Recipes

[WOW]

Anyone have some budget saving recipes to share?


I'll start with a quick an easy one (discovered out of desperation but, shhhh! don't tell anyone.... )

How to make your own (healthy) coffee frappiccino beverage

Brew your fav coffee and fill a large size mug about 1/2 way.

Add a thick and creamy vanilla Slim Fast, sweetener and 1-1/2 tbs. of Hershey's chocolate syrup and stir.

(If you like these very cold, let sit in the freezer after it reaches room temperature or add ice cubes after it reaches room temperature for regular cold/not frozen)

Top with whipped cream and squiggly lines of chocolate or caramel syrup.


....okay....it's not that healthy outside of the slim fast but you can get diet chocolate syrup and light whipped cream to make room for cheesecake for dessert!



Enjoy!

 

[suddenly]

Sounds yummy. I will have to try it

 

[pm2006]

Yummy is right

 

[Mary Kay]

For a pretty dessert:
Get a pound cake, angel food cake or a made with "No added sugar" anything cake slice into thick pieces and then cube. Layer fresh berries or fruit in gel with cake chunks and whipped cream for a parfeit.
The only costly thing is the cake..but they last thru a couple of desserts. Your store brand whipped topping like cool whip..has little sugar or calories. Fruits are plentiful right now. Or pick up the gel cups at a dollar store..they hve fruit in them. Look for sugar free or no added sugar and make it healthy as well as cheap. You can use pudding as well.
Ack! A Parfeit is without cake..a triffle is with cake! Sorry I mispoke.
Parfeit

Triffle

 

[Fudgey]

Yum MK, I will have to make that for dh, he has high blood sugar. He makes sugar free pies out of the sugar free pudding and makes the crust with graham crackers and butter, top with cool whip. They are so good, no one even know the difference.

 

[WOW]

MK - Looks fab! Move the diving board!! - I'm jumping into the second one.....

Owch! That was my computer monitor!

...Really, does look delish!

Thanks.

 

[Mary Kay]

Just keep that puppy away from it!

 

[WOW]

LOL! Rest assured, that puppy isn't stopping til the cupcake is well in its tummy and I get that topping-on-the-nose "Whatd I do?" look....

Just keep that puppy away from it!

(would require another avatar though quasimod might not have, though)

 

[redgirl]

Something I've been making a lot lately is chinese chicken salad. No cooking (unless you cook your own chicken, but I'm lazy and just buy the pre-cooked strips) and it's cold and refreshing on hot summer days.

All it requires is:

chopped chicken breast
bag of coleslaw (chopped cabbage & carrots)
asian sesame salad dressing
sesame oil

I also add almonds or crunchy noodles and lemongrass herb paste to mine, but that's optional. I think there's supposed to be green onions in there also, but I usually don't have any. I just toss it in a plastic container & shake it up and there you have it!

 

[Mary Kay]

In my family we have a tradition of naming foods for the person who cooks it best or who invented it.
We have Grandma's (me) famous coleslaw..it's not my recipe but that of two old ladies from the Ozarks who used to live next door to me as a child. But since I make it now..it's mine! The kids named it, not me!
My coleslaw:
two heaping tablespoons of mayo, top it with sugar about a tablespoon(add more if needed) add one or two drops of mustard and stir until the sugar is desolves. Mix it with choped cabbage (a large cereal bowl full), grated carrots and a bit of grated onion. If you happen to have some red cabbage ..add it, it makes the slaw pretty. Some times I add brocolli slaw too..just don't tell the kids.
This also works with sweet and low or your choice of sweetener.


This recipe is for Shawn's stuff (Grandson).
1 pound of hamburger fried and drained
1 can of tomato sauce
chopped onion if you like it and however much you dare
grated cheddar cheese, again a big handful or less if you prefer.
1 1/2 cup cooked elbow macaroni (less or more is up to you..this is what makes it drier or soupier)
Add the tomato sauce, macaroni and cheese to the hamburger and onion.
When hot it's done!
I top with parmesan cheese.
This will feed 4..unless they are teens then double it! Boys adore it..girls tolerate it.

 

[thelook]

Something I've been making a lot lately is chinese chicken salad. No cooking (unless you cook your own chicken, but I'm lazy and just buy the pre-cooked strips) and it's cold and refreshing on hot summer days.

All it requires is:

chopped chicken breast
bag of coleslaw (chopped cabbage & carrots)
asian sesame salad dressing
sesame oil

I also add almonds or crunchy noodles and lemongrass herb paste to mine, but that's optional. I think there's supposed to be green onions in there also, but I usually don't have any. I just toss it in a plastic container & shake it up and there you have it!

Yum! I am trying this for sure...looks like it would be low carb too.

 

[JustKryssi]

Yum! I am trying this for sure...looks like it would be low carb too.

It could be if you omit the crunchy noodles and check the sugar content on the dressing! I think it sounds yummy too!

 

[redgirl]

It is delish! I swear I could eat it every day! Here's the dressing I use and the nutrition facts:

Calories in Kraft Dressing Light Asian Toasted Sesame - Nutrition Facts, and Healthy Alternatives - The Daily Plate Calorie Counter

 

[Mary Kay]

For summer my sister and I used to make a bowl of spaghetti topped with Italian dressing. We added cucumbers, tomatos and sometimes feta chesse. Topped by parmesan cheese..it was a good summer lunch.

 

[JustKryssi]

It is delish! I swear I could eat it every day! Here's the dressing I use and the nutrition facts:

Calories in Kraft Dressing Light Asian Toasted Sesame - Nutrition Facts, and Healthy Alternatives - The Daily Plate Calorie Counter

Thank you! I have to keep on the lower end due to my hypoglycemia but that dressing is not out of reach. Woo Hoo and I can load it up with chicken too.

 

[UntamedRose]

Chocolate truffles......

Ganache filler
Take 8oz of chocolate..any flavor you want I used Semi-sweet. Rough chop them up, doesnt need to be pretty. Set them aside in the bowl you want to mix in. (if wanted you can add flavoring or a tbsp of brandy to it)
Put 3/4 cups of heavy whipping cream and 2 Tbsp of butter into a pot. And bring to a boil...like just starting to boil dont want to burn the cream.
Immediately pour that over the chocolate.
Then mix until completely smooth. Use a mixer doing it By hand with a whisk might be difficult.
Ta Da! thats ganache ...you could also use this to ice a cake put in pastry ect (that they love to charge so much for)
If you want to add something like toffee or chopped pecans do so now.

I stuck the ganache in the fridge over night so it would harden up...dont think it needs that long but it's got to cool down.
I tried forming balls with spoons..so didnt work for me.
But it's not hard to roll into little balls with your hands BUT have to be pretty quick about it the ganache gets warm and to soft to work with if you play with it to long. (goes from play dough to pudding)
So just get the general shape of a ball and dont worry if it's not perfect. Put onto wax paper.
Stick in the freezer to get them hard..really hard. (dont stick on top of stuff and rub the top of the freezer like I did...)

Melt another type of chocolate I used one bag of milk chocolate chips. Can do it over a double boiler if you want, I just do 30 secs in the microwave, stir, another 30 stir ect till melted.

Dip the balls into the chocolate (tries not to giggle)
put back onto the wax paper
Attempt to not lick fingers between balls...especially if making for someone else or if the kid is looking.
let them cool down on the counter or in the fridge
And they are ready to eat ;D

Makes about 30 good sized truffles.



This is a copy paste from the first time I made them....
Since I've made toffee bit filled, white choco rasberry, dark choco and "turtles"
Made variety packs for Christmas gift last year. Serious money saver, as well...no one would be getting truffles for what the stores charge.