re-spray if really necessary. Cook until golden brown over medium to low heat, turn once. This recipe will serve 4 people. If you are using oil in the recipe, then use only 1 egg white.

Submitted by Linda @ Penny-wise

Linda's Favourite Vegetable Stock

This is a versatile stock for a wide variety of dishes, especially homemade soup. Homemade stock is far superior to store-bought, as you can adjust the sodium levels and use the freshest ingredients. Unless I am using chicken stock made from a roasted chicken, this is my main stock for soup. This stock recipe was given to me by an English friend years ago, and it is so easy to make.


Ingredients:


2 leeks, cut into pieces
2 sliced onions
3 celery sticks, chopped
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, if you like that flavor
1 tsp. dried parsley
black pepper to taste
salt to taste, but no more than 1 tsp.
2 litres water
20 grams butter


Melt the butter in your stock pot and add all the vegetables. Cover and sweat the vegetables on low heat for 20 minutes . Add the herbs, pepper and salt and stir in the water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 40-45 minutes. Strain and use immediately, or store in a container or in ice cube trays and freeze as soon as cold. Ice cube-size portions are wonderful for when you just need a little stock for a recipe.


Written and submitted by Linda @ Penny-wise

A Meal of Limitless Combinations

Sweet potatoes and greens...not a commonplace combination. The ways you can vary this meal are endless. Plus, it's easy, inexpensive, and very healthy!

Ingredients:

Sweet potatoes
Other potatoes (Russet, red, Yukon gold, whatever you like)
Onions or shallots, if your family enjoys them
Salt and pepper
Rosemary, dill, Parmesan...whatever you like
Salad greens (different lettuces, spinach, kale, whatever you enjoy in your salad), washed and dried

Preheat oven to 375. Cut all potatoes into bite-size pieces and stir together with enough oil to coat. Add salt and pepper, herbs, cheese, whatever you're going to use Roast until potatoes are brownish for about 45 minutes, turning half-way through cooking. When the potatoes are done, spoon them over your green salad.

For a large family, you may want to do two large pans of potatoes: one sweet, the other pan with the other potatoes. A smaller family can get away with half a pan of each type of potato.

You can also substitute potatoes with pumpkin, zucchini, or other squashes. We also enjoy trying different dressings like Italian, vinaigrette, or even hot sauce. The variations are endless!

This meal is the perfect combination of hot and cold, soft and crunchy, sweet and savory!

Submitted by Heather @ Penny-wise

G-free, Grain-Free Muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup corn flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1 Tbsp. cornmeal
3 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
3/4 cup skim milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Sift together flours, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt three times. Set aside.  

Cream margarine or butter, then add sugar and vanilla. Cream again. Beat egg yolks and blend into creamed mixture. Mix well. Mix in flour mixture alternately with milk, beating until smooth each time. Fold in well beaten egg whites. Spoon into greased or lined muffin pans to 2/3 full. Sprinkle with streusel. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

Streusel:1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. rice, potato or corn flour
1 Tbsp. margarine, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix until crumbly.

Recipe from Eat More Whole Grains by Winnie's Winning Ways

Dairy-free Adaptations:

Replace butter or margarine with Earth's Balance.

Replace milk with rice or almond milk.

Submitted by Gaeleen

Simply Sugar & Gluten Free

About two weeks ago, I (Lindsey) discovered the blog Simply Sugar & Gluten Free. I've been a follower ever since.

Let me tell you what I love about this blog:

1. Amy, the writer, tells her own personal story of how gluten and sugar controlled her life for so long that she had no freedom and lived a life of shame because of her weight and constant cravings. I love it when people are real about who they are.
2. I have tried several different recipes, and none of them have been disappointing! In fact, I can heartily recommend the Tomato Basil Pantry Soup, the Shredded Chicken Tortilla Soup, and the Zucchini and Brown Rice Gratin. 
3. In addition to fabulous, easy to follow recipes, there are also links to other gluten-free and sugar-free blogs, tutorials on how to blend g-free flours, guest blog posts, and media articles highlighting the gluten-free lifestyle.

If you have a few minutes and a cup of hot tea, take some time to browse this wonderful, helpful site. It's definitely one of the sites we like! I have also linked this site on the right side of this page in the section "THESE MIGHT BE FUN..." 

