I am looking for an applesauce recipe for canning. I’m not too fond of the traditional texture, but would like to cube it . Does anyone have any suggestions that would help?
Pickled Carrots
If you are lucky enough to have a huge carrot harvest, give this pickled carrots recipe a try. They are wonderful all throughout the winder to brighten up salads or to have just by themselves as a side dish. It’s a nice change of pace from regular pickles or even pickled beets.
Pickled Carrot Recipe
- 3-1 lb. Bags of small carrots
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp pickling spices
- cheese cloth
Boil carrots until they are fork tender. Drain carrots and slice into sticks.
Combine sugar, vinegar, water and salt. Place cinnamon stick and pickling spices into a cheesecloth bag and add to the sugar/vinegar mixture. Add carrots and boil for 8 min. Cool slightly and place into sterilized jars.
The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends – Dining On A Dime
The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Spelt Bread Recipes
Just wondering if anyone has any good spelt bread recipes? There is one bakery locally that makes it, but charges $7 a loaf. I think it would be cheaper to make my own (I am allergic to wheat, corn and cane sugar). If you want to share any other recipes free of the above ingredients, I would appreciate those too 
Thanks.
Biscuit Cutter On The Cheap
My wife wanted to buy a biscuit cutter that was like $2.90 something for the set. I said why waste the money when we already had one? When we got home I took an empty pineapple can (similar to tuna) that had a ring on the bottom like the top and cut the bottom off with those safety can openers. It’s the size for the biscuit she likes and works like a charm. Cost, about 78 or 90 cents. I also use it for doughnuts. I just use an old film canister to cut out the center hole. Hope someone can use this.
Highly Recommended – Penny Pinching Mama
Find out how Jill Cooper lived on $500 per month. This e-book is filled with over 500 practical, everyday ideas to help anyone stretch a small income.
Get your copy today at:
www.HillbillyHousewife.com/penny
Clean Out The Fridge Soup
You can either brown some hamburger to start or what I do most often is boil up some chicken (I use thighs) in water with bouillon cubes and seasoning to taste. When the chicken is done I take it out to cool and debone. Then I throw in a can of cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom soup with beef). When that is heated up, I literally take all the leftover veggies in my fridge and put them in the pot. I live alone, so I always have leftovers. You can also add potatoes, noodles, canned tomatoes, etc. I take the boneless chicken and add it. All you have to do then is heat it through.
The wonderful things about this, it gets rid of leftovers and the flavor is always different depending what you put in it.
The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends – Dining On A Dime
The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
All About You, $75 Menu, Cowboy Cookout – HBHW Newsletter
July 28th, 2010
Editorial
Hello again and welcome to another edition of the Hillbilly Housewife Newsletter.
It will be back-to-school before we know it so let’s get into some serious summertime fun. What does summertime fun mean to me? A cookout! My friend Cheryl over at Celebrations.com has created a cookout with all the makings of a day on the open range in the Wild Wild West. There are recipes for kids and grownups, as well as decoration and entertainment ideas. Be sure to click on this link to find everything you need for a Cowboy Themed Summer Cookout.
This week’s featured article brings back a very popular subject from the past; the $45 Emergency Menu. However, as we all know, the cost of food has risen somewhat since the time I posted that article. So, I have tweaked the menu to more closely reflect today’s grocery prices. Be sure to take a look at the featured article this week.
The inspirational quote and story I’ve chosen this week are about you; more importantly what you do with your life. Are you hindering your growth and happiness?
Those are my thoughts this week. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Feel free to email me at susanne@hillbillyhousewife.com
Warm Regards,
Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife
Inspirational Quote
Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson~
Sponsor
Keepin’ It Clean E-book Series
Aside from groceries, another large expense in most households is laundry. We are literally throwing money down the drain!
Every time you buy laundry detergent and softener, do you cringe, like me?
And, when it comes to laundry, it isn’t only the money; it’s the time and effort it takes to get the laundry done, folded, and put away.
Finally, I can report that I have gotten a handle on my laundry woes. I found the answers in this great laundry guide from my friends at LivingOnADime.com
Won’t you take a minute and look at what this E-book has to offer? Just click on this link and learn how to start saving time and money today:
Keepin’ It Clean E-book Series
News From The HBHW Club
If you haven’t heard about the Hillbilly Housewife Club, it’s a members only forum packed full of great information, resources, and friendly chit chat about the things we are all interested in – fun, frugal living. Come Join Us And See What All The Chatter Is About!
I look forward to chatting with you in the member area. Click the following link and try the HBHW Club for only $1.
http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html
Our friends at the Club have been discussing canning. We’ve received some great tips from a long-time canner, along with quite a few recipes. Here is one of the recipes I posted on the Club that I’d like to share with you:
Old Fashioned Canned Tomato Juice
If you like a salty tomato juice, you’ll want to salt it when you drink it, not before you can it. This tomato juice makes a wonderful marinade or tenderizer for meat. It’s especially good for any kind of crockpot stew or roast that you make with a less expensive cut of meat. For any recipe you use, just substitute this tomato juice for some or all of the diced tomatoes you might add.
25 lbs. of tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
14 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
Prepare the quart size canning jars and two piece lids according the manufacturer’s instructions.
Place the tomatoes into a large cooking pot and bring to a slow simmer over medium heat.
Stirring often cook the tomatoes for 30 minutes or until very soft.
Press the tomato mixture through a sieve to separate the juice from the skins and seeds.
Place the juice back into the pot and bring to a slow simmer over medium heat.
Simmer the juice for 5 additional minutes.
Pour the juice into the prepared jars leaving a 1/2 inch head space.
Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to each jar.
Release the air bubbles and add more juice if necessary to achieve the 1/2 inch head space.
Wipe off the jar rims and seal down the caps by hand.
Process the jars in a water bath canner for 45 minutes from the point of boiling.
Remove the jars with a jar lifter and place on clean towels in a draft free area to cool.
Check the seals before storing and place any jars with tops that did not seal in the refrigerator.
Use any refrigerated juice within 2 weeks.
Makes 7 quarts
A metal colander works fine for the sieve.
Listed here is a sampling of recent recipes added, making a total of more than 400 recipes currently available to our Club members.
- Anytime Strawberry Jam
- Fresh Green Sweet Peas
- Handy Canned Onions
- Pressure Canned Greens
We welcome recipe submissions from our friends at the Club and are always happy to see what’s cooking in your kitchen. Our aim is to have six recipes posted each week. That’s a lot of recipes!
Featured Article
For many families on a tight budget, the most effective way to cut costs is in their grocery bill each month. This one expense is something we feel we have control over. Planning a menu in detail, with each item chosen for greatest cost savings, can help a family truly stick to a limited budget.
That’s why I developed a menu plan that is easy to follow, including specific dishes with recipes included. Most people I talk to want and need a plan to follow in order to save real money, and stick to a budget.
Won’t you take a few minutes to read the article and see how you can really save on your grocery bill? Just click on the link below:
$70 Menu for 4 to 6
Healthy Hillbilly Housewife
Here’s what’s new on the healthy hillbilly housewife section. You can also go straight to http://www.healthy.hillbillyhousewife.com
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Frugal Tips
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Do you have a tip to share? Fill out the submit a frugal tip form and I’ll be glad to add it to the site and share your tip in an upcoming edition of the newsletter.
Recipes
Here are some of the most recent recipes that have been added to the HBHW site. Enjoy!
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Do you have a recipe you would like to share? Click here to send it to me and I’ll be happy to add it to the website.
I’m Looking For:
This section is all about you. If you are looking for a particular recipe or a tip on how to do something, submit it here and I will post it in an upcoming newsletter. I’ll give you my input and other readers of the newsletter will have the opportunity to share their recipes and tips as well. So take a moment to post your questions and of course if you have a tip or idea for any question posted in this section feel free to leave a comment under the appropriate post.
I’m Looking For Requests
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I’m Looking For Responses
Below you will find some of the recent responses to the “I’m Looking For” Requests. You may also want to go directly to this section and browse through all the recent submissions and replies. To do so, click on “I’m Looking for” here, and start looking through them.
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Inspirational Story
You Are
~author unknown~
One day not too long ago the employees of a large company in St. Louis, Missouri returned from their lunch break and were greeted with a sign on the front door. The sign said: “Yesterday the person who has been hindering your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral in the room that has been prepared in the gym.”
At first everyone was sad to hear that one of their colleagues had died, but after a while they started getting curious about who this person might be. The excitement grew as the employees arrived at the gym to pay their last respects. Everyone wondered: “Who is this person who was hindering my progress? Well, at least he’s no longer here!”
One by one the employees got closer to the coffin and when they looked inside it they suddenly became speechless. They stood over the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul.
There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see himself. There was also a sign next to the mirror that said: “There is only one person who is capable to set limits to your growth: it is YOU.”
YOU are the only person who can revolutionize your life.
YOU are the only person who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success.
YOU are the only person who can help yourself.
Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your parents change, when your partner changes, when your company changes.
Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize that YOU ARE the only one responsible for your life.
Final Thought
That’s it for this edition of the Hillbilly Housewife Newsletter. I hope you’ve had as much fun reading it as I had creating it for you. I also hope that you have found the information helpful and useful. And by all means feel free to forward the newsletter to family and friends or even better, encourage them to subscribe to it.
Do you have a question, a tip, a recipe or a story you’d like to share with us? Email it to me and I’ll include it in a future issue. Can’t wait to see what you have to say.
Warm Wishes,
Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife
Gluten Free Summer Treats
I don’t know about where you are but here in Pennsylvania it has been extremely hot the past few weeks. So I thought that I would share some of the cool treats that I like to make for my granddaughters.
They are not only refreshing, but are better for the girls than the store bought frozen treats. Besides with the Frozen Fruit Pops I control the amount of sugar.
Frozen Fruit Pops
- 1 1/2 Cups of fresh fruit (strawberries, pineapple, peaches*, or whatever your child likes)
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
In a blender, blend the fruit, sugar, honey and lemon juice with 1 cup of ice until mixture is semi chunky. Add another 1/2 cup of ice and blend until smooth.
Pour mixture into popcicle holders** and freeze until firm. About 5 hours, or over night.
*If using peaches or other fruit with a skin on it, remove skin before blending in the blender.
Frozen Pudding Pops
- 1 small package Jello brand pudding mix any flavor
- 2 Cups cold milk
Whisk ingredients until completely mixed about 2 minutes. Pour into popcicle holders.** Freeze about 5 hours or overnight.
**Run popcicle holders under warm water for a few seconds to unmold the frozen treats. If you don’t have popcicle holders you can always use bathroom size dixie cups and popcicle or craft sticks. Just freeze slightly before inserting the sticks into the center of the cups, and remember to peel the paper off first.
I use Jello brand pudding because that is the only brand I am certain is gluten free. But, as always, check ingredients before using.
I hope you and your children have fun making these and enjoy them as much as my granddaughters do.
Mary Blackburn has been gluten free since 1988 and is the owner of http://www.easyglutenfreeliving.com. She invites you to visit her site for more gluten free living tips and recipes. While you’re there, take a moment to sign up for The Gluten Free Gazette, her bi-weekly newsletter filled with articles and answers to your questions about gluten, gluten free living and celiac disease.
Pasta Salad Made With Sour Cream
I am looking for a recipe for pasta salad and potato salad that is made with sour cream or cream cheese instead of mayo or salad dressing. If any body has a recipe to share I would really like to try it.
Thank you,
CharlieAnn
Crockpot Cooking Is About More Than Convenience – It’s About Saving Both Time And Money
I bought a crockpot some time ago, thinking that I found the solution to my nightly dinner dilemma. Like so many other “crockpot fanatics,” the bloom was off the rose as soon as I found myself with a bit more time and money to spend. So, my crockpot found it’s way into the deep, dark recesses of my pantry, never to be heard from again. Or so I thought. My budget is tighter than ever and time is at a premium, as well. Dinnertime is again centered on a warm and wonderful crockpot meal, much to the delight of my family.
If you have forgotten exactly when you bought your crockpot, or it has a pattern or color that’s reminiscent of the 70′s, 80′s, or 90′s, it’s best to buy a new one. You’ll be doing yourself a favor spending the $30 to $50, what with all the new energy efficient models available. There are also some really great new features like additional temperature settings, warming cycles, and secure leak-proof lids. Although, the best feature of all is that a crockpot saves you both time and money. That’s great to know, but how exactly does that happen?
MONEY SAVING
Small Appliance Wattage vs Big Wattage Appliance
If you’ve got a pot roast in the oven, you’ve got your oven heating for a long time. Let’s just figure your pot roast is going to cook for 3 hours. That’s 3 hours in a roughly 2500 watt appliance, which calculates at about 10 kWh for your pot roast. Now, put that same pot roast in your crockpot, cook it for 6 hours, and you’ve used 1.2 kWh to cook the same meal. That’s because your crockpot uses about 200 watts instead of 2500. Why heat up a big oven, or have a burner on radiating heat for long hours when you’ve got a little personal-sized oven all ready – your crockpot. Look at the online energy consumption calculators and check out your own appliances to see if this doesn’t make sense.
Bring Home Those Budget Cuts Again
It’s time to try some of those budget cuts of meat again! This time, when you cook them in your crockpot instead of the oven, the meat will fall right off the bone and you can cut it with a fork. The sinew and tissue breaks down nicely when cooked with a low, slow method of the crockpot. Cooking the meat with some liquid added also adds to the tender results. An expensive, tender cut of meat won’t do in the least in your crockpot; they just don’t come out as well as your budget meats. So, if you’ve been avoiding the less expensive cuts of meat, now’s the time to try again. No more disasters, because they’re not going in the oven!
Stay Out Of That Drive Thru
Are you spending money on fast food? How many times have you rushed through the convenience store, spending money you didn’t have on bad food? Here’s where your crockpot can save you money with a little planning. Get your meal planned, shop, and prepare everything ahead of time. Now, when everybody gets home after school and work, and all that evening chaos begins, at least you know you have dinner bubbling away in the crockpot. No more quick, and expensive, stops for fast food.
