Jul
23
It’s Friday, the end of a long week, and after you get home and comfortable, next comes the question of what to have for dinner. Well, you can always have pizza delivered, but how about a quick, easy, and economical meal that only uses one pan? Here’s MarkdownMom’s One Skillet Meal, easy on the budget and done in 15 minutes or less.
MarkdownMom’s One Skillet Meal
Ingredients
1 Ring of Kielbasa (sausage filled with pork & beef w/garlic & spices)
1 Large Green Bell Pepper
1 Medium Onion
Method: Cut kielbasa ring into 1″-2″ slices, place in a nonstick frying pan on low to medium heat. While sausage is frying, cut bell pepper in half and remove seeds. Slice bell pepper into large strips or chunks. Slice onions into quarter pieces and pull layers apart. Add green pepper and onion to frypan, temp on low to medium low, using the fat released from sausage to caramelize the onion and green pepper until transparent. Serves 2-4 people.
Posted in Budget Wise Recipes, Uncategorized 15 Minute Meal Budget Wise Recipe markdownmom's budget-wise recipes One Skillet Meal Three Ingredient Meals User Friendly Meals
Apr
29
What is broccoli rabe? Well, let’s define what it isn’t. Although it has broccoli’s name, broccoli raab is not related to broccoli. Imagine that! It is, however, closely related to turnips which is probably why the leaves look like turnip greens. It is a global vegetable/herb and goes by many names such as rapine, rappi, rappone, fall and spring raab, turnip broccoli, taitcat, Italian or Chinese broccoli, Italian turnip, and turnip broccoli, and others.
This is a great source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as potassium, calcium, and iron. A terrific, easy dish to answer the question of ‘What’s For Supper Tonight?’
Genelle’s Broccoli Rabe Pasta with Italian Sausage
Ingredients:
- 1-lb broccoli rabe (trimmed and separated)
- 1-lb fettuccini or other pasta noodle
- Less than ¼-cup water
- 2-Tbsp olive oil
- 2-Tbsp chopped herbs (oregano, basil, sage, rosemary, and/or Italian parsley)
- 6 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 4 to 5 Italian sausage links
- 1 c. parmesan or other desired cheese
Method:
- Wash and trim ends of broccoli rabe. Slice broccoli rabe into stems and flowers with leaves.
- Sautee broccoli rabe with olive oil and 2 cloves chopped garlic. Set aside.
- Brown Italian sausage links in frying pan. Add 4 chopped garlic cloves and allow links to cook with cloves and juices on medium for a few minutes. Next add slightly less than ¼-cup water to pan. This will prevent grease spatter and allow sausage to cook thoroughly without excessive burning. Set aside.
- Boil water and cook 1-lb pasta al-dente.
- Drain water and add to pot broccoli rabe and sliced Italian sausage. Add chopped herbs. Mix over light heat.
- Top with shredded cheese such as parmesan or pecorino-romano. Enjoy!
Cooking Time: About 2 hrs
Serves: 2 to 4 individuals
Posted in Budget Wise Recipes, Frugal Gastronome, MarkdownChic Picks, Uncategorized Broccoli Rabe and Pasta Family Quick & Easy Meals Favorite Pasta and Vegetable Dish Genelle Lamont's Broccoli Rabe Pasta With Italian Sausage Dish Healthy Pasta Dish MarkdownMom's Answer to What's For Supper Tonight? MarkdownMom's Budget Recipes One Dish Meals
Feb
23
Years ago MarkdownMom planted two cherry trees with the underlying reasoning that if you want to add ornamental design to your landscape, you might as well go for a twofer and produce something edible. Well, this past year both trees produced a bountiful harvest, so MarkdownMom put on her Martha Stewart apron and decided to make cherry pie from scratch. I mean this is really a moment in history, well MarkdownMom’s history anyway, that may never come again. So, in keeping with this once in a lifetime moment, here is MarkdownMom’s recipe for cherry pie from scratch including the preparation of homegrown cherries that was shared with family members to rave reviews.
First of all, you don’t have to grow your own cherries–you can purchase them as a summer seasonal item. Many cherry producers are located in Michigan and other states and they ship their product. To pit cherries, you can either use a cherry pitter, a bobbypin, or a toothpick. By going into the center of the cherry from the stem, you can remove the pit easily. To prevent getting your hands stained red, if you pit a number of cherries, you can use rubber gloves, not the thick ones for cleaning, but thin surgical type ones.
Fresh Cherry Pie Filling
This pie filling can be made ahead and frozen for future use.
4 Cups Cherries
1 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
4 Tbspns. Cornstarch
1/2 tspn. Almond Extract
Method: Combine pitted cherries, sugar, lemon juice. Stir and let sit 6 hours, stirring occasionally. Drain and reserve cherry juice. Set drained cherries aside.
