July 9th 2009

Editorial

This is a very busy and kind of sad week for me. When you are reading this, my family and I are on our way to the air port to fly to Germany to visit my family. We were already planning an extended trip over there this summer and then found out this past weekend that my grandmother passed away. We’ll be flying in just in time to attend her funeral that same day.

I’m sorry I’m keeping this kind of short, but wanted to go ahead and get this newsletter out to you. Got to go pack the rest of our stuff and then try to get some sleep. I do love that today’s technology allows me to finish this newsletter in the evening and then have it automatically go out to you in the morning.

I’ll give you another update on our family visit and anything else going on in the Hillbilly Household in the next newsletter.

That’s it for 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

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Reader Question

I have a 10 lb bag of chicken leg quarters that I bought on sale frozen. I was wondering if I can put them in the slow cooker frozen to cook or if I should let them thaw first. I thought it would be so easy to just dump them in the crock pot and go on about my business, use some of it for dinner now and save the rest of the meat off the bone for future recipes.  Just want to make sure I’m not going to do something that’s going to make everyone sick
Love the newsletters, thanks for your help…
Val

Hi Val, I usually thaw the chicken before I add it to the crockpot to make sure it cooks evenly. You can quickly defrost them in the microwave, or if you think about it ahead of time, defrost them overnight in the fridge.

At grocery stores I always see those “just add milk” muffin baking mixes. They come in little pouches that make 6 muffins for about $1. They’re quite tasty, and certainly easy, but they don’t come in “bulk” sizes. I’d love to find a recipe for the pre-mixed dry ingredients so I can make a big batch to keep in a container in the pantry, and then if I just want a few I can scoop out a cup of mix, add a cup of milk and be done. ir I can double if needed. (just guessing on the ratio, might not be 1 to 1) If anybody has a ready-made-mix recipe, I would really appreciate it!
Tracy K

Hi Tracy,
I have a recipe for a muffin mix here
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/sweetwheatmuffinmix.htm

News From The HBHW Club

This is a new section of the newsletter. Each week I’m going to share some tidbits of what’s going on at the HBHW Club with you. I hope you enjoy these extra tips, recipes and ideas and of course would love to have you join the club. As a HBHW newsletter subscriber, you can join for only $10 per month here:

http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html

Here’s one of the recipes that were submitted this past week.

Potluck Bean Pot

* 3 slices of bacon, diced and fried until done, reserve drippings
* 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped fine
* 1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
* 1/2 cup ketchup
* 3 tblsp brown sugar
* 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tsp dry mustard
* 1 big can (about 20 oz) pork and beans, undrained
* 1 big can (about 20 oz) kidney beans, undrained
* 1 big can (about 20 oz) green beans, drain halfway
* salt to taste

In Dutch oven, fry up the bacon, do not drain.  Add the bell pepper and onion, cooking in bacon drippings until onion just starts to turn transparent.  Then, stir in all the remaining ingredients.  Cover and bake in 350 degree oven for about an hour.  This is good for a potluck or neighborhood picnic.

• Maple Raisin Drop Cookies
• Pan Fried Cauliflower
• Cool Fruit American Flag
• Milwaukee German Potato Salad
• Layered Beef Spaghetti Casserole

All in all, we have over 150 new recipes in the member area already.

This week we’ve been talking about what to do when your credit card company suddenly raises your minimum payment, making cornbread mix, getting through labor and making to-do lists.

Ready to join us? We’d love to have you! http://www.hillbillyhousewifeclub.com/special.html

Featured Article

This week’s article is was written by Ms. Maggie, the previous HillbillyHousewife.  I’ve always loved her take on aprons and thought I’d share her Apron Evangelism with you today. I hope you will find it as inspiring and entertaining as I have.

Apron Evangelism

Frugal Tips

To Kelly, (who likes the 5 Minutes a Day Bread) (I saw this recipe featured in Mother Earth News and then bought the book for my niece as a wedding shower gift), I would like to also suggest that Kelly try english muffins with this dough (no need to heat up the oven that way).

