Budget Friendly Pancakes

pancakes

What You Need:

1 C four
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp of cream of tartar
2 Tbsp butter, diced
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 C of milk

How to Make It:

Place the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar into a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
Add the butter and rub it into the mixture with your fingers until crumbly.
Stir in the egg until blended in well.
Slowly add the milk, stirring as you add, adding only enough to give the batter a thick consistency.
Heat a lightly greased skillet over medium heat.
Spoon the batter into the skillet and cook 3 minutes or until the edges become bubbly.
Turn and cook for 2 additional minutes or until a light golden brown.

Makes 3 servings

These pancakes are a tasty morning starter. Use ingredients you already have in your kitchen to make it a much smarter budget breakfast than buying prepackaged pancake mix. Top these pancakes with fresh mixed fruit, honey or even jelly instead of our beloved syrup.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 5 minutes
Total Time: approximately 20 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 90; Fat 4g; Saturated Fat 2g; Carbohydrates 12g; Fiber .5g; Protein 3g;
Sugar 1g; Cholesterol 32 mg; Sodium 36 mg

Baked Eggs in a Well

eggs

eggsWhat You Need:

1 t of ground cumin
6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 red onion, sliced thin
1 orange bell pepper, cored seeded and sliced ling
2 russet potatoes cut into small cubes
1/2 t of salt
1/4 t of pepper
1 small head of cabbage, shredded
4 large eggs
4 thick slices of whole grain bread

How to Make It:

Place the oven setting at 450 degrees allowing the oven to heat.
Spray the lid and inside of a cast iron Dutch oven with a cooking spray.
Place the cumin seeds over the bottom of the prepared pan.
Spread the garlic over the seeds.
Lay the onion then the peppers over the garlic.
Season the potatoes with the salt and pepper and place them evenly over the top.
Make 4 wells with the cabbage in the pan.
Break the eggs into the center of each well.
If the eggs run out of the wells it is ok they will still be nestled inside the well when cooked.
Lay a slice of the bread over the top of each well.
Cover and bake 32 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through.

Makes 4 servings

These eggs will bake similar to a poached egg. By using whole grain bread or bread with seeds such as sunflower this dish will have a little more texture. Add a glass of juice for a well balanced breakfast.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Baking Time: approximately 32 minutes
Total Time: approximately 47 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 420; Fat 12g; Carbohydrates 57g; Cholesterol 426 mg; Sodium 462 mg; Protein 23g; Fiber 6g

Golden Almond Oatmeal

oatmeal

oatmealWhat You Need:

2 C of orange juice
1 C rolled oats
1/4 C of golden raisins
1 T almonds, sliced
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t of cinnamon
1/4 t of nutmeg

How to Make It:

Pour the juice into the pressure cooker.
Stir in the oats, raisins, almonds and vanilla until well blended.
Add the cinnamon and nutmeg and stir to combine.
Bring the pressure to high and cook 1 minute.
Remove the cooker from the heat and allow the oatmeal to stand 5 minutes.

This served on a cold winter morning will help remove the early morning chill. For a special treat try adding milk, honey, sliced bananas or orange slices.

Makes 4 servings

Give Meals a Halloween Twist

pumpkinseeds

pumpkinseedsHalloween is a fun and exciting time for everyone. Kids anticipate dressing up, treats and being scared. It is as much fun for many parents as it is for the kids. Enjoying Halloween all day long can be one way of keeping those ghosts and goblins excited up to the last minute. Here are few ideas that you can incorporate into your Halloween meals, snacks, treats and parties to keep the excitement fresh all day.

Start them out on their Halloween adventure with a spooky morning breakfast. Toast can be transformed into ghosts by toasting the bread then using a gingerbread cookie cutter to cut the bread into ghosts. Smoother the bread with whipped cream cheese or plain yogurt and add raisins for the eyes.

