`Tis the Season for Soup - Cheeseburger Soup Recipe

This soup is hearty enough to be a meal and is always a hit with the kids!  Serve with rolls, biscuits or crackers and maybe a salad on the side.  It makes quite a bit and is great for reheating or lunches.  A nice warm soup is perfect for taking off the chill of these sub-freezing days we get `round these parts.

Cheeseburger Soup:



1/2-1 pound of ground beef (depending on how filling you want it to be!)
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (optional)
3-4 cups chicken or beef broth (or half and half)

2-3 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbs butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
8 ounces American cheese, cubed

1/4 cup sour cream (optional)

Super Cheap Recipes - Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry Ramen... Yes, Ramen! :D

We all know the little packet that is Ramen Noodles, there are a few different brands out there, but no matter what, they are CHEAP!  Price Chopper has the six pack on sale for $1.  That's like $0.17 each.  The trick with Ramen is to NOT make it to the package directions.  LOL  There are all kinds of ways to make that salty package of Ramen into something much more healthy and satisfying.  Here's just one of a million great recipes out there:

Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry Ramen:

1 package beef or spicy beef ramen noodles
2 cups water
1 pound beef steak strips
2 teaspoons oil
2 cups broccoli, cut up
1 cup green onions, cut in strips
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

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Potato Time! - Easy (and Cheap!) Hash Browns

Talk about an all purpose food!  The potato can be so many things, and generally are pretty cheap to boot.  You can mash them, roast them, BBQ them, bake them, fry them, the options are endless!  They can stand alone and/or be used as an ingredient.  The following recipe is a super easy recipe, but it is written for only one serving, FYI.  Our local stores have been having BOGO sales on 5 lb bags of potatoes recently, so take advantage of that and add some potatoes to your menu!

Easy (and Cheap!) Hash Browns:

1 large potato — $0.40
1-2 tbsp butter (from $1.00 4 oz stick) — $0.13
(or 1-2 tbsp of oil or cooking spray)
salt, pepper — negligible

Total cost: $0.53

All Purpose Foods - Railroad Buns

I had these for the first time back in my early 20's when a roommate of mine at the time made them.  She used to make them with a roast chicken meal with mashed potatoes and veggies and salad.  I would have never thought to put these buns with a roast chicken, but now I can't eat a chicken meal without missing the Railroad Buns.  I named this All Purpose because you can make these for breakfast, brunch, snack, dinner, teatime treat, dessert... it pretty much fits anywhere!

Railroad Buns:

Bisquick baking mix (or you can use the refrigerated rolls, like the crescent rolls, if you have those)
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Butter or Margarine, softened to spreadable

Money Saving Meals - Japanese Stir-Fry

Stir Fry is always a cheap, easy and healthy meal.  We all know fresh veggies are at a premium up here in the North Country in the winter, so we make do with frozen veggies.  This recipe uses frozen and it tastes great in no time flat!

Japanese Stir-Fry:

4 cups brown rice

2 teaspoons canola oil

3/4 cup snow peas

1/4 cup Red onion, sliced

1 (16 oz.) bag frozen stir-fry vegetables

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 dash sesame oil, to taste

Money Saving Meals - Easy Calzone with Vegetables

I love making Stromboli and Calzones, they are quick and easy, and can be filled with whatever floats your boat.  ;)  You can custom-build one for each family member, it's great!  Hubby loves mushrooms and onions, DD and I do NOT.  So he gets one loaded with meat and his precious mushrooms and onions, and DD and I get the non-fungus version.  hehe

Easy Calzone with Vegetables:

1 each (16 oz.) pizza crust dough ball

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 (12 oz.) bag Frozen mixed vegetables

3 cups chopped frozen broccoli, cooked

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup pizza sauce

Money Saving Meals - Chili Pepper Beef Burritos in the Slow Cooker

I adore my crock pot.  You can cook anything in a crock pot!  LOL  Well, almost anything...  This recipe is perfect when you don't want to mess with dinner all evening, but want an awesome meal.  Just load up the crock pot in the morning, a few minutes of prep before serving, and *poof* dinner!

Chili Pepper Beef Burritos in the Slow Cooker:

2- 3 lbs beef roast

1 each (7.75 oz.) can diced green chilies

1 each small onion, diced

1 each green pepper, seeded and diced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

8 each tortillas

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese

1 each vine-,-ripe tomato, diced

1 scoop low-fat sour cream (Optional garnish)

Money Saving Meals - Chicken with Tortellini and Broccoli

This is another quick meal that tastes great on these cold winter nights AND in the middle of summer.  And you can substitute frozen broccoli if you need to, it still works!

Chicken with Tortellini and Broccoli:

2 tablespoons Olive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice (one lemon)

1 10 oz Cooked chicken breast, cut into pieces

1 16 oz frozen cheese tortellini

1 lb Fresh broccoli, cut into florets

2/3 cup Italian blend shredded cheese

Money Saving Meals - Beef and Cheddar Subs with Cucumber Salad

This recipe is perfect for leftover pot roast!  Have a pot roast meal, and a night or two later have these awesome subs.  Two meals out of one!