I sprinkle flour on the dough so I can pull off pieces of the dough a little larger than a meatball.  I sprinkle some yellow cornmeal on a saucer.  I kind of pat the dough until its about the size and thickness of a baked sugar cookie.  Lay the patted out disc on the saucer/cornmeal and flip so that both sides are covered in yellow cornmeal.  Heat a nonstick skillet to medium (NO OIL OR COOKING SPRAY NEEDED).  Place your discs in there.  Put on a lid and cook until starting to brown (they will rise quite a bit).  Flip, and cook the other side.  These english muffins are so fabulous and I think they would be good with soup or even some chicken salad or something.  I like them because I don’t have to heat up the oven.

Yes, this is the best new method I have seen for bread baking.  My family loves it too!  I make pizzas with it (on the gas grill outside), the english muffins, I think you could also wrap it around a hot dog for pigs in a blanket.  The recipe for this dough (read the entire article – lots of good stuff in there) is found at the Mother Earth magazine site:  http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Artisan-Bread-In-Five-Minutes-A-Day.aspx  (I actually use a whole packet of yeast so I don’t have to measure that part and it turns out just fine!  I don’t use a whole Tablespoon and a half, I just dump in the yeast packet.  Plus this recipe is so easy that after a few times you will remember it in your head and be able to make it without dragging out the recipe.)  I bet this dough would also be good fried for donuts, and they do have a cinnamon roll recipe posted at that link.

I don’t have a pizza peal that they refer to in the article.  I use a sideless cookie sheet, but you could probably just put it on a reg cookie sheet and using a wide spatula, transfer it to whatever pan you are heating in your oven.

I don’t even use the pan of water.  I just throw in about 3 ice cubes into the bottom of my oven and shut the door.  This makes enough steam to give you the crunchy crust.  If you don’t use the steam method (omit water or ice), you end up with a little softer crust which is easier to slice.  When I have the crunchy crust (like Panera), I have to use my electric knife for slicing, but we love it that way since we don’t have Panera or anything similar in our small town!

I hope you all are as sold on this one as I am.

Gina

Recipes

This week’s first recipe is one of my best dessert recipes. It’s for a banana cream pie. My extended family asks me to make this all the time and I’m of course glad to do it.

Banana Cream Pie Recipe

Next we have a couple of reader submitted recipes. The first is for a simple but oh so delicious vegetable soup that you can put together in no time at all. HBHW Newsletter reader Amanda L. shared this recipe.

Vegetable Soup Recipe

Last but by no means least is a recipe from Loretta for a healthy carrot raisin salad. I can’t wait to try this one.

Carrot Raisin Salad

I’m Looking For:

This section is going to be all about you. If you are looking for a particular recipe or a tip on how to do something, email it to me and I will post it in an upcoming newsletter. I’ll give you my input and will also post any suggestions other readers of the newsletter come up with. So take a moment to write me your questions and of course if you have a tip or idea for any question posted in this section feel free to send me that as well.

Here’s this week’s requests:

Do you know if any of your coffee mix recipes will work to make blended
coffee drinks like frappochinos ?
Jenadina

Hi, I’m looking for recipes that have infant cereal in them. I have a ton
of baby cereal and I don’t know what to do with it.
Jen

Thak you for writing the hillbilly housewife. If I may ask… I’m
looking for an herbal quick bread recipe. Uses no yeast and tasted
great with cheddar cheese and mustard. Made it for Christmas presents
a long time ago, maybe 20 years or more.
Irene

I’m trying to find a recipe for
marshmallow ice cream topping. I tried just spooning on marshmallow
creme – just got a sticky white glob. Will appreciate any help.
Marlene Seaward

Looking for a recipe of a peach pie I had years ago. It had some type of soft cream filling, almost a pudding consistency, and peaches inside. It was in a regular pie crust. I cannot remember if it had a top crust.
Joconna,Ohio

Dear Susanne, I am looking for a molasses cookie recipe. The recipe I have makes flat cookies. I’m looking for one that makes cake-like cookies.
Pegge W

Hi Susanne,
I’ve been trying to find a home-made recipe for Cream of Tomato Soup made with canned tomatoes, milk & some cream with baking soda added. It was almost sweet ; it tasted that good.
redskin.