Written by Lindsey @ Penny-wise

Mexican Seasoning Mix

Here is a recipe for homemade Mexican seasoning mix. It's much less expensive than buying envelopes of pre-made mixes, and you can make as much as you like to have extra for other meals.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
1 tsp. onion powder.

Combine everything and store in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. For every pound of ground beef (like for tacos) use 1 Tbsp. mix. The recipe above makes about 1/3 cup.

This recipe is gluten-free, assuming your spices do not contain gluten- or wheat-based additives or preservatives.

Submitted by Heather @ Penny-wise

G-free Pizza Crust & A Cookbook Review

Learning to cook and bake gluten-free has been a bit challenging. I am sure it's that way for anyone who's used to doing something a certain way all her life, only to have to abruptly change it. Thankfully, the learning curve is generous, and I've had some great friends give me a good handful of g-free resources and recipes.

My sweet friend Linda, who helps tremendously behind the scenes here at Penny-wise, sent me a wonderful cookbook: The Gluten-Free Kitchen. This cookbook, written by Roben Ryberg, doesn't have any recipes in it that might seem daunting or weird. It's just plain ol', simple, cooking...my kind of cooking. I have already made the pizza crust (recipe posted below) and the traditional pie crust; and both were easy and tasty. In fact, I made two pizzas, and there were no leftovers! A few of the recipes contained in this cookbook are:

• Fried Chicken (YUM!)
• Hot Cross Buns
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Pancakes
• Gravy
• and of course, pies, cakes, and even streusel!

I plan on trying many more recipes. Linda, thank you AGAIN for this invaluable resource!

And now, The GF Pizza Crust (which is, by the way, much less expensive than buying a mix or a pre-made, frozen crust...very penny-wise!):

Ingredients:

1 packet yeast (about 1 Tbsp.)

3/4 cup milk, room temperature

1/2 cup potato starch (not potato flour)

3/4 cup cornstarch*

1 Tbsp. xanthan gum

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup shortening

Preheat oven to 375.

In a small bowl, combine yeast and milk. Stir to dissolve yeast and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine all other ingredients and mix well. (I used my KitchenAid mixer, and it worked very well.) To these ingredients, slowly add the yeast/milk mixture and mix well. Dough will look wet, thick, and pasty but is quite workable if you spray your hands with nonstick spray or keep your hands damp with water. This is a soft dough.

Roll or pat out dough onto a lightly greased baking tin or pizza pan. For a thick crust, pat out to 1/4 inch thickness. For thin crust, pat out to 1/8 inch thick. A 12-inch circle will produce "hand-tossed" thickness.

Top as desired.

Bake 15-25 minutes, until crust is lightly browned. Use a spatula to lift up the pizza to check for light browning on the bottom of the crust the first time you make it.

This crust is freezable! Bake the crust and freeze it without toppings. Then you only have to thaw, top, and bake briefly.

*Lindsey's Note: I made this crust exactly according to the recipe the first time. Then, I wanted to see if I could add more nutritional value by using other flours in combination with the cornstarch. For my second crust in place of 3/4 cup of cornstarch, I used 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/4 cup brown rice flour, and 1/4 cup sweet white sorghum flour. The taste and consistency were not noticeably different from the original recipe, so I will probably use this method in the future.

Written & submitted by Lindsey @ Penny-wise

Gluten-free Flour Mixes

Here is a basic Gluten Free Flour Mix that I like to use. This works well for using when a recipe calls for flour. You can mix this up ahead of time and store. You can double or triple it. Then when a recipe calls for flour, just sub in the same amount of your GF flour mix!

Ingredients:

1 cup sorghum flour

1 cup tapioca starch or potato starch

1/3 to 1/2 cup almond meal, buckwheat flour, millet flour or quinoa flour (whichever I have on hand)

1 tsp. xanthan gum

If you want a self-rising GF flour mix use this one below! Again, make extra ahead of time and store.

1 cup of the GF flour mix (from above recipe)

1 1/2 TSP baking powder

1/2 TSP salt

Written and submitted by Carrie

G-free, Granny-style Cornbread

Our friend Gem has sent us yet another gluten-free recipe. 

