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Baked Macaroni & Cheese

31 July 2010, 4:49 pm

This is only the 2nd time I have made this but this time, I went on my own and tweaked it a little to make it my own version. I can honestly say it isn’t that much different than the first recipe that I made and I still like it but I think my hubby would prefer I used Velveeta cheese over any cheese at all…

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter – .15
3 tablespoons flour – .10
12 oz. can low fat Carnation Evaporated Milk – (got this for free when they were on sale at Kroger for  .50 and there was a  $1.00/2 coupon in the paper close to Christmas or Easter I believe so I needed to use it!!)
6 oz. Elbow Macaroni – .68 for 12oz at Kroger only used 1/2 the package so .34 cents!
7 oz. Kraft Shredded Cheddar Cheese – on sale for $1.88 last week at Kroger with the Mega sale
salt & pepper to taste

Boil macaroni in 6 cups of water until tender.  Melt butter in skillet.  Slowly add in flour, stirring well to form a paste consistency.  Add milk and whisk to remove any lumps.  Simmer on low heat, while stirring to thicken (about 2-3 minutes).  Add cheese and mix well until melted.  Rinse and drain cooked macaroni.  Pour in to pan coated evenly with cooking spray.  Pour cheese sauce over noodles and mix well.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden.

This reminds me a little of KFC Mac & Cheese when I used the Kraft Sharp Cheddar…

Total $2.47 (approximate)

Serves 6 to 8 generous portions

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Great New Recipe for Spaghetti Sauce

27 July 2010, 10:37 am

2 cans crushed tomatoes
2 cans tomato puree
1 small can tomato paste
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
4-5 cloves fresh garlic
1-2 fresh onions
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
1/2 tsp. dried basil or 2 tbsp. fresh, minced
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste (add near end of cooking)
1/2 tsp. black pepper

In a large heated pot with olive oil, add finely chopped onions. When halfway done, add minced garlic. Cook until browned. Add tomato paste and mix well. Then add tomato puree and crushed tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, basil and Italian seasoning. Mix well. Cook for at least 6 hours on low heat.

At this point, I usually throw it the crock pot and let it go on low for a while. Come home, boil up some noodles and you have dinner. You can also add to it if you want. Italian sausage is fantastic with it. So are roasted peppers, black olives, chicken breasts, or just about anything else. You can even double it up and freeze some for later.

Thanks to my friend Jimi for sharing this yummy recipe with everyone!!

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“Easy as pie” Chocolate Chip Brownie Pie

25 July 2010, 4:27 pm

With the Texas heat beating down on us this late in July, you would think the last place anyone would want to spend a Sunday afternoon would be in their Kitchen.  Well, that is the only place I want to be these past few weekends.  Being domestic and cooking for my family makes me feel good.  I don’t often get to do special things like this for them so I say they should enjoy it while they can!  I am looking for recipes that use only ingredients that we already have on hand so that I don’t need to spend money unnecessarily.  This one in particular was simple and included everything we had except for the nuts which didn’t hurt to excluded so that is why I picked it.  It’s certainly a frugal recipe as well…now, if it tastes good too, I’d have to give it 5 stars!!

Chocolate Chip Brownie Pie

2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. cocoa
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat eggs; add sugar and butter; mix well. Sift together flour and cocoa; add. Blend well. Add chocolate chips, nuts and vanilla. Pour into greased 8 inch pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until set (like brownies). Cool before cutting.

This would go great with Vanilla Ice Cream.  We will be serving ours with a little whipped topping on top since I just happened to have a brand new container in the fridge just waiting to be opened!