I bought some poblano pepper plants this year as I like to try to grow something different.  I also have the sweet green pepper plants but I was wondering if anyone had some creative ideas to use the poblano pepper for.  I know it’s traditionally for chili rellenos but I just may need some other ideas.  I know they’re pretty expensive in my grocery store and I thought I might as well try to grow my own and I have 4 plants, so I may have quite a few.  Are these the “green chilis” we get in the can?  I did think of maybe roasting them and freezing them to add into my chili and such but other than that, ???
Rachel, Iowa

And here are last issue’s requests followed by the recipes and ideas submitted since then:

I’m looking for a lasagna recipe. It is a rolled lasagna, cinnamon roll style, and contains frozen spinach (thawed) and perhaps some ground beef and/or sausage. Can you help?
Thank you,
Roger

Roger posted a question about how to make lasagna roll ups and I just wanted to provide a link to step by step instructions on how to make it: http://4hatsandfrugal.blogspot.com/2008/10/lasagna-roll-ups.html.
Amiyrah

For the person who wanted lasagna in a roll similar to cinnamon rolls ….
here is the recipe i use to make lasagna for myself. It is easy to make
and the leftovers freeze very well. It comes from the Food Network from
Giada DeLaurentis. The recipe is excellent and i often share my leftovers
with my kids. Sign onto Food Network and search for Lasagna Rolls from Giada
DeLaurentis. Hope this helps ….. you will enjoy the taste.
Barbara

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Dear Susanne as a child to many years ago to mention my mother served us a meal of creamed turkey and peas. I am hoping that you or some of your readers can recall the recipe. I have searched many website’s but have not found one. Thank you
Roy

This is for the reader wanting a recipe for creamed turkey and peas.

My mother would often make creamed tuna, which would be just as good
with turkey. Just make a basic white sauce (cook butter and flour in a
saucepan for a minute, then whisk in milk, season to taste with salt,
pepper and maybe some onion or garlic powder). Then add a can of tuna -
or some cooked turkey – and some frozen peas. Cook for another minute
or so until heated through.

This is a very economical dish that’s very comforting and absolutely
delicious over hot biscuits. It can also be served over rice or toast.

Diva

Susanne,  I have 2 recipes that have been requested by fellow housewife’s.  The first one is called Creamed Turkey (or chicken).  2 c. cooked and cubed turkey, 1 c. cooked and drained peas, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, 1 tsp. grated onion and 1 (10 1/2 oz) can of condensed cream of celery or chicken or mushroom soup.
Combine all ingredients except soup and let stand in refrigerator about 1 hr.  Pour undiluted soup in top of double boiler.   Add turkey(chicken) mixture and blend together.  Cover and heat through.  serve over toast or biscuits.  Serves 6.

The other recipe is called a Swiss dressing (instead of Irish)
4 slices of bacon – cut into pieces and crumbled, 1 Tbsp. flour, pinch of salt, 1/2 c. water, 1/3 c. vinegar, 4 fresh green onions chopped, 2 hard-boiled eggs, lettuce from garden.
Fry bacon till crisp and remove onto paper towels.  Brown flour and salt in hot bacon grease over medium heat.  have sugar, vinegar and water stirred together and ready to pour into flour when nice and brown.  Don’t let it bubble over.  Keep stirring the mixture.  Cook a minute until it thickens.  When dressing is cooled off you might want to add a bit of cream or milk if too thick.  Pour over lettuce and add bacon, eggs and onions then toss with lettuce.

Nancy B

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I was hoping some of your other readers might be able to tell me a homemade remedy for severe acid reflux.  My boyfriend lost his job and all of his health insurance.  He has been taking a prescription for Nexium which is the only medication that would ever help him now he cannot afford it.  He will try anything to get some relief.

requests – about the lady asking for help for her boyfriend, he might try
aloe vera juice. You can find it in the pharmacy section at Wal-Mart. I
used to use a berry flavored kind, and it really helped with the gas from my
IBS. Maybe it would help him. He could give it a try.
– Jacqueline

