Before that summer wave hits, now's the time to get a few more of those whole chickens, that are on sale, in the oven for a delicious Sunday dinner.  Sunday's have always been a favorite time around this house especially during the best meal of the day, dinner.  It's a good time to gather the family together after a hectic week and rejoin focusing on what's important in life.  Those that are sitting right in front of you!

Try this rub early afternoon and let it sit on your chicken about 1/2 hour in the refrigerator.  Then just pop into the oven with some Stir'em and Forget'em Baked beans, and all you need is a side vegetable.  Who said a great dinner had to be time consuming?

1 whole chicken
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. chili powder

Place spices and sugar into bowl.  Mix well.  Rub on chicken and let sit a 1/2 hour in refrigerator to marry spices. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour and a half.  That simple!  YUM!

It's that time of year we hear the berries calling!  Berries galore are everywhere!  Take note of all your discount product stores and you'll find an array of berries on sale.  Why not grab a pint and make this delicious recipe below.  Best of all, you can freeze these for future breakfasts.  Just pop in the freezer and microwave for a fast treat before rushing out the door in the morning.

3/4 stick of butter or margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Put liners in muffin tins.  Whisk together butter, brown sugar, milk, and egg until combined well.  Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to bowl.  Whisk until just combined.  Add milk and stir until just combined.  Beating incessantly causes dry muffins.  Fold in blueberries gently.  Dived batter among muffin tins and bake until lightly browned about 25-30 minutes.

I've been staring at these canned mixed vegetables that ended up in my food bag for months now.  Oh, sure, many of you may think, "I know exactly what to do with those!"  But, me on the other hand, just couldn't seem to part the space on my shelf to another since my family has always been used to fresh or frozen vegetable until this financial disaster.  So what do you do?  Stick them into soup and watch them decompress and shred to an unpalatable mess?  Pour them into a serving container, dot with butter and garlic salt, then nuke'em?  When you know no one will eat them?

Well, Friends, I found a way!  I incorporated them into the recipe below.  By utilizing your Stocking Up on Chicken Breasts you have a thrifty, delicious treat.  And by the way, in over two years, Walmart only increased the meat by 10 cents!  Still a great bargain!  Find cream of chicken soup at Aldi for 69 cents and a block of cheese for $1.99 and you've got a real treat.

Vegetable cooking spray
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 can (14.5 oz.) mixed vegetables (drained)
1 package (12 oz.) refrigerator biscuits (10 total)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
dash of pepper and garlic salt 
Flour

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray muffin pan with cooking spray.  In a bowl mix chicken, soup, and vegetables.
Take biscuits and roll out using flour, or form with your hands and fill each muffin tin as shown above.  Spoon mixture equally into the 10 mini pies.  Top with cheddar cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown on edges.  Let cool slightly before removing them.  I was pleasantly surprised!

I've been a notorious fan of the common chicken leg bag ever since being on a extreme budget to feed the clan here.  Furthermore, as the years compound I find an innate desire to look for dinners that can cook themselves. Hence, I have supreme appreciation for the humble crock pot.  There are just some kitchen necessities the common cook should not have to do without.  Crock pots are reasonably priced as per the link above, or can be purchased at your local thrift shop for under $8.  There is no better feeling than dropping your dinner in the ceramic base, plugging it in, and coming home to instant serving!

Because we utilize chicken legs weekly, I am always on the lookout for a delicious, thrifty recipe.  I came across this one and put it on hold due to the listed coconut milk ingredient.  But, on a recent trip to Walmart I found a can of coconut for $1.28.  I immediately swiped that beauty up and rushed home to produce this masterpiece. Served over rice, this makes a wholesome treat.  The sweet smell will waft your senses when you return home.

4 chicken legs (left whole)
1 cup coconut milk
2 tbs. soy a sauce
2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 tsp. allspice
flaked coconut - cilantro (optional)

Place first 5 ingredients in crock pot.  Set on low and cook 5-6 hours.  Place chicken on serving tray, cut into individual pieces and top with coconut and cilantro.  Personally I tried this topping and my family did not enjoy the cilantro.  So we dished it up over rice naked.  YUM!

