Here's a great weeknight dinner when you need to have something filling and yummy quickly.  It's also a great crowd pleasure if you're having a few goblins stopping by.

You can prep this ahead of time by making the meat in advance and then just pop it in the oven before you head out trick or treating for an instant fav!

2-1/2 pounds lean ground beef 
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
3/4 cup water
1 package (15-1/2 ounces) nacho-flavored tortilla chips, crushed
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 cups torn iceberg lettuce
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
10 slices tomato, halved
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
10 pitted ripe olives, halved


Preheat oven to 325°. In a 6-qt. stockpot, cook and crumble beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink, 7-9 minutes. Stir in seasoning, tomato sauce and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Spread chips evenly in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan; sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese. Top with beef mixture; sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake until bubbly, 25-30 minutes.

Cut into ten 5x3-in. portions. Top each with lettuce and onion. Add tomatoes, sour cream and olives to make eyeballs.

Just because money is a little tight doesn't mean you can't have a little fun around dinner time.  Here's a great way to get a bit more into the holiday spirit by offering this quick mummy wrap recipe for dinner tonight.  

Serve these cuties up and your family will be thrilled with giggles afterwards.  

• 1 tube (11 ounces) refrigerated bread sticks
• 10 Popsicle sticks
• 10 hot dogs
• Prepared mustard

Separate dough; roll 10 pieces into 24-in. ropes. Insert a Popsicle stick into each hot dog. Starting at the stick end, wrap one dough rope around each hot dog, leaving 2 in. of the hot dog uncovered at the top for the mummy head.

Place mummies 1 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Place remaining bread sticks on another baking sheet.

​Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes. Add dots of mustard for eyes. Save leftover bread sticks for another use.

Here's a great creepy dinner for the month of October.  Why not get into the season by spending a few more minutes in the kitchen to bring a smile on your families' faces?  


2 large sweet potatoes (about 12 ounces each)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
6 slices American cheese
12 dinner rolls, split
24 pimiento-stuffed olive slice


Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle position. Preheat oven to 400°. Peel and cut sweet potatoes into 1/4-in. julienne strips. Place in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Mix salt, cumin, thyme, cinnamon and pepper. Drizzle sweet potatoes with oil; sprinkle with spice mixture. Toss to coat.

Bake on bottom oven rack 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and tender, turning once. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine beef, onion and seasoned salt, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Press onto bottom of a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake on top oven rack 15-20 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°.
​
Drain fat from baking dish; place cheese slices evenly over meat. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Cut into 12 patties. Place one patty on each roll bottom; arrange eight fries to form spider legs. Replace tops. Press two olive slices onto cheese to form eyes.

Last week's dirt cups were amazing.  Equally amazing is the lawn decorations that bestow our front lawn in the Halloween spirit.  Nothing puts a smile on your face than pulling into your own driveway with a few haunted creatures greeting you.  

This week I've dug out my favorite Mississippi Mud Pie recipe.  This too eludes Halloween tradition and my kids look forward to it each year.  It's easy and inexpensive with ingredients you may have already found gathering in your cupboards.  I true traditional treat!

1 1/4 pound chocolate chip cookie crushed (save 4)
1/3 cup of margarine melted
1 small container of whipped topping
6 oz. of chocolate chips ( about 1/2 bag)
1 can evaporated milk
1 container of vanilla ice cream

In a bowl combine crushed cookies and melted butter.  Press into 13 x 9 inch pan.  Place in freezer 1/2 hour to harden.  Slice vanilla ice cream into 1 inch slaps and place on bottom of pan.  Smooth with back of spoon.   Freeze again for 20 min.  In a pan add chocolate and milk.  Stir until thick and let cool completely.  Pour over vanilla ice cream layer and freeze 1/2 hour.  Smooth one tub of whipped topping over top.  Sprinkle with remaining crushed cookies.  

On Black Friday I purchased a Copper Chef electric Skillet and have never turned back! What an amazing contraption this is when you are on vacation and unable to eat out every night.

Plus, who wants all that greasy processed food anyway on vacation?  Who wants to feel bloated and sick when you are supposed to be enjoying yourself? Of course, who wants to cook, too?  These Hotel Room Cooking recipes make dinner a breeze when you're on the road.  

Just grab a salad and some bread and you're set.


2 tablespoon olive oil
4 of your favorite steaks (about 1 lb each), room temperature
Salt, for seasoning
Ground black pepper, for seasoning
6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 sprigs rosemary, optional

Preheat the skillet to 400° F

Brush the Shallow Pan with the olive oil.

Generously season both sides of the steaks with the salt and ground black pepper.

Place the steaks on the Shallow Pan and cook for 4 mins.

Flip the steaks. Scatter the garlic and rosemary over and around the steaks and cook for an additional 4 mins.

Turn down heat until the desired doneness is reached (about 6–10 mins.). 

​Getting out those Halloween decorations this weekend?  How' bout a little after dinner treat tonight for those little ones to spark that festive mood?  This recipe is quick, easy and inexpensive.  Your kids will just love the flavors that mesh in this good 'ol favorite recipe.  Take a few moments this afternoon preparing a real treat while you organize, discard, and hang up those chilling decorations!