Pumpkin oranges are another great breakfast idea. Use a toothpick or small sharp knife and carve a jack o lantern face into the outside of the orange. Be careful not to go to deep that you pierce the orange meat.

Lunch can also be transformed both at home and in the lunchbox. Goblin tongues can be the perfect tough. Use mini bagels and lightly spread them with mayonnaise. Cut slices of bologna into the shape of tongue and place on the bagel so they hang slightly over the edge of the bagel.

How about a worm sandwich? Slice hotdogs into several thin slices. Place them in the microwave and heat on high for a minute or so or until the hot dogs begin to curl slightly. Place them on a bun with ketchup to make them slimy.

You can also make ghost sandwiches. Add the filing to white bread then use a gingerbread cookie cutter to cut out the sandwich ghost. Remove the crust for the perfect ghost.

Don’t forget dinner? Transform devilled eggs into scary eyeballs by adding red food coloring to your egg yolks. Place a slice of black olive in the center for the pupil and you have some great blood shot eyes.

Having Italian for your Halloween dinner? Why not add Salty Bones to the meal. Use refrigerated breadstick dough and roll each triangle into a long skinny bone shape. Sprinkle with salt and bake as directed on the package.

Let’s not forget those snacks. Spider snacks can be a fun snack. Spread one round cracker with a dollop of peanut butter. Press stick pretzels into the peanut butter for the legs. Add raisins or small candy pieces for the eyes.

Graveyard snacks are also exciting. Use a cup of popped popcorn. Stir in the mini pretzels, marshmallows, chocolate chips and raisins to finish off the treat.

There are numerous ideas out there that will help in transforming any meal into a Halloween adventure. Cook up something spooky and don’t forget the BOO!

Orange and Black Ice Cream Cones

orangebatshappyhalloween1

orangebatshappyhalloween1What You Need:
1 (4 oz.) pkg. German sweet chocolate
1/4 C of butter, cubed
3/4 C of sugar
2 eggs
1/2 C of flour
1 t vanilla extract
24 (3 inch) ice cream cones
24 scoops orange sherbet
Black sprinkles

How to Make It:

Set the oven to 350 degrees and preheat.
In a microwave safe bowl put the chocolate and butter and microwave for 1 minute on high.
Stir the mixture until very smooth.
Cool the chocolate for 5 minutes.
Pour the chocolate into a large mixing bowl and add the sugar.
Mix in the eggs until completely blended together.
Fold the flour in until well blended.
Stir in the vanilla extract.
Stand the ice cream cones into the cups of a metal muffin tin.
Fill each cone with batter no more than 2/3 full.
Bake in the preheated oven 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs, be careful not to over bake.
Cool the cones to room temperature.
Place one scoop of sherbet onto each ice cream cone.
Sprinkle with the black sprinkles and serve immediately.

This is a fun twist to ice cream cones. They make a special Halloween treat for kids. You can use chocolate sprinkles instead of black sprinkles if you prefer.

Makes 24 cones

Cheesy Bacon Crescents

crescent-rolls

crescent-rollsIngredients:

1 (8 ct) tube of crescent rolls
4 bacon slices, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 t onion powder
2 T of Swiss cheese, shredded

How to Cook It:

Allow the oven to preheat to 375 degrees.
Separate the rolls into 8 triangles and lay on a flat surface.
Evenly sprinkle the bacon over all 8 of the triangles.
Over each crescent sprinkle the onion powder.
Roll the crescents over the bacon and place on an ungreased baking sheet point side down.
Sprinkle the top of each roll with the Swiss cheese.
Put in oven and bake 12 minutes or until a golden brown.

These crescents are easy to prepare and are a great hit. Replace the onion powder with garlic powder or dry mustard if you like.