Don’t Add Heat To An Already Stressed Air Conditioner
If your air conditioner is running, you really don’t want to start that oven, or even have a burner going on your stove top for any length of time. I know you’re thinking, well, it’s hot out so why not just eat salads and sandwiches? But, if you live in a part of the country where the summer heat lasts sometimes for seven or eight months out of the year, you and your family can really get hungry for a nice pot roast or hearty soup. And when it’s hot and steamy outside, and the air conditioner is just barely keeping you comfortable, you don’t want to stress it, or yourselves, out by adding more heat to your kitchen. Your little crockpot just won’t crank out that much additional heat.
TIME SAVING
Give Up The Watched Pot
If you are watching your pots boil, you are wasting time. Even stirring soups and sauces take time, especially if you’re making something that could stick to the bottom of the pot if left unattended. When you make a meal in one pot it truly does save time, but not if you have to watch it! Sure, you can put a pot roast in the oven and you won’t have to stand over it while it cooks, but now you’re not saving money. Don’t we want to save both money and time?
Get The Family Helping In The Kitchen
The whole family can help put a crockpot meal together, which frees up some of my time. I don’t worry about my kids getting burned on a hot stove, so they can wash vegetables and throw them right in the crockpot for me. You don’t start a crockpot cooking until everything is inside, so it’s safe for the kids to be in the kitchen helping. And because there are so many recipes for simple crockpot meals, recipes which require only a few main ingredients, anyone, even my non-cooking husband, can grab a recipe and throw together a meal to help out.
Eliminate Running To The Store
Nightly stops at the store to quick grab something to cook for dinner is a serious waste of time. Now I take one trip to the grocery store, and buy everything I need for at least three crockpot meals. I can plan several all-in-one-step meals, buy and even prep a lot of the ingredients ahead of time, and pop a meal in the crockpot in the morning. Now, we can go straight home from the soccer game… home to a hot meal!
MONEY AND TIME SAVING
Cook Once Eat Twice
I’m a big believer in cooking larger portions so that we’re cooking once and eating twice. My crockpot is a 6 quart size oval, which is big enough to have leftovers for lunches, so we don’t have to spend money buying lunches at work or school. We also will cook double and put half in the freezer. This way, I’m cooking only two or three times a week, and we’re eating from the freezer the other days. For us, that’s a real time and money saver.
Now that you’ve seen the time and money saving reasons to use your crockpot, I challenge you to give your crockpot a second chance. Get your crockpot out again, or treat yourself to one of the new models, and browse through some recipes. It’s time you started cooking, and saving time and money all at the same time!
Ready to get your crockpot fired up? Find almost 500 recipes plus tips to make your crockpot meals come out perfect every time in this valuable resource Crockpot Cooking Made Simple.
If you don’t have a crockpot yet, this guide will give you all the information you need to help you choose the crockpot that’s right for you.
Click on Crockpot Cooking Made Simple and start saving time and money today!
Lemonade Chicken
I love this simple chicken dish. The frozen lemonade gives it just the right amount of tang. I know it may sound a little weird, but please give it a try and see if you don’t love the simple sweet and sour flavor. It’s served over rice and has some veggies in it. Just add a little fruit salad for dessert and dinner is ready.
Lemonade Chicken Recipe
- 1 cup white rice
- 4 chicken breasts, or about 6 boneless chicken leg pieces
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 6-fluid ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate thawed
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 teaspoons chicken bouillon
- 1 green bell pepper small, cut in 1-inch strips
- 1 red bell pepper small, cut in 1-inch strips
- 1 yellow pepper small cut in 1-inch strips, or 1 small yellow summer squash, cut in 1/4 -inch slices
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Cook rice according to package directions; keep warm if necessary.
Remove skin from chicken breasts. Cut chicken into 2 x 1/2 x 1/2 -inch strips. In a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, saute chicken and garlic in oil until chicken is opaque. Reduce heat to medium.
Add lemonade concentrate, water and bouillon granules. Cook for 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.
Add peppers. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender.
In a small bowl, stir water and cornstarch until smooth. Pour into skillet. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Serve over rice.
The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends – Dining On A Dime
The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Fish Chowder
- 2 tablespoons margarine or oil
- 1 large onion, minced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 cups tap water
- 5 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 pound frozen fish fillets
- 4 or 5 cups milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup cold water
- 1/3 cup flour
- a jar with a tight fitting lid
This soup is very good, and an excellent way to make a pound of fish go a long way. First get out a good sized soup pot. Melt the margarine in it and saute the onion and celery until they are tender. Add 2 cups of water and the potatoes. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. While the vegetables are simmering, cut the fish into chunks about an inch square. Add the fish to the potatoes. Cover and continue simmering for about 10 minutes. If the fish is room temperature, it will only take about 5 minutes. The fish will be opaque and flake easily when it is done. Next add the milk, salt and pepper. Heat gently while you do the next part.
In a pint sized jar, combine 1-cup cold tap water and 1/3-cup flour. Screw on the lid. Shake and shake the jar until the flour is dissolved in the water. Pour this mixture into the pot of hot soup. Stir it up and bring the whole thing to a slow boil. Boil and stir for a full minute, or until everything is nicely thickened. Serve hot with crackers and Waldorf Salad.
This is very similar to clam chowder, except it uses less expensive frozen fish fillets. If you liked, you could replace the fish with two 10 ounce cans of clams (undrained). This will cost about a dollar more, but it will be the best Clam Chowder you have ever had.
The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends – Dining On A Dime
The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Save On Water Bills
Since our water bill keeps going up and up and up, I keep finding ways to use less and less. When I empty the dehumidifier, I empty the water into a bucket and then I use the water to water my flowers or my garden outside. When I boil water to cook something, I save the water when I’m done, let it cool, and water plants with that too. – Laura
Great tips, Laura. Here are a few of the things my family and I do.
- Take quick showers instead of baths.
- Use bathwater to water plants (provided you didn’t add anything that could hurt them).
- Turn the water off while you brush your teeth, wash in the shower etc.
- Check for leaky faucets and toilets and fix them.
- Don’t run the washer or dish washer unless it’s full.
- Wash all dishes in one sink full of hot soapy water, starting with the cleanest and ending with the most greasy stuff (like pots and pans).
Highly Recommended – Penny Pinching Mama
Find out how Jill Cooper lived on $500 per month. This e-book is filled with over 500 practical, everyday ideas to help anyone stretch a small income.
Get your copy today at:
www.HillbillyHousewife.com/penny
Hot Night Suppers
If anyone has some suggestions for suppers to be served on nights when you just don’t want to turn on the stove or oven it would be appreciated. Sometimes its just too hot to heat up the house. Have the basic salads and fruit salads anything else?
Thanks in advance – Jan
Great question Jan and I can certainly relate right now. It’s super hot and I haven’t used my oven in weeks and the stove only when absolutely needed. Here are a couple of ideas for you:
Use your crockpot whenever you can. You can cook almost anything in there. Here are some crockpot recipes for you to try and take a look at my Crockpot Cooking Made Simple guide for lots more recipes and tips.
Grill – get hubby to grill some burgers, chicken, pork chops, steak, fish etc. on the grill. Make sure you have him cook plenty so you have leftovers for a few other meals.
Crumble up leftover hamburgers in your crockpot and turn them into chili or beef and vegetable soup.
Leftover chicken, pork and steak can be served cold the next day on sandwiches and salads.
When it come to baking, I just use my breadmaker for now.
For more summer cooking tips, take a look at this report about Simple Summer Cooking and I’m sure other readers have plenty of ideas to share.
Highly Recommended:
Ready to learn more about crockpot cooking? Get my Crockpot Cooking Made Simple ebook today and find out how you can work this into your meal plan, how to choose a good crockpot and most importantly how to convert your favorite recipes to work in a slow cooker.
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/ebooks/crockpotcooking.htm
Got a hot summer day recipe or tip to share? Please leave a comment below. Thanks – Susanne
Frugal Pressure Cleaner
For an easy and inexpensive way to pressure clean small areas, I use the hose attachment that comes with water balloons. It focuses the water into a small area and creates a lot of pressure. I cleaned my whole pack porch with one!
Highly Recommended – Penny Pinching Mama
Find out how Jill Cooper lived on $500 per month. This e-book is filled with over 500 practical, everyday ideas to help anyone stretch a small income.
Get your copy today at:
www.HillbillyHousewife.com/penny
Stretching Ground Beef
To stretch ground beef, shred a leftover baked potato or two and mix with the ground beef after you have browned it. Season and use for tacos or whatever. My family likes it like this better than just plain ground beef.
Highly Recommended – Penny Pinching Mama
Find out how Jill Cooper lived on $500 per month. This e-book is filled with over 500 practical, everyday ideas to help anyone stretch a small income.
Get your copy today at:
www.HillbillyHousewife.com/penny
Carrot Muffins Recipe
Try this carrot muffins recipe. The end result tastes like little mini carrot cakes. Yum!
They are easy to make and fun to do with kids. You may even convince your picky eater that carrots aren’t so bad with this muffin recipe.
They taste delicious as is. You can also turn them into carrot cake cupcakes by adding a little of your favorite cream cheese frosting on top of each cooled muffin.
Carrot Muffins
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
- 4 eggs (beaten)
- 3 cups sifted flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
Combine sugar, oil and eggs in a mixing bowl. Add in all dry ingredients (a little at a time).
Place in greased muffin cups and bake at 350 degrees for 25 min.
The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends – Dining On A Dime
The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Roasted Carrots Recipe
Roasting brings out the sweetness and flavor in this simple roasted carrots recipe. It’s quick and easy enough to do even for a weeknight dinner, and tastes so good that you’ll be making this dish over and over.
Roasted Carrots Recipe
- 1 lb carrots (washed and peeled)
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 tsp butter or margarine
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/2tsp salt
Slice carrots into 3 inch strips. Place carrots into a baking dish and cover with butter, juice, honey and salt. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
Roast for 25min. at 350 degrees. Then uncover and roast for an additional 20 min.
Cover with parsley and serve warm.
The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends – Dining On A Dime
The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Almond Joy Cake
A delicious cake that tastes just like the popular candy bar? I have got to try this Almond Joy cake.
Almond Joy Cake Recipe
- 1 pkg. Chocolate cake mix with pudding
- 1 lg. can evaporated milk
- 2 ½ cups sugar (total-divided)
- 26 large marshmallows
- 1 -14 oz package coconut
- ½ cup (1 stick) margarine/butter
- 1 -12 oz. pkg chocolate chips
- 1 – 3 ½ oz. pkg silvered almonds (toasted)
Bake chocolate cake according to directions for 13 x 9″ pan.
While cake is baking, heat 1 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar, marshmallows and coconut in a medium saucepan until melted. Pour over hot cake.
In a medium saucepan, melt margarine, then add remaining 1 ½ cups sugar, and ½ cup evaporated milk. Bring to a boil, add chocolate chips and stir until melted. Pour mixture over the cake and top with almonds.
NOTE:
I substituted coconut milk for the evaporated milk.
The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends – Dining On A Dime
The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Almost Frosty Paws – Dog Ice Cream Recipe
My dog LOVES these!
Almost Frosty Paws “Doggie Ice Cream”
- 32 oz. vanilla yogurt
- 1 large mashed banana (or a large jar of baby food banana)
- 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter
- 2 Tablespoons of honey
Blend together and freeze in small Dixie Cups or plastic “take out” containers. If using Dixie Cups, just peel away the paper and put directly into their food bowl to serve. My dog prefers that they “warm up” for 10-15 min. before serving. My cat likes it unfrozen!
Carrot Ginger Soup Recipe
Don’t let the flavor combination put you off. This carrot ginger soup recipe is delicious and perfect for a hot summer day. It is best served chilled. I usually make a batch early in the morning (or even the night before) and then take it out of the fridge for lunch. It also makes a nice appetizer when you have company.
Carrot Ginger Soup
- 1 lb carrots (peeled and sliced)
- 1 cup onion (finely chopped)
- 1 cup celery (finely chopped)
- 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 tsp ginger (finely chopped)
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp butter
Place butter, carrots, onion, celery and ginger into a saucepan and saute for 10 minutes. Add in the broth and cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Place into a blender with lime juice and puree until smooth. Served chilled.
The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends – Dining On A Dime
The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Candied Carrots Recipe
This simple candied carrots recipe turns into ordinary root vegetables into a delicious treat. These are wonderful with any type of pork or chicken dish. I’m planning on making them for the holidays as well.
Candied Carrots
- 12 medium sized carrots
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp allspice
Wash and peel carrots. Cut into julienne strips. Place carrots into a pot and boil them until fork tender. Drain well while carrots are still hot then add in butter, sugar and allspice. Coat carrots well. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 min.
The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends – Dining On A Dime
The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Carrot Souffle Recipe
Ready to “dress up” your carrots. Instead of serving them just steamed for dinner, give this carrot souffle recipe a try. It’s surprisingly simple and frugal, but will surely impress your family or dinner guests.
Carrot Souffle Recipe
- 1 lb carrots (about 5 large carrots)
- 5 tbsp softened butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp milk
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Wash and peel carrots. Cut into small chunks.
Place carrot chunks into a pot and boil until they are fork tender. Drain and place into a blender or food processor with the butter, milk and salt and puree until smooth.
Beat eggs with a mixer until light and fluffy. Fold into carrot puree. Fold the Parmesan cheese in as well. Place in a greased casserole dish or individual ramekins. Bake for 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cover with some foil for about 20 minutes to allow the dish to set.
This simple carrot souffle can be served warm or cold.
The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends: Secret Restaurant Recipes
Don’t spend a fortune going out to eat. Instead enjoy some of your favorite restaurant fare at home for a fraction of the cost.
These recipes are also perfect for dinner parties or a fun and special family dinner.
Get your copy today at:
Living Simply and All About Laundry – HBHW Newsletter
July 21st, 2010
Editorial
Hello again and welcome to another edition of the Hillbilly Housewife Newsletter.
We all want to save money on our family’s budget. There are a lot of little tips, tricks, and ideas to do that, but there’s one area that has probably the best return-on-investment you can get for your effort. We’re talking about laundry detergent and softener.