She apologizes in advance for the "haphazardness" of this recipe. "That is how they get after you have made them a million times," she writes.

Ingredients:

1 cup cornmeal (Gem prefers stoneground cornmeal.)

1 Tbsp. baking powder

scant 1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

(Note: I usually crack an egg into my measuring cup, then add milk to make 1 cup--1 cup dry to 1 cup wet ingredients)

1/4 cup hot melted butter or oil

Now, I have a certain enameled cast iron skillet that I use to make cornbread; I think it is a 9" skillet. This quantity fits well in that skillet. You could use an 8x8 square pan, I am sure. You can also double the recipe for a larger skillet-maybe not quite double the salt, though (3/4 tsp. perhaps).

I mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then mix the egg/milk in the measuring cup. I heat the butter in the skillet till very hot and foamy. Add the wet to the dry and stir just to combine, then add the hot butter (you can swirl it around in the skillet first to grease the pan). Stir in the hot butter, then pour the batter into the hot skillet. This is what forms the crust on the bottom of good southern cornbread.  

Bake in a hot oven, around 425 degrees, for about 15-20 mins. If you like sweet cornbread, add a bit of sugar.

Submitted by Gem

G-free Pantry Essentials

This whole gluten-free thing has, in a small way, created a bit of an inconvenience in my day-to-day cooking and grocery shopping. It's not that I mind our family going g-free. After all, it is for the health of my baby (who will turn seven in two weeks!), therefore totally worth any extra effort or expense. It's just that I was really comfortable in my cooking and shopping before. I rarely ever had to look at our favorite recipes; they were all neatly tucked away in my brain, ready for preparation on a moment's notice.

Not so much anymore.

Late last week, I went through our pantry, fridge, freezer, and deep freeze. I gave every, single food item containing gluten, including my favorite Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Flour, to a friend--half-joyfully at how I was helping her family and half-wincing over what I felt like I was losing. 

I then took a step back, looked at my mostly empty pantry and fridge, and wondered how in the world I was going to fill them again with things that wouldn't make my boy's tummy upset anymore. 

Then, like a bolt from heaven, we received an e-mail from our friend Carrie. She has apparently been doing this g-free thing a lot longer than I have. She sent us her own list of gluten-free pantry essentials!

Not only am I excited to share it with you, but I am also pumped to begin stocking and using these ingredients in our meals too.

Carrie says, "These are items which I find necessary to keep in my pantry. They help in my day to day gluten-free cooking--basic essentials, if you will, for gluten free cooking without all the pre-made mixes!"

Xanthan Gum

Baking Soda

Baking Powder

Brown Rice Flour

Potato Starch

Potato Flour

Sorghum Flour

Tapioca Starch (a.k.a. Tapioca Flour, it's the same thing)

Buckwheat Flour

Almond Meal

Pasta Joy brown rice noodles

Imagine soups 

Corn meal

Sea Salt

And if you just have to have a mix, Carrie highly recommends Pamela's Products.

Thanks, Carrie! I have a feeling this list is going to make my life a lot easier!

Submitted by Carrie; Written by Lindsey @ Penny-wise

Flour-less Peanut Butter Cookies

Gem says, "You won't believe how these turn out! So good--you won't miss the flour a bit!"

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup peanut butter

Cream egg and sugar, stir in baking soda, fold in peanut butter.

Divide into 36 balls (OK - here is how I do this, form dough into a log, divide into thirds, divide each third in half, pat out each half into rectangle and cut into six pieces.  You get evenly sized cookies which cook evenly and look nice.)

Place on cookie sheet and press down with a fork. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Submitted by Gem

G-free Cake Donuts

We have been happily inundated with gluten-free recipes! Apparently many of our readers have this dietary restriction, so we are happy to share with our online community. Making your own gluten-free meals and baked goods is penny-wise in itself because the packaged stuff is generally very expensive.

Gluten-free Cake Donuts

Ingredients:

1 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)

2 Tbsp. hazelnut or almond flour (or sub more sorghum flour)

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp. baking powder (make sure it's gluten free)

1/2 tsp. baking soda (make sure it's gluten free)

1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Additional Ingredients:

1/4 cup shortening

1/2 cup sour cream (or yogurt) 

1/4 cup milk (rice, soy or nut)

1 large egg, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add shortening, by spoonfuls. Use whisk attachment (if using a KitchenAid-type mixer) or cut in with a pastry cutter. Add sour cream, milk, egg, and vanilla. Mix until dough forms a smooth and pliable ball. It should be slightly sticky.

