Here's a great creepy dinner for the month of October.  Why not get into the season by spending a few more minutes in the kitchen to bring a smile on your families' faces?  


2 large sweet potatoes (about 12 ounces each)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
6 slices American cheese
12 dinner rolls, split
24 pimiento-stuffed olive slice


Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle position. Preheat oven to 400°. Peel and cut sweet potatoes into 1/4-in. julienne strips. Place in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Mix salt, cumin, thyme, cinnamon and pepper. Drizzle sweet potatoes with oil; sprinkle with spice mixture. Toss to coat.

Bake on bottom oven rack 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and tender, turning once. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine beef, onion and seasoned salt, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Press onto bottom of a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake on top oven rack 15-20 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°.
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Drain fat from baking dish; place cheese slices evenly over meat. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Cut into 12 patties. Place one patty on each roll bottom; arrange eight fries to form spider legs. Replace tops. Press two olive slices onto cheese to form eyes.

Last week's dirt cups were amazing.  Equally amazing is the lawn decorations that bestow our front lawn in the Halloween spirit.  Nothing puts a smile on your face than pulling into your own driveway with a few haunted creatures greeting you.  

This week I've dug out my favorite Mississippi Mud Pie recipe.  This too eludes Halloween tradition and my kids look forward to it each year.  It's easy and inexpensive with ingredients you may have already found gathering in your cupboards.  I true traditional treat!

1 1/4 pound chocolate chip cookie crushed (save 4)
1/3 cup of margarine melted
1 small container of whipped topping
6 oz. of chocolate chips ( about 1/2 bag)
1 can evaporated milk
1 container of vanilla ice cream

In a bowl combine crushed cookies and melted butter.  Press into 13 x 9 inch pan.  Place in freezer 1/2 hour to harden.  Slice vanilla ice cream into 1 inch slaps and place on bottom of pan.  Smooth with back of spoon.   Freeze again for 20 min.  In a pan add chocolate and milk.  Stir until thick and let cool completely.  Pour over vanilla ice cream layer and freeze 1/2 hour.  Smooth one tub of whipped topping over top.  Sprinkle with remaining crushed cookies.  

On Black Friday I purchased a Copper Chef electric Skillet and have never turned back! What an amazing contraption this is when you are on vacation and unable to eat out every night.

Plus, who wants all that greasy processed food anyway on vacation?  Who wants to feel bloated and sick when you are supposed to be enjoying yourself? Of course, who wants to cook, too?  These Hotel Room Cooking recipes make dinner a breeze when you're on the road.  

Just grab a salad and some bread and you're set.


2 tablespoon olive oil
4 of your favorite steaks (about 1 lb each), room temperature
Salt, for seasoning
Ground black pepper, for seasoning
6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 sprigs rosemary, optional

Preheat the skillet to 400° F

Brush the Shallow Pan with the olive oil.

Generously season both sides of the steaks with the salt and ground black pepper.

Place the steaks on the Shallow Pan and cook for 4 mins.

Flip the steaks. Scatter the garlic and rosemary over and around the steaks and cook for an additional 4 mins.

Turn down heat until the desired doneness is reached (about 6–10 mins.). 

​Getting out those Halloween decorations this weekend?  How' bout a little after dinner treat tonight for those little ones to spark that festive mood?  This recipe is quick, easy and inexpensive.  Your kids will just love the flavors that mesh in this good 'ol favorite recipe.  Take a few moments this afternoon preparing a real treat while you organize, discard, and hang up those chilling decorations!

2 cups cold milk
1 package of Jell-O chocolate pudding, small
1 tub Cool Whip
1 16 oz. package of chocolate cookies, crushed
8 - 10 clear cups or dessert cups
Gummy worms, candy flowers, chopped peanuts, or other gummy treat

Pour milk in bowl with small box of pudding mix.  Whisk until blended.  Let mixture stand five minutes.  Stir in whipped topping and half the crushed cookies.  Place one tab. of reserved crushed cookies in each cup, fill cup 2/3 full with pudding mixture, and top with another 2 tab. of crushed cookies.  Decorate with gummies  and such.  Quick and YUM!

These have got to be the ultimate fast food breakfast.  You can easily make these up in a flash on the weekend then freeze them in a zip lock bag for the week.  Then with a little ingenuity needed on those busy first few hours of the morning all you need to do is "nuke 'em" and serve them up pronto giving you a few more precious moment to yourself.

I usually purchase my sausage at Save a Lot when those one pound rolls go on sale for $1.  Then at Aldi boxes of corn muffin mix are 45 cents and blocks of cheddar cheese as low as $1.29 a block on sale days.  So go ahead, learn to shop your discount stores and enjoy more out of life when you save some cash.


​1/3 pd. bulk sausage 
3 eggs
1/8 tsp. seasoned salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 package corn muffin mix (8 1/2 oz.)
3/4 cup cheddar cheese
Honey

Fry sausage until brown and crumble.  Set aside to drain.  Fry eggs in same pan and add seasoned salt and pepper.  Scramble until set.  In a bowl, mix corn muffin according to package directions.  Fold in sausage, egg, and 1/2 cup cheese.  Grab that muffin pan and place paper liners in 12 slots.  Equally distribute batter to those 12 muffin tins.  Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese on top and dot with some swirls of honey.  Cook 8 minutes more.

​It never fails.  Any given week I visit my food pantry I am blessed with multiple loaves of various varieties of breads.  I am on a continual quest deciphering how I can incorporate frozen stored bread into my daily cuisine. These delectable breads may not be of the freshly baked quality, but, nonetheless, can be prepared into something that makes a delicious accompaniment to any meal.  