This week’s featured article will show you how to save money, REAL money, not just pennies a day, but perhaps dollars a day by making your own laundry products. Please take a look at these simple recipes and you, too, can start enjoying huge savings on your household budget.
The inspirational quote and story I’ve chosen this week are about living simply. Please take a moment to read and reflect on both the quote and the lovely poem I’ve chosen for the story.
Those are my thoughts this week. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Feel free to email me at susanne@hillbillyhousewife.com
Warm Regards,
Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife
Inspirational Quote
Thrift is the best means of thriving.
~Charles J. Hare~
Sponsor
Keepin’ It Clean E-book Series
When you take a look at your family’s budget, is there one item that stands out as a big money and time drain? There was in my house – the laundry!
Every time I put one of those big boxes or jugs of laundry detergent on the checkout at the grocery store, I cringed. And, it wasn’t only the money, it was the struggle of getting the laundry done, folded, and put away.
But, all that changed when I started using this great laundry guide from my friends at LivingOnADime.com
This one ebook has saved me hundreds of dollars at the store just by eliminating those costly store-bought laundry products. With simple recipes, improved laundry techniques, and lots of helpful little tips, my laundry is no longer a nightmare of wasted time and money.
Won’t you take a minute and look at what this E-book has to offer? Just click on this link and learn how to start saving time and money today:
Keepin’ It Clean E-book Series
News From The HBHW Club
If you haven’t heard about the Hillbilly Housewife Club, it’s a members only forum packed full of great information, resources, and friendly chit chat about the things we are all interested in – fun, frugal living. Come Join Us And See What All The Chatter Is About!
I look forward to chatting with you in the member area. Click the following link and try the HBHW Club for only $1.
http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html
We’ve been discussing canning over at the Club. Even though I grew up in a home where my grandmother and mother canned, I have yet to try my hand at it, until now. This year I will be making an effort to can a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Here is one of the recipes I posted on the Club that I’d like to share with you:
Sunday Morning Raspberry Syrup
5 cups fresh raspberries, hulled and cut in half
3 cups water, divided
1 Tbsp lemon zest, grated
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups corn syrup
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Put the raspberries into a 5 quart pot and mash the raspberries with a potato masher.
Pour 1 1/2 cups of water over the berries and add the lemon zest.
Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer the berries for 5 minutes.
Strain the berries through a mesh strainer over a bowl.
Prepare the canning jars as directed by the manufacturer of the jars and keep them hot.
Stir the remaining water and the sugar together in a large saucepan.
Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar.
Cook the mixture until the temperature reaches 260 degrees on a candy thermometer.
Stir in the strained raspberry mixture and corn syrup and bring back to a boil.
Boil the syrup for 4 minutes, remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
Remove any foam that has formed off the top and discard.
Pour the hot syrup into the canning jars leaving a 1/4 inch head space.
Release the air bubbles by sticking a clean knife in mixture and add more syrup if necessary to maintain the head space.
Process the syrup in a water bath canner for 10 minutes from the point of boiling.
Remove and cool on towels in a dry draft free area then check the seals before storing.
Makes 6 half pints
Takes approximately 40 minutes from start to finish.
Listed here is a sampling of recent recipes added, making a total of more than 400 recipes currently available to our Club members.
- Sweet Canned Blueberries
- Tomato Jalapeno Salsa
- Easy Homemade Grilling Glazes
- Easy Homemade Grilling Rubs
We welcome recipe submissions from our friends at the Club and are always happy to see what’s cooking in your kitchen. Our aim is to have six recipes posted each week. That’s a lot of recipes!
Featured Article
For today’s featured article I’d like to share recipes for homemade laundry soap and softener. I know with just these two recipes I’ve saved hundreds of dollars on my laundry budget. Please click on the link below and give these frugal recipes a try:
Homemade Laundry Detergent
Homemade Cheap Fabric Softener
But, why stop with the laundry? Click on the link below to find even more cleaning products you can make at home:
Homemade Cleaning Products
Healthy Hillbilly Housewife
Here’s what’s new on the healthy hillbilly housewife section. You can also go straight to http://www.healthy.hillbillyhousewife.com
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Frugal Tips
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Do you have a tip to share? Fill out the submit a frugal tip form and I’ll be glad to add it to the site and share your tip in an upcoming edition of the newsletter.
Recipes
Here are some of the most recent recipes that have been added to the HBHW site. Enjoy!
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Do you have a recipe you would like to share? Click here to send it to me and I’ll be happy to add it to the website.
I’m Looking For:
This section is all about you. If you are looking for a particular recipe or a tip on how to do something, submit it here and I will post it in an upcoming newsletter. I’ll give you my input and other readers of the newsletter will have the opportunity to share their recipes and tips as well. So take a moment to post your questions and of course if you have a tip or idea for any question posted in this section feel free to leave a comment under the appropriate post.
I’m Looking For Requests
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I’m Looking For Responses
Below you will find some of the recent responses to the “I’m Looking For” Requests. You may also want to go directly to this section and browse through all the recent submissions and replies. To do so, click on “I’m Looking for” here, and start looking through them.
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Inspirational Story
The Simple Things
~Edgar A. Guest~
I would not be too wise-so very wise
That I must sneer at simple songs and creeds,
And let the glare of wisdom blind my eyes
To humble people and their humble needs.
I would not care to climb so high that I
Could never hear the children at their play,
Could only see the people passing by,
And never hear the cheering words they say.
I would not know too much-too much to smile
At trivial errors of the heart and hand,
Nor be too proud to play the friend the while
Nor cease to help and know and understand.
I would not care to sit upon a throne,
Or build my house upon a mountain-top,
Where I must dwell in glory all alone
And never friend come in or poor man stop.
God grant that I may live upon this earth
And face the tasks which every morning brings
And never lose the glory and the worth
Of humble service and the simple things.
Final Thought
That’s it for this edition of the Hillbilly Housewife Newsletter. I hope you’ve had as much fun reading it as I had creating it for you. I also hope that you have found the information helpful and useful. And by all means feel free to forward the newsletter to family and friends or even better, encourage them to subscribe to it.
Do you have a question, a tip, a recipe or a story you’d like to share with us? Email it to me and I’ll include it in a future issue. Can’t wait to see what you have to say.
Warm Wishes,
Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife
Pulled Pork Crockpot Recipes – Learn What Makes This Southern Tradition Authentic
If you find yourself sitting in a cozy little diner somewhere in the South in your travels, don’t be alarmed when you hear voices start to rise in hot debate. Passionate debates are not uncommon here in the South, especially when it comes to those things we hold near and dear to our heart. So what is it that’s being so hotly debated? Politics? Religion? Sports? No, nothing as mundane as that. We’re talking about who’s got the best pulled pork recipes in the South.
Take a drive through the South and you will find any number of restaurants that will hotly debate that they, and they alone, have the original, authentic Southern-style pulled pork sandwich recipe. How can each state, region, and locality claim to have the one, true, original recipe? It’s hard to argue with Southern cooking aficionados, so let’s just take a look at what makes this sandwich unique, as well as debatable.
We have to consider a wide range of regions. Classics like Memphis style, Southern style, North Carolina style, and South Carolina style, are only the beginning. You’ll also hear from folks in Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida about what makes their sandwich traditional. It seems most Southern folks claim to have the original, official, and the very best recipes for these sandwiches. What most everyone can agree on is that no one agrees which style of sandwich truly belongs to which region. For as many variations of sauce and seasonings you can find, there are that many and more variations of methods for cooking and serving pulled pork sandwiches.
I won’t attempt to figure out which ingredients for sauces and dry rubs definitely belong to which region. Nor will I try to firmly establish which cooking method belongs to which region. What I will do is lay out a few common methods for cooking and serving this popular sandwich, and suggest where these methods are most typically found. If a method sounds like your hometown original, it probably is; just like it might belong to someone else. In other words, the debate lives on. Let’s look at some of the cooking methods and ingredients that make a pulled pork sandwich what it is:
Cooking Methods
It’s not easy to pin down a cooking method to any one state or region. Grilling, smoking, roasting, and braising are common in many regions. Deep pits for smoking and slow roasting would have been the preferred method by many settlers in the South, and now their ancestors may still use those exact same methods. Your family’s cooking method depends on how you learned to cook pork. If you’re walking down Beale Street in Memphis, you’ll most likely see lots of smoky grills going, but you’ll see those same scenes in other regions, as well. Any one region would find it difficult to claim that a certain style of cooking is their own and no one else’s. Of course, using a crockpot wasn’t passed down through hundreds of years by our ancestors, so the origin of this method is obviously widespread.
Vinegar
You may use white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, or any of a wide variety of vinegars available. The idea in using vinegar, no matter what kind, is the same. Mixing sour vinegar with some sort of sweet ingredient is essential for any good barbecue sauce. Many recipes claim to be official Memphis style pulled pork specifically because they use vinegar in their sauce. However, several regions and states claim this ingredient as the quintessential ingredient that differentiates their pulled pork sandwich from any other.
Brown Sugar
Both barbecue sauces and dry rubs may contain brown sugar which gives the sweet flavor to the whole sweet-and-sour balance that a pulled pork sandwich should have. A simple concoction of brown sugar, vinegar, and a pinch of any hot sauce or spicy seasoning is often found in barbecue places in Florida and Alabama. Whether this simple recipe originated in those states is something we’ll never know. I can’t say I’ve ever seen a pulled pork sandwich seasoned like this in Memphis, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist there.
Dry Rubs
Even though dry rubs have been around forever, and used in all regions of the country, a dry rub used for pulled pork sandwiches contains certain standard ingredients. You’ll basically find cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, and paprika in a dry rub for pulled pork. Anything added after that is an individual cook’s unique take on this basic recipe. Different regions of the country can lay claim to using only dry rubs, never liquid barbecue sauce, but this method is so widespread that it seems impossible to pin down the original creator. Then, of course, you can use both a dry rub and barbecue sauce together in the same recipe, so it just gets more confusing.
Condiments
Then there is the question of what to serve with the pulled pork sandwich. Barbecue sauce as a condiment is widely regarded as a standard in every region. Even when the pulled pork never gets a dose of barbecue sauce mixed in with it, there is usually a bottle on the table. You’ll also usually find pepper vinegar, mustard, and even a little Tabasco in most regions. What you’ll hopefully never find is ketchup on the table. That would not go over well in any region. Most folks believe adding coleslaw on top of a pulled pork sandwich is most decidedly a Memphis touch.
As I searched the vast array of pulled pork crockpot recipes on the Internet, in cookbooks, and with my Southern friends, I got more and more confused about which recipe belongs to which region. What I have decided is if your Grandpa and Grandma have been making the same recipe for pulled pork sandwiches since you can remember, then that recipe belongs to your family and to your region. Go ahead and stake your claim and enjoy this great Southern classic.
Can’t decide which style of pulled pork sandwich to try? Why not try a few different ones. Click here for our Memphis Brewed Pulled Pork crockpot recipe, or click here to try our Sweet Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwich recipe.
When you’re ready to find out all the ways your crockpot can save you time and money, check out our informative guide Crockpot Cooking Made Simple. Get started today using your crockpot the way it was meant to be used – often!
Sweet Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches – Crockpot
1 (5 lb.) pork should roast or butt roast
dry rub:
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 small yellow onions cut into large wedges
sauce:
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Tbsp. honey
1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed or grated
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Put the onions in the crockpot first. Blend dry rub ingredients with fork and gently press and rub over the pork roast. The put the pork roast in the crockpot on top of the onions.
In a glass bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients until smooth. Pour 1/2 the sauce mixture over the pork roast in the crockpot, coating the meat well. (Store the remaining 1/2 of the sauce mixture in the refrigerator for later.)
Cover the crockpot and set on LOW temperature. Cook, undisturbed, for 8 to 9 hours.
Remove the meat from the crockpot to a platter and shred with a fork. Pick the onion out from the crockpot and discard. Return the shredded meat to the crockpot, add the sauce mixture you refrigerated earlier to the crockpot and stir to combine well. Put cover back on crockpot and let heat through, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Keep warm and serve on hearty buns. You can make another small batch of the sauce to serve alongside the sandwiches if you wish. Just heat the sauce in a pan for about 15 minutes on low, then pour into a serving bowl with a ladle.
Ready to learn more about crockpot cooking? Get my Crockpot Cooking Made Simple ebook today and find out how you can work this into your meal plan, how to choose a good crockpot and most importantly how to convert your favorite recipes to work in a slow cooker.
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/ebooks/crockpotcooking.htm
Leftover Steak Meat
I bought a alb sirloin from a local farmer for super cheap and was craving it so big time thought we’d eat it all. But by the time I cooked it i was kind of over it so there’s a ton left over. I can’t think of a thing to do with it! Any good ideas?
Vegetarian Dishes Without Soy Or Processed Foods
I’m looking for dishes that feature beans and/or vegetables but do not contain any processed ingredients (premade or convenience foods) or soy products (tofu, TVP, fake meat).
I am trying to show my daughters how to cook nutritious meals with ingredients we either grow or make ourselves.
Much Thanks,
Geeta
Homemade Carpet Cleaner
If you have kids and/or pets, carpet stains are nothing new for you. Over the years I’ve tried all sorts of different cleaning products. Here are my favorite homemade carpet cleaner recipes. One of the things I like best about these is that they do not contain a bunch of chemicals. We do a lot of playing and just hanging out on the living room floor, so this is the perfect solution. It keeps my carpet clean and me worry free.
Homemade Carpet Cleaner Recipe
This is a great spot cleaner. Mix one cup white vinegar and one cup warm water in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture directly on the stain and let it sit for a few minutes. Use a damp cloth to rub out the stain and the vinegar.
If that doesn’t get the stain out, try this:
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1/4 cup borax
- 1/4 cup vinegar
Mix everything to make a paste . Use your fingertips to rub it into carpet and leave for a few hours. Vacuum over it several times to get everything up.
Homemade Steam Carpet Cleaner Solution
When you are ready to give your carpets a good steam cleaning, try this solution.
