If you're feeling the let down of post Black Friday blues, full of turkey still hanging out in your frig, here's a quick recipe to add to your table today since you'll probably be having leftovers again.  This recipe, handed down, to many-a-family, and on the outside bag of Toll House chips bag,  is a welcome reprieve adding sunshine to a cold winter's day.

The best part is, you can buy those chips that are still on sale at Aldi for only $1.29 a bag and have a warm treat in no time that will put smiles on the faces of those you love.

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks of margarine or butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 bag 12 oz. semi sweet chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in bowl.  Beat in butter, sugars, and vanilla extract until creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Gradually beat in flour.  Stir in morsels and nuts if using.  Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 9-11 min.  or until golden.  Cool.  

Happy Thanksgiving!  After stuffing the turkey and placing it in the oven, I immediately thought of you, Dear Reader, and wondered what could I add to make your Thanksgiving a bit special?  I know one item that is a must for my Thanksgiving table, and that is mashed potatoes and gravy.  So I include this last recipe at your humble feet to ensure your potatoes will be as perfect as mine.

I must include that Publix had Turkeys on sale for 59 cents a pound. Noodles were buy one get one for $1.79.  

Stuffing bag was on sale at Aldi for $1.69. Aldi also had 3 lbs. of sweet potatoes for 99 cents.  I also found sharp cheddar cheese for the macaroni for just $1.79 for 8oz. Everything else was included in my Food Pantry Basket. Total cost of Thanksgiving dinner: $12.
 
This year's Thanksgiving table includes:
Mayo Greek Roasted Turkey
Turkey Stuffing with a pound of Sausage added
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Macaroni and Cheese
Ice Box Dinner Rolls
Green Bean Casserole
Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Corn

What You Need
5 pounds Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, well-scrubbed
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter 
2 cups whole milk 
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt, divided
Pepper to taste
Additional pat of butter for top

Place your well-scrubbed potatoes in a large pot and add cold water to an inch above the potatoes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of salt. Cover and bring to a gentle boil. Test for doneness at 30 minutes. A sharp knife should easily go through the potato.

When the potatoes are done, drain them in a colander in your sink. Place back in original pot.

Add the butter, rest of salt, pepper, and 1 cup of milk. Swoosh mixture with potato masher.  Begin whipping with hand mixer on high, adding more milk as necessary, until potatoes are smooth and creamy.  

Oh yum! Have I got a wonderful recipe to share with you! Furthermore, it is going to save you on the purchase of those refrigerated canned types of dinner rolls your family presses you to buy. These rolls adorn our Thanksgiving table each year instead. They can also be made in advanced and frozen. Then all you do is take out the selected amount for dinner that evening and warm them up in the microwave.

These rolls are light, fluffy and simply delicious. They are by far the best homemade dinner roll recipe I own. Do make these often and store them in freezer bags for future use. They are so easy, they'll become a weekend habit for serving on the weeknights.

1 package of yeast
1/8 cup warm water
1/2 stick butter or margarine warmed to room temperature
1 cup of milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 cups flour
Additional melted butter

Add all ingredients but flour and additional melted butter to bread maker. Start machine cycle on "bread dough" Add 2 1/2 cups flour. Allow machine to mix. Begin adding more flour by heaping tablespoons until bread dough forms a soft, sticky ball. Too much will make a tough bread dough, too little will not allow proper kneading. Once desired dough is achieved. Close lid and allow bread to process.

Take dough out when completed and place in a greased bowl. Top with saran wrap and place in refrigerator overnight.

Punch down dough and divide in half. Lightly flour a board and roll out each dough into 10 inch circles. Cut dough like a pizza making 12 equal slices. Roll up like crescent rolls. Place on pan to rise an additonal hour.

Cook at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 min until lightly golden. Spread with additional melted butter before serving.
Freeze unused immediately.

Ah, it's the beginning of Thanksgiving week and I trust you are planning your menu accordingly.  Don't be stuck at the last minute completing recipes while your company enjoys themselves.  Today is pie day!  Get all those favorite pies, baked, wrapped, and stored so that life will be easier on the big day.  

Here's a few trustworthy favorites to include:
Fresh Ground Pumpkin Pie
Quick Coconut Cream Pie
Easy Chocolate Cream Pie
Ultimate Pecan Pie

At our local food bank Thanksgiving always arrives with a large food basket.  Packed full in a laundry basket, all kinds of goodies can be had.  I did note this year contained canned green beans and French's fried onions along with a sturdy can of mushroom soup.  I've made the Classic Green Bean Casserole in previous years, but no one seemed to care for a second helping.  This year my youngest son has prompted me to try it once again feeling this may be something he will enjoy now that he's older.  So here goes an old family recipe.

2 cans green beans
1 can mushroom soup
1 tsp. soy a sauce
dash ground pepper
1/4 cup milk
1 can (2.8 oz.) French's French Fried Onion

Drain beans and place in heat proof serving container.  Put oven on 350 degrees to warm up.  In a small bowl mix soup, soy a sauce, pepper, and milk.  Stir in 2/3 cup of the fried onions. Cook casserole for 25 minutes. Top with remaining onions the last five minutes of baking.