I came up with this recipe recently as I perused my frozen bread shelf.  Garlic bread is a staple in this house, and each time I had to whip up a fresh recipe to spread then toast. Not so anymore!  This recipe allows you to make a decent quantity before hand and store in the refrigerator for easy spreading.  Delicious, thrifty, and quick you'll be using this all summer!

1/2 cup margarine spread
2 tab. Parmesan cheese
3 minced garlic cloves
2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Mix all ingredients in a plastic storage container.  Refrigerate until ready to spread.  Spread on bread slices and toast in toaster oven until golden.  About 8 minutes. 

These burgers were a huge hit with our friends during football season. Regular mayo can easily be substituted for the garlic aioli if desired.

This is one dinner you won't need any sides as it will be simply amazing someone can finish off the entire burger.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

CHEESEBURGERS:
2 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 slices American cheese
8 buns, split

FRIED EGGS:
2 tablespoons butter
8 large eggs

TOPPINGS:
lettuce
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
Additional mustard, optional


Whisk mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice and lemon zest until blended. Refrigerate.

For burgers, combine the next six ingredients, mixing lightly but thoroughly (do not overmix). Shape into eight patties. Grill, covered, over medium direct heat until a thermometer reads 160°, 5-7 minutes on each side. Top with cheese; grill, covered, until cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes longer. Place burgers on bun bottoms. Keep warm.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat in each of two large skillets (on grill or stovetop). Break eggs, one at a time, into a custard cup or saucer, then gently slide into pans. Immediately reduce heat to low. To prepare eggs sunny-side up, cover pan and cook until yolks thicken but are not hard. To make basted eggs, spoon butter in pan over eggs while cooking. For over-easy, carefully turn eggs to cook both sides but do not cover pan.

To serve, spread mayonnaise mixture over bun tops. Add lettuce, tomatoes and, if desired, additional mustard to burgers. Top with fried eggs. Replace bun tops.

There are so many wonderful, simple ethnic foods that being on a tight food budget shouldn't make you feel unsatisfied.  With this ever growing culture of processed foods we have long left the true sense of soulful cooking that enabled our ancestors to eat abundantly and healthy on just pennies.  This blog is donated to those who are on such a budget and making ends meet at their local food banks.  But, there are times we must venture out and buy food at the local grocery to complete our daily menus for those we love.  On these occasions, you must stop here and view the ever growing cookbook of delicious, low-cost items that adorn our tables.  Your one stop place to always have enjoyable, thrifty meals at your fingertips.


2 cup dried chick peas
1 medium onion
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1 egg
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt & pepper to taste
flour to bind
oil

Soak beans overnight.  Drain.  Cook until tender over medium/ low heat.  In a food processor or blender add remaining ingredients except flour and oil.  Pulse until all ingredients are smooth and processed.  Place in a bowl and add flour to just bind.  Let stand for 1/2 hour in refrigerator.  Make one inch balls with mixture and head in pan filled with 2 inches of oil  Cook a few balls at a time and let brown evenly on low/medium heat.  Allow to drain on paper towels.  Wrap with pita bread, lettuce, and tomatoes.  Usually served with Tahini Sauce.

​Yesterday I headed out for my normal pit stop to the local food pantry and was handed two bags of presliced apples.  Of course the date noted had a expiration date that just passed.  How could I utilize these apples quickly I thought before time runs out?  his recipe was just the answer!  It will send delicious aromas of fall throughout our house as it bakes away. Great addition to a family breakfast or just alone with a glass of milk.  These freeze well and can be zapped for future rushed mornings.  

Best of all, I put these together in about 15 minutes.  No need for tons of prep work here as the recipe just comes together with ease.

3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 tab. margarine or butter
1 1/3 cups milk
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
4 cups chopped apples, I used skin and all in the food processor

Sauce
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 tab. flour
1 tab. butter or margarine
1 tsp. cinnamon

In a bowl mix first 3 ingredients.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs.  Add milk and stir until just moistened.  Batter will be sticky.  You want it light.  Turn dough onto lightly floured board and roll into 18 x 12 inch rectangle.

Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Top with apples.  Roll up jelly roll style and pinch edges.  Pinch seam to seal.  Cut dough into 12 equal sections and place in a 13 x 9" pan.

In a pan add all sauce ingredients.  Cook for 3-4 minutes until thickened.  Pour over buns and bake at 350 degrees for 45 - 50 minutes or until golden.  These come out with a perfect sticky sauce.

After a long miscommunication with the King, we ended up with two pints of sour cream and nothing to do with it. I thought we’d be eating a lot of tacos and Mexican food until it was all gone and then I remembered this awesome pie my mother in law makes with sour cream. It actually turned out to be perfect timing too. We’re in what I call the transition season. We’re all ready for soup weather and I personally get a hankering for pie. But we’re not quite there. Its way too hot. The season for everything pumpkin and apple isn’t quite here yet. But… PIE! So I found that Sour Cream Lemon Pie is the perfect solution because its a type of pie that you serve cold. I have that pie hankering covered with out creating a sweat house.

Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inches)
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 cup sour cream
1 container of Cool Whip
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Preheat oven to 450°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge.

Line unpricked crust with a double thickness of foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice. Bake 8 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned. Remove foil and weights; bake 5-7 minutes longer or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

In a large heavy saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in milk and lemon juice until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat.

In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and lemon zest. Cool without stirring.
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Stir in sour cream. Add filling to crust. Top with whipped cream. Store in the refrigerator.