Fancy 'Dogs

I always have hotdogs in my freezer. There are nights when I literally only have about 10 minutes to make dinner between getting home from work and before heading out to soccer practice, piano lessons, church activities etc. Hotdogs have rescued dinner more than once. This recipe sounds weird but it is good, fast, super cheap and the kids gobble it up. Serve with your favorite noodles and dinner will be on the table in just minutes.

Fancy 'Dogs

1 TBS butter

6 standard hotdogs, sliced

1 onion, chopped

2/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup water

1 TBS chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add the onions and sliced hotdogs. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and the hotdogs are nicely browned. About 5-10 minutes. Add sour cream and water and stir until creamy. Heat through. Serve with favorite pasta. Sprinke with chopped parsley.

Variations:

Use kielbasa, bratwurst or Italian sausage in place of the hotdogs

***Make sure if you are feeding this to small children that the hotdogs are sliced into smaller bite sized pieces, as hotdogs can be a choking hazard.***

1988 Hot Wings

I remember the first time I tasted a buffalo wing. It was the summer before my Senior year in high school and my new boyfriend Kevin Wolz took me to Wings-N-Things in Casper, Wyoming. All it took was one bite. The spicy sauce of the wings and the creamy blue cheese dressing was pure magic to my taste buds. We visited there often over the next year and now whenever I eat a hot wing my thoughts always drift back to the summer of 1988.

These wings are just as good as those in a restuarant. They are also very economical. Wings go on sale at our local grocery store often. Make a big batch because I can guarantee there won't be any leftovers.

1988 Hot Wings

Oil for deep frying

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup hot sauce

1 dash black pepper

1 dash garlic powder

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp salt

10 chicken wings

In a small bowl mix together the flour, paprika, cayene pepper and salt, Place chicken wings in a large nonporous glass dish or bowl and sprinkle flour mixture over them until they are evenly coated. Cover dish or bowl and refrigerate for 60 to 90 minutes. DON'T SKIP THIS OR THEY WON'T BE CRISPY AFTER FRYING!

Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep skillet to 375 degrees. The oil should be just enough to cover wings entirely, an inch or so deep. Combine the butter, hot sauce, pepper and garlic powder in a small saucepan over low heat. Strir together and heat until butter is melted and mixutre is well blended. Remove form heat and reserve for serving.

Fry coated wings in hot oil for 10 to 15 minutes or until parts of wings begin to turn brown. Remove from heat, place wings in serving bowl, add hot sauce mixture and stir together and serve.

Ravioli Lasagna

One of my favorite things to do with my Grandma and Grandpa Waters was to go out for lunch. Whether they were home in Salt Lake or snowbirding in Arizona during the Winter they always knew the best restaurants in town. One afternoon at an undisclosed location, Grandma ordered the lasagna. After taking the first bite she thought it was the best lasagna she had ever eaten. As an avid cook and recipe collector she asked the server if she could get her the recipe. The waitress smiled and said, "Sure, I'll be right back." When she came back she handed Grandma a box of frozen Stouffer's lasagna. I can just imagine her response. I doubt she ever made homemade lasagna again, but she LOVED to tell the story. Stouffer's is usually my recipe of choice for lasagna :) but this one is quick and easy too. Love you Grandma!

Ravioli Lasagna

1 (15 oz) container part-skim ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp pepper

1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce

1 (24 oz) pkg frozen cheese ravioli

1 cup shredded mozarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Spray 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Combine ricotta, egg, parsley, oregano, garlic powder and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce over bottom of baking dish. Top with half of ravioli in a singe layer, then spoon ricotta mixture on top. Spread 1 cup of sauce and repeat layers with sauce being your last layer. Cover baking dish and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake uncovered until got and bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Sloppy Baked Potatoes

Anyone that knows me well knows that I have never met a potato that I didn't love. Bake, fried, boiled, sauteed...I love them all. This recipe is good made into sloppy joes but I like to smother a baked potato with it. Add cheese and sour cream on top and it quite possibly could be a perfect dinner.