Take the juice from cherries and combine small amount syrup with cornstarch in a separate measuring bowl to make paste. Put syrup into pan over medium heat and cook, slowly adding the cornstarch and juice paste slowly to thicken syrup. Remove from stove and let cool.
Add drained cherries to cooled syrup and pour into unbaked shell. Cover with another pie shell or weave pie strips to cover top of pie. Sprinkle with sugar. Put pie dish onto pan to catch the juices that may bubble over during baking. Bake at 350 for about 25-45 minutes depending upon your oven, until filling is bubbling. Remove from oven and let cool.
Click Here To View Slideshow→MarkdownMom’s Cherry Amour Pie Filling
Posted in Budget Wise Recipes, Frugal Gastronome, Green Thumb$, Grocery, Uncategorized Cherry Pie Slideshow Make Your Own Cherry Pie Filling MarkdownMom's Cherry Amour Pie Filling Pitting cherries
Feb
22
Despite the popular California Dairy Ad Campaign, the proof is in the pudding, or the product to
determine the happiest cows. Franklin Foods located in Duluth, Minnesota is the distributor of Arrowhead Cottage Cheese. How good can cottage cheese be?
Well, let’s put it this way, locals now living in Minneapolis make runs to Duluth and load up on Arrowhead Cottage Cheese. The consistency is creamy, and the taste is absolutely yummy without any of the sour or bitterness you can encounter in some of their competitors. Add fruit, or herbs, makes a wonderful substitute for ricotta in lasagna, or eat it just plain. Great way to meet your calcium needs, too!
Your Kids Will Say M-o-o-ORE!
Posted in Backyard View, Budget Wise Recipes, Frugal Gastronome, Grocery, Uncategorized Arrowhead Cottage Cheese Best Cottage Cheese Happiest Cows Found In Duluth
Dec
28
They say if life gives you lemons, make lemonade, but what happens if your lemons rot in the meantime? For the bakers among us, there is a great new product offered by King Arthur Flour to have that lemon or lime flavor 24/7.
Lemon Powder, at $7.95, and Lime Powder, at $6.95+sh, are perfect for icings, sauces, glazes and adding that extra zest of flavor to cakes and cookies. Comes in an 8oz. bag and can be stored in a cool,dry place for up to 1 year!
Economical and Convenient, Too!
Posted in Budget Wise Recipes, Frugal Gastronome, Grocery, Uncategorized Bakers Find Kitchen Pantry Must Have lemon Lemon Powder lime Lime Powder substitute for lemon substitute for lime
May
21
Here are some suggestions for saving money on your bakery needs for every level of expertise.
1. If you are sick and tired of paying $3.00-$4.00 for a loaf of bread, now is the time to look for those discount bakery outlets. Usually they have a special line of goods from Taystee Bread, Sara Lee, Hostess, and others. These are overstocked–not only do they offer discount prices, but usually have some daily or weekly specials. Many have a free club membership where you get your card punch for each minimal purchase. When you fill-up your card, you usually get a $amount of items for free.
2. Check your local bakery for day-old merchandise. Rolls, bread, and sweets can usually be purchased for half their price. Trying hitting these places on Monday since what the bakery didn’t sell over the weekend, will be discounted and this is the time for the best selection of day-old products.
3. Want fresh baked goods, but don’t have a lot of time to spend with cookbooks, measuring, etc.? Then look for markdown mixes. Markdown Mom has found a number of items not only at Target for their Archer Brand mixes, but at Goodwill since Target sells many of their overstock items to them including bake mixes. Always check to see if the package has been opened.
4. Speaking of mixes, check out deals at online stores like King Arthur Flour that for the next 4 days is giving a 25% discount on mixes when you buy 10 or more. Look for these specials, well worth the shipping costs.
5. Finally, now is the time to get out your breadmachines. Do you know that a 1 lb. loaf of bread can run you 40¢ a loaf instead of $4.00! Don’t have a breadmachine, check out your local thrift store, Markdown Mom found a used Zojirushi Mini Bread Maker for $3.99! Works fine. You can get the instructions and recipes online for most machines. To save even more money check with your local Whole Foods Store and take advantage of buying flour in bulk. Don’t want to mess with measuring, etc., you will still save money by buying the bread mixes from your local grocer.
Think of all the money you’ll be saving, plus the smiles on your family members’ faces!
Posted in Budget Wise Recipes, Frugal Gastronome, Mrs. Beasley's, Uncategorized Baking Bargains
May
19
Summer time spells BBQ, and MarkdownMom doesn’t know but in her family the BBQ Pit is Dad’s domain. For Father’s Day, try MDM’s recipe with your favorite BBQ sauce. For ribs, from country to spare, MDM married her homemade rub with Famous Dave’s© BBQ Sauce, to create a great couple for BBQ Ribs. This rub gives the BBQ meat a little zip without being too hot. Here’s our gift recipe to all the Dads, and those who love BBQ! For a gift, mix a batch and wrap it up in a jar–he’s bound to appreciate the homemade quality especially when everyone praises his BBQ. P.S. This can be finished off on the grill or in the oven on those rainy days.