When on a frugal budget it's OK to ditch the cumbersome sides of a meal from time to time.  Five pounds of flour costs about $1.60 and you can get quite a few meal stays in one bag as a opposed to a box of noodles that costs almost as much.  Having a hearty loaf of bread or these delectable cheese biscuits along side a decent piece of meat is even filling for those big eaters in your clan.

These biscuits turn out moist and amazing, almost like the favorite restaurant chain.  The trick is to make sure the dough stays moist and slightly sticky when you are cutting out these biscuits.  Utilizing just enough flour to make it not stick to your board is the key.

Remember to pick up your mainstays like flour, margarine, eggs, and baking soda at discount stores such as Aldi or Save a Lot.  I buy a block of cheese from Aldi for $1.79 and grate my own.  This gives me several meals at 1/2 the cost of national shredded bag cheese.

2 1/4 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tsp. parsley
1/4 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a bowl stir the first five ingredients.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbles.  Stir in cheese and parsley.  Put in yogurt and some of the milk, stirring until just moistened.  Pat dough into 3/4 inch thickness, using as little flour as possible so dough stays very moist.  Cut with biscuit cutter and place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

Have you ever been to Cinnabon, pulled apart those chewy, moist rounds and wondered how the heck do they get their dough so perfect?  Well, today I'm going to share a recipe that's going to make an ultimate rivalry to theirs.  I found an old sticky bun recipe, tweaked it, and came out with a product so divine that I will be making these quite frequently to store extras in the freezer.  These make easy breakfast treats and served aside some good scrambled eggs you've got a complete breakfast.  

The best part is it uses some of those dried box mashed potatoes that are often given in your food bank bags.  If you'd like; you can use left over mashed potatoes that will work just as well.  The most important item, if you haven't purchased one already is that Bread Machine.  I purchased mine for $8 at a local thrift shop, and it is still going strong after three years.  You've noticed lots of recipes here that incorporate that Bread Machine so it is well worth the purchase as it saves you precious time.

1 pkg. active dry yeast
3/4 cup water
2/3 cup mashed potatoes
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
3 - 4 cups flour

Topping
4 tab. butter or margarine
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup honey or pancake syrup (or mix'em)
1 cup of walnuts if you like'em 

Filling
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tab. butter or margarine melted slightly

To make mashed potatoes, get measuring cup and fill it 2/3 with water.  Add dried mashed potatoes 1 tab. at a time waiting 1 minute after each to incorporate.  Keep adding until mixture resembles mash potato side.  Add to bread maker.  Add yeast, water, sugar, butter, egg, and salt.  Set machine on "dough".  Begin adding flour 1 cup at a time until mixture resembles a soft dough that is knead able.  Touch dough so that it is not too sticky or dry as you add flour.  Allow to finish on bread setting.

In 13 by 9 inch pan add all topping mixtures and stir.  Place in 350 degree oven to melt toppings a bit.  Stir when butter has melted and take out.

On a lightly floured board, roll dough out to an 18 x 12 inch rectangle.  Smear butter over rectangle and sprinkle on brown sugar and cinnamon evenly.  Don't be afraid to add more sugar or cinnamon if needed.  Spread out. Begin to roll up jelly roll style starting with the long side. Pinch seams to seal.  Cut into 12 equal slices and place on topping mixture.  Cover with towel and let rise until double in bulk about an hour.

Place in 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden.  Invert immediately.  Freeze leftovers.  

Yesterday in my brown bag, I received a loaf of Apple Fritter Bread.  Not knowing how to use it before the cardboard stage sets in, I quickly popped it into my freezer for future use.  Well, that bag stared at me face to face each time I opened the side door of my refrigerator generating recipe ideas.  "Such an elegant loaf of bread," I thought, "there must be a great recipe to accompany this."  

I receive sweet artisan breads from time to time, and I needed a good, thrifty recipe to accompany them when I do.   Then it hit me!  Why not make this whole loaf into delicious french toast and freeze leftovers for future use?  All the past swirl breads I received came plunging back making me wonder why I didn't utilize this before!  These freeze well, and my boys are happy digging into my freezer now for a quick meal that can be popped into the microwave!

This recipe can be adapted to any sweet bread that comes your way.