I'm just sitting here wanting to make something different, something old fashioned, something that will add a little spice to my after-dinner-table tonight.  I have no idea what I will make for dinner, but I do know this cake is going to accompany it this evening.  Did you ever get your hands on a recipe you just have to make?  Something that has been handed down for generations, through tailgating parties, or welcome-to-the-neighborhood goodies?  Well this is it.  Forget dinner, throw in something quick, spend time making this cake instead!

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 can 12 oz. cola
1 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup baking cocoa
2 eggs 
1 tab. plain or vanilla yogurt filled with 1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Glaze
I can 12 oz. cola
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup baking cocoa
4 cups confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl whisk the first five ingredients.  In a saucepan combine cola, butter, and cocoa. Bring just to a boil and stir in flour mixture until just moist.  


In a small bowl whisk eggs.  Place one tab. yogurt in bottom of measuring cup.  Fill to 1/2 with milk.  Add to eggs and stir in vanilla.  Add egg mixture to flour mixture constantly stirring.  Place in 13 x 9 inch pan and bake 25-30 minutes.

About 15 min. before cake comes out, make glaze.  Place soda in saucepan and bring to boil.  Cook 12-15 min. until thickened and reduced to 1/2 cup.  Stir in butter and cocoa.  Remove from heat.  Stir in confectioners sugar until smooth.  Pour over hot cake.

Great American beef still seems to be the under-pick for daily supper menus.  Prices have still not leveled and beef can be had starting at $4.99 a pound.  How can one afford a good-size roast for $15 - $25 dollars on a limited budget?  The answer is you can't!

When you tire of those cheap, quick dinners one day this week give this recipe a try.  Grab your chicken breasts at Wal-Mart for $1.98 at pound and prepare them accordingly in Ziploc bags.

Slicing those breasts in half saves money for more meals!  Then grab a handful of your in stock Frozen Veggie Blend and your set.  Cream cheese at Aldi was 99 cents this week, so grab a couple!

1 (24 oz). can spaghetti sauce
2 tsp. oil
1 cup Frozen Veggie Blend
4 oz. of cream cheese
4 halved boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 box of your favorite pasta

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In skillet fry frozen veggies until limp.  Place in a bowl with cream cheese and stir until combined.  Place chicken breasts in a 13 x 9 inch pan in which you covered the bottom with one cup of sauce.  Sprinkle each with salt and pepper. Equally distribute cream cheese mixture on the tops of each.breast. Spoon the rest of the sauce over the top of each.  Top with shredded cheese.  Bake 35 minutes.

Cook pasta according to directions and place chicken breasts on top of pasta before serving. 

This is s a recipe that will find its way out of your recipe files often for weeks to come simply due to the fact it is so easy to make.  This melt-in-your mouth spectacular will have you rummaging in your refrigerator for extra pieces before the kids 'down' it all.  

Once thought to be of unthirfty worth, I can now attest these ingredients are less than $4 to make a 16 square nine inch pan!  All you need is a simple walk through Aldi to pick up their $1.49 chocolate chip bags, and the $.99 can of sweetened condensed milk.  Then home to the microwave you'll fly to make this treat in less than 10 minutes.  You will be pleasantly pleased on this one!

1 tab. butter
12 oz. bag of semisweet chips
11 1/2 oz. bag of milk chocolate chips
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Spray a 9 inch square baking pan well with cooking spray.  In a bowl place both bags of chips and butter. Microwave for one minute and stir.  Continue microwaving every 30 seconds and stirring well until chips are melted.  This is usually done in 2-3 tries.  Quickly stir in vanilla and milk.  Spread onto square pan and refrigerate 1 hour.  Cut into 16 equal squares and refrigerate until firm.  

Here's a great dish to use up any pita bread that you encounter in your food pantry bag.  Often these pitas are day old and in need of some doctoring up before ingestion.  This recipe is a quick and easy fix to any weekday dinner. You can pick up 12 oz. of sausage from Save a Lot for $1.59.  These sausage rolls are packed with meat and no preservatives.  Also at Aldi 99 cent packs of mushrooms can be had, and with your already well stocked pantry of canned spaghetti sauces your set. This also works well with flat bread.  

Sauce
1 1/2 cups canned spaghetti sauce
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix well and set aside.

12 oz. sausage roll
1 pkg. of mushrooms sliced
1 pkg. of pita bread
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook sausage until done in skillet and drain.  

Place pita breads on baking sheets.  Spread with pizza sauce.  Top with mushrooms then cheese.  Bake 10-15 min. until cheese is melted.  

Sigh..... I just received my Winn Dixie circular eagerly opening it to look once again for the BOGO specials on meats and such.  The only tidbit shown, in a small 1/2 inch box, was some chicken legs or thighs.  What happened to all the roasts and such this time of year?  That average meat cost seems to be growing each week wrecking havoc on the simple budget cook.  

One good note is my recipe box is open full swing now scoping out recipes that include little or no meat.  Here is a great one to start early in the morning and allow it to cook all day to perfection.  With a loaf of bread from your bread machine, this is a complete meal with little effort.

1 pd. bag split peas
2 carrots peeled and cut
2 celery stalks peeled and cut
1 medium onion chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 bay leaf
1 ham bone, 2 ham hocks, or package of smoked neck bones
6 cups water
4 bouillon cubes
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Place all ingredients in slow cooker.  Stir.  Set on low and cook about 10 - 12 hours until peas look like mush:-)