Tis the season when our wallets begin to be stretched.  End-of-the-year, graduation, and congratulatory parties begin to inundate our calendar.  Somewhere during this time you'll be asked to bring a potluck to adorn the festive table.  Our Cooking for a Crowd offers great recipes for a few dollars that will fill all those attending hungry bellies.  Don't be left out or feel frustrated should duty call.  Just click on one of our crowd pleasing recipes like the one below.

3 cups of Honey BBQ sauce
1 1/2 cups Frozen Veggie mix without seasonings
1 tab. prepared mustard
2 tab. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. allspice
3 lbs. deli sliced boiled ham
rolls

In a large bowl stir BBQ sauce, veggie mix, mustard, brown sugar, and allspice until blended.  Place ham in slow cooker.  Top with sauce and gently combine.  Set slow cooker on low for 2-3 hours.  Easy!  Just place rolls near slow cooker and let guests fix their own.  

Yum! Nothing better than a quick snack that entails a delicious raisin salad.  This salad can be made on the weekend, and if kept in a Tupperware container, will last into the week with lots of crunch to boot.  Just open and dole out a bit when ever that snack monkey takes hold.  


Where carrots really shine is as a source of vitamin A. One cup of carrots provides a whopping 428 percent of the recommended daily intake. Other micronutrients found in carrots include calcium, thiamin, niacin, iron, vitamin B-6,vitamin E, riboflavin, folate, manganese, vitamin C, vitamin K, choline, phosphorus and potassium. A 1-cup serving of raw carrots also provides 4 grams of fiber.  Make your snacks count and at the same time provide sustainable energy to keep you going.

10 oz. bag of shredded carrots
1/4 cup raisins
2 tab. shredded coconut
6 oz. container of pineapple yogurt

Place all in bowl and mix well.  Place in refrigerator for one hour to allow flavors to blend.  

Here's a recipe that can be concocted quickly utilizing pantry stock items you probably already have on hand.  I know I have several peanut butter jars readily available each time I pick up my food pantry box. Pancake syrup is always on hand for busy moms and quick breakfasts in the morning.  This one is an oldie but goodie.

Although the peanut has a long history, having been found in Peruvian mummy tombs, peanut butter is a relatively young food.


In 1890, an enterprising physician, Dr. John Kellogg (of corn flakes fame), created peanut butter as a healthy protein substitute that was easy to digest for patients with no teeth. The manufacturing process was mechanized by George A. Bayle, Jr., and a patent for a peanut-butter machine was issued to Abrose W. Straub in 1903.

In 1904, peanut butter came into the limelight at the St. Louis Universal Exposition by concessionaire C. H. Sumner, where it was promoted as a health food.

1 1/2 cups pancake syrup or corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 tsp. sale
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Pastry for one crust pie
Optional Toppings:
Cool Whip
Chopped Peanuts
Broken peanut butter cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll out pastry to fit pie plate and trim as desired.  In a bowl beat pancake syrup, peanut butter, sugar, salt until blended.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Pour into pie crust.  Bake 60-70 minutes or until top is puffed and center is set.  Cover with foil the last 30-40 minutes to prevent over browning.

Cool and top with desired toppings.

I thought I was over the pork scene, but I just received a donated roast in my food bank bag.  It is spring and I do not want my house overheated from the cost of cooking another roast in the oven.  So I decided on throwing it in the slow cooker and opting for BBQ pork sandwiches.  

Pork gets a bad rap when it comes to protein intake.  According to a study published in the February journal Obesity, Purdue University researchers found that including protein from lean pork in your diet can help you lose weight while maintaining more lean tissue, including muscle. The pork dieters rated themselves more positively in terms of overall mood and feelings of pleasure during dieting compare to those who ate less protein.

The women in the study followed either a high-protein diet or a normal-protein diet but the same amount of calories. The women who ate more protein, with pork as their only source of meat, felt fuller longer after meals.

So gear up on some needed protein and try this recipe.

• 3 to 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce

1. Rinse the pork shoulder and pat dry. Rub salt and pepper over the pork and place in a slow cooker. Add water. Cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours, until the pork is very tender.
2. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and discard the remaining liquid. Shred the pork using a couple of forks. Place the meat back in the slow cooker along with the barbecue sauce and continue to cook for another 20-30 minutes until the pork is hot again. Serve on buns with extra barbecue sauce.

