Frugal Eats: Apple Crisp

Frugal Eats: Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

6 large apples, cored and sliced (golden delicious or granny smith are a great choice)

1/2 c. orange juice

1 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 c. flour

6 T. butter or margarine

Directions:

Stir orange juice over apple slices and coat well. Arrange apples in a greased baking dish.

Combine 1/2 c. of sugar and the cinnamon, sprinkle over the apples.

Then combine remaining sugar with flour and salt, and cut in butter until mixture becomes crumbly.

Spread crumb mixture over apples and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is lightly browned.

Serve warm. (This is also really great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!)

Copyright © 2004 by Michelle Jones, editor of BetterBudgeting.com

Thanks Budget Savvy Diva for sharing this recipe!

Frugal Eats: Banana Muffins

Each week Budget Savvy Diva brings us an easy and frugal recipe!
This week's recipe is: FRUGAL Banana Muffin Recipe




Ingredients:
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs
1 c. mashed bananas
1-1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

In a bowl combine salt, flour, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl combine honey, eggs, oil and banana making sure to mix well. Add banana blend to the flour mixture, careful not to over mix. Pour into greased muffin pans or paper muffin cups. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Remove pan to rack, and let stand for 10 minutes. Invert pan and let finish cooling on rack. Best served warm. Makes 1 dozen muffins.

Variation: Banana bread... bake mini-loaves 40-45 minutes and for 1 regular loaf bake 1 hour.

Fresh from the Budget Savvy Diva Kitchen

Frugal Eats: French Toast

Budget Savvy Diva brings us a Frugal, yet simple recipe each week! Check this week's French Toast Recipe below:

Budget Savvy Diva is here to help you eat well for less :) So check back every week for another frugal eats recipe :)

This week



Frugally Delicious French Toast
Copyright © 2003 by Michelle Jones, editor of BetterBudgeting.com



Ingredients:

6-8 slices of bread (any desired)

2 large eggs

1/2-1 cup milk (I never measure it, just add the milk until the mixture becomes a light creamy yellow. You don't want it too watered down, and you don't want it to be too eggy either.)

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Butter and syrup

Powdered sugar, if desired

Directions:

* Heat iron skillet or griddle pan to medium-high heat. Coat pan, if needed, with cooking spray or a dab of butter or vegetable shortening.

* In a wide open bowl (I use a large cereal/soup bowl), lightly beat the two eggs and add milk, blending well. Stir in the cinnamon and sugar, as desired, and add a pinch of salt if you'd like.

* When the skillet is heated through, dip one slice of bread in the egg mixture, coating both sides. Place the coated bread on the hot skillet and repeat with as many that will fit, our family-sized griddle will hold 8 slices.

* If you can only cook two at a time in a pan or skillet, just re-stir the egg mixture before each dipping. Cook each piece of toast until lightly browned on both sides, and the egg coating looks fully cooked.

* Place the French toast on plates and serve warm with butter and syrup. You can also dust them with a little powdered sugar for a frugally elegant touch!

Frugal Eats: Homemade Donuts!

Each week Budget Savvy Diva brings us an easy, frugal recipe! See below for more:

Budget Savvy Diva is here to help you eat well for less :) So check back every Monday for another frugal eats recipe :)

This week

Homemade Donuts

This recipe is cheap and easy to make!

Ingredients:

Refrigerated canned biscuits (the cheapest work best)
Cinnamon and sugar, mixed together for coating
Deep fryer with oil (350-375 degrees)

Directions:

Take a small film container and press it into the center of each biscuit making donut and hole... then put into heated oil to fry. Turn donuts after the first side is browned nicely. When done, remove from oil immediately and coat in cinnamon sugar. I put mine in a plastic zip bag and shake well to coat.

These are best eaten the same day!

