Living On A Dime

Category: Quick and Easy Meals

Menu-Mexican Chicken Chowder

Menu:

Mexican Chicken Chowder*
Tortilla Chips and Salsa*
Gingerbread Trifle*

Recipes:

Mexican Chicken Chowder Recipe

1 lb. chicken, cooked and cubed
1/2 cup onion
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp. margarine
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 cups (8 oz.) Monterrey Jack or Mexican mix cheese, shredded
1 can cream style corn
1 can (4 oz.) green chilies, chopped, undrained
Hot pepper sauce to taste, 1/2 to 1 tsp.
1 tomato, chopped

Sauté the chicken, onion and garlic in margarine. Add water and bouillon cubes and simmer 5 minutes. Make sure the bouillon cubes are dissolved. Then add everything else but the tomato and cook until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with tomato and serve immediately. Serves 6-8.

Check out our easy and delicious homemade salsa recipe here!

*Gingerbread Trifle

6-8 cups of gingerbread, cubed
1 (3 oz.) pkg. vanilla pudding, mixed according to directions
3/4 cup English toffee bits (or crushed Heath candy bars)
Whipped topping

Using half of each ingredient, layer everything in a clear glass bowl, starting with the gingerbread. Layer it all again and top with whipped topping and a few toffee bits. You could place in individual serving dishes too, if you like.

For more money saving tips and recipes see Dining On A Dime.

Photo By: stu_spivak

January 24, 2011
Menu – Best Ever Chicken and Cherry Delight

Menu:

Mrs. B’s Chicken*
Rice
Fruit Salad
Corn
Dinner rolls
Cherry Delight*

Recipes:

Best Ever Chicken

6-8 pieces chicken, floured and placed in 9×13 pan
2 cups hot water
1 tsp. (or 2 cubes) chicken bouillon
1 bay leaf
Onion salt to taste
Mushrooms (just basic everyday mushrooms)
1/4 tsp. thyme
3/4 cup heavy cream

Dissolve bouillon in water and add the bay leaf, onion salt and mushrooms. Pour over chicken. Cover and bake at 350° for 2 hours.

Fifteen minutes before it is done, add thyme and cream and finish baking uncovered.

Cherry Delight

1 can dark sweet pitted cherries
1 can (about 16 oz.) crushed pineapple
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. marshmallows
1 small container of whipped topping
Chopped pecans (optional)

Drain cherry and pineapple juices into a medium sauce pan. Dissolve cream cheese in juices over low heat. Add marshmallows and dissolve. Cool completely and fold in cherries, pineapple and whipped topping. Pour into serving dish or bowl and chill for a few hours to set.

Photo By: pikerslanefarm

January 10, 2011
Menu – Baked Fish and Vegetables

Menu

Baked Fish and Vegetables*
Tossed Salad
Baked Peaches*

Recipes

Baked Fish and Vegetables

4 fish fillets
4 medium potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
salt, pepper, garlic powder and celery seed (to taste)
4 small onions, quartered
4 Tbsp. margarine

On each of four square 9-inch pieces of aluminum foil, place a fish fillet and a portion of potato, carrot and onion. Add 1 tablespoon margarine to each square. Sprinkle with seasonings. Fold foil over and seal edges well. Bake on a cookie sheet at 350° for 45 minutes. This can also be put on the grill. Serves 4

Baked Peaches

8 canned peach halves, drained
4 Tbsp. walnuts, chopped
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4-1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Place peaches cut side up in a greased baking dish. In a bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Sprinkle over peaches. Bake uncovered at 350° for 20 minutes.

If served as a dessert, it can be topped with ice cream or whipped cream. Makes 4 servings.