Sloppy Baked Potatoes

1 lb ground beef, browned

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tsp brown sugar

1 TBS white vinegar

1 tsp yellow mustard

1 tsp Worchestershire sauce

Brown ground beef and onions until hamburger is no longer pink and the onions are transluscent. Drain off grease. Add other ingredients and let simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over baked potatoes with grated cheese and sour cream.

Variations:

Serve on hamburger buns

Add a can of kidney beans to make it more like chili

Homemade Crispy Fish Sticks

My kids love to eat fish. Even my two year old Bella will eat any fish put in front of her. Sophia is known to order fish when we eat out. Nathan is another story. He's more of a shellfish kind of guy. Fish sticks from the grocery store are fast and easy but loaded with fat and perservatives. This recipe is super easy and a great way to use those potato flakes in your food storage. You can adjust the spices to your personal taste and you can substitute other white fish (such as halibut) for the cod. Serve with baked fries and you won't have to go out to eat your favorite fish and chips.

Homemade Crispy Fish Sticks

2 cups dry potato flakes

1 cup all purpose flour

1 TBS garlic powder

1 TBS seasoning salt

1 TBS black pepper

2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 egg, whisked

4 (6 ounces) cod fillets, cut into strips

2 cups flavored shortening or canola oil

In a medium bowl, combine potato flakes, flour, garlic powder, seasoned salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Pat cod dry with a paper towel. In a deep skillet, melt shortening to 350 degrees (make sure your shortening/oil is HOT). Crack egg into a shallow dish and whisk. Dip fish into egg and then dredge in dry mixture. Fry in the hot oil for 5 minutes or until fish flakes apart easily. Remove from oil and let drain on a paper towel.

Pop Pop's Sour Cream Salad

My father-in-law George loved to eat good food. However, he was a very finicky eater when it came to a few things. One of the things he wouldn't touch was sour cream. He would even go as far as having my mother-in-law boil potoatoes for him when she was making mashed potatoes because he didn't want her sneaking sour cream into the potatoes. One Sunday not long after Nathan and I got married, I brought this fruit salad to our family dinner. George LOVED it and I think probably ate three servings. Afterwards he was always asking me to make "that salad" for family functions. Months later as we were eating together and George was on his second helping, his daughter Natalie said, "Dad, you know that salad is made with sour cream." He never ate it again.

Pop Pop's Sour Cream Salad

1 can mandarin oranges

1 can pineapple chuncks

2 cups mini marshmallows

1 cup flaked coconut

6 ounces sour cream

Mix together and cover an put in the refrigerator. Even better if you let it sit in the fridge overnight.

Bangin' Spanish Rice

As I was looking through the Safeway sales circular yesterday I noticed a coupon for Mission flour tortillas for just $1.29/pack. Time to stock up (they can be frozen)! My kids love tortillas and eat them right out the package for a snack. We also use them to make tacos, enchiladas, burritos and quesadillas. And for a quick desert we put them in the microwave with some butter, sugar and cinnamon.

I thought today I would post a great side dish that would be fantastic with whatever you decide to make with your tortillas. I looked a long time to find a Spanish rice dish that I liked and was easy to prepare. When I found this recipe my search was over. My bonus daughter Alexandra loves this rice. She always tells me that it is bangin'. I hope you like it too.

BANGIN' SPANISH RICE

2 TBS oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup chunky salsa

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Mix rice into skillet, stirring often. When rice begins to brown, stir in chicken broth and salsa. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until liquid has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Chicken Stroganoff

As a working Mom my crockpot is one of my best friends. It is so nice to be able to walk into the door after a busy day and have dinner waiting for us. This recipe is so simple and tastes SO good. This is comfort food at its best.

Chicken Stroganoff

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed

1/8 cup butter

3 TBS water

1 (.7 ounce) pkg dry Italian style dressing mix

1 (8 ounce) pkg cream cheese

1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of chicken soup

Put chicken, butter, water and dressing mix in slow cooker. Mix together and cook on low for 6 hours. Add cream cheese and soup. Mix together and cook on high for another 1/2 hour or until heated through. Serve over egg noodles, pasta or rice.