Beef and Cheddar Subs with Cucumber Salad:

4 each sub rolls

6 slices cheddar cheese

2 1/2 lbs beef pot roast

1 each cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced

3 tablespoons balsamic dressing

Money Saving Meals - Asian Noodle Bowl

Talk about an easy meal!  24 minutes TOTAL from start to finish!  Cheap and easy, just the way I like it!  :)

Asian Noodle Bowl:

1 box whole wheat spaghetti

2 teaspoons canola oil

2 each Garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 lb bag frozen stir-fry vegetables

3/4 cup Water

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup Chopped roasted peanuts

The Brown Bagger's Resource - AKA: Do you pack a lunch?

Is this what your lunch looks like every day? Day after day after day? Sick of the same `ol, same `ol? Or do you pick up something quick at the local fast food joint? That can get expensive quick! What about your kids lunches? Do you end up with pre-packaged, processed foods because it's seemingly quick and easy to just throw in a bag? I'm here to tell you it doesn't have to be that way! You can have a great lunch, EVERY day with a little planning, and you can use leftovers from dinners or cook a little extra when you are cooking it for dinner anyways, and have a lunch with more "WOW!!" and less "ugh, not this again." :)

This is a list of recipes I've collected over the years for brown bag lunches, catagorized by ingredient for when you have leftovers, and broken down for quick reference. There is everything from soups, to salads, to hot meals or sandwiches, as well as kid-friendly healthy lunches and even some vegetarian options. I even added my list of breakfast-on-the-go because we all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

"So Easy You Won't Believe It" Pulled Pork Sandwiches

The country style pork ribs go on sale quite frequently around here, either around $1.50 a lb or BOGO from time to time.  When that happens I grab a few packages for the freezer, but you can only eat so many BBQ ribs before you get sick of them.  Well, until I get sick of them anyway.  LOL  So I went on the hunt for something else to do with pork ribs that was easy and we had the stuff in the house.  So the S.E.Y.W.B.I. pulled pork sandwich was born, and the trusty `ol crock pot was pressed into service once again. 

So you'd better get a pen or pencil and a piece of paper for this recipe, it's a real complicated one. 

Equipment needed:
Crock pot

Frugal Gifts - Home Made Truffles

Almost everyone loves homemade truffles, we made them a few years ago, and they were a big hit. I had no idea how easy to make they were, and we covered them with different kinds of crushed nuts and such. It was really fun! We then went and bought blank little white boxes and I decorated them with just some wrapping paper (glued) and ribbon. I think all together, we made about 15 boxes of truffles (9 truffles each box) for under $30. And we used good chocolate to boot!” Upside? Yum! Downside? They should be made only a short time before giving, and eaten soon after. If you’ve never made truffles before, try this recipe from the master of food science, Alton Brown.

Chocolate Truffles recipe:

Ingredients:

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder, finely chopped nuts, and/or toasted coconut, for coating truffles
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine 

On the subject of limited ingredients...

I have always been a fan of "6 ingredient or less" recipes.  The fewer ingredients the better!  I've also always been a fan of cookbooks.  I will dive into a cookbook like it was the latest bestseller!  So when I saw this for only $3.98, I HAD to share!  4 Ingredient Cookbook?  I love it!  Originally published in 1990, this small cookbook containing 200 recipes that use only four ingredients has sold over 100,000 copies in its original format. Recipes are quick and tasty and the price point is perfect for cooks on a budget.

 

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Ok, I know this is supposed to be FRUGAL recipies... how about 3 Ingredient Cookies?

I made these for hubby recently after I told him you could make cookies with only 3 items and he didn't believe me.  I told him he could try the finished product but couldn't watch me make them to get a totally unbiased opinion on the results of my super-simple recipe.  Once they were done, he tried one and said "WOW!  These are really good!", then I made him guess the ingredients.  Flour?  Nope.  That one really threw him for a loop, and he gave up.  hee hee!  So here I am to share the incredible three ingredients that every house has that you can whip up a batch of cookies anytime!  *drumroll please*

Oven Empanadas Recipe, and a little background...

My hubby just so happens to be a full-blooded Nicaraguan, and his mother just so happens to be an AMAZING cook, so he grew up on some of the finest Nicaraguan food, mixed with some incredible authentic Mexican food, that you could ever hope to have.  I absolutely ADORE visiting my mother in law, or having her come visit, because I know she is going to cook, cook, and cook some more!  Nacatamales, home made tortillas, gallo pinto, carne asada... my mouth is watering just thinking about it!  Needless to say, most of these recipes have worked their way into my recipe books and are standards in our house.  One of the meals hubby asked me for many times and I finally caved and gave it a try was empanadas.  Now, I will say that my empanadas are less than authentic, I use store-bought pie crust rather than making my own.  With all the cooking and baking I do, I can't make a good pie crust from scratch to save my life... so I don't.  LOL  Also, "real" empanadas are fried, I bake mine.  I had a friend that burned down not one, but TWO houses with a Fry Daddy, so I don't fry... anything... ever.  ;)  Anyways, back to the recipe.  Empanadas are little meat pies, you will find them with a variety of fillings as the recipe will vary from region to region depending on what is common in that area.  Here is the filling recipe I use:

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My Thanksgiving Dessert This Year - Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

I can't wait to make this!  It just looks so incredible...