Prilosec etc are expensive ways to really mess up your digestive system.  Stomach acid is supposed to be strong enough to destroy harmful bacteria carried by ourt food, and strong enough to break  down proteins we eat so that their nutrients can be absorbed farther oon down the d igestive system.  All the “remedies” so glibly advertised by pharmaceutical companies actually can be very harmful.  Much better to change one’s lifestyle — cut way back in the foods you notice trigger hertburn, eat less per meal instead of overloading your stomsch, eat supper early enough that you  don’t go to bed with a full tummy of undigested food.  On the occasions when you do feel that upswelling, mix a small amount of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) in a small amount of water (half a teaspoon in half a cup) and drink it.  You will burp, that feeling will go away, and your esophagus will have the acid neutralized. You should avoid swallowing air (chewing gum?)
and carbonated drinks until your problem eases up.   this is also a great way to counteract the aftertaste of nausea — rinse your mouth with it.  This helped me through 9 months of “morning nausea” during three pregnancies.  I did not drink it then, to avoid the extra sodium, I just swished & spit, but it really helped to clear that horrible aftertaste.   I hope you find this helpful.
Doctors don’t talk patients through these things — it is quicker to write a prescription for which they will get a kickback from the drug salesman.

Margaret in Texas

I too have had acid reflux, I have used Prilosec OTC with great relief…
and wonder if you have tried that…. if not my husbands Uncle had horrible
GERD and started taking plain vinegar for it, he says it stopped the acid
reflux completely, my sister swears by it to end her heartburn, and she
swears by chewing gum after eating…. I have tried the gum and it actually
works! I saw the vinegar tip on the TV and they say that when you get
heartburn or acid reflux instead of having too much acid in your stomach you
actually don’t have enough… that’s how I understood it…. I am not sure
the portion of vinegar or type…. but i believe it was a teaspoon or
tablespoon to a cup of water…. my uncle just took a swig of vinegar
plain…. he said it puckered him up… but killed the acid reflux.
Maybe a google of the problem would help or google using vinegar to help
acid reflux…. I hope this helps, and I will keep you in my prayers, i know
acid reflux is painful as heck! God Bless, Dee
–
Farewell MJ

I have some advice for the person who was asking for a home remedy for
acid reflux.

First, I am not a doctor and neither is Suzanne, so please be aware of
that fact if you decide to take my advice.

However, I found the information in a book called “Why Stomach Acid is
Good for You” very helpful. (You could probably find it at the library.)
Basically it states that people have acid reflux not because there is too
much acid in their stomach, but because there isn’t enough to tightly
close the stomach while it’s digesting food. A quick, temporary fix for
this is to swallow a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar when having
heartburn. You can put it in a few ounces of water if you have to but it’s
better to take the straight vinegar. However, the book said not to do this
regularly. For long-term treatment you can get hydrochloric acid (HCL)
pills at a health food store. I’ve used these pills for years and it has
worked well for me. Also, be sure to follow the advice your doctor
probably already gave you about raising the head of your bed six inches,
avoiding foods that trigger reflux, avoiding tight clothing, losing
weight, etc.

Susan

In response to the request for homemade remedy for severe acid reflux.  My husband used to use that as well, however I tend to take on a “wholistic” approach as much as possible before prescription intervention.  My chiropractor carries a brand called Metagenics.  It’s a natural line of high quality vitamins for all kinds of things.  Anyway, my husband now takes this vitamin called “Metagest” (from brand above) with meals and he has not had near the problem even when he was on Rx.  Although I dont have a “homemade remedy” its just a suggestion.  Only problem you may have is locating a retailer that carries this brand.
Rachel

I too have no health insurance or prescription coverage and have acid reflux. What I do is take 1 teaspoon (sometimes 1 1/2 teaspoons) of Baking Soda, mix with warm water (1/2 cup will do), make sure you mix until all baking soda is dissolve and drink. It gives instant relief and costs next to nothing. Make sure not to overdue the amount of baking soda.
Val

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We love ‘kilt’ lettuce, and my mother often talks about a milk gravy type sauce which her mother would pour over it and how she would dearly love to have it again. She says instead of just pouring the grease over the lettuce that her mom would use the grease to make the gravy – says she added vinegar and some other things to it too. Unfortunately my grandmother has been gone for some years now and my mom is getting older so I would love to be able to find this recipe and surprise her with it. She swears it was delicious even though (to me at least) it doesn’t exactly sound good and my attempts to recreate it have turned out awful. If anyone has any idea what she’s talking about please, please let me know. Thanks!
Sara

In response to a request for Kilt Lettuce….