Here is my finished “pie” which really wasn’t too much like a pie when it was cut.  The top formed a crispy layer so when I cut in to it, the top cracked in to a lot of pieces and the inside was not quite “set” – in fact, it was still a little soft.  We spooned ours on to a plate and topped it with the whipped cream but it was still wonderful!  When I woke up this morning, there was only a small portion left in the pie plate so either we have mice or it was a pretty big hit!|

Happy baking =)

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Recipe Review: Spaghetti a la Philly

14 January 2010, 5:34 pm

Earlier this week Philadelphia Cream Cheese tweeted me and asked if I would be interested in trying out a new recipe for them.  For my participation I would receive coupons and a cookbook – what a deal – two things I love!!  So here I am tonight preparing “Spaghetti a la Philly” for my family.   The recipe appears to be simple and frugal so if it tastes good, it will be added to our menu!  Okay,  here is the recipe:

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Makes: 4 servings (about 1 1/2 cups each)

1 pound lean ground beef
1 jar (24 ounces) Prego® Traditional Italian Sauce
1/2 package (4 ounces) Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 package (8 ounces) spaghetti, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons Kraft grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook the beef in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring
often to separate meat.  Pour off any fat.
2. Stir the sauce and cream cheese in the skillet.  Reduce the heat to low.  Cook for 3
minutes or until the cream cheese is melted, stirring often.
3. Place the spaghetti into a large bowl.  Add the beef mixture and toss to coat.
Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.

Simple enough right? They even provided us with a link to a “How to” video.  You can see it by clicking here!

Okay, so here is my finished product – the only thing I didn’t have was fresh herbs to top it with so it looks a little bland.

All in all I found this recipe to be very easy to prepare and I had fun making it.  I like the creaminess of the sauce and the flavor reminded me of Lasagna.  I am thinking I may try a little Cream Cheese in place of Cottage Cheese next time I make Lasagna!
This recipe is very similar to how we make regular Spaghetti in our home so basically the only difference was adding the Philly Cream Cheese.  Now I know the recipe only called for half of the package of Cream Cheese but since I love it so much, I put the whole thing in!  I did try the sauce with only half first but felt that it needed more for my liking.  It was a personal preference so I would suggest that if you are going to try this recipe, try it with half first and then go from there.
I hope you try this out and enjoy it as much as our family did!  This could easily be a meal for 4 for under $5.00 if you find the ingredients on sale or use a coupon!

Tastes great & frugal too!  What more could we ask for!  Two thumbs up from me!

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Pumpkin…it’s not just for pie!

23 November 2009, 7:20 pm

I love pumpkin!  Pumpkin pie, pumpkin cake, pumpkin pudding, pumpkin latte,  pumpkin smoothies, pumpkin bagels and the list goes on.  It seems though this is the only time of the year that I seem to have it.  Considering the health benefits of Pumpkin, I should be eating it a lot more!

According to  The Hub Pages , Pumpkin is rich in anti oxidants.

Beta carotene—The rich orange color is a dead give away to the nutrients present in pumpkin. Research shows that people who eat a diet rich in beta-carotene are less likely to develop certain cancers than those who fail to include beta-carotene-rich foods in their diet.

Loaded with Potassium—Studies show people who have a potassium rich diet lower the risk for hypertension. Potassium rich foods include bananas, broccoli, avocados, pomegranate and many others.

Zinc—Not only is zinc a major boost for your immune system, it also aids in bone density support for people at risk for osteoporosis.

High in Fiber—Diets rich in fiber may prevent cancer, heart disease and other serious ailments.

I need more Potassium & Fiber in my diet!  I have to take prescribed Potassium supplements and those things are huge!  If you have ever had to have IV Potassium,  you will absolutely want to be sure you get plenty of it naturally!

Other health benefits include being linked to a healthy prostrate, anti-inflammatory benefits for people with Arthritis & it’s also said it helps your skin look younger!

With all that being said, here is how I am helping my self and my family to be healthier!

EASY PUMPKIN MUFFINS

1 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. oil
3 eggs
1 lb. can pumpkin
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
Measure all ingredients in a big mixing bowl. Beat together well for 5 minutes. Pour into cupcake pans (fill more than 1/2 full). Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
Here is the result:
IMG00298

These are so moist & delicious!!  I made a cream cheese frosting to go on them but I intentionally left that out because that totally makes everything I just said about the health benefits null and void…LOL.  Anyway, try the out the recipe and let me know what you think!
Enjoy!

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