Note: If you are out of peaches or just want to try something different, you can use plums or apricots instead.

photo by: iferneinez

September 27, 2010
Easy Meal – Fried Ham Slices And Double Crunch Apple Salad

Easy Meal – Fried Ham Slices And Double Crunch Apple Salad

Menu:

Fried Ham Slices
Baked Potatoes
Double Crunch Apple Salad*
Peas
Cherry Delight Cake*

Recipes:

Double Crunch Apple Salad Recipe

1 large golden or green apple, cut into bite sized pieces
1 large red apple, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained
1 cup miniature marshmallows
2/3 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup nuts
1 small container of cool whip

Toss apples with lemon juice and add the rest of the ingredients. If you don’t have any cool whip or want a more savory salad, replace the cool whip with 1/4 cup mayo and 2 tablespoons each of celery and raisins.

This recipe makes a great Christmas cake. You might also try it with other flavors of pie filling and gelatin. Peach, blueberry or lemon make great variations.

Cherry Delight Cake

1 pkg. white cake mix
1 pkg. (3 oz.) cherry gelatin
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 cups whipped topping
1 can cherry pie filling

Bake cake in a 9×13 pan according to directions on box. Let cool. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Poke holes in cake with toothpick or fork and gently pour gelatin over it. Cool for 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. In bowl, beat cream cheese and fold in whipped topping. Carefully spread on cake. Top with pie filling and chill for 2 hours.

Photo By: OakleyOriginals

September 20, 2010
Roast Chicken Recipe And Cheesy Rice and Peas Easy Meal

Menu:

Roast Chicken*
Cheesy Rice and Peas*
Tossed Salad
Biscuits
Apple Butterscotch Crisp*

Recipes:

*Roast Chicken Recipe

Remember how I told you to roast your turkey breast side down at Thanksgiving? Well, do the same thing when you roast a chicken. Here is a very basic but yummy recipe. You can also put this in a crock pot to slow cook all day.

1 (3 lb.) whole chicken
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tsp. onion powder
1/4 cup margarine ( You may use lite margarine)
1 stalk celery, leaves removed

Season the whole chicken inside and out with salt, pepper and onion powder. Place breast side down in pan placing margarine and celery into cavity. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until internal temperature is 180° (82° C). You can baste with juices or melted margarine once or twice. Remove from oven and cover with foil for 30 minutes and let it rest before cutting.

You can easily adapt this recipe to your own likes and dislikes. For example, you might use garlic powder instead of the onion powder, you could slide slices of lemons or garlic cloves or even onion slices under the skin. Try other seasonings, too.

The main thing that makes this recipe great is cooking it breast side down, which makes it extra juicy.

*Cheesy Peas and Rice

2 1/4 cups rice, cooked
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen peas, thawed
1 (6 oz.) can of mushrooms, drained
6 oz. Velveeta, cubed*

Combine all the ingredients in a greased 1 1/2 qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

*I didn’t used to buy Velveeta because it used to be more expensive than other cheeses, but it is the same price or less than cheddar now, so I buy it more often.

*Apple Butterscotch Crisp

This recipe is good served with ice cream or for something different, try a slice of cheese or a dollop of sour cream.

6 cups (5 large) baking apples, sliced and peeled
1 cup brown sugar (may adjust to apples’ tartness)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup quick cook oatmeal
1 pkg. (3 1/2 oz.) cook and serve butterscotch pudding
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine, cold

Place apples in a greased 9×13 pan. Mix everything else in a bowl, cutting in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.* Sprinkle over apples. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until apples are tender.

*Whenever a recipe says to cut in something, that means to take a pastry cutter and mix the butter, margarine or shortening in with the dry ingredients until the mix gets crumbly looking. (I just use my fingers. It is easier for me to wash them than a pastry cutter.)

Photo By: TheDeliciousLife

September 13, 2010
Quick Meal – Spanish Rice and Franks
Quick Meal – Spanish Rice and Franks

Tips:

Often, even I forget about all of great tips and ideas in the Dining on a Dime Cookbook. Here are just a few of the many hundreds of tips in it:
- Save your leftover rice to add to soups, casseroles, fried rice or have rice and beans on a tortilla.
- When cooking pasta, add a teaspoon of garlic powder to the water before you cook it for a nice flavor.
- When serving sour cream, use a knife (the way you would with mayo). You don’t use as much and don’t waste as much because you can easily scrape the knife along the container.
- For those of you who have Dining on a Dime, check out page 154 to find out how to make flavored cooking oils.
Menu:

Spanish Rice and Franks*
Green Beans*
Sliced Tomatoes, Carrots and Celery Sticks
Dessert Kabobs*

Recipes:

Spanish Rice and Franks – (Quick meal recipe)

6 Hot dogs, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup sliced onion
1/2 cup green pepper
1/4 cup salad oil
2 cup Minute rice
2 cup hot water
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown hot dogs in skillet with onions and peppers in the oil. Add rice; stir over medium heat to brown lightly. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Green Beans

Stir about 1 tsp. bacon grease into your green beans while you are heating them. Add a small amount of onion salt and you have green beans that are big on flavor with very little work.

Dessert Kabobs Recipe

Mix and match any of the following and place on a toothpick or skewer. These would be fun to serve when you are having someone over to watch a game or for any upcoming holiday parties. With some of the items, you can match the color to the occasion.

Mix fruits or cakes or have all fruits or all cakes. The sky is the limit. Cut things like the cakes, cookies or brownies into smaller bite size pieces.
- Chocolate covered marshmallows
- Brownies
- Cakes – angel food, pound, chocolate, spice
- Mini cupcakes
- Rice krispy treats
- Soft candies
- Quick breads
- Doughnuts
- Strawberries
- Kiwi
- Banana
- Apples
- Pears
- Cherries
- Grapes
Note: You can use canned fruit and store bought baked goods if you want.

[dining]
September 9, 2010
Mexican Summer Squash Recipe and Slow Cooked Chicken Menu

Mexican Summer Squash Recipe And Chicken Menu

Menu

Chicken (slow cooked in crock pot or simmered in spices on stove)
Rice
Mexican Summer Squash*
Lemon Fluff*

Recipes

Mexican Summer Squash Recipe

4 yellow summer squash
4 ears corn
3 ripe tomatoes
1/4 cup butter
1 small onion, chopped
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Wash squash and cut into small pieces. Cut corn from the cob, skin tomato (the skin comes off easily if they are first dipped in boiling water for one minute) and cut into cubes. Heat butter in saucepan. Stir in onion and cook until limp but not brown. Add squash, corn, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cover and cook over a low heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. if desired, serve over cooked rice. Serves 4.

This is such a light and not overly sweet dessert great for summer or anytime of year.

Lemon Fluff

1 3/4 cup milk
2 (3 oz) pkgs. vanilla instant pudding
1 can (6 oz.) frozen lemonade concentrate (thawed)
1 (8 oz) tub whipped topping

Mix milk and pudding in bowl with whisk for 30 seconds. Add lemonade and whisk 30 more seconds. Fold in whipped topping. Chill 4 hours. You can use this with or without a pie crust.

Photo By: mtcarlson

September 6, 2010
Cheesy French Dip Sandwich Recipe and Easy Meal Plan!
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Cheesy French Dip Sandwiches Recipe

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These cheesy French dip sandwiches are a cheap, easy and tasty plan ahead pot roast recipe! You can easily use leftover pot roast or roast beef to make these sandwiches in just a few minutes! They’re sure to please your family, save you money and get you out of the kitchen fast!

Author: Jill Cooper

Ingredients

Pot Roast, slow cooked
Garlic butter
Grated cheddar cheese
Sandwich buns

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Instructions

Make some garlic butter either by sautéing a little garlic in some butter or sprinkling some garlic powder (to taste) into some soft butter.

Spread each side of the bun with the butter.

Sprinkle with grated cheese.

Broil until the cheese is melted.

Lay thin slices of roast on one side of the bun and top with the other.

Serve some of the roast broth on the side to dip the sandwiches in.
Meal Plan For The Cheesy French Dip Sandwich Recipe

Cheesy French Dip Sandwiches*
Chips or French fries
Dilly Cucumbers*
Fruit
Raspberry Lemonade Pie*
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Cucumber Dill Salad Recipe

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If you’re in the mood for a refreshing salad, this cucumber dill salad recipe is perfect for you. The cool and crisp flavors of cucumber pair perfectly with the tangy taste of sour cream and the flavorful dill and parsley. The addition of onion adds a nice depth of flavor to the salad. This recipe is a great choice for any meal, whether you’re looking for a light lunch or a side dish for dinner.

