Grind your own hamburger

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Meet my mom in this video.  She demonstrates how easy it is to grind your own meat.  If you have a meat grinder (hand or electric) you can save a bundle by buying inexpensive cuts of meat and grinding your own.  Often you get a leaner, higher quality product than your average grocery store offers. Freeze it in baggies or shape it into patties or link shapes before freezing. By adding your own spices–you can also turn it into lean Italian sausage, breakfast sausage, or cajun blend meat.  Oooh–lemon pepper flavored ground chicken would make a tasty alternative to a standard hamburger.  Mmmm–I can already smell the grill at your Memorial Day picnic!

Homemade Pita breads: Easier than you think!

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Tammys pitaas Tammys filled pitas

Tammy of www.tammysrecipes.com has a fabulous recipe for 100% whole wheat pita pockets that are soft and yummy.  I actually followed the recipe exactly this time (a rare thing for me).  The 500 degree oven scared me, but I later found out it (along with the baking rack) is essential for getting the pocket to form inside. The pocket forms when the outer surfaces of the dough cook faster than the inside trapping air in between the 2 crusts.  The hot air expands creating a puff that deflates when cool, leaving the pocket.  To help the pocket form, roll the dough thin and make sure the surface stays smooth.

If you have a bread machine for dough, this recipe is even easier.  My Kitchen Aid bit the dust a month or so ago.  I received a bread machine for a wedding present 10+ years ago.  It has been mostly gathering dust, because I didn’t like square bread.  I dusted it off this week and found it works great for dough!  (I know… I’m behind) I have visions of bread machine pizza crust and dinner rolls dancing through my head.

These pockets would be the perfect addition to a car picnic.  Grab the pitas and some egg salad, tuna salad or chicken salad in a lidded container.  Throw it in a small cooler with a spoon and some napkins.  Instead of stopping for fast food, spoon the filling in the pitas and pass them around.

Here’s the direct link to the recipe: http://www.tammysrecipes.com/whole_wheat_pita_pockets While you are there, browse around.  There’s lots of great recipes.

Hot Love for Breakfast

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Here’s a great recipe, that may convert hot cereal haters to a bit of oatmeal for breakfast:

2 T butter, melted

2 eggs

1 C milk

1 1/4 C rolled oats

1/4 c brown sugar

1/2 t salt

1 t baking powder

Mix all and pour into a greast 7 x 11 baking dish.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Scoup into bowls and serve wtih milk, cream or our favorite Egg Nog!  (Egg Nog is on sale right now, as an after Christmas clearance.  Also Honey spiral cut hams are a geat deal too!)

Mock Sausage Patties

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We are tightening the belt even more this year and are currently in survival mode.  To make things a little more complicated we are also busier than ever.  Necessity is the mother of invention however, so this will definitely be the BEST year to be on the Grocery Shrink discussion group.  Membership to the group is free to anyone who purchases the e-book at www.groceryshrink.com

Today I spent a good chunk of time getting a new schedule for our homeschool and businesses.  To facilitate speed and thrift, I need to have some premade breakfasts that I can throw together in a jiffy.  I thought of breakfast sandwiches with an all natural sausage patty, poached egg and cheese on an English muffin.  The most time consuming part and potentially expensive part of this meal is the sausage.  To save myself time later, I pre-made a pretty stack of mock sausage patties from ground turkey.  I plan to freeze them individually on  a cookie sheet and store in a freezer bag.  Then I can microwave what I need in the moment.  They are MSG free and nitrate free, low fat and yummy!

It was a double time saver because I was making waffles at the same time and had to stay close to the stove anyway.  I also threw in 3 loaves of bread to rise for good measure.  If you are a member of the Grocery Shrink discussion group, you got my favorite bread recipe recently.

Here’s the recipe and it costs about $2 when the turkey is from Aldi for $1 a pound:

2lb ground turkey

1/2 t salt

1 t garlic salt

1 t black pepper

2 t sage

1/8-1/4 t ceyenne pepper

1 egg (optional)

Mix well (I used my kitchen aid) and shape into 20 patties. Brown well on both sides.  Yum!

healthy sausage recipe turkey sausage recipe

Blueberry Sweet Rolls

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These would make a nice Christmas breakfast treat!  The girls on the Grocery Shrink group were so nice to help me find blueberry doughnut recipes for a special brunch last Saturday.  After all that, I decided sweet rolls would be less trouble.  This recipe is partly a Better Homes and Gardens Cinnamon Roll recipe with my own changes.  They are for a special Mary Kay training brunch tomorrow so I’ll have to let you know how they taste. If looks are any indication, they will be delicious!