VARIATIONS:

Use fat free cream cheese and low fat soup

Cut the dressing mix by half if you are watching your sodium intake

Add a little bit of milk and/or sour cream to make a thinner sauce

Add a can of drained mushrooms while adding sauce ingredients

***You can also put frozen breasts straight into the crockpot. Just omit adding the water and you will have to shred your chicken at the end of cooking time.***

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

Meatloaf...you either love it or hate it. I happen to love it. This recipe is really good and is always moist and delicious. Don't be scared of the ginger. You won't taste it but if you leave it out the meatloaf just isn't the same.

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

1 TBS Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan. Mix sugar, ketchup and Worcestershire together in a bowl and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Shape into a loaf and place in pan. Spread ketchup mixture over the top. Bake in oven for 1 hour or until juices run clear.

Spicy Bow Tie Pasta

This is one of Sophia's favorite. You can adjust the "heat" by adding more or less red pepper flakes. I also like to add about a cup of frozen peas to the sauce before adding the pasta to make a great one pot meal.

Spicy Bow Tie Pasta

1-12 ounce pkg bow tie pasta

2 TBS olive oil

1 lb sweet italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

1-28 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups cream, milk or evaporated milk

1/2 tsp salt

3 TBS minced parsley (optional)

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Cook pasta for 8-10 minutes until al dente. Drain.

While pasta is cooking, heat oil in deep skillet over medium high heat. Brown sausage with onion, breaking up any large pieces of sausage. Drain any extra grease. Add garlic and pepper flakes. Stir in tomoatoes, cream or milk and salt. Simmer until mixture thickens about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir cooked pasta into sauce and heat through. Sprinkle with parsley.

Grocery Shopping Tip

Did you know that Safeway will double any manufacturer's coupon up to$.99? That means if you have a coupon for an item that is for $.75 off, if you use it at Safeway the total savings would be $1.50. Overall Safeway is usually quite a bit more expensive than other stores, however if you buy only items on sale and use your coupons you can save more than shopping at Walmart. Superfresh also runs TRIPLE coupon promotions on occassion. Smart shoppers scan the circulars weekly and plan meals around what is on sale and in season.

Baked Apples

So I ran into Walmart yesterday morning on my way to work and apples were on sale for just $.75 per pound. WOW! That's a deal. I am not one to usually make a lot of desserts because I usually don't have the time and second they are usually expensive to make. However with apples this inexpensive, any budget can afford a dish of baked apples. Your home will smell AMAZING while these are in the oven.

Baked Apples

6 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 cup white sugar

3 TBS all-purpsoe flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray or butter. Place apples in large bowl. In a small bowl mix together sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Put spice mixture into a large ziploc bag and add apples. Shake to coat all the apples evenly with spice mixture. Add raisins and waluts. Pour into prepared dish. Pour milk over apple mixture. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until soft and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Variations:

Instead of raisins, use craisins or cranberries

Dot a few tablespoons of butter and brown sugar on the top before baking

Serve with ice cream or whipped cream

***Can be cooked in a slow cooker***

Kids In The Kitchen-Foil Chicken Taco Dinner

I am a firm believer in getting your kids in the kitchen to help prepare family meals. My children will eat ANYTHING that they "cook." If you are struggling with a picky eater invite them to help you make dinner. Their participation my change their entire attitude towards mealtime. Time spent in the kitchen not only teaches cooking skills but also reinforces lessons taught at school such as following directions, math and creativity. The following recipe, Foil Chicken Taco Dinner, is super easy and the kids can assemble the entire meal with little help from you. It is also yummy and budget friendly. And really, who doesn't like to eat their dinner out of aluminum foil?

FOIL CHICKEN TACO DINNER

4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 tsp taco or fajita seasoning mix

1/2 lb potatoes, peeled, sliced THINLY

1 cup shredded cheese

1/2 cup salsa

1/4 cup sour cream

Heat oven to 400. Sprinkle chicken with seasoning mix. Place 1/2 cup potatoes on center of large sheet of heavy duty foil. Top with chicken, cheese and salsa. Seal up foil tightly (leave a little room for heat circulation) and place foil packs on a baking sheet. Bake 30-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Cool 5 minutes. Cut slits to release steam before opening. Top with sour cream.