MarkDownMom’s FINGER LICKIN’ RIB RUB
Dry Ingredients Only
1Tbspn. dried basil
1/3 Cup granulated sugar
1 Tbspn. garlic salt
1/3 Cup brown sugar
6 Tbspns. Kosher Salt or Coarse Mediterranean Sea Salt
¼ tspn. of paprika
1 tspn. dry mustard powder
2 Tbspns. ground black pepper
1 Tbspn. dried onion
1/3 Cup granulated sugar
3 tspn. Old Bay Seasoning (sh-h-h, secret ingredient of MDM)
METHOD:
1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, then apply to spareribs, babyback ribs, or country ribs by rubbing with hands on both sides of the meat. Put into a sealed plastic bag or marinating container to marinate in the refrigerator..
2. Marinate the ribs, in this case country ribs, overnight or 4-6 hours in the refrigerator and place on a stove top grill, or outdoor grill and sear both sides.
3. After coating with bbq sauce, cover with a lid or wrap completely in foil. If using an oven cook for 1-1½ hours at 350°-400°. Please note that the time and temp will depend upon your oven and the amount of meat used. Additionally, for grilling wrap the meat in aluminum foil. Grilling temp and time can be affected by outside wind temperature and whether you use a charcoal or gas grill. It’s important to check meat periodically to see if it’s cooked through.
4. Remove the seared meat from grill and coat with your favorite BBQ sauce.
Posted in Budget Wise Recipes, Frugal Gastronome, Uncategorized Markdown Mom's Famous BBQ Rib Rub
Mar
14
Pasta spells C-O-M-F-O-R-T even if you are on the Atkins Diet. Delicious, satisfying, and quick. Try this new recipe, delicioso, and enjoy!
Markdown Mom’s Bowl-icious Pasta Dish
INGREDIENTS
16-oz (1 lb) Archer Farms Farfalle Pasta (or other Bow-Tie pasta)
1 to 2 T. Virgin Olive Oil
1-1/4 cup Diced red, yellow, and orange bell pepper
1/4 cup Chopped red onion
1 tsp. dried Basil
1/2 tsp. dried Rosemary
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
1/2-cup Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese
Method: Cook bow-tie pasta until al dente. Drain pasta in a colander and rinse with cold water. Shake off excess water and mix into large bowl containing diced bell pepers and chopped onion. Toss in basil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir in olive oil (may need to add extra as desired) and grate cheese on top.
Keep refrigerated or serve immediately. Best as a side dish.
Time to make: Under 1 hour; Serves 4 to 6 people.
→ Click Here To View Preparation Slide Show
Posted in Budget Wise Recipes, Frugal Gastronome Pasta
Feb
19
Ever get a craving late a night for a BLT? Come on, you know you have. But like it’s so-o-o much trouble at night. Not so much getting the lettuce, mayo, tomato out, but frying and draining the bacon. Okay, you can microwave the bacon, but it’s not exactly the same. Wonder how they do it at the deli? They use Fully Cooked Bacon!
Bacon, Bacon, Bacon–right at your fingertips. You can warm it up by microwaving it, or eat it right out of the box!
Choose from many brands. Markdown Mom especially enjoyed the bullly cooked bacon from Oscar Mayer. Make it at home and save dollar$.
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Posted in Budget Wise Recipes, Frugal Gastronome Deli Food
Feb
05
Making french/freedom fries from scratch gives your family a healthier choice than the fast food fries. By using a flash fryer, you will find that your fries come out with practically no grease being absorbed. Plus, don’t throw away any extra fries. Leftover fries coupled with a can of corned beef spells terrific homemade hash. Save money by making your own homemade version of this grocery store canned favorite.
Markdown Mom’s No Hassle Hash
Dry Ingredients
¼ Cup of Chopped onions
1-2 Cloves Garlic Diced
1-12 oz. Can of Corned Beef
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
1 Cup French Fries Cubed
Dried or fresh parsley (garnish)
Wet Ingredients
Catsup (to taste)
Method: Dice the onions and cut the french fries into small cubes. Sauté the onions in butter with diced garlic until transluscent. Shred by hand the canned corn beef or use a food processor. Add cubed french fries and corned beef to the frying pan. Use catsup to moisten and bind hash together, quantity depends on taste. Season with pepper to taste. You can add salt, but remember there is salt in the corned beef. Garnish with parsley, dried or fresh.
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Posted in Budget Wise Recipes Free recipes
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