- 1/4 cup lemon-scented ammonia
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 3 teaspoons dish washing soap
- a little less than 1 gallon hot water
Mix everything in a large bucket. Pour it into your steam cleaner and then follow the regular directions of use.
Further Reading – Keeping It Clean
This is a 3 ebook series that will help you spend less time and money on your laundry. Tawra and Jill from Living On A Dime share their best frugal laundry, cleaning and home organization tips.
Grab your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/laundry
Homemade Glass Cleaner
One of the things I like best about my kitchen is the big mirror backsplash behind my stove. It works great and is easy to clean, but I do use glass cleaner on a daily basis on it. It’s not very expensive when you get the store brand version, but I can not stand the smell of regular glass cleaner. It makes me nauseous and when I don’t walk away quickly enough, I get a headache.
I was excited when I came across this homemade glass cleaner recipe. It’s made from things I keep in my pantry anyway and just smells like vinegar (which doesn’t give me a headache – yippy!)
Homemade Glass Cleaner
- 1 cup rubbing alcohol
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
Mix everything together and pour it into a clean spray bottle. Use like you would any regular glass cleaner.
The alcohol in the cleaner helps it evaporate quickly giving you that streak-free shine.
Further Reading – Keeping It Clean
This is a 3 ebook series that will help you spend less time and money on your laundry. Tawra and Jill from Living On A Dime share their best frugal laundry, cleaning and home organization tips.
Grab your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/laundry
Homemade Drain Cleaner
Over the years we’ve spent a small fortune on drain cleaner products. I had no idea it was so easy to make homemade drain cleaner or that it worked so well.
Homemade Drain Cleaner Recipe
- 1 box of baking soda
- vinegar
Get a small box of baking soda and pour about half of it down the clogged drain. Top it off with just enough vinegar to really get it foaming.
Wait for the foam to settle, then repeat with the other half of the baking soda, followed again by vinegar.
Let the mixture sit in your drain for at least an hour, longer if you can, then rinse it with plenty of hot water.
Further Reading – Keeping It Clean
This is a 3 ebook series that will help you spend less time and money on your laundry. Tawra and Jill from Living On A Dime share their best frugal laundry, cleaning and home organization tips.
Grab your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/laundry
Family-Favorite Taco Salad Recipe
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 envelope (about 1 1/4 ounces) taco seasoning mix
- 1 cup water
- 1 (12-ounce) package tortilla chips
- 1/2 head lettuce, shredded
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1 (2 1/4-ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces)
- 2/3 cup dairy sour cream
This recipe makes 6 servings.
Cook and stir ground beef and onion in 10-inch skillet until beef is brown; drain. Stir in seasoning mix (dry) and water.
Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon beef mixture onto chips. Top with remaining ingredients.
The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends – Dining On A Dime
The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Hot Pepper Garlic Chicken
- 3 lbs chicken legs &/or thighs, skin and visible fat removed (leg quarters are fine for this recipe)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil OR vegetable oil
- 6 cloves minced garlic (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon dry hot pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 to 1 cup of water
Get out a nice big skillet, preferably one with a tight lid. Heat the oil in the skillet. Add the chicken and brown on both sides. Add the garlic, hot pepper flakes and salt. Stir the seasonings around in the pan for a moment or two. Add 1/2-cup of water. Cover the pan and simmer for 45 minutes. Add more water as necessary, to keep the chicken from scorching. The water should evaporate down to a glaze like consistency. Serve over boiled spaghetti or egg noodles, with a bit of the pan juices spooned overtop. This is a spicy dish. It tastes delicious when you need a change of pace, and is very cheap to make besides, especially with chicken leg-quarters. Cooked beets, and raw broccoli pieces make a very healthy, and tasty meal.
The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends – Dining On A Dime
The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Chicken Tortilla Soup – Slow Cooker Recipe
1 lb. cooked chicken, shredded lightly with a fork
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 reg. size can diced tomatoes
1 reg. size can enchilada sauce
1 small can chopped green chilies
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 cups water
1 reg. size (14 oz) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn, thawed
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro – optional
6 large corn tortillas
vegetable oil
Place chicken, onion, diced tomatoes, enchilada sauce, green chilies, garlic, water, and chicken broth in slow cooker and stir gently to combine. Add the cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf, and stir once more. Cover, and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours.
Stir in thawed corn and cilantro, recover slow cooker, and cook on LOW for 10 to 15 more minutes or until corn is heated through. Serve with tortilla crisps on top – (recipe below).
To make tortilla crisps:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat both sides of tortillas with a thin layer of vegetable oil. Cut the tortillas into strips and lay them on a baking or cookie sheet. Put sheet in preheated oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until strips have gotten crispy. Remove to a paper towel to cool, then crumble these tortilla crisps over the soup to serve.
Ready to learn more about crockpot cooking? Get my Crockpot Cooking Made Simple ebook today and find out how you can work this into your meal plan, how to choose a good crockpot and most importantly how to convert your favorite recipes to work in a slow cooker.
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/ebooks/crockpotcooking.htm
Homemade Mildew Cleaner
We all have to deal with mildew of some sort in the bathroom. Instead of using a commercial product that contains plenty of harsh chemicals that aren’t good for your lungs, they one of these two homemade mildew cleaners instead. As an added bonus they are also a lot less expensive than the stuff you buy at the store
Homemade Mildew Cleaner #1 – Vinegar Based
Mix equal parts of plain white vinegar and water and fill it into a clean spray bottle. Spray it on bathroom appliances, shower curtains, tiles etc.
Let it sit for a few minutes and then wipe the counters etc. with a clean wet rag. In cases of really bad mold you may want to use a stronger vinegar solution.
Homemade Mildew Cleaner # 2 – Bleach Based
Mix 3/4 cup chlorine bleach in 1 gal of water. Put some of this mixture into a spray bottle and use like you would a normal bathroom cleaner. A little elbow grease and some soaking will help remove tough stains.
Remember this is bleach you are using and it will leave spots on your clothes. Wear an old t-shirt and shorts when using this bleach based mildew cleaner.
If mildew is an on-going problem in your home, it may be due to excess humidity. If this is the cause, you can regulate humidity with a home dehumidifier.
Further Reading – Keeping It Clean
This is a 3 ebook series that will help you spend less time and money on your laundry. Tawra and Jill from Living On A Dime share their best frugal laundry, cleaning and home organization tips.
Grab your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/laundry
Meatloaf Expanders
When I was in high school way back in the mid 1950′s My home economics teacher taut us to use oatmeal as a meat loaf expander rather than bread or crackers. This cost very little and increases the nutritional value. I have always made meatloaf this way and it tastes just fine.
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
I am a big fan of alfredo and would like to eat it a lot but the good sauce is horribly expensive and even the cheap, strange tasting stuff is almost $2 a jar. I would love to be able to make up my own sauce from scratch.
Classic Beef Stroganoff – Slow Cooker
2 pounds stew beef, cut into bite size cubes
3 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 cup beef broth
1 garlic clove, minced or grated
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp. flour
1 cup sour cream
hot cooked wide egg noodles
Mix together the flour and salt and coat beef well with mixture. Melt butter or margarine in large heavy skillet and add beef. Cook over medium high heat until beef is just browned, flipping so each side gets browned. (Don’t crowd the beef in the pan; cook only as much as will fit easily in the pan. Remove and add more. This will keep the skillet hot and prevent the beef from “steaming.”) Replace all browned beef to hot pan and add onions. Continue cooking on hot, stirring often, until onion becomes just transparent.
Into the slow cooker, add the beef broth, garlic, mushrooms, and 1 tablespoon flour. Add the cooked beef and onions from the skillet and stir gently to combine.
Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours. Add sour cream, stirring to combine, and replace cover and continue to cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until heated through. Serve over hot cooked wide egg noodles.
Serves 6.
Ready to learn more about crockpot cooking? Get my Crockpot Cooking Made Simple ebook today and find out how you can work this into your meal plan, how to choose a good crockpot and most importantly how to convert your favorite recipes to work in a slow cooker.
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/ebooks/crockpotcooking.htm
Homemade Fabric Softener
There is no need to spend a bunch of money at the store on regular fabric softener. All you need is a bit of baking soda and vinegar. In fact, vinegar is the perfect homemade fabric softener.
Use plain white vinegar and add 1/4 cup to the final rinse of your laundry. By the time your clothes are dry the vinegar smell will be gone.
To make everything even softer, add about 2 tbsp of baking soda to your laundry when you first put it in the washer, then use the vinegar in the rinse as mentioned above.
If you are a little worried about the smell, use this simple recipe instead:
Homemade Fabric Softener
- 2 cups cheap hair conditioner
- 3 cups white vinegar
- 6 cups warm water
Pour everything into an old fabric softener bottle or other container and mix well. If you are using a bottle, just give it a few good shakes.
Homemade Silver Cleaner
Here’s a quick and easy way to clean any and all silver items (silverware, jewelry etc. )
Homemade Silver Cleaner
Get out a pan and line it with aluminum foil. I usually use my 9×13 cake pan for this. Make sure the shiny side of the foil is up. Now arrange your silver items on top of the foil
Pour plenty of boiling water over the silverware making sure everything is submerged.
Get your baking soda out and sprinkle it all over the pan. Then just walk away for 15 -20 minutes.
Use some tongs to remove the silver pieces and drop them in some soapy water. Give them a quick wash and then lay them out to dry. You can polish them a bit with a soft cloth.
Further Reading – Keeping It Clean
This is a 3 ebook series that will help you spend less time and money on your laundry. Tawra and Jill from Living On A Dime share their best frugal laundry, cleaning and home organization tips.
Grab your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/laundry
Fruit Fly Trap – Homemade
One of the things I like best about summer is all the fresh fruit available. One of the things I like least is those pesky fruit flies that inevitably find their way into my kitchen.
Over the years I have tried quite a few fruit fly traps (homemade as well as store-bought) and here’s what’s been working best for me. As it turns out, this is also the most frugal version.
Fruit Fly Trap (Homemade)
You’ll Need:
- small, clean jar
baby food jars work really well for this - piece of plastic wrap
- small piece of fruit (banana or melon work well)
Here’s How To Make Your Homemade Fruit Fly Trap:
Make sure the jar is very clean. You don’t want any other odor to compete with the fruit you will put in there. Once the jar is clean and dry, put a small piece of fruit in it. A slice of banana or a small piece of melon seems to work well, but just about any fresh fruit will do.
Cover the jar opening with plastic wrap. Poke a few small holes in the wrap and then set the covered jar on the counter. The fruit flies will fly in and won’t be able to fly back out.
Empty the jar every few days, clean it well and then add another piece of fruit. You’ll quickly get rid of all those pesky little bugs with this homemade fruit fly trap.
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Homemade Window Cleaner
Making your own homemade window cleaner is very simple and in my option it works just as well as any commercial cleaner you can buy. Just save a spray bottle or buy a new one at the dollar store and then follow the recipe below. The cleaner works really well on windows, mirrors and fixtures.
Homemade Window Cleaner
- 2 cups water
- 3 TBS vinegar
- 1/2 tsp liquid dish soap
Mix everything together and then pour it into a clean spray bottle. Use it just like you would any window cleaner. Spray it on the surface and then rub it off. Rags made from old tshirts work really well for this as does newspaper.
Highly Recommended – Keeping It Clean
This is a 3 ebook series that will help you spend less time and money on your laundry. Tawra and Jill from Living On A Dime share their best frugal laundry, cleaning and home organization tips.
Grab your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/laundry
Homemade Dish Soap
Do you ever wonder if you can make homemade dish soap? Yes you can. It is actually quite simple. Here are two easy dish soap recipes for you. They will leave your dishes sparkling.
Homemade Dish Soap Recipe #1
- 2 cups of Castile soap
- 1 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar
- 1/2 cup of warm water
Pour all ingredients into a cleaned out old dish soap bottle and shake until well combined. Give it another good shake before each use. The lemon juice or vinegar helps cut through the grease on your dishes.
Homemade Dish Soap Recipe #2
This version takes a little longer to make, but is even more frugal
- 1/4 cup soap flakes or soap shavings (any bar soap will do)
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar
Get out a sturdy sauce pan. Pour the water and soap fakes in and slowly heat it over medium heat. Stir the mixture and keep heating it until all the soap flakes melt into the water. DO NOT let the mixture come to a boil. Turn down the heat if needed.
Allow the soap mixture to cool a bit, then stir in the lemon juice or vinegar. Keep it sitting in the pot until it is completely cooled, then pour it into an old dish soap bottle.
With either of these two homemade dish soap recipes you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to make them smell better. I find that if I use the lemon juice, I don’t need the essential oil. Bottled lemon juice works just fine.
Highly Recommended – Keeping It Clean
This is a 3 ebook series that will help you spend less time and money on your laundry. Tawra and Jill from Living On A Dime share their best frugal laundry, cleaning and home organization tips.
Grab your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/laundry
Tacos
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 package taco seasoning mix
- 1 can refried beans
- 1 package hard or soft taco shells
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 can olives
- 1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup salsa
This recipe makes 6 servings.
Brown Ground Beef, Drain and add Taco Seasoning following the directions on the package.
In the meantime heat the refried beans in a saucepan or the microwave.
Spoon meat and beans into Taco Shells and add toppings.
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Beef And Bean Burrito Recipe
- Taco Filling (from my taco recipe or your own)
- 15 oz can of refried beans or 2 cups of cooked mashed pinto beans (thick)
- 10 large flour tortillas
- Shredded cheese
First prepare the recipe for Taco Filling, in a large skillet. When it has simmered a few minutes, open up the can of refried beans, or mash enough cooked pinto beans with a fork or in a food processor to equal 2 cups. Add the beans to the skillet. Stir it up to combine all of the ingredients. It will have a very familiar texture, perfect for filling the tortillas.
To heat the tortillas, you can wrap the stack of them in tin foil and bake them in the oven at 400° for about 15 minutes, or you can use my method. Heat a clean dry skillet over medium-high heat. Then take a tortilla and lay it on the skillet for a few moments, until it is warm to the touch. Flip the tortilla and warm the other side the same way. Stack them on a plate and continue until all of them are done. It doesn’t take very long, and they seem to be easier to handle this way.