... and sounds like it will be amazingly delicious!  I adore gingerbread, and pumpkin is pretty yummy too, so the combo of the two in a trifle sounds simply divine!  All the ingredients I needed only came to $7.75, I have the milk and brown sugar, got the Jello pudding free with a coupon, whipped cream for $.88, gingerbread mix for $1.99 ea, and $2.89 for the large can of pumpkin.  Not bad for a decadent dessert like this!  Here's the recipe I'll be using:

A Holiday Classic - Green Bean Casserole

So every year we gather at my father's house for Thanksgiving.  It is a HUGE gathering as his side of the family is quite large.  He was one of nine children, then add their children, and their children's children... yes, it's a LARGE gathering of family, for sure!  LOL  We always do a potluck type meal where everyone brings their specialties, I look forward to the family favorites every year.  This year I am charged with deviled eggs, green bean casserole, and a desert of some sort.  I have to be honest and say I have never made a green bean casserole in my life but have always enjoyed others, so figured I'd give it a whirl this year.  I'm going to be using the tried and true Campbell's recipe that makes 12 servings.  It was $8.92 for all the ingredients for the casserole, so that works out to less than $0.75 per serving!  It's a great side dish and doesn't have to be made just for the holidays!

Ingredients:

2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular, 98% Fat Free or Healthy Request®)

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 cups cooked cut green beans

2 2/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions

Free Thanksgiving Recipe and Craft e-Book!

Sign up for the RecipeLion Quick and Easy Recipes newsletter and receive “24 Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes and Fall Craft Projects”  eCookbook and craft guide FREE!  Great recipes and tips for a fantastic holiday!

 

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!  :)

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Easy (and Delicious!) Rum Cake Recipe

I decided at the last minute to try my hand at Rum Cakes last year, and boy am I glad I did!  These were absolutely amazing, and the glaze just made them scrum-dilly-icious! 

NOTE:  I omitted the walnuts in mine as I didn't use the bundt pan to make mine.  I did mine in half-sized bread pans and didn't think the walnuts would work well the way I did them.  They were just as tasty without the walnuts, but if you were doing a full-sized cake, the nuts would just add to the incredible-ness!  LOL

Ingredients:
Cake -
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup dark rum
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

Triple Chocolate Kahlua Cake Recipe

Last year I tried a new Kahlua cake recipe, and it was out-of-this-world!  Everyone that got them raved about how amazing they were.  These are total CHOCOLATE OVERLOAD, but oh sooooo yummy!!

Triple Chocolate Kahlua Cake:
1 pkg Devils Food cake mix
1 pkg chocolate fudge instant pudding mix
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs
3/4 cup Kahlua
1/2 cup strong coffee, at room temp
6 oz (1/2 a bag) chocolate morsels

Christmas Baking is Coming!

It's almost time!  I bake for a large amount of my Christmas presents, not only is it inexpensive, but the treats are ALWAYS well-received by everyone!  I bake quite a bit ahead of time, starting in early December, then freeze everything until I'm ready to deliver them or pack and ship all over the country.  Freezing the goodies buys me the time I need to get everything done and sent out at once without having to bake for 48 hours straight.  LOL 

This was my baker's rack last year after the first round of baking:

And that was only halfway done!  Last year I made:

COOKIES:
M&M
Chocolate chip
Oatmeal chocolate chunk
Sugar
Double chocolate chunk
Oatmeal
Gingersnaps

BARS:
Brownies
making half and half, nuts and no nuts

CAKE / BREADS:
Kahlua cake
Cinnamon swirl bread
Banana bread
Pumpkin bread
Nut bread
Lemon poppy seed bread
Rum cake


I'll be sharing the recipes in coming posts as I gear up for this year's baking extravaganza!  Happy Holidays and Happy Cooking!

Welcome to VTCooking!

It's no secret that I love to cook and bake, trying something new and different is always exciting.  But with that comes the challenge of feeding our family on a budget, so sometimes we have to be inventive with our menus.  So I decided to start this blog with all kinds of helpful info on eating well and staying in budget.  With economic times as they are, we need to get the best bang for our buck with everything, food budget included!  Also, with the holidays coming, that budget gets even smaller. 

This site, VTCooking, and my main site, VTCouponer will help you save money and eat better.  With meal planning, frugal recipes, free printable coupons, all the info you need to eat like a prince on a pauper's budget.  Hope you enjoy!  :)