A proper diet is essential to maintain normal health and wellness. If the diet is insufficient to support health, the person will not be optimally well. Protein is one of many nutrients needed in a properly balanced diet for normal growth and maintenance. Proteins make up 10-20% of the mass of most cells and tissues, and provide for many of the functions and physical structure of cells, organs and tissues. Globular proteins, composed of one or more proteins, perform specific functions as enzymes, certain hormones, antibodies, and protein transport complexes, all needed for the normal operation of the body. If protein intake, digestion or assimilation is insufficient to maintain normal tissues and functions, then degenerative changes and tissue abnormalities result.  

Reducing your carb intake by packing more protein into your diet can keep blood glucose levels from fluctuating, which can trigger fatigue.  Eating protein with each meal and snacks can help battle muscle fatigue and pain.  

Enjoy the wonderfully nutritious egg. Along with milk, eggs contain the highest biological value (or gold standard) for protein. One egg has only 75 calories but 7 grams of high-quality protein, 5 grams of fat, and 1.6 grams of saturated fat, along with iron, vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids.

Keep your refrigerator stocked with hard boiled eggs that can be packed quickly and taken on the go.  

INGREDIENTS

• 12 large eggs, room temperature

DIRECTIONS

1. Place eggs in a large saucepan. Cover them with cool water by 1 inch. Slowly bring water to a boil over medium heat; when the water has reached a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let sit 12 minutes.
   
   
2. Transfer eggs to a colander; place under cool running water to stop the cooking. Eggs can be peeled and served immediately.
   

Mention the word “fried” and it immediately conjures images of artery-clogging saturated fat. “Refried beans" sound even more unhealthy, but they’re not. Even though they’re typically made using bacon fat, refried beans are surprisingly low in fat and they contain all the nutrients found in pinto beans, from dietary fiber and protein to iron and plant chemicals that protect you from diseases.

Refried beans originated in Mexico where they’re called frijoles refritos, or “well-fried beans.” Basic refried beans are made from four simple ingredients: pinto beans, onion, garlic and bacon fat or lard. Cooks brown chopped onion and minced garlic in the fat and then add canned pinto beans to the skillet together with fluid from the can. As the beans heat up, they’re mashed with a fork or potato masher to create the desired consistency. Typical enhancements include chili powder, cumin, grated cheese or chopped jalapeno peppers.

One cup of refried beans has 217 calories, 13 grams of protein and just 3 grams of total fat. If you buy fat-free refried beans, the total fat drops to just 1 gram. Refried beans are a good source of oxygen-carrying iron; men get 50 percent of the recommended daily intake and women get 22 percent based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet. One serving gives you a healthy boost of antioxidant vitamin C and energy-providing B vitamins. As with most processed foods, if you buy canned refried beans they’ll be high in salt unless you choose a low-salt brand. Just 1 cup of traditional refried beans has 1,069 milligrams of sodium -- that’s 70 percent of the total daily value.

Try this recipe and don't be afraid to add a dash or two of your favorite items too!  Then place in a Tupperware container and just heat a bit in the microwave for a quick snack or lunch.  Corn chips work best topped with bits of tomato and cheese here.

1 can of refried beans
2 handfuls of Seasoned Veggie Blend
1 tsp. oil
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin or Cajun seasoning

Fry seasoned veggie blend (you can make this without herbs) and garlic with oil.  When softened add beans and seasonings.  Keep stirring until desired consistency is achieved.  

It doesn't happen often, but last month I had quite a surprise in my Food Pantry Bag.  There was a 3 lb. chuck roast.  Apparently, there were several donated with yellow stickers for quick sale that had been reduced. Nonetheless, it was a formidable pot roast, and if treated fairly it would be enough for the brood.

So I dug deep in the recipe file and came up with an old family favorite.  A recipe that added special warmth when finances were a bit better at one time.  I stretched it a bit, and the result was just short of amazing!

2 - 4 lb. chuck roast
2 tsp. pepper, divided
2 tsp. salt, divided
2 tab. oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tab. tomato paste
1 tsp. thyme
2 bay leaves
1 cup water
1 beef bouillon cube
4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 medium carrots, cubed
1 tab. red cooking wine
2 tsp. parsley

Sprinkle roast with 1 tsp. salt and pepper.  Sear in oil over medium heat until brown on both sides.  Remove and place in crock pot.

Add onions, celery, potatoes, carrots, and garlic on top.  Place water, paste, and bouillon cube on the side of pot roast near bottom.  Sprinkle with remaining spices along with salt and pepper.  Place lid on top. 

Set on low and allow to cook undisturbed for about 6 - 8 hours.