Frugal Eats: Baked Chicken & Rice

Frugal Eats: Baked Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:

1 c. plain white rice
1 large pkg. of chicken pieces (legs, breasts, leg quarters)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 envelope of dry onion soup mix
2 soup cans of water

Directions:

In a large greased covered casserole, place 1 cup plain ole white rice. No instant, no parboiled, just plain rice. Add a layer of chicken parts. This is great for those weeks when chicken parts are on sale, like legs, breasts or quarters. Over the chicken and rice, pour a mixture of 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 envelope of dry onion soup mix, and almost 2 cans of water. Use the soup can to measure. This mixture looks disgusting but that's temporary. Then just put the whole thing, covered, in a 350 oven for AT LEAST 1 hour and 20 minutes. Don't try to shorten it; the chicken will be pink if you do.

It is very easy to double this recipe, and it doesn't take any longer to cook doubled!! You don't have to stir it, brown the chicken, or any of the other troublesome time consuming things that most recipes ask you to do. Your children will love this, and probably your husband too. If you have more than 2 children, I would definitely double the recipe!! Oh, BTW, I did like to remove the skin from the chicken. It looks neater, unless you really like chicken skin.

Thanks Budget Savvy Diva!

Frugal Eats!

Each week Budget Savvy Diva shares a frugal, yet easy recipe!

This week is: Ramen Noodle Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1 pkg. Ramen noodles

1/2 or full bag of generic frozen veggies (or fresh, in season)

Inexpensive cut of meat to match Ramen flavor; for "beef" use cube steak, breakfast steak, etc.--whatever is on sale. Or go vegetarian, extra firm tofu, cubed and seasoned is great too.

Your choice of spices.

Directions:

Thinly slice or chop your choice of meat. Heat small amount of oil in wok or large pan. Add meat and brown quickly. In another pot, boil noodles about 2 minutes. Remove meat and let sit on paper towel lined plate to remove excess grease. Add veggies, Ramon flavor pack, any other seasoning (soy sauce, Chinese five spice, curry, red pepper flakes... use your imagine or gear toward family favorites). Add a splash of liquid (water, white wine, orange juice, etc...), stir constantly. Add noodles and meat to warm through and mix flavors.

If you prefer a more "saucy" dish, thicken chicken or beef broth with cornstarch and add to the veggies and beef. Leave noodles out and serve the mixture ON TOP of plain noodles for best results.

Cheap, Fast, Variety.

Frugal Eats: Italian Meatballs!

Each week Budget Savvy Diva brings us Frugal Eats! One recipe each week that's not only easy to make, but it's frugal! This week's recipe is Italian Meatballs!

For more frugal recipes and more ways to save head on
over to Budget Savvy Diva

Today:

Italian Meatballs - perfect for pasta or a nice sandwich :)

Ingredients:

3 slices of bread cut into small cubes (including crusts)
1 egg
1/4 c. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 c. dried parsley
1/2 T. dried basil
1/3 c. grated parmesan cheese
1lb ground beef, or beef with pork mixture

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl stir the bread, egg and milk to completely combine and let it sit for 15 minutes. Mash up the mixture with a fork to make a smooth paste. Add all of the seasonings and cheese and mix well. Add the beef (or beef and pork mixture) and stir together until completely combined. Form the mixture into balls (about the size of a golf ball) and place on a GREASED baking sheet (for easier handling when forming meatballs, lightly wet hands with water and the mixture won't stick to your hands).

Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 20 minutes, turning over after 10 minutes. Drain the meatballs on a paper towel and place in a large glass bowl. Add 2 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce and stir just enough to cover meatballs. Cover bowl with paper towel and microwave on medium for five minutes, stir, recover and microwave on low for an additional 20 minutes.

Frugal Recipes These are great served with your favorite pasta, or on sub rolls for meatball sandwiches. * * *

Guest Post: Frugal Eats!

Each week Budget Savvy Diva brings us a different recipe each week!


For More Budget Savvy
Diva's Frugal Eats - Head on Over HERE

This week I did something a little different - plus a video for you as well.

I was at Rite Aid and saw that chocolate chip cookie mix for .99 cents - so I
snagged it anything below $1.00 for cookie mix is a good buy to me. When I went
to make the cookies I thought I should experiment a bit. I love to experiment in
the kitchen - do you?? I decided to take an apple and make

Apple Pie Chocolate Chip Cookies

I make the cookies like it told me on
the package BUT I took the apple cut it up into small chucks on sauteed in a
grill pan with 1 tbs of butter - 1/4 cup of brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon
for about 10 minutes - until it was nice and soft.