Blueberry rolls 2

The dough recipe:

1 C milk

5T butter

1 T yeast

1/3 C sugar

3 eggs

1 t salt

5 cups flour (I used 2 Cups white and 3 cups whole wheat since this was for guests)

Combine milk and butter in a class measuring cup and microwave until butter is soft or melted (about 120 degrees.)  Pour mixture into an electric mixing bowl.  Add yeast and stir until softened.  Add rest of ingredients and stir until a soft dough forms.  Add more flour if necessary and knead for 8-10 minutes.  Let dough rise until double.

Combine 3/4 C sugar and 1/4 C flour.  Cut in 5T butter until you have coarse crumbs.  Fold in 1 C wild blueberries, thawed and drained (I got mine at COSTCO)

Divide dough into 2 balls.  Roll each ball into a 12 x 8 inch rectangle.  Spread half of the blueberry mixture on each rectangle.  Roll up lengthwise.  (Roll should be 12″ long.)  Use dental floss to cut into 1″ pieces.  Place in a greased 9 x 13 pan.  Let rise until double.  Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Frost with milk and powder sugar glaze.

P.S. They WERE delicious!

Homemade Vanilla

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Update 9/2010:  Rum is even  better than Vodka in this recipe and costs the same.

homemade vanilla extract

Vanilla Orchid photo Courtesy of www.natureproducts.net

Real Vanilla extract is one of those expensive things (like butter) that I won’t compromise on.  While store bought vanilla is outrageously expensive, real vanilla extract is easy to make and fairly inexpensive.  It only requires 2 ingredients , Vodka and vanilla beans, and 6 weeks of time.  I buy the cheapest vodka I can get from Wal-mart.  The largest bottle lasted me 5 years and I used it for everything from cleaning wounds to countertops.  It’s not for drinking!  I bought my vanilla beans for a steal off E-bay and was very happy.  Tip:  Don’t freeze them!  Vanilla beans are the expensive part of the recipe so shop around a lot before you buy.

10_Madagascar_Vanilla_Beans

Directions:  Cut 4 vanilla beans into 1″ lengths.  Split open to release the seeds.  Put all of the pieces and seeds into a glass quart jar.  Fill with vodka and seal tightly.  Shake well.  Place out of direct sunlight and shake several times a day.  6 weeks later strain and bottle into cute bottles.  Oil decanters from Old Time Pottery have caught my eye and look like they would work well.  Currently I’m using a recycled sparkling grape juice bottle.

This would make an excellent gift for Christmas, but you need to start NOW!

Skillet Lasagna Mix

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My daughter’s church girl’s club (Handmaidens) used to sell jar mixes (Handmaiden Helpers) as a fund raiser.  One in particular was a favorite of mine, Skillet Lasagna Mix.  I don’t have the original recipe, but here’s a close second.

Lasagna Skillet Mix

6 T instant dry milk

2 T cornstarch or 4 T flour

2 t chicken or beef bouillon (optional)

1 t Italian seasoning

1 t dried parsley flakes

1/2 t garlic powder

1/4 C dried minced onion *

1/4 C Parmesan cheese

3 C egg noodles (or Farfalle pasta)

Layer the ingredients in a 1 quart canning jar.  Gently shake the jar to settle the ingredients.

*Dried minced onions can be expensive!  Look for them at your discount chain for $.50 a jar or substitute fresh onions cooked with your ground beef.

Directions:

Mix the lasagna mix, 1lb ground beef (browned and drained), 2 C water and 2 C tomato sauce in a large skillet.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.  Top with 2 C mozzarella cheese and cook until melted.  Remove from heat and let stand 5 min.  Serve.

Note:  If you left out the bouillon in the mix, use broth instead of water in the final preparation.  This avoids MSG.