Author: Jill Cooper

Ingredients

Units

Cucumbers Red onions and Dill for garnish, if desired
Dressing Ingredients
1 cup sour cream 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. dill seed 1 1/2 tsp. parsley, chopped 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 Tbsp. onion, finely chopped 2 Tbsp. dill pickles, chopped Dash of pepper

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Instructions

Mix all of the dressing ingredients.

Slice the cucumbers into thin slices.

Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and mix.

Garnish will dill and red onions, if desired.
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Raspberry Lemonade Pie Recipe

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Indulge in a refreshing and delightful dessert with this Raspberry Lemonade Pie Recipe – a cool, no-bake pie that is just perfect for the summer season. The fusion of raspberry lemonade, smooth ice cream, and a drizzle of chocolate sauce creates a wonderful flavor that is sure to satisfy your sweet cravings. What’s more, this recipe is versatile and can be easily adapted to other flavors of your choice. So, go ahead and treat yourself to this heavenly dessert that is bound to impress your taste buds!

Author: Jill Cooper

Ingredients

1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sweetened raspberry lemonade drink mix
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 (8 oz.) container whipped topping
1 (9 inch) chocolate pie crust
chocolate syrup, optional

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Instructions

Mix water and drink mix.

Add ice cream.

Beat on low, until blended.

Fold in whipped topping.

Pour into the pie crust.

Freeze 4 hours, until firm.

Remove 10 minutes before serving to make cutting easier.

Top with chocolate sauce.

Notes

Instead of raspberry lemonade, you can feel free to use any flavored drink mix you like. Cherry or strawberry flavor would complement the chocolate crust well if you prefer.

You may use a different crust if you like. You can use any cookie, graham, or regular pie crust (or use no crust at all).
Easy Meal Planning Tips

As much as we love to envision our grandmothers in the kitchen peeling, chopping and baking every little thing from scratch, in reality, they often worked long, hard hours just like us. Most of the time, they worked even longer hours than we do. They had just as much stress worrying about their children, money (jobs were very hard to come by at times) and how to make ends meet. In some ways, they were so much wiser then us. We really need to learn from them and try to put into practice their ideas in our own homes.

One of the things our grandmothers did was keep their menus and lives simple. One way they did that was planning a regular routine. For example, they would have roast on Sunday, pork chops on Monday, stew on Tuesday, chicken on Wednesday and so on and they did this every week.

If you are having a hard time planning menus and cooking meals, you might try this method for a while. Don’t worry about your family getting bored because, as I have said before, most families like having the same 10 meals over and over.

This doesn’t mean you have to have the exact same menus each time. For example, Wednesday’s chicken could be roasted one week, chicken and dumplings another week, chicken soup, chicken sandwiches and so on. The key is that because you know what the main meat dish is, you are halfway there.

Kids like routine and often there is a feeling of security and comfort in doing the same things over and over. How often do you hear someone fondly recall how, “Every Sunday my grandma had roast, potatoes and carrots” or “Thursday was always meatloaf night.”

You don’t have to do this forever but it can help jump start you and get you into the habit of making meals at home.

Another thing that might help is to run your kitchen like a restaurant. The most successful restaurants have only a few items on the menu and serve very good tasting food with the minimum amount of expense and work for them. Think about that and then apply it to your home. In some ways we need to run our home more like a business, a business founded and based on love, comfort and security.
September 2, 2010
Chicken Kabobs Recipe And Easy Summer Menu
Chicken Kabobs Recipe – Easy Summer Menu

Tips:
- Chicken breasts can be more expensive than buying a whole chicken to cut up yourself but if you find it on sale and use it in a dish like the chicken kabobs in this menu you can really save money.
- Try using this method to save money with other expensive cuts of meat, too. Use them in a dish that calls for small pieces instead of one large piece. For example, use a small piece of round steak to make stroganoff instead of using several large pieces of meat for Swiss steak.
- If you have a couple of extra bratwurst, hot dogs or even a hamburger or two after your barbecue, slice or crumble them and use on top of homemade or frozen pizza.
Menu:

Chicken Kabobs Recipe*
Slow Cooker Cream Corn*
Fruit Platter
Frozen Peanut Butter Dessert*

Recipes:

*Chicken Kabobs Recipe

1 lb. chicken breasts
2 cups pineapple chunks
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
3 Tbsp. orange juice concentrate
8 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes (Wrap
ends with foil before grilling to prevent burning).