Divide dough into 12 sections and roll each into a golfball-sized ball. Using your palms, gently roll the dough into a log shape and carefully continue rolling into a cigar shape, about 4-5 inches long.

Drape dough into the well of donut pan and slightly overlap the ends. Using oily fingers, smooth out the donut dough evenly.

Bake 15 minutes. Add confectioner's sugar to top when cooled.

Carrie says, "These donuts were a HUGE hit in our home. Easy to make and very very yummy! I hope you all enjoy them!"

Submitted by Carrie

Beef Stroganoff {G-free & Dairy Free}

First of all, I (Lindsey) would like to apologize for not keeping up with this blog last week. We were having some issues with my six-year-old son and his tummy. We are fairly certain that we have pinpointed the root of his issues: gluten intolerance. That said, I am so excited to be posting more gluten-free recipes because now I have a reason to use them too!


Our friend Carrie writes, "Here is one of our family's favorite recipes. It is one I came up with because we missed having our regular stroganoff so much. I knew there must be a way to make this meal gluten-free and dairy-free, yet be yummy at the same time!"


Gluten-free and Dairy-free Beef Stroganoff


Ingredients:

1 lb. hamburger (Carrie uses bison, but feel free to substitute ground beef or turkey.)

salt and pepper to taste

1 package Pasta Joy brown rice noodles (Carrie's family likes the spiral noodles.)

1 container Imagine potato leek soup (This soup is organic, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, additive-free, preservative-free)

1 or 2 cans mushrooms (or fry up your own fresh mushrooms to add)

First brown and season the meat. Boil noodles according to package directions. It's important to note with rice pasta that after boiling you must rinse in cold water. Take the pasta and put back into the pot. Add in meat, soup, and mushrooms. Stir all together and heat. 

Your meal is now complete! Serve with warm gluten free bread or rolls and enjoy!

Submitted by Carrie

P.S. Because the need for inexpensive, gluten-free foods is growing, even among the readers of this blog, we would greatly appreciate your recipes. Our e-mail address is pennywisewomen@gmail.com. We look forward to your submissions.

Eat Out...At Home

One of my favorite places to eat is Olive Garden. I know, I know ... the carbs, the fat, the (cough, cough) price tag. In my defense of the price tag, I usually order the unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks. Have you ever had the Zuppa Toscana? Oh.my.goodness.


Considering the prices of everything else on the menu, this is an economical choice. 


Or is it?


Well, it's not if you know how to make Zuppa Toscana. Which I do, and am happy to share with you!

So, it's like this:

Brown some Italian sausage in a skillet. Make sure it's Italian. Not breakfast sausage. Much, much different flavor. You'll thank me later.

And, if you can do two things at once, go ahead and saute some finely chopped yellow onion with a bit of butter in a large pot.

Once your onions are looking translucent (translation: soft. I'm not a fan of crunchy onions.), add in 3 cloves of minced garlic, some thinly sliced potatoes, and chicken broth.

And about a quart of water. Remember, 4 cups = 1 quart. I always, always forget this mathematical fact.

Then you just want it to boil until the taters are soft. 30 minutes, more or less.

While all this was going on, my sausage was looking something like this:

Once the sausage is totally browned, let it de-grease on a paper towel-lined plate.

Now you're ready to get the rest of the goodness. You'll need kale. I used one whole bunch with the stems removed.

And bacon bits. I thought I had a package of bacon bits in my fridge. I was mistaken. Thankfully, I keep a pretty good supply of bacon on-hand anyway, so I just fried up 4 slices. And my delightful sous chef, David (a.k.a. the hubby), made it into bits for me.

Voila. Instant bacon bits.

At this point I was still waiting on those spuds to get soft. It seemed to be taking for.e.ver. I used my time wisely and grated an entire wedge of Pecorino Romano cheese. Every good soup has great toppings.