Makes 4 servings

White Raspberry Muffins

minimuffins

minimuffinsIngredients:

2 C baking mix
1/2 C white chocolate baking chips
1/3 C + 1 T of sugar, divided
2/3 C of milk
2 T canola oil
1 egg
1 C of fresh raspberries
2 T of butter, melted

How to Cook It:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
With a non stick cooking spray generously spray 12 muffin cups or line with paper liners.
Toss together in a large mixing bowl the baking mix and baking chips.
Add 1/3 C of the sugar and toss until blended in well.
Pour the milk and canola oil into the dry mixture.
Break the egg into the mixture and stir until all the ingredients are blended together and moist.
Fold the raspberries gently into the batter.
Each muffin cup is filler 2/3 full with the batter.
Bake the muffin 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
Brush the top of each cooled muffin with the melted butter.
Place the remaining sugar into a shallow bowl and dip each muffin into the sugar to coat the top.

For a special treat drizzle the top of each muffin with melted white chocolate instead of the sugar. Any berries such as blueberries or blackberries taste great in these muffins.

Makes 12 muffins

Preparation Time: approximately 5 minutes
Baking Time: approximately 15 minutes
Cooling Time: approximately 2 minutes
Total Time: approximately 22 minutes

Approximate Nutritional Value per muffin:
195 calories; 9 g fat; 3 g saturated fat; 20 mg cholesterol; 300 mg sodium; 26 g carbohydrates; 1 g fiber; 3 g protein

Egg Circles

eggintoast

Ieggintoastngredients:

4 slices of bread
8 eggs
2 t of milk
1 C of shredded wheat, crushed
2 T of butter
1/2 t of salt
1/4 t of pepper

How to Cook It:

With a 3 inch round cookie cutter cut a circle in the center of each slice of bread and set aside.
Beat 4 eggs and the milk together until well blended in a shallow bowl.
Place the crushed shredded wheat into another shallow bowl.
In a skillet over medium heat melt the butter.
Dip the bread slices into the egg mixture allowing any excess is drip off.
Dip the egg coated bread into the crushed cereal evenly coating both sides.
Place the coated bread is put in the skillet with the melted butter.
Place the remaining eggs are put in the center hole of the bread slices and sprinkle each egg with the salt and pepper.
Cook the bread 3 minutes then turn over.
Cook until the egg is set and the bread is lightly browned.

The circles of bread that you set aside can be dipped in the egg and cereal mixture and fried for a tasty addition. Add syrup or preserves if you wish.

Makes 4 servings

Creamy Berry Baked Toast

toastjam

toastjamIngredients:

1 (8 oz.) loaf of French bread, cut into slices
1 (8 oz.) carton of spreadable cream cheese
1 T of honey
1 (10 oz.) frozen sliced strawberries, thawed
1/4 C of strawberry jelly, warmed

How to Cook It:

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
On an ungreased baking sheet lay the slices of bread in a single layer.
Bake the bread 3 minutes, then turn and bake another 3 minutes or until crisp.
Mix the cream cheese and honey together until well blended and smooth.
Carefully spread the mixture over each slice of toast.
Each slice of toast is topped with the sliced strawberries.
Place a dollop of the strawberry jam on top before serving.

Try this instead of just plain toast. Any type of fruit and jelly that you like will work including orange marmalade. You can also use a fruit flavored cream cheese and omit the jelly.

Makes 2 dozen

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 16 minutes

Approximate Nutritional Values per slice:
74 calories; 3 g fat; 2 g saturated fat; 9 mg cholesterol; 93 mg sodium; 9 g carbohydrates; trace of fiber; 2 g protein

Nutritious Berry Blitz

berry-smoothie

berry-smoothieIngredients:

1 1/2 C fresh or frozen blueberries
2 C of vanilla yogurt
1/2 large banana
2 T honey

How to Cook It:

Place the blueberries and yogurt into the blender.
Cut the banana in chunks and add to the blender.
Puree until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy.
Add the honey and blend just long enough for the honey to mix in.

Frozen blueberries are just as nutritious as fresh blueberries. You may use fresh blueberries instead of frozen ones if you prefer. Adjust the honey to your taste or use lemon juice if you prefer a little bite.