It's the weekend and time for a quick, easy treat!  You can make your family feel special by creating this dessert that takes just a few minutes.  It's funny, if we just incorporate a few minutes each day into making our family feel loved and special, we'll be able to reap the rewards for a lifetime.  But, we often get inundated with hectic work schedules or blasted with financial havoc that gets our spirits down.  Don't let this happen.  Get up each morning and ask yourself, "What can I do special for my family today?"  The answers will astound you, and you'll draw deep into that well hauling up new ideas daily.

2 McIntosh Apples
1 Tab. melted butter
1 1/2 tsp. sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Vanilla Ice Cream

Core and cut apples in half.  Brush with butter and broil until edges are golden.  Sprinkle with sugar and broil two minutes more.  Top with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.

The dog days of summer are in full bloom at this point.  These days remind me of porch swings and lawn chairs taking in the last moments of the evening hours together as a family while the heat begins to abate.  Lives are so busy, that when we do have a little down time, it is often spent in front of a TV watching reruns.  Why not take your family outdoors?  It's a great way to reconnect about your day and offer that love and support a family environment can have.  Then, on that porch swing or lawn chair, why not bring out Frosted Oranges for all?  Won't that be sweet, sipping on a fresh concoction made for summer fun?

3 scoops vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup ice-cold milk
1/2 cup ice-cold orange juice
2 heaping tab. frozen orange juice concentrate

Place all ingredients in a blender.  Whirl.  Makes 2 servings.  YUM!

I have just found the most wonderful, thrifty recipe - that turned out just perfectly with little ingredients.  This one has to be one of the cheapest recipes I've ever entered here and will be completely from your food pantry bag.  The sheer fact that it was delicious amazes me still as I seek to find new recipes through trial and error. 

You just ladle everything into your rice cooker, and in 40 min. you have a delicious side to your dinner meal.  So, if those canned soups are piling up again, give this a try to rid yourself a few.

2 cups premeasured rice (from rice cooker amounts)
3 cans chicken soup (from food pantry)
2 tsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. pepper

Drain chicken soup.  Set noodles aside, or give to your pets mixed with dry food.  This helps the budget on pet food, too.  Place rice in rice cooker.  Add broth from cans of soup.  Fill the cooker to the two cup line with additional water.  Add parsley and pepper.  Close lid and allow to cook.

Gosh, August is here, with a bountiful of fresh veggies on sale just about every day!  There are so many wonderful varities to choose from, that it can be overwhelming knowing how to prepare some of these fabulous side dishes that can be concocted from a good sale.  This dish is pleasantly surprising. and you'll be quite amazed at the outcome.  As a matter of fact, I've eaten it for a leftover lunch when there happened to be a bit left from the night before.

It's simple and quick with most ingredients already on hand.  Preparation time is but a few minutes proving fabulous results.

5 medium zucchini sliced in 1/2 inch chunks, unpeeled
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt

Boil zucchini for 6 minutes and drain.  Place in an over proof dish.

Add and stir:
10 oz. frozen corn
4 oz. green chopped chilies, drained (optional)

In a separate saucepan melt:
2 tab. butter

Add and cook until smooth:
2 tab. flour

Add and stir until slightly thickened:
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup milk

When smooth add:
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Take melted ingredients and pour over top of the zucchini and corn.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min.

Quick!  Before summer ends, take time to try this luscious cucumber salad.  Every grocery shop I frequent has had great sales on cucumbers.  But, how many cukes can you utilize to top your salads?  There are all kinds of nutritional benefits coming from the cucumber.  It makes great sense to incorporate them more into your daily diet. 

This salad is kid-friendly and has a sweet dressing.  Give it a shot, and I'll bet it will soon be a family favorite!

1 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp. vinegar
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp salt
4 medium, peeled cucumbers sliced thinly
3 green onions

In a bowl mix mayonaise, sugar, vinegar, dill weed, and salt.  Stir lightly.  Toss in cucumbers.  Slice green onions thinly and

Alrighty, it's the weekend, and how 'bout something a little fun?  I was perusing my recipe file, and came across this recipe that I've almost forgotten about!  Ever since this recession came in, I've tossed my favorite hand written cookbooks aside thinking I can't make much of anything on this budget.  But, you, dear reader, have enticed  me to look beyond the common means and latch onto more tasty, homemade, thrifty recipes.

This recipe was made often only a short time ago and was a family favorite.  On second look, I realized I had most of the ingredients on hand and will make this ultimate feast this weekend.  You are going to be in taste bud heaven when these flavors start meshing in your mouth!

2 slices of bacon
1 clove of garlic
I medium onion
1 pd. ground meat
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup canned pinto beans
1/2 pd. shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 bag of Fritos Corn Chips

In a frypan cook bacon until crisp and remove, let cool, and crumble.  Set aside. Add garlic, onion, and meat.  Fry until done.  Depending on ground beef, drain off some of the fat.  Add salt, chili powder, cumin, tomato paste, water, and pinto beans.  Cook for 20 minutes allowing flavors to marry.  Get a large dish.  Place bag of Frito on plate and top with meat mixture.  Add cheese on top and serve immediately.

With all the advice out there on the benefits of eating fish, I decided to become more observant in incorporating fish into my diet weekly.  I have noticed that you can get a pound of individual wrapped frozen salmon fillets at Save A Lot for $3.99.  I had been keeping these on hand for my own salads when the meat expense for dinner became too great after feeding those two huge teen age boys I have. 

Recently I began creating my teriyaki salmon recipe for dinner salads.  My youngest teenager decided he'd like a taste of my concoction and gave it the thumbs up.  Since then, I've been creating this once or twice a month.  I must admit it goes very well with white rice and canned peas.  There is something about those teriyaki flavors meshing in the rice and peas that make this a thrifty favorite. 

Remember all those ingredients I asked you to buy for Homemade Beef Lo Mein?  Well here's an extended recipe that will incorporate those products.  Enjoy and share!

1 pd. salmon fillets
1 tab. brown sugar
2 tsp. sesame oil
3 tab. soy a sauce
3 tab. mirin
salt/pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  Place fillets in and allow to marinate for an hour or more.  Take fillets out and drain.  Place on greased oven pan and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 mins.  Or, you can pan fry then in a black skillet.  Simply wonderful!