Looks Good I think -
here is a little video I shot enjoy







Final Cost: Less the $2.00 for 18 Cookies

Harris Teeter Frugal Recipe of the Week!

Each week Mom on Dealz brings us a Frugal Recipe. This recipe, Slow Cooker Rosemary Chicken, is based on Harris Teeter's sales ad this week!

Ingredients:
3 lbs Harris Teeter Chicken Leg Quarters $1.41
Green Giant Green Beans $0.60
1 cup of Harris Teeter Chicken broth $0.95
Rosemary (assume spice on hand)
2 teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar (assume you have on hand)
Garlic and pepper to taste (assume you have on hand)
Total for meal: $2.96

Directions:
1. Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker and cover with chicken stock.
2. Mix balsamic vinegar with spices and pour into pot.
3. Cook on low for around 6 hours.
4. Serve with the green beans and rice prepared according to package directions.

Image from GroupRecipes.com

Frugal Eats: All-in-One Box Dinners - Chicken

Each Budget Savvy Diva brings us a frugal recipe to try out! How yummy does this look - less than $10.00 !!!! Wonderfully Filling!

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken breasts, about 3 large 4 small breasts (you can get a bag of skinless boneless chicken breasts for a reasonable price, but its not really that hard to skin and de-bone breasts which will save you a good bit of money)

1 small can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken, any variety of creamy soup works but make sure the flavor is one you enjoy because it will be a main taste in this meal--my family likes chicken, mushroom, and celery but cheese and broccoli struck out)

1/2 cup milk

1 box stuffing mix (any brand, any variety- I use store brands and whatever kind comes to my hand first)

1 T. butter or margarine

1/4 c. boiled water (micro waving the water and butter is convenient - more water for softer stuffing)

Shredded cheese optional, for appearance

Directions:

Prepare a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Mix milk and soup thoroughly in bottom of dish, place raw, cleaned, de-boned and de-skinned chicken breast in soup mixture, mixture should cover chicken just slightly. In a separate bowl mix water and butter gradually with stuffing mix, stir until moist, put stuffing on top of chicken.

Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until chicken is done (use a meat thermometer to be sure). Remove foil. Add cheese if desired, and wait until melted, or place back in oven until crispy.

Goes well with any veggie you associate with Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter dinner, it has a way of making the house smell like the holidays.

Frugal Eats: Monkey Bread!

Monkey Bread the Frugal Way ! I absolutely love Monkey Bread! We make this every Christmas morning!
Each week Budget Savvy Diva shares with us a Frugal recipe!

Perfect for taking to a brunch or serving to your own family, this yummy pull-apart bread is always a big hit!

Ingredients:

4 cans of refrigerated biscuits

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

1 T. cinnamon

3/4 c. butter or margarine

Directions:

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

* Cut biscuits into quarters and coat with an extra mixture of cinnamon and sugar if desired, makes it EXTRA good!

* Melt remaining ingredients together in a small saucepan.

* Place half of biscuit quarters into a greased Bundt pan and sprinkle chopped pecans or raisins on top if you have them on hand.

* Pour 1/2 of butter mixture over the top and repeat with remaining biscuits.

* Bake for 30-40 minutes.


Thanks Budget Savvy Diva!

Frugal Eats!

Each week Budget Savvy Diva writes a weekly post called "Frugal Eats." She eats Gluten Free – meaning she doesn't eat anything with gluten in it – like anything that is made with flour.

Most of my favorite foods are made with flour – cookies, cakes, pasta, pizza, soy sauce, gravy, the list goes on. Because I am gluten free for health reasons – I have a VERY strict diet – but that does not mean I wanted to give up flavor or my favorite things to eat. So I provide recipes that I love that just happen to be gluten free

For the list of gluten free recipes please head on over HERE

------

If you've ever tried to find gluten free brownies - not only are they HARD to find but they are SUPER expensive. Well I decided to try Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownie Mix - I was able to snag it for $2.00 on clearance - her is me excited to make brownies :)
So I made the brownies by the directions - 350 for 30 minutes - used two eggs and 1/2 stick of butter :)

BUT - I always like to add a little spiciness to my brownies by adding 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper and 1/2 tsp of curry powder - nothing to cause a lot of spiciness but to cut the strong sugar taste - works great.