Finally, the potatoes were soft enough for me to add about half a bottle of heavy cream. Say that with me. "Heavy. Cream." Don't you go substituting milk or half-and-half to cut fat and calories. It wouldn't be right to the Olive Garden people.

And this is what it looks like post-cream:

Add in the bacon and sausage too. Salt and pepper to taste.

Bring all that to a boil, then add the chopped kale.

Stir and let it simmer for another 5 minutes or so. You want the kale just slightly soft, not the consistency of canned spinach.

Hello, Gorgeous.

Serve it up, top it with generous amounts of that grated Romano cheese, and rest easy knowing you saved yourself $8.95 x (the number of people in your family).

Ok, here's the shortened version:

Ingredients:
1 lb. Italian sausage, browned and drained
2-3 large Russet potatoes, sliced in half, then in 1/4 inch slices
1 large onion, chopped
olive oil or butter
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (or 3 cups) chicken broth
1 quart water
1/3 cup bacon bits (make your own or use store-bought)
1 cup heavy cream
1 bunch kale, stems removed
salt and pepper to taste

Saute potatoes, onion, and garlic in olive oil or butter for 5-7 minutes in a large pot. Meanwhile, brown sausage and drain. Add broth and water to the potatoes, onion, and garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender. Add sausage and bacon, salt and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes. Add cream and kale. Let sit five minutes before serving. We love to grate fresh Pecorino Romano cheese.

You're going to love this soup!

Written and submitted by Lindsey @ Penny-wise

Eagle Brand, Anyone?

Eagle Brand and other makers of sweetened condensed milk are mighty proud of their product. One little six-ounce can can cost well over $2.50, depending on the brand. Here, another penny-wise woman gives us her recipe for do-it-yourself sweetened condensed milk.

Ingredients:

1 cup powdered skim milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Measure all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Use less sugar if you prefer less sweetness. Use in any recipe calling for sweetened condensed milk. Recipe makes the equivalent of one can.

Submitted by Gail R.

Becky's Chocolate Sauce

I first had this sauce several years ago, when my husband's mother made it to top a hot, yellow cake. I was immediately in love! Ever since, this chocolate sauce, served warm over a simple, yellow cake, has been one of my favorite desserts.

Ingredients:

1 stick salted butter
2 cups sugar
5 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine the first five ingredients in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Boil two minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in vanilla and serve. Refrigerate to store. Reheat on the stove, stirring constantly. Keeps well for 3-5 days.

Consider using this sauce to top white cake and angel food cake, as well as a moist yellow cake. It could also be used for a chocolate fondue. Set it out in a bowl alongside a tray of fresh strawberries, pineapple, marshmallows, and pretzels. Use toothpicks or small bamboo skewers, and let your guests go at it! You're sure to love this easy chocolate sauce!

Written and submitted by Lindsey @ Penny-wise

Universal Muffin Recipe

I've found that one of the best ways to save money on baking and cooking is by using "universal" recipes. These allow me to use whatever I have on hand or can buy cheaply. There are no expensive or odd ingredients (unless you want them).

 

This is the one I use for muffins:

 

For 1 dozen muffins, combine:

 

2 cups grain (oats, wheat, rye or other flour, cornmeal or combination)

2 Tbsp. - 1/2 cup sweetner (sugar, brown sugar, succanet)-you can use honey or molasses at 1/2 cup while decreasing liquid to 3/4 cup

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

 

Mix these. Then add:

 

1 cup liquid (milk-cow, rice or soy- juice, part milk/part water)

1/4 cup oil or 4 Tbsp. melted butter (we like coconut oil)

1 egg (or 2 Tbsp. water)

 

Mix all.

 

Add additions as desired:

 

Chopped, shredded or pureed fruits or veggies

Nuts, coconut, chocolate chips, raisins

Spices

Fill with jam (put part of batter in bottom, top with 1 tsp. jam, fill with batter)

 

Some of our favorites are:

 

Oatmeal Raisin

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

Strawberry or Raspberry Jam Filled

Zucchini Chocolate Chip

Pumpkin, Plain or with Chocolate Chips

Banana with Cinnamon

Blueberry or Strawberry (we use frozen, partly thawed)

 

This recipe was taken from The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn.

Written and submitted by Rebecca