Spoon some burrito filling into the center of each warm tortilla. Top with cheese and any other things you like, salsa, sour cream or yogurt, lettuce, etc. Roll the tortilla around the filling, tucking in the ends like an envelope. Serve warm with a tossed salad, tangy dressing and cornmeal muffins. Add a nice fruit cobbler for dessert. This recipe serves 5 or 6 people.
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Banana Date Tofu Pudding
- 12 to 14 oz box of soft tofu
- 1/4 cup corn oil
- 1/4 cup water or soy milk
- 2 very ripe bananas
- 10 whole, pitted dates
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Open up the tofu, and drain off the water. Peel the bananas and cut them into chunks. Cut the tofu into small cubes and place it in a blender. Add the corn oil, water or soy milk, banana chunks, dates, vanilla and salt. Process for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth with small date flecks blended throughout. You may have to stop the blender, and scrape down the sides a few times during blending. Pour the pudding into small 1/2-cup-sized, resealable plastic containers, or a big bowl. Keep in the fridge for hungry children to snack on, or put in healthy lunchboxes for a protein rich desert. This is a great recipe for people who don’t like tofu. They can get friendly with it in a nonthreatening atmosphere. This pudding uses fruit as it’s only sweetener. You will be surprised at just how sweet and delicious the combination of bananas and dates can be.
Baked Tuna Supreme
- 1 can tuna in water (unsalted)
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon unsalted mayonnaise (optional)
- 1 cup GRAINFIELDS Wheat Flakes or cornflakes (crushed finely)
This recipe makes 2 servings.
In large bowl combine tuna, celery, onion, parsley, Grainfield’s Wheat Flakes and /or Corn Flakes (crushed), egg, and mayonnaise. Shape into loaf and bake 1/2 hour at 350.
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How To Make White Sauce
- 2 tablespoons margarine
- 2 tablespoons flour (white or whole wheat)
- 3/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup milk
Get out a quart-sized saucepan. Melt the margarine in it over medium heat. When the margarine is completely melted, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the flour. It will lump up a little bit, so keep stirring it until it is smooth. I use a whisk to do this, but a fork will work in a pinch. Add the salt and pepper and return the pan to the heat. Cook and stir until the flour/margarine mixture bubbles up and sort of sizzles for a moment or two. This step keeps the sauce from having a “raw” flavor, and also permeates the sauce with the seasonings. Gradually stir in the milk. Do it slowly, so it doesn’t lump up. Lumpy sauce is not the most aesthetically pleasing, although it still tastes pretty good. So after you stir in the milk, cook the sauce over medium heat until it boils. Stir it quite often, to prevent it from lumping or burning. When it boils, cook and stir it for a full minute, and then remove it from the heat. It is now done.
This sauce tastes really good poured over hot toast and eaten for breakfast. It is also used in many casseroles and a ton of other places. Once you’ve mastered this sauce, you officially know how to cook. Whole wheat flour makes a slightly ruddier sauce, while white flour gives you the traditional smooth, bright white sauce. Both give good results so use which ever flour you prefer.
Cheese Sauce: Add 1/2 to 1-cup of shredded or cubed cheese to the sauce after it boils for a minute. I usually take it off the burner, add the cheese, and cover the pan. Then I let it sit in the middle of the stove for a minute or two, to soften up the cheese. Stir it up until the cheese melts. Serve anywhere you like.
Bacon Sauce: When the sauce is cooked, add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of vegetarian bacon bits. This is really good on baked potatoes and over toast.
The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends – Dining On A Dime
The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
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Yogurt Ranch Dressing Recipe
- 2 cups plain yogurt
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, onion powder, celery leaves, & salt
- 1/4 teaspoon EACH: pepper, paprika, & dill weed
- 1 teaspoon dry parsley, OR 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
In a medium sized bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Mix it all very well, and allow it to marinate for several hours or overnight. If desired, add a dash of cayenne pepper. Serve as a dip or dressing for salads. This is a spicy and delicious dressing, one I have used for many years.
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Baked Oregano Chicken
- 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 3/4)
This recipe makes 4 servings.
1. Heat oven to 425°. Spray jelly roll pan, 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch, with cooking spray.
2. Mix bread crumbs, cheese, oregano, garlic salt and pepper. Spread mustard on all sides of 4 chicken breasts. Cover mustard-coated chicken breasts with bread crumb mixture. Place all 6 chicken breasts in pan.
3. Bake uncovered about 25 minutes or until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Cover and refrigerate the 2 uncoated chicken breasts.
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The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
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Baked Mostaccioli
- 1 cup onions chopped
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 1/2 tablespoons parsley dried flakes, crushed*
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 28-ounce can tomatoes undrained
- 2 teaspoons oregano dried leaves, crushed*
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon basil leaves dried, crushed*
- 1 cup petite peas thawed
- 1 8-ounce package mostaccioli (about 2 1/4 cups)
- 3/4 pound ground beef
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 4 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded (about 1 cup)
This recipe makes 6 servings.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 2-quart oblong baking dish.
In a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, saute onion in oil until almost tender. Add parsley and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, place tomatoes with juice in a blender container. Cover and blend until tomatoes are chopped. Add to sauted vegetables along with oregano, sugar and basil. Cook and stir for 12 minutes.
Stir in peas. Cook 3 to 5 minutes longer or until mixture is reduced and thickened.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a second skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef until no longer pink. Drain off fat. Sprinkle with salt.
In a large bowl, stir together pasta, meat and one-half of the sauce. In a medium bowl, mix ricotta and Parmesan cheese.
To assemble, place half of the pasta mixture in baking dish. Spread with ricotta mixture. Add remaining pasta mixture and top with remaining sauce.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until very bubbly.
Sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese. Bake 3 to 5 minutes longer or until mozzarella melts.
*If using fresh, use three times the amount of dried herb or to taste. Fresh herbs should be chopped or minced.
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Baked Custard Recipe
- 2-1/2 cups tap water
- 1 cup instant nonfat dry milk
- 3 medium eggs
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons melted margarine
This is a delicious old-fashioned dessert that you don’t see very often any more. That’s a shame too because baked custard is one of those yummy comfort foods that is inexpensive, easy and nutritious.
Start off with your favorite mixing bowl. Pour the water into it and add the dry milk. Stir until the milk is dissolved. Add the eggs. Whisk or beat well. Add the sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and melted margarine. Mix again, for about 2 minutes by hand, or until the sugar is dissolved, the eggs are well incorporated and the margarine isn’t trying to rise to the top.
Oil a 1-1/2 to 2 quart sized casserole dish. Pour the custard into the casserole. Now you have to find another pan that is bigger than your casserole so you can make a “water bath” for your custard. I usually use a standard 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Place the casserole inside the pan. Now add tap water to the outer pan, a little at a time, until it is half-way up the side of the casserole. Place the whole contraption into the oven. Set the temperature for 350F. Bake for approximately 45 minutes. When you insert a knife into the baked custard it should come out clean. If your casserole is deep it make take longer than 45 minutes. If your casserole is shallow it may take less time.
When the custard is done remove it from the oven and the hot water bath. Allow it to cool for 1 or 2 hours. It may now be chilled until serving time, or served warm. Warm custard is good, but cold custard is better. If desired you may top your custard with a small spoonful of molasses or a sprinkle of cinnamon. This baked custard recipe makes 4 hearty servings, or 6 healthy servings.
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Baked Chicken in Honey Sauce
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon mustard prepared
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 broiler-fryer chicken (3 to 4 lb.), cut up
- 1 tablespoon water cold
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
This recipe makes 6 servings.
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Melt butter or margarine in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Add honey, orange juice, lemon juice, mustard, salt and curry powder. Mix well. Coat both sides of chicken pieces with honey mixture and place, skin-side down, in baking dish.
Bake for 30 minutes, basting occasionally. Turn chicken over and bake 30 minutes longer or until chicken tests done. Transfer chicken to a warm platter; cover and keep warm.
Transfer honey mixture to a small saucepan. In a small bowl or cup, mix cold water and cornstarch until smooth. Pour into honey mixture. Stirring over medium heat, bring to a boil and boil for 1 to 2 minutes.
Drizzle honey sauce over chicken and serve with fluffy hot rice.
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Bacon Gravy
- 2 to 4 ounces bacon, cut into small pieces OR 1/4 cup bacon grease (see note below)
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 cups milk (1 cup dry milk powder dissolved in 3 cups water)
This recipe is pretty easy and it is good too. Great over biscuits for breakfast or lunch. First cut the bacon into small pieces. Put it into a large skillet and fry it over medium heat. The bacon will release it’s fat. When the bits of bacon are well browned stir in the flour. Continue stirring until the flour absorbs all of the fat. Add the salt, sugar and black pepper. Start out with the smaller amount of pepper and add more later if desired. Slowly stir in the milk. Use a whisk or a fork to prevent lumps. Continue stirring until the gravy boils. Allow it to boil gently for about 5 minutes. It will thicken nicely. Serve over toast or biscuits or mashed potatoes.
NOTE: If you don’t have bacon, but you do have bacon grease, then use 1/4 cup of bacon grease instead of the bacon. Heat it in the skillet until it is bubbly. Stir in the flour and proceed as directed.
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The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
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Bacon Cheeseburger Quiche
- 16 ounces lean ground beef (2 cups)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 4 strips bacon, cooked and chopped in bits
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, to taste
- 1 teaspoon white peppers
This recipe makes 9 servings.
Brown ground beef in skillet with onion. Remove and mix in bowl with bacon pieces, breaking up any larger clumps with a fork or pastry mixer until you have a fine mix. Drain well of any excess grease and press into bottom of a deep-dish pie pan. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine remaining ingredients in mixer bowl and whip well. Pour mixture over the beef “crust” and back 40 – 45 minutes until top is browned and “set”. Cool 15 – 20 minutes before slicing.
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B-52 Steak Sauce
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons onion powder
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry orange peel, or 2 tablespoons fresh orange peel
Carefully measure all of the ingredients into a 2-quart saucepan. Whisk until smooth. Simmer gently over medium heat for about 20 minutes for the flavors to blend. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool. Transfer the sauce to a quart-sized canning jar and store in the refrigerator. Use anywhere you would Heinz 57 or A-1. It’s great with burgers, meatloaf, grilled chicken and even on a steak. It costs a fraction of the brand name versions and the fresh flavor really wakes up your taste buds. Guests will flip for it and beg you for the recipe.
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Avocado Papaya Salad
- 4 ripe papayas
- 2 small avocados, diced
- 1/3 c cashews, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 c cilantro, chopped
- Juice of one lime
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1 c arugula, chopped
Halve 2 of the papayas and discard seeds. Set aside.
Peel the other 2 papayas and discard seeds. Cut into small chunks and place in a medium bowl.
Add avocados, cashews, cilantro, lime juice and shallot to diced papayas and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with arugula.
Fill the 4 scooped out papayas with salad and serve.
Thanks go Carrie for this wonderful recipe. Click here for more whole foods recipes.
Aunt Cora’s Orange Chicken Recipe
- 1 10 1/2-ounce can chicken broth condensed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons orange rinds grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 broiler-fryer chicken (3 1/2 lb.), cut up and skinned
- 2 zucchini small (7 inches each), thinly sliced
- 2 carrots medium, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons parsley minced
This recipe makes 4 servings.
1. In a heavy 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, bring broth, tomato paste, orange rind and garlic to a boil. Add chicken; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add zucchini and carrots, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables and chicken are tender. Remove chicken to a heated platter, surround with vegetables; cover and keep warm while making sauce.
2. In a small bowl, combine orange juice and cornstarch. Stir into hot mixture in skillet. Stirring, bring to a boil and boil until thickened. Stir in parsley.
3. To serve, spoon sauce over chicken and vegetables.
Apple Potato Curry Soup
- 3 tart apples (such as Gala or Mcintosh), cored
- 2 large russet potatoes
- 2 T olive oil or butter
- 1 T curry powder
- 2 t onion powder
Cook potatoes in a 350 oven for 30 minutes. Add apples to oven and cook another 30 minutes or until all are very soft. Cool until you can handle them, then scoop out flesh from apples and potatoes into a bowl and mash.
Heat oil or butter in a saucepan and brown curry and onion powders for a few seconds until fragrant. Stir in apple potato mash and 4 cups water. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Excellent when served with a bit of fresh cream as a garnish.
Thanks go Carrie for this wonderful recipe. Click here for more whole foods recipes.
Pork Roasted with Spiced Apples
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 boneless pork loin roast (4-5 pounds)
SPICED APPLES:
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced
Combine salt, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon; rub over roast. Place roast, fat side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until thermometer registers 160°. Cover and let stand 15 minutes before slicing. In a medium skillet, combine the first six spiced apples ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened. Add apples; simmer, uncovered, until apples are just tender, stirring gently. Serve with sliced pork roast, potatoes or crusty bread
Both the pork roast and apples will freeze well (separately). Store individual portions in airtight containers.
Aloha Pork Chops
* 4 boneless pork chops approx. 3/4″ thick
* 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 cup sweet and sour sauce
* 1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks drained
* 1/2 medium green pepper julienned
* 1/2 cup red onions chopped
* 6 cups cold cooked rice
* 1/2 cup stir fry sauce
This recipe makes 4 servings.
1. Sprinkle pork chops with lemon-pepper. In a large skillet, brown chops on both sides in 1 t. oil over medium-high heat; remove and set aside.
2. Drain skillet; add sweet and sour sauce and pineapple chunks. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; return chops to skillet. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until juices run clear.
3. Meanwhile, in another skillet, sauté the green pepper and onion in 2 T. oil for 2 minutes. Add rice and stir-fry sauce; cook and stir for 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a serving platter; top with pork mixture and serve.
Healthy Carrot Cake Recipe
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 24 Splenda packets or 1 cup splenda
- 1 tbsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1/2 cup honey
- 4 cups shredded carrots
Frosting:
- 1/2 cup light whipped cream cheese
- 1tbsp powdered sugar
- 2 Splenda packets
Sift flour, baking soda, Splenda and cinnamon to remove any lumps. Beat eggs in a separate bowl and add in honey, applesauce and carrots. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until batter is just moistened. Place into a lightly sprayed 13×9 baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.