Baking for me is all about adding flavors that you would not associate with the baked product.

Here is the final product :)

These brownies were AMAZING :) - They are almost all gone! The cayenne and curry was light and enhanced the chocolate flavor :)

Thanks Sara!

Frugal Eats

A fellow Mavens of Money member posts a weekly series called, "Frugal Eats." She shows you how to make meals for less! Check out Budget Savvy Diva for more great deals!

I have an exciting frugal eats this I wanted to show Budget Savvy Diva readers how I take discounted meat and make three different yummy and frugal meals :) If you want the complete recipes feel free to email me at contact@budgetsavvydiva.com

Here was the first step:

Took some lemons - from our lemon tree - lemon juice is a tenderizer plus it adds a bit a zip.


I was determined to make every meal to be under $5.00 for four servings - and I succeeded.

My first step was to tenderize the skinless boneless chicken thighs - there were 12 in lemon juice







Put a little salt and fresh cracked pepper ♥

My first dish was to make my own recipe of

brown sugar fried chicken sandwich topped with cheddar with a hint a thyme with a honey biscuit with a side of spicy rice with a mustard BBQ infused sauce - Long name I know :)



This was my husband favorite - why this dish works is that I made a batter with a little bit of brown sugar and the honey biscuit worked well with the tang of the lemon.
Next I used the same batter method on strips of chicken - to make nuggets. I then wanted to take a .39 cent blue box mac and cheese but make it upscale - so I took leftover shell pasta while it cooked I placed fresh rosemary in the cooking pot - so it would infused into the pasta :) Then I added the powdered cheese with left over brie topped with fresh cracked pepper. Dipping sauce was left over mustard BBQ. I toasted a honey biscuit for a little side starch - Here is how it looks :)

I think it was very successful - I wanted to make grown up kids food - hubby loved it ♥

Now for my final meal I grilled chicken thighs and served them over penne pasta with garlic bread with a little cheese on top. Simple clean flavors worked really well :)






Here is a little picture of Budget Savvy Diva's Hubby enjoying dinner








Overall all these meals were tasty meals that DID not hurt my wallet - the chicken was 5.35 but you could never tell.

Remember when you are cooking try and balance flavors sweet and tangy or spicy and sweet.







Thanks Sara!

Frugal Eats!

Frugal Eats is brought to you each week by Sara at Budget Savvy Diva. Here's what she has for you today!

This week of frugal eats I wanted to focus on using "what you have" to make a good tasting and happy wallet meal. This type of planning can really help save money because instead of having to go to the store to purchase items for dinner - you can can take a little from here and there and put together a meal for around $5.00. So I looked around and came up with these three items:



1/2 of Tyson Chicken Strips - 1.50 - the other half was used in this recipe: Frugal Eats” Pasta with a Homemade Tomato Sauce ( Green Beans and Broccoli ) with Grilled Chicken Breast – and Homemade Garlic Bread

1 box of mushroom risotto - 1.99

Bad of Veggie with Soy Sauce - 2.50

I picked these ingredients on a number of factors.

1) Time: I not only try and make recipes that cost under $5.00 BUT under 30 minutes - so all of these items will cook in 30 min or less.

2) Cost - Try to have it under $5.00 - all these product will not require me to use other things in my kitchen like cheese or butter ( which will raise the cost of the meal)

Here are some pictures of the cooking process:

I heated up 1 tablespoon of olive oil added the chicken - cooked over medium heat for 5 minutes then added the veggies - smelled great.

I know the risotto does not look pretty - but it is yummy - my husband could eat a whole bowl of it.

The finished product:

Grilled Chicken with Soy Sauce infused Veggies - with a side of mushroom risotto

Not to shabby -

How does it look to you??

