Got several of those canned sweet potatoes in your Food Pantry bag this week due to Easter?  A bit embarrassed about serving them for an Easter meal?  Don't be!  When cooked in this fabulous casserole style dish, you' won't be able to tell the difference.  Furthermore, it will save you a bit of trouble on preparing and peeling those odd shaped potatoes.  

4 cans 15 oz. sweet potatoes drained
1/4 cup of pancake syrup
1/2 stick of butter cubed
2/3 cup brown sugar packed
1 tsp. cinnamon
Sprinkling of salt
2 cups of marshmallows
Nuts if desired

Place potatoes in a 2 quart casserole dish or 13 by 9 inch pan.  Top with syrup, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.  Bake for 20 min.  on 350.  Take out of oven and top with marshmallows and cook until marshmallows are golden brown.  I found by baking the  toppings  first, there is no need to get another saucepan out and combine sugared ingredients on the stove top. 

I am always shuffling through past tried and true recipes trying to make your nightly dinner ritual a bit more enticing on this limited budget.  If you have an Aldi food store near you, then you are in luck with this recipe.  Aldi promotes weekly sales on Portolbello mushrooms toting only $1.69 a box!  Furthermore, if you are keeping a stash of frozen chicken breasts, you are always ready for a simple, thrifty meal such as this one.

I use an 8 oz. block of mozzarella cheese for this recipe also found at Aldi for $1.79.  Saving almost a dollar for a 2 cup shredded cheese bag, I do the shredding myself.

2 1/2 cups pasta
1 pkg. baby portobella mushrooms sliced
1 tab. olive oil
1 tab. butter
2 garlic cloves chopped
3 tab. flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 chicken breasts (Stocking Up on Chicken Breasts) Cubed
1/3 cup whipping cream, 1/2 and 1/2, or milk
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups mozzarella cheese
2 tab. parmesan

Cook pasta according to directions.  Fry garlic, mushrooms in oil and butter.  Add chicken and cook through.  Stir in flour and mix well.  Add milk and cream and stir until thick.  Add noodles and one cup mozzarella cheese.  Toss and place in baking pan.  Top with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese and parmesan.  Bake at 350 for 20 min.

Who thought such a rich, inviting name would be featured here in Living on Food Banks?  The sad truth is, that living frugally in today's environment usually means getting back to the basics of home cooking.  If you receive the full allotment of food stamps for your family due to a scarce income, the least you can do is to indulge yourself esteem  preparing meals as though you are financially stable.

And, folks, it's easy here.  Lovely pictures, full of hearty good ideas for your family.  Plus, for those recipes you enjoy, do bookmark the Cookbook section.  You'll be able to prepare these meals for years to come, even if you get back on track, because your family will begin to enjoy this home cooking more than the supermarket's prepared type.

Basil plants are on sale for around $1.  Get yourself one and plant it in a pot next to your door.  You'll be able to harvest enough for the spring and summer season of great pizza and pastas sauces.

1/2 box spaghetti
1 tab. olive oil or oil
2 cloves garlic thinky sliced
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
salt/pepper to taste

Prepare pasta as directed.  In a small skillet add garlic and oil. Cook until tender, one minute.  Quickly add cooked pasta and remaining ingredients.  Remove from heat and toss.  Add more salt and pepper if needed.

Are you receiving a good amount of bagged dried beans in your food pantry bag and unsure how to prepare them?  Do be sure to check out our cookbook section on how to prepare various beans.  This recipe is delicious and requires a few dried spices available in your pantry.  It is a wonderful filling side dish that accompanies just about any main fare. 

Will you are downsizing your food budget, why not get on board with healthier versions such as beans? 

1 pd. dried navy beans
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
3 cloves chopped garlic
2 large onions chopped
3 plum tomatoes chopped
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
salt/pepper to taste

Soak beans overnight in bowl covered with water.  Drain and place in saucepan.  Add all ingredients and cook on low-simmer for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

Happy St. Patty's Day to all!  I do hope you are taking this extra time to cook a traditional meal for your family.  I know on this type of economical budget things can be slim, but if you were able to set aside money for a corned beef, then I am going to share my tradtional Irish Soda Bread. 

This bread is like none other you'll ever taste.  It is not like the usual dry varieties housed at stores on this holiday.  Rather, it is moist and chewy, tantalizing to your taste buds.  This will become a family favorite for years to come!

2 cups flour
1/4 cup bran flakes or wheat germ
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 stick of butter or margarine
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 cup plain yogurt

Place flour in bowl and add cold butter.  Begin to mix two ingredients with fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add bran flakes, salt, baking soda, and raisins mix well. and yogurt.  Add yogurt until moist and you are able to form a slightly sticky ball.  Let rest for 10 min.  Place on baking sheet and cut an "x" pattern over the top.  Bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 min. Until golden.