Frosting: Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and Splenda and spread on cooled cake.
Glazed Carrot Recipe
Tired of regular steamed carrots? Try this glazed carrot recipe instead. It won’t take you hardly any longer to make, but all that brown sugar will turn the carrots extra sweet and make a wonderful (and a bit indulgent) side dish. This goes perfect with any type of ham dish. We also like it with meatloaf.
Glazed Carrot Recipe
- carrots
- 4 Tbsp butter
- light brown sugar
- water
Wash carrots then peel and cut them into small chunks or slices. Place into a pot of water and boil them until they are tender. Drain well.
Melt butter in a hot skillet and add the carrots. Add as much brown sugar as you need to coat the carrots completely. Saute for 5 min to melt the sugar.
I like to serve these glazed carrots right away while they are still hot. If you are making these for a potluck or are having a lot of family over, scoop the finished product, glaze and all and put it in a small crockpot.
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Pineapple Carrot Cake
This pineapple carrot cake is a nice twist on the more traditional recipe. With the pudding and pineapple it stays nice and moist and you don’t need any frosting on it. A light dusting of powdered sugar is all it takes to make this cake look pretty and taste delicious. That also makes it perfect for lunch boxes.
Pineapple Carrot Cake Recipe
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 small box Jello vanilla instant pudding
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3 cups shredded carrots
- 1-8oz can crushed pineapple
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
In a large mixing bowl combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, vegetable oil, carrots, drained pineapple,nuts, cinnamon and salt.
Blend the batter with electric mixer until it is nice and smooth.
Pour into a greased 10 inch cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 min. Cool and dust with powdered sugar.
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The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Carrot Raisin Salad Recipe
Your kids will love this simple carrot raising salad recipe. It’s the perfect mixture between savory and sweet. It goes well with just about any dinner and will have your children gobble up their veggies without complaining.
Carrot Raisin Salad Recipe
- 4 cups shredded carrots
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup mayo or Miracle Whip
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp light cream
- 1/2 cup chopped walnut
- lettuce
In a small bowl mix together mayo, lemon juice, light cream, carrots, raisins and walnuts. Serve on a bed of shredded lettuce or lettuce cups.
The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends – Dining On A Dime
The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Stretching Ground Beef
Here is an easy way for your readers to get more for their money when purchasing ground beef.
This is for 4lbs. of ground beef.
Add 1 Cup of Seasoned or plain bread crumb to the ground beef
add 2-3 dashes of hot sauce,
2 raw eggs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
and if you like a south western flavor you can also add 1 teaspoon of cumin powder.
Mix all ingredients well.
Weigh out burger patties 5oz each wrap in plastic wrap, I find that press and seal are the best for freezing any meats because this product is air tight when properly sealed.
Put patties into freezer and thaw the amount that you want to cool for that day.
This is a great recipe for meatloaf as well just add a finely diced and green pepper to the mix. This is such a fantastic way to stretch your ground beef and and it saves you a lot of money.
B. Hicks
Highly Recommended – Penny Pinching Mama
Find out how Jill Cooper lived on $500 per month. This e-book is filled with over 500 practical, everyday ideas to help anyone stretch a small income.
Get your copy today at:
www.HillbillyHousewife.com/penny
Squash Casserole
3 medium yellow squash
12 crushed crackers (6 for inside and 6 on top)
1/2 cup milk
1 beaten egg
1 small chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 tsp. Sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Boil the squash until tender. Drain and mash up. Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish. Top with crumbled crackers and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Carrot Soup Recipe
This simple carrot soup recipe has long been a family favorite. I like it especially when I’m feeling a little under the weather. It also makes for a delicious light lunch when served with a plain muffin or some fresh baked bread.
Carrot Soup Recipe
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 can of beef broth
- 2 cans of sliced carrots
- 1 envelope Lipton Vegetable Soup mix
- 1 1/2 cups light cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Saute celery and onion in a pan until softened. Transfer to a pot and add broth, soup mix and carrots. Cook on low heat for 25min. Cool and puree. Add in cream and chill. Can be served hot or cold.
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The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Easy Carrot Cake Recipe
Using a box mix (or my own simple yellow cake recipe) makes this a very easy carrot cake recipe. The 2 cups of carrots are just enough to give this cake that special texture and sweet flavor. The salad dressing ensures that the cake stays moist and of course the frosting tops it all off.
This is a fun and easy cake to make with the kids and one that will hopefully get them interested in carrots as a regular vegetable or in a salad as well.
Easy Carrot Cake
- 1 box yellow cake mix (or homemade yellow cake)
- 1 1/4cup Miracle Whip salad dressing
- 4 eggs
- 1/4cup water
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup walnuts (chopped)
- vanilla frosting or cream cheese icing
Mix together cake mix, Miracle Whip, eggs, water and cinnamon until the batter is smooth. Fold in carrots and walnuts. Transfer to a 9×13 greased pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35min. Cool and cover with icing.
Tin Foil Dinners
I have heard a lot lately about tin-foil dinners/ pocket meals cooked in the oven to save on clean-up.
I am interested in creative recipes (not just the old hamburger onions potato and carrots) for tin-foil dinners, how long to cook them etc.
Those who use them, I would love to hear the pros and cons of doing so.
Treasures Gained Through Obstacles, Household Control Journal- HBHW Newsletter
July 14th, 2010
Editorial
Hi there and welcome to another edition of the Hillbilly Housewife Newsletter. We’ve been busy adding a bunch of new recipes to the HBHW website. You’ll find plenty of new summer veggie dishes in the recipe section. I’ve also continued to add more smoothie recipes to Healthy Hillbilly Housewife. I’m sure you and your family will enjoy these cool tasty treats as much as we do. There are perfect when you are in a rush as well.
In our family’s rush to get outside and play, I make shortcuts in our day-to-day household tasks. And, because I do, there are times when I let the ball drop on something – paperwork being my least favorite thing to do, that’s what usually gets ignored. Read this weeks article if, like me, you need to get control once again in the midst of your summer fun.
The inspirational quote and story I’ve chosen this week is about obstacles; not overcoming them so much as benefiting from them. Take a look if you will and see if there have been obstacles in your life that, once tackled, presented you with some sort of unforeseen treasure.
Those are my thoughts this week. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Feel free to email me at susanne@hillbillyhousewife.com
Warm Regards,
Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife
Inspirational Quote
Joy is of the will which labours, which overcomes obstacles, which knows triumph.
~William Butler Yeats~
News From The HBHW Club
If you haven’t heard about the Hillbilly Housewife Club, it’s a members only forum packed full of great information, resources, and friendly chit chat about the things we are all interested in – fun, frugal living. Come Join Us And See What All The Chatter Is About!
I look forward to chatting with you in the member area. Click the following link and try the HBHW Club for only $1.
http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html
I’d like to share one of the recipes that was posted on the HBHW Club this past week by a Club member:
Bleu Cheese Stuffed Burgers
- 2 lbs. ground chuck
- 2 TBSP fresh chopped parsley
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
- 2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
- 4 TBSP crumbled Bleu Cheese
In a large bowl, put everything except the Bleu Cheese. Combine gently with your hands. Divide meat into 8 even portions and form 8 thin patties. Put 1 TBSP of Bleu Cheese in the middle of 4 patties, then put the other 4 patties on top and squeeze edges closed.
Grill on medium hot grill for about 5 minutes, flip and grill for about 5 minutes more or until the ground beef is cooked as you like it. Serve on buns with condiments of your liking.
Listed here is a sampling of recent recipes added, making a total of more than 400 recipes currently available to our Club members.
- Basil & Tomato Stuffed Grilled Chicken Breasts
- Spicy Yogurt Marinaded Chicken Kabobs
- Grilled Stuffed Green Peppers
- Thyme Citrus Pork Kabobs
We welcome recipe submissions from our friends at the Club and are always happy to see what’s cooking in your kitchen. Our aim is to have six recipes posted each week. That’s a lot of recipes!
Featured Article
If you’re like me, summer is a very busy time. We want to cram in just as much fun as we possibly can before it’s back to school. When I’m rushing out the door, I often make shortcuts. These quick choices between organizing something and ignoring it can cause some real paperwork pile-ups.
When appointments are forgotten and bills are left unpaid, I know the time has come to organize these simple household tasks in a way I can gain control once again. Household journals are simple and effective ways to control the whirlwind of day-to-day responsibilities. Be sure to check out this week’s featured article to help you get your household back in order. Just click the link below to read:
Healthy Hillbilly Housewife
Here’s what’s new on the healthy hillbilly housewife section. You can also go straight to http://www.healthy.hillbillyhousewife.com
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Frugal Tips
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Do you have a tip to share? Fill out the submit a frugal tip form and I’ll be glad to add it to the site and share your tip in an upcoming edition of the newsletter.
Recipes
Here are some of the most recent recipes that have been added to the HBHW site. Enjoy!
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Do you have a recipe you would like to share? Click here to send it to me and I’ll be happy to add it to the website.
I’m Looking For:
This section is all about you. If you are looking for a particular recipe or a tip on how to do something, submit it here and I will post it in an upcoming newsletter. I’ll give you my input and other readers of the newsletter will have the opportunity to share their recipes and tips as well. So take a moment to post your questions and of course if you have a tip or idea for any question posted in this section feel free to leave a comment under the appropriate post.
I’m Looking For Requests
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I’m Looking For Responses
Below you will find some of the recent responses to the “I’m Looking For” Requests. You may also want to go directly to this section and browse through all the recent submissions and replies. To do so, click on “I’m Looking for” here, and start looking through them.
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Inspirational Story
The Obstacle In Our Path
~author unknown~
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.
Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.
After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.
The peasant learned what many of us never understand.
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.
Final Thought
That’s it for this edition of the Hillbilly Housewife Newsletter. I hope you’ve had as much fun reading it as I had creating it for you. I also hope that you have found the information helpful and useful. And by all means feel free to forward the newsletter to family and friends or even better, encourage them to subscribe to it.
Do you have a question, a tip, a recipe or a story you’d like to share with us? Email it to me and I’ll include it in a future issue. Can’t wait to see what you have to say.
Warm Wishes,
Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife
Fried Yellow Squash Recipe
I think I already mentioned that my husband is not a big squash fan. But whenever I make a batch of this fried yellow squash recipe he can’t get enough. I guess the breading and frying take out a lot of the “squash” taste that he doesn’t enjoy too much. Either way this is a dish that’s as yummy as it is frugal.
Fried Yellow Squash
- 2 medium squash
- 1/4 cup cold milk
- 1/2 cup self rising flour
- vegetable oil
Wash squash well. Cut into 1/4 slices. Place flour into a zipper bag and milk into a small dish. Dip squash in to milk first and then place in the bag of flour. Continue until you have all squash slices in the bag and seal. Shake well. Remove slices from bag and fry in 1/2 inch deep hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.
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Spaghetti Squash Recipe
Spaghetti squash is a great alternative to regular pasta. I first came across it when I eliminated carbs to lose some weight. This spaghetti squash recipe is one of the few dishes I still make regularly from that time. Very yummy, easy to make and kid-friendly.
Spaghetti Squash Recipe
- 2 small spaghetti squash
- spaghetti sauce (use your favorite or give this homemade tomato sauce recipe a try)
- Parmesan cheese
Wash and poke holes all over the squash. Place into boiling water and cook on low for 45 minutes. Squash should be fork tender. Drain squash, cut in half and scoop out the seeds. Rake a fork over the squash to remove the strands. Top with pasta sauce and Parmesan cheese.
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The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Zucchini Jelly
Did you know that you can make a delicious zucchini jelly with all that fresh squash in your garden? The strawberry and pineapple flavors in this recipe balance nicely with the zucchini for a yummy jelly even your kids will like.
Zucchini Jelly Recipe
- 6 cups shredded zucchini
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 6 oz (small box) strawberry jello
- 6 cups sugar
- 1 cup crushed pineapple
Place zucchini and a little bit of water in a saucepan and boil until the zucchini has softened. Add sugar, lemon juice and pineapple. Remove from heat and mix in jello. Transfer to clean jelly jars. Place jars in a water bath to seal the jars.
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The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Zucchini Fritter Recipe
I’ve been making this zucchini fritter recipe during the summer for as long as I can remember. They are delicious and make a yummy snack. Add a cup of homemade soup and you have a light summer lunch.
Zucchini Fritters
- 3 cups shredded zucchini
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Mix shredded zucchini,flour,cheese, salt and pepper together. Add in eggs.
Heat olive oil in a big frying pan and drop large spoonfuls of batter in. Fry for 5 minutes on each side.
Drain on paper towels and serve warm topped with Parmesan cheese or sour cream.
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The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Bisquick Zucchini Quiche
This bisquick zucchini quiche recipe is as simple as it is delicious. You can make it with fresh grated zucchini, or use frozen. If you use the zucchini frozen, allow it to thaw and then squeeze as much of the moisture out as you can so your quiche doesn’t turn soggy.
Bisquick Zucchini Quiche
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- 2 cups grated cheese
- 1 cup bisquick or homemade biscuit mix
- 3 eggs
- 1 small grated onion
- salt, pepper, garlic powder and basil to taste
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and then transfer to a greased quiche dish or pie plate. Top with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends – Dining On A Dime
The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Stuffed Zucchini Recipe
I love stuffed zucchini. My mom used to make them with sausage or with ground beef and they always turned out yummy. You can also make these with very large zucchini. They tend to get a bit tough during the baking process though because you need to increase the time a bit.
If you are making this with large zucchini, use a casserole dish and add a little bit of broth or even water to the bottom to help soften them up. Either way this is delicious and you can use just about any melting cheese in this stuffed zucchini recipe. I’ve made it with cheddar, american , swiss, provolone, mozzarella and even blue cheese crumbles. In a pinch even a few shakes of parmesan will do.