1 loaf apple fritter bread
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 tab. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
butter or margarine for frying

Place all ingredients, except for bread, in a bowl and mix well.  Dip slices of apple fritter bread into mixture and fry until gold brown on each side.  Make sure to have an adequate size fry pan so edges don't touch.  

I am always on the lookout for ways to incorporate those bags of pumpkin you have stored in the freezer for future use from Halloween.  I found a similar recipe incorporating sweet potatoes, but knew in my heart, that fresh ground pumpkin would make better fare.  This recipe is so delicious, you'll be bookmarking this to make often.  I was pleasantly surprised to find the crust added a delightful texture to the complete product as I made it a bit denser intensifying the whole experience.

More importantly, it adds a new spin for those boxes of crackers that might be piling up again.

Crust:
1 row of butter crackers
2 hefty tab. brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine melted
2 tsp. cinnamon

Filling:
4 cups vanilla ice cream
1 bag of frozen pumpkin or 1 1/4 cup canned
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

1 container of Cool Whip

Place bag of pumpkin in a mesh strainer and place over a bowl to drain.  I usually do this when the product is still frozen allowing it to thaw in the strainer slowly.  In  a food processor place crackers, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Process until mixture resembles crumbs.  Add butter slowly and process again.  Spray pie plate with Pam and add bread crumbs pushing firmly up sides.  Set aside.

In processor add pumpkin, cinnamon, allspice, brown sugar, and salt.  Process until smooth.  Add vanilla ice cream and process until mixture is incorporated, but not to long as ice cream will melt too much.  Pour into pie shell and stick in freezer for about 3 hours.  Take out and top with Cool Whip.  Place in freezer again for at least three hours.  

Here's a wonderful concoction I've adapted from an Internet search.  I make this in a cast iron skillet but a casserole dish will work just as well for baking.  I enjoy the versatility of the cast iron pan.  One can fry, top, and bake in the same element leaving less mess.  A good, solid black iron skillet is a must for any home style cooking.  They can also be found at your local thrift stores in good condition as they last for many years when seasoned well.  

Equally important is the health benefits of using this type of fry pan.   Cooking in cast iron is a great way to introduce trace amounts of iron into one’s diet.  Plus, there’s no flaking Teflon to worry about getting into one’s food. Then, on another front, there are economical benefits to cast iron because these pans--except for the enameled variety--cost MUCH less than other kinds of cookware.

Watch out for those biscuit sales lately toting $1 special per can.  I have a tendency to stack up on these and keep them for future cooking.  Also there have been many sales on ground beef for as low as $2.39 pound at Aldi.  Grab up a package of onion soup mix there and you have a great dinner that's affordable and quite yummy.

1 pound of ground beef
1 small onion chopped
1 package of onion soup mix
1 3/4 cups water
2 tsp. corn starch
1 package of provolone cheese slices
1 tube of buttermilk  biscuits


Preheat oven to 350°. In a large cast iron 10 inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking beef into crumbles; drain. Mix soup, water, and corn starch.  Pour over ground beef. Top with a single layer of cheese slices (or two if your a cheese fanatic).  

Bake 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with biscuits. Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until biscuits are golden brown. 

It's Saint Patty's Day tomorrow and there is no reason you shouldn't be able to treat your family to a delicious meal on the holidays.  With careful planning, or stowing away a few coins, you can purchase this treat for less than $15.  I know that can be a lot of dineros, but we find money for other important things.  And believe it or not, this is an important cultural tradition to ingrain if your family celebrates.

I bought my red potatoes at Aldi for 99 cents.  Purchased there, too, was a head of cabbage for 79 cents and a bag of onions for .99.   Baby carrots were on sale for .49.  The cheapest corned beef right now in our area is $3.79 at Publix.   Yes, with a little preplanning you can make this meal for less than expected.  

For added fun, don't forget to make Irish Soda Bread on the side.

1 small bag baby carrots
1 (2 - 3 pd.) Corned Beef Brisket 
1 large onion quartered
8-10 baby red potatoes, quartered and unpeeled
1 small head of cabbage sliced into 8 quarters
1 seasoning packet
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups water

Place brisket in slow cooker.  Top with carrots, potatoes, and onions.  Lay cabbage over top and sprinkle with seasoning packet, salt, and pepper.  Cook on low 8 hours.