2 cups cold milk
1 package of Jell-O chocolate pudding, small
1 tub Cool Whip
1 16 oz. package of chocolate cookies, crushed
8 - 10 clear cups or dessert cups
Gummy worms, candy flowers, chopped peanuts, or other gummy treat

Pour milk in bowl with small box of pudding mix.  Whisk until blended.  Let mixture stand five minutes.  Stir in whipped topping and half the crushed cookies.  Place one tab. of reserved crushed cookies in each cup, fill cup 2/3 full with pudding mixture, and top with another 2 tab. of crushed cookies.  Decorate with gummies  and such.  Quick and YUM!

These have got to be the ultimate fast food breakfast.  You can easily make these up in a flash on the weekend then freeze them in a zip lock bag for the week.  Then with a little ingenuity needed on those busy first few hours of the morning all you need to do is "nuke 'em" and serve them up pronto giving you a few more precious moment to yourself.

I usually purchase my sausage at Save a Lot when those one pound rolls go on sale for $1.  Then at Aldi boxes of corn muffin mix are 45 cents and blocks of cheddar cheese as low as $1.29 a block on sale days.  So go ahead, learn to shop your discount stores and enjoy more out of life when you save some cash.


​1/3 pd. bulk sausage 
3 eggs
1/8 tsp. seasoned salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 package corn muffin mix (8 1/2 oz.)
3/4 cup cheddar cheese
Honey

Fry sausage until brown and crumble.  Set aside to drain.  Fry eggs in same pan and add seasoned salt and pepper.  Scramble until set.  In a bowl, mix corn muffin according to package directions.  Fold in sausage, egg, and 1/2 cup cheese.  Grab that muffin pan and place paper liners in 12 slots.  Equally distribute batter to those 12 muffin tins.  Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese on top and dot with some swirls of honey.  Cook 8 minutes more.

​It never fails.  Any given week I visit my food pantry I am blessed with multiple loaves of various varieties of breads.  I am on a continual quest deciphering how I can incorporate frozen stored bread into my daily cuisine. These delectable breads may not be of the freshly baked quality, but, nonetheless, can be prepared into something that makes a delicious accompaniment to any meal.  

I came up with this recipe recently as I perused my frozen bread shelf.  Garlic bread is a staple in this house, and each time I had to whip up a fresh recipe to spread then toast. Not so anymore!  This recipe allows you to make a decent quantity before hand and store in the refrigerator for easy spreading.  Delicious, thrifty, and quick you'll be using this all summer!

1/2 cup margarine spread
2 tab. Parmesan cheese
3 minced garlic cloves
2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Mix all ingredients in a plastic storage container.  Refrigerate until ready to spread.  Spread on bread slices and toast in toaster oven until golden.  About 8 minutes. 

These burgers were a huge hit with our friends during football season. Regular mayo can easily be substituted for the garlic aioli if desired.

This is one dinner you won't need any sides as it will be simply amazing someone can finish off the entire burger.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

CHEESEBURGERS:
2 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 slices American cheese
8 buns, split

FRIED EGGS:
2 tablespoons butter
8 large eggs

TOPPINGS:
lettuce
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
Additional mustard, optional


Whisk mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice and lemon zest until blended. Refrigerate.

For burgers, combine the next six ingredients, mixing lightly but thoroughly (do not overmix). Shape into eight patties. Grill, covered, over medium direct heat until a thermometer reads 160°, 5-7 minutes on each side. Top with cheese; grill, covered, until cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes longer. Place burgers on bun bottoms. Keep warm.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat in each of two large skillets (on grill or stovetop). Break eggs, one at a time, into a custard cup or saucer, then gently slide into pans. Immediately reduce heat to low. To prepare eggs sunny-side up, cover pan and cook until yolks thicken but are not hard. To make basted eggs, spoon butter in pan over eggs while cooking. For over-easy, carefully turn eggs to cook both sides but do not cover pan.

To serve, spread mayonnaise mixture over bun tops. Add lettuce, tomatoes and, if desired, additional mustard to burgers. Top with fried eggs. Replace bun tops.

There are so many wonderful, simple ethnic foods that being on a tight food budget shouldn't make you feel unsatisfied.  With this ever growing culture of processed foods we have long left the true sense of soulful cooking that enabled our ancestors to eat abundantly and healthy on just pennies.  This blog is donated to those who are on such a budget and making ends meet at their local food banks.  But, there are times we must venture out and buy food at the local grocery to complete our daily menus for those we love.  On these occasions, you must stop here and view the ever growing cookbook of delicious, low-cost items that adorn our tables.  Your one stop place to always have enjoyable, thrifty meals at your fingertips.


2 cup dried chick peas
1 medium onion
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1 egg
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt & pepper to taste
flour to bind
oil

Soak beans overnight.  Drain.  Cook until tender over medium/ low heat.  In a food processor or blender add remaining ingredients except flour and oil.  Pulse until all ingredients are smooth and processed.  Place in a bowl and add flour to just bind.  Let stand for 1/2 hour in refrigerator.  Make one inch balls with mixture and head in pan filled with 2 inches of oil  Cook a few balls at a time and let brown evenly on low/medium heat.  Allow to drain on paper towels.  Wrap with pita bread, lettuce, and tomatoes.  Usually served with Tahini Sauce.