Stuffed Zucchini Recipe
- 2 medium zucchini
- 1/2 pound sausage
- 1/4 cup onion (chopped)
- 1/4 tsp. Basil
- 1 cup grated cheese
Slice zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the middle with a spoon.(save the inside) Brown onion and sausage and drain. Mix in the zucchini that you saved along with the basil and place the mixture back into the zucchini.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with your favorite cheese. Place back into the oven for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
Zucchini Pie
Start by making a pie crust or buying a store bought one that’s ready to be baked.
Filling:
- 3 cups zucchini (peeled and sliced)
- 1tsp. cinnamon
- 3 tbsp. lemon juice
Topping:
- 1cup flour
- 1cup sugar
- 1tsp. cinnamon
- 1tsp.nutmeg
- 1 stick of butter
Combine zucchini,lemon juice and cinnamon. Pour into the pie crust.
Mix all topping ingredients and place on pie. Cook on 350 degrees for 1 hour. Allow it to cool before serving. This is great with a little whipped topping or even a scoop of ice cream on top.
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The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Zucchini Cake Mix Recipe
This zucchini cake is similar to carrot cake. We like to make it a lot with frozen zucchini throughout the year. You can also grate big zucchinis that are too tough to cook as vegetables for this cake.
Zucchini Cake Recipe
- 3 cups peeled and shredded zucchini
- 3 cups sugar
- 4 eggs (beaten)
- 1 1/2 cups oil
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2tsp. salt
- 1 cup walnuts (chopped)
- 1 cup raisins
Make the batter by mixing all ingredients in a large bowl.
Grease a cake pan or bundt cake and sprinkle with flour. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
To turn this into a mix, combine all dry ingredients (including the nuts and raisins) and put them in a labeled ziplock bag. When you are ready to bake just add the zucchini, egg and oil. Mix until combined and bake as directed.
You can easily use frozen grated zucchini in this recipe. There is no need to thaw it. Just add the frozen zucchini to the batter and bake.
Zucchini Pineapple Cake
I hide vegetables anywhere I can to make sure my family gets plenty of them. This zucchini pineapple cake is one of those cases. If you don’t know that there’s zucchini in there you would never guess it.
Zucchini Pineapple Cake Recipe
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tbsp. Vanilla
- 1 cup oil
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- 1 cup crushed pineapple (drained)
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp.salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup walnuts (chopped)
Place eggs in a mixing bowl and beat until they are frothy. Add in sugar,vanilla,oil and zucchini. Follow with all of the dry ingredients. Fold pineapple and walnuts in last.
Transfer into a cake or loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Allow it to cool completely. I don’t think it needs a frosting at all, but if you’re so inclined, frost with vanilla frosting or even better, this homemade cream cheese frosting.
Recipe For Zucchini Casserole
I’ve been cooking with zucchini for as long as I can remember. My dad always grows a bunch of them in his garden as does my father-in-law. Needless to say we always have quite a few of these delicious to work with all summer. A few weeks ago I was experimenting with a new recipe for zucchini casserole. Here’s what I came up with. I had a box of seasoned croutons sitting in my pantry (don’t quite remember what I bought it for originally). In the future I plan on using croutons made form stale homemade bread, seasoned with a bit of garlic salt.
Recipe For Zucchini Casserole
- 4 cups zucchini (peeled,seeded and cubed)
- 1 medium onion
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 stick of butter or margarine
- 1 can cream of chicken soup (or homemade cream of anything soup flavored with a bit of chicken bullion)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 box seasoned croutons
Place prepared zucchini into a pot and boil until the zucchini is tender.Remove from heat and drain.
Melt butter in a frying pan and saute carrots and onions until tender. Remove from heat and add soup,sour cream,zucchini and half of the croutons.
Place in a buttered baking dish and cover the top with the remaining croutons. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Moist Zucchini Bread Recipe
This sweet bread makes for a wonderful breakfast or even a quick snack in the afternoon. I hope you give this moist zucchini bread recipe a try this summer. The finished product also makes a nice hostess gift, or make it for a bake sale. You can even freeze the baked bread and then thaw and reheat later in the year.
Moist Zucchini Bread Recipe
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3 cups self-rising flour
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup oil
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 1/2tsp. cinnamon
- 1 1/2tsp. cloves
Combine all wet ingredients in a large bowl followed by all dry ingredients. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees or until bread bounces back when you touch it. Allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Cream Cheese And Cucumber Sandwiches
Cream Cheese Cucumber Sandwiches aren’t just for fancy tea parties. They make for a wonderful light lunch in the summer time. The flavor is so light even kids enjoy them (though I usually leave the chives off for them).
For a fun lunch with your daughter or granddaughter, make a batch of these along with a pot of herbal tea and invite her and her favorite dolls for a tea party
Cream Cheese Cucumber Sandwiches
- 2 medium cucumbers (seeded and chopped
- 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
- 1 tsp. chives (finely chopped)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 loaf of bread
Peel cucumbers,remove seeds and chop. Mix in cream cheese,chives and salt. Spread a thin layer of butter on each slice of bread. Then spread cucumber mixture on top of buttered bread and top with another piece of bread. Cut the crust off the sandwich and cut diagonally. Chill for at least 2 hours. before serving.
If you are making these for a fancy tea party for little girls take some large cookie cutters (flowers, stars and hearts work well) and use them to cut the finished sandwiches into fun shakes. Do not cut the crust off or cut the sandwich diagonally. Just press the cookie cutters into the finished whole sandwiches.
You’ll have quite a bit of leftover sandwich. They make a quick lunch for you.
The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends – Dining On A Dime
The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Sweet Cucumber Pickle Relish
Summer is the perfect time to make this sweet cucumber pickle relish. What a wonderful way to preserve all of our favorite summer vegetables like cucumbers and sweet peppers. You can then use them throughout the year on sandwiches and salad.
Sweet Cucumber Pickle Relish Recipe
- 8 cups cucumber (peeled and chopped)
- 4 cups sweet peppers (chopped)
- 2 cups onion (chopped)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups vinegar
- 2 tsp. celery seed
- 2 tsp. turmeric
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
Place all ingredients into a large pot and cook on medium heat for about 30min.
Cool mixture and place into clean jars.
The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends – Dining On A Dime
The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Simple Chicken Lo Mein Recipe
My kids and husband love Lo Mein. I know there has to be something simpler than the complicated recipes I am finding. Anyone out there got one for the domestically challenged?
The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends – Dining On A Dime
The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Dairy Free
I am looking for dairy free recipes as I have a little one who’s allergic to the protein in milk, so we can’t do cheese, or goat & sheep’s milk as alternatives, anything with whey (another sneaky way of saying milk) etc., it would help greatly! Thanks!!
Protection From Okra And Bean Irritation
To protect my arms from the itchiness and irritation of picking okra and beans, I cut part of the toe of my husband’s old tube socks. Cut one wide width for your fingers and a small one for your thumb, leaving the small strip between. Then I put on a pair of garden gloves and I can pick okra and beans or cucumbers with no rash.I’ve done this for 2 years. Either wash them or throw them away,using old socks is a cheap alternative to the pricey garden gloves.
Highly Recommended – Penny Pinching Mama
Find out how Jill Cooper lived on $500 per month. This e-book is filled with over 500 practical, everyday ideas to help anyone stretch a small income.
Get your copy today at:
www.HillbillyHousewife.com/penny
Container For Homemade Wipes
What kind of containers are best for homemade wipes for baby or any homemade wipes for that matter (bathroom, window, bug wipes)?
Eliminate Rotting Chicken Odor from the Trash Can
Often if you bbq chicken on the weekend and you dispose of any of the raw organs in the trash outside, by trash pick up day you have a terrible stench from the rotting meat sitting in the heat.
You can eliminate this buy wrapping the pieces in a plastic grocery bag and freezing them until trash day.
Just put them in the trash frozen the morning of your trash pick up and you wont have a smelly trash can.
Highly Recommended – Penny Pinching Mama
Find out how Jill Cooper lived on $500 per month. This e-book is filled with over 500 practical, everyday ideas to help anyone stretch a small income.
Get your copy today at:
www.HillbillyHousewife.com/penny
Storing Cucumbers
Does anyone know how to store cucumbers so that they don’t go bad so quickly?
Icebox Pie
I don’t have a lot of information on this dessert. It was one my MIL used to make circa 1965. My husband recalls it contained bananas (the riper the better), whipped cream and pulverized Nilla wafers that she would then freeze solid. Knowing my hubby, he’s probably missing ingredients and or steps to the process. Can anyone help me reconstruct this recipe? Thanks
Clock and Compass, Time and Choices, Calm and Quiet – HBHW Newsletter
July 7th, 2010
Editorial
I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July celebration surrounded by family and friends. Also, a belated Happy Canada Day to our friends up north. Sorry I missed it. I hope your festivities were fun filled, as well.
My friend Ellen C. Brown of CreatingHours.com put the whole matter of feeling pulled apart by demands of family, work, and just life, into perspective in her heart tugging article “Time and Choices.” Please be sure to take time to read this week’s featured article.
I chose today’s inspirational quote and story so we could reflect a bit on time and goals. When we’re focused on hanging onto our goals and pushing hard to achieve them, we can lose focus. All our time may be spent pursuing goals and managing the time to achieve those goals. But, sometimes we need to step back, refocus, and maybe even let go. See what you think about taking all your time to pursue your goals when you may be heading in the wrong direction to begin with.
I’ve chosen Little Kid Crafts For All Seasons again as this week’s sponsor because after a long, fun weekend we need some quiet crafting time to cool down and relax. Summer fun is great, but all those hours outside playing in the sun can wear down kids and grownups alike. Some time indoors spent doing a few crafts might be just what you need right now.
Those are my thoughts this week. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Feel free to email me at susanne@hillbillyhousewife.com
Warm Regards,
Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife
Inspirational Quote
All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.
~Henry Ellis~
Sponsor
Little Kid Crafts For All Seasons – Kid Tested Crafts That Parents Love Too!
The busy 4th of July weekend is over and many of us are trying to return to a normal schedule. That’s not easy to do when kids are home and trying to get your attention. You need lots of projects to keep everyone busy and happy. But, in the midst of all this fun in the sun, everybody is going to get tired out. That’s why we need inside activities to get out of the sun, cool down, and relax.
This ebook has over 200 pages of kid-created and kid-tested ideas to help keep your little ones quietly busy all summer long.
In addition, when you order Little Kid Crafts For All Seasons you’ll receive hundreds of fresh ideas, along with this great bonus, Little Kid Paper Plate Crafts. That’s almost 400 pages of crafts for kids as young as 2 years old.
Be sure to check out this valuable book and take advantage of the bonus offer today! For only $19.95 you’ll receive two great sources with almost 400 pages of kid-tested crafting projects. Take a break and enjoy some calm, quiet fun with your kids. Order your ebook today.
News From The HBHW Club
If you haven’t heard about the Hillbilly Housewife Club, it’s a members only forum packed full of great information, resources, and friendly chit chat about the things we are all interested in – fun, frugal living. Come Join Us And See What All The Chatter Is About!
My friend Ellen Braun from RaisingSmallSouls.com has been helping us figure out some quiet, cool fun to do at home and elsewhere with her informative resource FRUGAL SUMMER FUN. Many parents welcome a little calm retreat from all the fun in the sun, and this resource is packed with ideas for places to go and things to do to cool off and relax with the kids.
If you’d like to have access to this resource, and many more like it, just click on the link and take advantage of our special offer to join the HBHW club. http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html
This is just one of our many informative resources at the HBHW Club. Our topics include subjects like making money working at home, meal planning, gardening, saving on utilities, creating a family budget, and a step-by-step plan for getting out of debt. Join the HBHW Club and grab your FREE resource today!
As a special to you, the HBHW newsletter subscriber, you can join for only $10 per month. Click on this link for all the details: http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html
Still not sure about joining the HBHW Club? How about if I make it real easy. I’ll let you try it out for just a dollar for the first 7 days.
How will you benefit from joining the HBHW Club with this offer?
- For just $1 you’ll have 7 days of access to over 400 great frugal recipes that are tried and true, with a new recipe every day.
- For just $1 you’ll have 7 days to ask your most puzzling frugal homemaking questions – and even get answers!
Join us now and enjoy 7 days of frugal fun. Click on the link here and come aboard! http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html
Now, let’s just take a peek at what’s been going on at the HBHW Club Forum.
Cooking Whole Chickens has our Club members talking. When was the last time you compared the price of chicken breasts versus a whole chicken? Well, it seems that has caught the attention of several of our friends at the Club. They each have decided they’ll figure out how to adapt any recipes they have and also learn how to cut up a whole chicken rather than buy the parts. Even those boneless, skinless chicken breasts are right there for the taking! Good frugal thinking!
The Walking Challenge has truly become a challenge. Our friends at the Club have been trying to stick to their exercise plan, but many of us (me included) have found it difficult. Whether it’s the heat or the lack of motivation, we have fallen off. Well, accountability is step one to sticking with a program. So, I’ve challenged our Club members to exercise every day for one week solid and then report back to say how they feel. I guarantee they will notice a difference. You can’t help but feel better when you got in your exercise that day!
A Rummage Sale Find may have gone into the trash if we hadn’t been able to solve this problem. One of our friends found a great blanket for very little money. But, when she put it in the wash machine, the cigarette smoke odor was absolutely offensive. With a few suggestions from our Club members, she got that smell out and now has a lovely new blanket, all fresh as a daisy. Sometimes it just takes a little brainstorming to come up with just the right strategy.
As you can see, our topics have a wide range – anywhere from homesteading, to pet care, to frugal gardening, to health and fitness, to fun projects to keep kids busy at home. If something has to do with keeping our homes and families happy, we’ll discuss it!
How would you like to join the conversation? As a Club member, you’ll be able to share your opinions, frugal tips, and ideas on topics most important to your life.