My Mom used to make wilted lettuce salad.  It was delicious.  Even as a child I loved it.  I found this recipie in my 1947 Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book (which I got a yard sale years ago).

2 large bunches leaf lettuce
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
2 green onions chopped
4 slices bacon chopped
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons water

Shred lettuce into hot bowl (I think my Mom did not use a hot bowl, just a bowl). Add salt and pepper, sugar, and onions.
Fry bacon until crisp; add vinegar and water, heat and pour over lettuce.  Toss until wilted.

You can sprinkle a hard-cooked, chopped egg on top, but my Mom never did.

Liz in Arkansas

Hi, don’t know if this will help the person looking for a recipe for “kilt”
lettuce or not, but here goes. One of my grandmothers used to use hot
bacon grease and buttermilk. Unfortunately, I do not know the proportions of
each. I do know, however, that you must use fresh from the garden lettuce
or green lettuce from the store – iceberg lettuce will not be good. My
other grandmother just used hot bacon grease and we all loved it! Hope this
helps a little.
Thanks,
Lesa
Kernersville, NC

For the woman looking for a wilted lettuce recipe – I have a great one!  Fry diced bacon until crisp.  Add a bit (or a lot) of onion for just a minute, then add vinegar and sugar (to your taste – I like mine a bit tart) and heat through.  Pour hot over cleaned leaf lettuce and enjoy!
Glo

I also got a few more replies about the pickled vegetable mix request from last week. Here they are:

Sweet & Sour Veg Salad
(makes 24 servings)
perfect for pot luck dinner
or a large family reunion, etc.
2C sugar
1 1/2 C Cider Vinegar
1C Veg Oil
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
Mix all together, heat enough to
disolve sugar,beat with a wire
wisk, set aside

In a LARGE container:
(drain all canned veg in sink in a
collardar, and rinse, as you open each can:
2 cans peas
2 cans shoepeg corn
1 can kidney beans
1 can lima beans
1 can green beans
1 can artichoke hearts
2 cans sliced mushrooms
1 can water chestnuts
2 C sliced celery
1C sliced red onion
1C sweet red pepper, some sliced
1 C green pepper, some sliced
1 7oz jar pimentos
2 sliced cucumbers
1 can wax yellow beans

Stir all together and pour vinegar dressing
over and stir again. Place in fridge, stir often
and leave overnight for the best flavor.
Stir before serving. Serve with a slitted spoon.

If you do not have a LARGE container, you can
use a plastic cake (tupperware) container, but use
it as a bowl with the bottom on the top for a lid.

Makes over a gallon of the best veg salad in the
whole wild world! Yum!
…………………………………………………………………………….
Now, when I want just enough for me for a few days:
1 can green beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can mixed vegetables
1/2 sliced onion
1/2 sliced cucumber

For vinegar dressing I use:
10 packets of Splenda
3/4 C Cider Vinegar
1/2 C veg oil (or 1/4 C Olive Oil)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
mix dressing and pour over drained
canned veg. Stir well .
Put in fridge overnight.
I use a tupperware 8×5x2 dish
and when I am in the fridge I give it
a good shake and flip to mix it up.
YUM!
Elaine

1 1/2 lbs cucumbers, cut into 1-inch slices

2 cups 1-1/2 inch sliced carrots (about 3 medium)

2 cups 1-1/2 sliced celery (about 4 stalks)

2 cups pickling onions

2 sweet red peppers, cut into 1/2-inch strips

3 cups caulifowerets (about 1 small head)

2 hot red peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch rings

1 cup canning salt

4 quarts water

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup mustard seed

2 tablespoons celery seed

6-1/2 cups vinegar

Combine vegetables in a large bowl. dissolve salt in cold water, pour over vegetables. Let stand 12 to 18 hours in a cool place. Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly. Combine sugar, spices, and vinegar. boil 3 minutes. Add vegetables, simmer 5 minutes. Pack hot pickles and liquid into hot jars. Remove air bubbles. Adjust caps and boil 15-minutes in a boiling water canner. Makes about 6-pints.

I make this for my husband and he really likes it! But he likes his hot, so sometimes I substitute the bell peppers for habanero peppers, they really spice up the mix! Enjoy

Jane K.

Lafayette, TN

Inspirational Story

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

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