Harris Teeter weekly recipes!

photo credit: Scwippy.com

It's almost time for the BIG Game! The Super Bowl is Sunday and if you are having a party, then you might need some frugal ideas for food! Sharon at Mom on Dealz has 2 quick, easy, and cheap recipes! These recipes are based on this weeks sales ad at Harris Teeter!

Chili Dogs with Chips and Dip

Ingredients:
Ball Park Franks $2.24
-$0.75 coupon from RP 1/23
Final=$1.49 each
Cape Cod Chips $1.74
-$1 coupon from SS 1/23
Final-$0.74
Dean’s Dips $1.07
-$1/2 coupon from SS 1/23
Final=$0.57
Harris Teeter Hot Dog Buns $1.17 (VIC card members)
Hormel Chili with Beans $1
Directions:
1. Prepare hot dogs to your preference (grill, boiling, microwave).
2. Heat Hormel chili and top your hot dog. Serve with chips and dip!

Final price for meal: $4.97**Also, Harris Teeter has a special deal this week when you purchase 6 specific Harris Teeter brands, you get all 6 for just $6.99. I couldn’t resist this deal so here is a recipe for it!

Easy Nachos
Ingredients:
Harris Teeter refried beans
Harris Teeter sour cream
Harris Teeter sliced olives
Harris Teeter chunk cheese
Harris Teeter Organice Blue chips
Harris Teeter Occasions Napkins
Chi Chi’s Salsa $1.49
-$0.50 coupon from SS 1/16
Final=$0.49
Directions:
1. Heat refried beans in microwave.
2. Spread chips on baking sheet and top with beans, olives and shredded cheese.
3. Bake at 350* until cheese melts.
4. Top with sour cream and salsa.

Don’t forget the napkins to clean up any mess you make!

Final Cost for meal: $7.48

Frugal Eats!

Sara from Budget Savvy Diva, writes an awesome post called "Frugal Eats." She creates awesome recipes that don't cost a fortune! This week she's featured: Best Cheesecake!

Ingredients:
2 packages of cream cheese
16 ounces of whipped topping
2/3 cup sugar
2 graham cracker crusts

1. Combine the first three ingredients in a large bowl with an electric mixer.
2. Pour the filling between the two crusts, and smooth their tops.
3. Place the crust pan covers over the ‘cakes’ and place them in the refrigerator for an hour, or until you need them.

Tips

• To save money, I always purchase all store brand items for this recipe.
• Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the top of the cheesecake.
• Add strawberry slices around the outer edge, and a whole strawberry in the center.
• Place cherries around the outer edge, and a dollop of whipped topping in the center. Place another cherry into the center of the topping.
• Purchase mini graham cracker crusts for making mini cheesecakes so that each person can have their own. Top these with cherries, strawberries or kiwi and a dollop of whipped topping.

Read more: http://www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2011/01/frugal-eats-cheesecake/#ixzz1CeOM1Jcd

Frugal Eats!

Sarah over at Budget Savvy Diva has a weekly post she does on Frugal Dinner Recipes! I know many of us are always looking for a way to get creative, cheap, dinner ideas. This week on the menu:

 

Frugal Dinner: Black-eyed Pea Soup

¾ pound ground beef

1 cup finely chopped onions

One bag frozen black-eyed peas

2 cups beef broth

Two cans diced tomatoes

1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onions and cook until the beef is browned, stirring frequently.

2. Add the black-eyed peas, broth, tomatoes, and salt; mix well.

3. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and cover tightly. Simmer for 45 minutes.

4. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend. Reheat before serving.

Ideas to make this cheap dinner more appealing or add variety: You can add rotel to this recipe, or green chilies, or substitute salsa for one can of tomatoes. You can add any type of sausage you have or even some ham chunks instead of the ground beef. Serve over rice or with corn bread, or toast.

Cost: Ground Beef 1.40, onion.50, peas .90, tomatoes buy add $1, beef broth .50, Rice or cornbread .50 Total Cost: $4.80

 

Thanks Sarah for sharing your post with us!