Why don’t you join us so you can get in on the conversation. I look forward to chatting with you in the member area. Click the following link and try the HBHW Club for only $1.
http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html
When you join us at the HBHW Club, you’ll want to be sure to take a stroll through the resources available free to Club members only. Popular resources include:
- Craft Blog For Fun And Profit
- Frugal Gardening
- Simple Summer Cooking
- Frugal Family Summer Fun
- Pantry Cooking
- Freezer/Pantry Challenge & Meal Planning
- Cleaning With Vinegar And Baking Soda
- Setting Up A Family Budget
- Getting Out Of Debt For Good
- Utility Bill Savings
- Meal Planning Guide – Simple Step-by-Step Method
Let me know what you think of the resources and if there are any topics we should explore further. As a Club member, your opinion is highly valued because it’s YOUR Club!
Join The Hillbilly Housewife Club for Just a Dollar
I’d like to share one of the recipes that was posted on the HBHW Club this past week by a Club member:
Pine Nut & Parmesan Burgers
- 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup dry fine bread crumbs
- 2/3 cup pine nuts
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (not the dry kind in the canister)
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 eggs, beaten with fork
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well, using your hands. Form into 4 patties and cook covered on a medium hot grill.
Put on direct heat for 2 minutes, flip cook on direct for another 2 minutes, flip and move to indirect heat and cook for another 2 minutes, flip and cook for 2 minutes more. You want this cooked well so all the flavors blend.
Listed here is a sampling of recent recipes added, making a total of more than 400 recipes currently available to our Club members.
- Fancy Condiments
- Grilled Oregano & Basil Tuna Steaks
- Whole Grilled Chicken
- White BBQ Grilling Sauce
We welcome recipe submissions from our friends at the Club and are always happy to see what’s cooking in your kitchen. Our aim is to have six recipes posted each week. That’s a lot of recipes!
Featured Article – Time and Choices
We, especially parents, are often called upon to make hard choices. Choices about our kids, ourselves, work, health, food, and, of course, time.
How much time are you spending on things that don’t matter to your goals, your family, your health, or your life? Are you acquiescing to demands that have no value in your overall life plan? How are outside forces determining what you do each day? Where do you and your life fit in the scheme of things?
Please click on and read this powerful article written by my friend Ellen Brown of CreatingHours.com and see if you don’t feel a few heart strings pulled.
Healthy Hillbilly Housewife
Here’s what’s new on the healthy hillbilly housewife section. You can also go straight to http://www.healthy.hillbillyhousewife.com
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Frugal Tips
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Do you have a tip to share? Fill out the submit a frugal tip form and I’ll be glad to add it to the site and share your tip in an upcoming edition of the newsletter.
Recipes
Here are some of the most recent recipes that have been added to the HBHW site. Enjoy!
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Do you have a recipe you would like to share? Click here to send it to me and I’ll be happy to add it to the website.
I’m Looking For:
This section is all about you. If you are looking for a particular recipe or a tip on how to do something, submit it here and I will post it in an upcoming newsletter. I’ll give you my input and other readers of the newsletter will have the opportunity to share their recipes and tips as well. So take a moment to post your questions and of course if you have a tip or idea for any question posted in this section feel free to leave a comment under the appropriate post.
I’m Looking For Requests
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I’m Looking For Responses
Below you will find some of the recent responses to the “I’m Looking For” Requests. You may also want to go directly to this section and browse through all the recent submissions and replies. To do so, click on “I’m Looking for” here, and start looking through them.
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Inspirational Story
The Compass or The Clock
~author unknown~
What comes first, the compass or the clock?
Before one can truly manage time (the clock), it is important to know where you are going (the compass).
What your priorities and goals are, in which direction you are headed is more important than how fast you are going.
Rather than always focusing on what’s urgent, learn to focus on what is really important.
Final Thought
That’s it for this edition of the Hillbilly Housewife Newsletter. I hope you’ve had as much fun reading it as I had creating it for you. I also hope that you have found the information helpful and useful. And by all means feel free to forward the newsletter to family and friends or even better, encourage them to subscribe to it.
Do you have a question, a tip, a recipe or a story you’d like to share with us? Email it to me and I’ll include it in a future issue. Can’t wait to see what you have to say.
Warm Wishes,
Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife
How To Preserve Sweet Peppers
I am looking for a recipe for preserving sweet and hot peppers.
Braised Cucumbers
Cucumbers are usually served cold, in a salad of some sort. Did you know that they are also delicious as a hot side dish? Give these braised cucumbers a try.
Braised Cucumber Recipe
- 4 large cucumbers
- 1 small can chicken broth
- 1 cup celery (chopped)
- 2 TBSP. diced pimentos
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp. dried chervil
Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Then cut into chunks. Place them into a saucepan with all other ingredients and bring to a boil and them simmer for about 5 minutes. Drain and serve.
The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends – Dining On A Dime
The Dining On A Dime Cookbook is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies. The recipes are easy to cook with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make shopping easy and economical, it also includes a pantry list and a shopping list.
Order your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/dime
Greek Cucumber Salad
Mixing sour cream and yogurt for this dressing turns out really well and of course it wouldn’t be Greek without plenty of garlic. Yum! What a perfect summer salad to go with just about anything cooked on the grill.
Greek Cucumber Salad Recipe
- 2 medium cucumbers
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
First peel the cucumbers and slice them very thinly. Mix together the remaining ingredients and cover the cucumbers. Chill in the fridge and serve cold.
Cucumber And Onions In Vinegar
This is such a simple dish, but these cucumber and onions in vinegar are so delicious during the hottest weeks of the summer.
- 4 medium size cucumbers
- 2 small videlia onions
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
Slice cucumbers and onions thinly. Combine vinegar,sugar and salt in a small bowl and pour over cucumbers and onions. Chill in the fridge and drain the juice before you eat them.
Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Soup
- 6 tomatoes (cut into quarters)
- 1 onion (diced)
- 3 cloves of garlic (peeled)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 2 cans black beans (15 oz)
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1/4 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Combine tomatoes,onions,garlic,oil,salt and pepper. Place on a baking pan and roast in the oven until the onion has browned and garlic is soft. This usually takes about 45min.Then place into a large pot and add beans,broth,chili powder,and salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil then turn down heat and simmer for about 20min.
Serve hot with a spoonful of sour cream.
Roasted Tomatoes
Roasting tomatoes brings out the sweetness in them. You get an entirely different flavor combination that from just garden ripe tomatoes. Give roasted tomatoes a try. They make a wonderful side dish when you are grilling, or for just about any chicken or pasta main course.
Roasted Tomato Recipe
- 4lbs. fresh garden tomatoes
- 5 gloves of garlic (minced)
- 5tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Spray a large baking pan with non-stick spray.
Wash and core tomatoes. Slice the tomatoes lengthwise and place cut side up on baking pan. Mix garlic and oil and spread onto tomatoes.Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 6-8hrs.
Tomato Soup From Scratch
To me, there’s nothing more comforting than a nice hot bowl of tomato soup served with a slice of crusty homemade bread. For most of the year I make my tomato soup with canned tomatoes, but in the summer, when garden tomatoes are ripening on the vine, there’s nothing better than a big pot of tomato soup from scratch. It’s a lot easier than you may think and the fresh flavor is unbelievable. Give it a try.
Tomato Soup From Scratch
- 3lbs of fresh,ripe tomatoes
- 8 oz chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2cup finely chopped celery
- 1/2cup finely chopped onion
- 2tbsp flour
- 2tbsp basil
Place tomatoes and broth into a large stock pot.Cook on low heat for 30 min. Remove tomatoes from the stock pot and strain to remove seeds and skins. Transfer back into the stock pot. Add flour,celery,onion and basil and cook on low heat for an additional 20min.
Creamy Cucumber Salad Recipe
The buttermilk in the dressing makes this cucumber salad extra creamy. I also really like cucumbers and dill mixed together. It’s a great summer salad and looks pretty enough for company.
Creamy Cucumber Salad Recipe
- 2 cups of peeled and sliced cucumbers
- 1/4 cup Vidalia onion (finely chopped)
- 1/2 cup cold buttermilk
- 3tbsp mayonnaise
- 1tbsp fresh dill (finely chopped)
- 1/8tsp salt
- 1/8tsp pepper
Place buttermilk,mayo,salt,pepper and dill into a small bowl and stir until creamy and smooth. Line a shallow dish with lettuce followed by the cucumbers and onion. Top with buttermilk mixture and serve immediately.
Let me know how you like this recipe and of course if you have your own creamy cucumber salad recipe be sure to share it as a comment below.
Cherry Tomato And Mozzarella Salad
4 cups ripe cherry tomatoes
6-8ozs. fresh mozzarella cheese balls (smaller ones are good for this recipe)
1/4cup torn or chopped basil leaves
2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice (to your own taste)
Sea salt (to your taste)
Cut tomatoes and mozzarella balls into halves. Mix in basil an olive oil.
Season with lemon juice and sea salt.
This salad is great as an appetizer or for a light brunch.
How To Make Stewed Tomatoes
Here is another delicious and super simple tomato recipe. If you’ve been wondering how to make stewed tomatoes, you will love this simple crockpot recipe. It’s as easy as peeling the fresh ripe tomatoes and cooking them with a few veggies and spices in your slowcooker. Couldn’t be simpler, but it really makes the sweetness of the tomatoes come out. What a great summer side-dish.
Stewed Tomatoes
- 7 large ripe tomatoes
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 3/4 cup celery (chopped)
- 1/2 cup green pepper (chopped)
- 2 tbsp butter or margarine
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 2 small bay leaves
Blanch tomatoes first. To do this, score an “X” on the bottom of each tomato and place them into boiling water for 20 seconds. Then remove tomatoes from boiling water and place into a bowl of ice water. This process makes it very easy to peel the tomatoes quickly.
After peeling you can core the tomatoes and remove the seeds. Place all ingredients together in a crock pot and cook on low heat for 8 hours.
Fourth Of July Holiday Safety Tips
With Independence day weekend just around the corner, it’s important to keep a few simple things in mind to make sure you and your family stay safe.
Be Careful Around Fireworks
Quite a few serious holiday related accidents happen each year around fireworks. Your safest option is to enjoy the display from a distance. Most cities and townships put on a professional display. Find out where yours is, get there early and find a comfy spot. We like to bring out blankets, chairs along with some drinks and snacks and then just sit back and enjoy the show.
If you do want to shoot your own fireworks start by making sure it is allowed in your area. A quick call to the fire marshal will clear things up. He can also give you some additional tips for staying safe. After that, use common sense. Don’t drink and shoot fireworks and always keep kids at a safe distance. You should also have some water and/or fire extinguisher close buy just in case. It is also important to buy your fireworks at a reputable dealer and never try to make and shoot your own.
If your child will go to a fireworks display for the first time, try to explain what will be going on, especially the noise. Choose a spot that’s a little ways away from the display (to muffle the noise), but which will still give you a good view of the fireworks in the sky. For a few years my daughter was afraid of the loud noise. I started bringing her some ear plugs and she had a ball.
Water Safety Tips
Beaches, Lakes and Rivers are always a popular 4th of July destination as are pools and can get pretty crowded. This makes even more important to use caution. Keep a close eye on kids in and around the water. Put life jackets on kids in the water as well as on boats. Of course it goes without saying that being in, around or on the water while drinking is never a good idea.
Don’t rely on lifeguards to keep your kids safe. You always want to keep an eye on them yourself as well and be ready to jump in and get them.
Don’t Forget The Sun Screen
While we are on the topic of water… it’s easy to get sun burned around the water or even if you are just hanging out at a local park or in your own back yard. Apply sun screen and make sure you reapply throughout the day as water and sweat wear off the protection from the rays.
Just as important is staying well hydrated (bring plenty of water to drink) and to avoid over heating. Find some shade or head inside for a bit with the kids to allow everyone to cool down.
Simple Food Safety
Last but not least, let’s talk about food. After all, we tend to celebrate this holiday with lots of yummy dishes. Here are a few tips to keep the food from going bad.
Skip the Mayo or Serve it Right Away
Salads with mayonnaise based dressings (think pasta and potato salad) are always popular, but can go bad rather quickly. Your simplest option is to skip them. If you do want to serve something with mayonnaise, keep it cold (at home in the fridge, outside in a well iced cooler), then serve it right away. Toss any leftovers.
Careful With The Meat
Meat outside is also often a concern. Start by being very careful not to cross contaminate anything with raw meat. Use separate cutting boards, plates, containers, knives etc. and be diligent about cleaning everything that has come in contact with raw meat right away.
Cook the meat to at least 165 F before serving. Make sure it stays hot until your guests are ready to eat. Keeping hot foods at above 140F is usually a good idea. (Cold foods by the way should be kept below 40F). Cover finished items with aluminum foil to keep up the heat. Your best option is often to cook meats on the grill to order.
Above all, just toss anything that has been left out for a while. It’s not worth the risk of salmonella or food poisoning.
Stay safe and have a wonderful Fourth Of July!
4th Of July Dessert Recipes
Flag Cake
• 1 package cake mix (white or yellow) *
• 8 oz whipped topping (thawed)
• 1 pint blueberries rinsed and drained
• 2 pints strawberries rinsed and sliced
Prepare cake according to package directions and bake in a 9×13 inch pan. Cool completely.
Frost cake with whipped topping. Place blueberries in a square in the top left corner, and arrange sliced strawberries as stripes to make an American flag. Chill until serving.
* using a store bought cake mix is a great time saver, but when I can, I just make up a batch of this yellow cake recipe. It doesn’t take much longer to make and tastes better.
A fun healthy snack or dessert is these simple fruit kabobs. They look very pretty as well.
4th of July Fruit Kabobs
• Bananas
• Strawberries
• Large Fresh Blueberries
• Kabob Skewers
Slice bananas into large chunks. Alternate fruit on skewers. Serve immediately.
Last but not least here is a fun dessert that also doubles as a simple activity for the kids. I recommend you either do this outside and have the kids work with the sprinkles over paper plates for easy cleanup.
Pretzel Sparklers
• Long rod pretzels
• White chocolate, melted or white chocolate frosting if you have younger kids doing this.
• Sprinkles (red, white and blue) or star cake decorations
Melt the white chocolate. Dip the pretzel rod halfway into the melted chocolate then sprinkle the sprinkles over the wet chocolate. Lay on waxed paper or place in a cup to dry.