If you don't have a bread maker, I'd suggest you begin a routine of scoping out your local thrift shops.  You can pick up a used one for $6 - $8, and with a little finagling, possibly reduce that amount a dollar or two.  I'm sure you noticed there are a few appliances utilized here on this blog due to the simple fact they save you money in the long run!  If you have been previously busy with a heavy work load, you used them to make those dinner nights easier.  But, now that you may be in between jobs, it's time to reignite the passion and start making things from scratch!

Oh, sure you may be used to cracking those cans of cinnamon buns early Saturday morning taking the extra few minutes to place them in the pan and feeling like you've just doled out a homemade breakfast.  But, now that you have a few more minutes to spare, why not try making them homemade?  And these are sheerly delicious!  In fact to get you started, here is my simplest recipe.  These turn out so light and airy, unlike their traditional canned counterparts.

In your breadmaker add:
1 package of active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup margarine softened
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
3 1/2 cups flour

Place all ingredients into your bread maker and place setting on DOUGH.  Once the cycle is complete you may roll out your dough directly from the machine as it has already completed its first rise. Roll out to a LARGE rectangle.

Once dough is rolled out.  Place the following on top of the dough:
1 stick of margarine or butter softened, smear over entire dough - easier than melting!
3/4 - 1 cup brown sugar, sprinkled over butter
1 - 2 tsp. cinnamon, sprinkled over brown sugar
1/4 cup honey, poured over cinnamon

Crimp edges on the roll securing filling as shown in video.  Cut in 1 inch sections and place on greased baking sheet.  Cover and let rise for another hour.  Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. 

While baking make topping:
1 -2 tab. milk
2 - 3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix well, consistency should be a smooth glaze.

As soon as those buns pop out of the oven, spoon glaze over them while still HOT!  Best if eaten right from oven so timing is of the essence on this one!

Ah, spring is in the air!  And, there is nothing more refreshing than bringing to the table a lovely tossed salad.  But those bottled dressing are becoming quite expensive!  Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers are yet a fabulous bargain, so how do you compensate to feed your family well?  Try collabrating homemade dressings.  With just a few ingredients in your pantry, you can have a wholesome treat that far outweighs the humbled bottled dressing.  In fact, your family will attest this treat is far better than those aged, off taste varieties that adorn your refrigerator shelves.

6 tab. mustard
8 tab. honey
6 tab. lemon juice
12 tab. white vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Combine all in a container, preferably an old cruet jar, shake and top your favorite salad!

Who says you can't eat thrifty and have an excellent meal?  You just have to be creative!  Many people write me on this blog saying, "How can you afford this?  These recipes cost too much!"  Well, they aren't seeking Walmart and buying chicken legs that are 69 cents a pound on sale!  You must be frugal to eat and live well when you are facing economic hardship.

It is not enough to become acquainted with a few local stores boasting specials.  Instead, one must look at ALL stores in close proximity of your home.  Stores, that well, you may not have been accustomed to frequent before.  For there you will find bargains as I have that inspired these recipes.  Why at a pork roast for 99 cents a pound, I can get several meals by spending $8. 

While you have this unwanted time off, check your circulars and the internet to become a guru of the frugal mentality!

1 tab. oil
4 chicken legs split
1 garlic clove
1 14 oz. can chopped tomatoes
3 chicken boullion cubes
3 cups water
1 medium onion
1 1/2 cups rice
1 cup canned peas
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan fry chicken in oil, onion, and garlic.  When browned, add tomatoes, boullion, and water.  Add rice, salt, and pepper.  Cook on medium/low heat for 25 min.

I found this unique recipe while we were camping a couple of years ago.  I had chicken breasts lying on the bottom of my cooler that had to last one more day.  They weren't going bad, but I knew another 24 hours in the ice was going to taint them.  So I reached into my spice chest and came up with the following recipe.  I had few ingredients to work with, and placed the following in a Ziploc bag.  What we found was just short of amazing.  When we
grilled these delights the following day, it was by far the best chicken we've ever had on the grill!  This is now a home favorite!

2 large split chicken breasts
2 tsp. Lemon Pepper Seasoning
3 tab. oil

Add chicken breasts to Ziploc bag and place in remaining ingredients.  Because these ingredients contain no acid, you can pop these in your refrigerator the night before.  Just "smush" that bag well, to get all the ingredients married.  If you do it the day of the grill, be sure to complete the mixture in the morning to ensure all that lemon goodness gets right down to the bone.   Grill as you normally would or bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.