**This would also be good with rice instead of the potatoes**

Naan-Indian Flatbread

Naan

1 pkg dry active yeast

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup sugar

3 TBS milk

1 egg, beaten

2 tsp salt

4 1/2 cups bread flour (approximately)

2 tsp minced garlic (optional)

1/4 cup butter, melted

Mix yeast and water together with about a tablespoon of the sugar. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until foamy. Stir in rest of sugar, milk, egg, salt and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead 6-8 minutes and place in a greased bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise for about 1 hour until double in bulk. Punch down and pinch off a golf ball size dough and make into balls. Place on a cookie sheet and cover. Let rise for 30 minutes. Meanwhile melt butter and add garlic to butter. Preheat grill or grill pan (I made mine on a George Forman grill) to medium heat. Roll out one ball into a thin circle. Oil grill. Cook 2-3 minutes until puffy. Brush uncooked side with butter mixture and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter and cook another 2-4 minutes. Continue with each ball until all are cooked.

** You could cook these on the stove with a sautee pan***

Mulligatawny Soup

Anyone that knows me well knows that I love soup. I'll admit that I am a soup addict. I get this characteristic from my Dad. Turkey bone soup is at the top of his food list. I am always reminded of home when I walk into a kitchen with the large pot of bubbling homemade soup simmering on the store. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

Today the smell of curry drifted through my home as I made Mulligatawny Soup. MulligaWHAT?? Yes, Mulligatawny Soup. A delicious concoction of chicken, curry, rice and apple. Yes, I did say apple. This soup is like Autumn in a pot.

Mulligatawny actually comes from 2 Indian words that translate to 'pepper water.' Even if you are not a lover of curry, you should try this soup. It is affordable and easy to make and my children loved it. Bryce took a bite and proceeded to tell me I was the best cooker in the whole world. I decided to serve this will Naan-an Indian flatbread brushed with butter and garlic. YUM! We also had a plum tart but I will save that one for another post. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we did.

Mulligatawny Soup

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 carrot, diced

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 tsp all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp curry powder

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 apple (I like Granny Smith), cored and diced

1/4 cup white rice

1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes

salt and pepper to taste

1 pinch dried thyme

1 can coconut milk

Saute onions, celery, carrot and butter in a large soup pot. Add flour and curry, and cook 5 more minutes. Add chicken stock and chicken and mix well. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat and simmer about 1/2 hour.

Add apple, rice, salt, pepper and thyme. Simmer 15-20 minutes or until rice is done. Add coconut milk (make sure you really shake the can before opening) and serve hot.

Scalloped Potato Casserole with Ham and Corn

2 lbs potatoes, peeled

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

pinch of pepper

2 cups milk

2 cups shredded cheese, divided

1 can corn, drained

1 (1 lb) precooked ham steak, cut into bite sized pieces

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a shallow baking dish. Thinly slice the potatoes into a large bowl. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper. Add the milk all at once and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and bubbles (be patient-this might take a few minutes). Remove from heat and add 1 1/2 cups of the cheese, stirring until combined. Pour mixture over potatoes and lightly mix. Gently stir in ham and corn. Spoon into prepared dish. Cover with foil and bake about 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender. At the end of the baking time, sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cheese over the top. Bake a few more minutes until the cheese is melted.

Variation:

Omit the ham and corn from the casserole and serve as scalloped potatoes. Would be delicious with meatloaf (I have a yummy recipe) or baked ham.

This recipe comes from the book The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner.

Average Montly Home Food Costs for a Family of Four

Did you know that the USDA puts out an official food plan with an average cost of food at home for a family of four? The official document states that the average Thrifty Plan food costs of a family of four with children under the age of five in August 2010 was $640.90. The liberal plan was $980.30. WOW! I don't spend even half of the thrifty plan and I feed a family of five. With smart shopping and some planning you can provide delicious meals at a fraction of the price. If you would like to see the official page please click on the following link.

http://http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/USDAFoodPlansCostofFood.htm