(With this chicken kabobs recipe, you can substitute different veggies in place of the peppers. Try things like zucchini, cherry tomatoes or yellow squash.)

Cut everything into equal sized pieces, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in size. Use 2 skewers for each kabob to make them more stable. Thread on chicken alternating with pineapple and peppers. Mix barbecue sauce and orange juice; brush on kabobs. Brush occasionally with sauce while cooking. Grill on medium high heat for 8-10 minutes, until chicken is cooked.

This next recipe is a most unusual recipe — Don’t be fooled by the cream corn title. For those of you who don’t like cream corn, this delicious recipe might change your mind. It is great to serve at barbecues and some people love it on top of their hamburgers. Try adding some jalapeno peppers to it for a kick.

It is a great recipe for pot lucks or for when you are having out of town company because you can make it the night before and have it ready. It is also good to serve at holidays because you cook it in the crock pot and it frees up the stove for other things.

*Slow Cooker Cream Corn

2 (16 oz.) packages frozen corn (you can use fresh or canned)
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in your slow cooker and cook on high 2-4 hours or low 4-6 hours.

You might want to melt and mix the cream cheese and butter together before you place it in the slow cooker, but you don’t have to.

*Frozen Peanut Butter Dessert

Crust:

1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup quick cook oats
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup margarine, softened
1/4 tsp. baking soda

Mix well. Press into a greased 9 inch pan. Bake at 350° for 15-17 minutes until lightly brown.

Filling:

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/3 cup light corn syrup
2 Tbsp. honey
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened
3/4 cup salted peanuts, chopped

Combine peanut butter, syrup and honey. Carefully spread half over the crust. Top with half of the ice cream. Drop remaining peanut butter mix over ice cream. Sprinkle with half of the nuts. Top with the rest of the ice cream and then the nuts. Freeze 3-4 hours. You may want to let it stand 5-10 minutes before serving to make it easier to cut.

Photo By: TheGirlsNY
August 12, 2010
Quick and Easy Summer Menu – Crockpot Turkey
Tips:

There is still plenty of time to get out and go camping, so here are a few delicious camping treats for you to try!
- Cook an apple on a stick over the campfire. When the skin splits and it sizzles, peel away the skin. Be careful because it is hot! Then roll in a mix of cinnamon and sugar.
- Here’s another tip for easy s’mores: To make things easier for a camping trip, instead of hauling chocolate with you and having to worry about it melting, use chocolate striped cookies or chocolate grahams.
- Banana S’mores. Cut an unpeeled banana lengthwise almost through. Fill the slit with marshmallows and chocolate chips. Wrap in foil, keeping cut end up. Place in coals for 10-15 minutes until chocolate and marshmallows are melted. Eat by scooping it out of the banana peel.
Quick and Easy Summer Menu:

Crockpot Turkey*
Mashed or boiled potatoes
Sliced tomatoes
Cucumbers in Dressing*
Bachelor’s Peach Delight*

Recipes:

This recipe keeps the house cool, is easy and tastes so good that you will want to serve turkey all year round from now on and not just at Thanksgiving. I like to keep things very simple, especially in the hot summer when I don’t want to spend much time in the kitchen, but I will give you some other options, too.

Crockpot Turkey

1 turkey (about 6 lb.) or turkey breast
1 pkg. onion soup mix
Or use easonings to your taste. Try onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper or even Italian seasonings.

Rub inside of your crock pot with butter. Rinse turkey and rub with soup mix or sprinkle with seasonings. Cover and cook on high 1 hour. Then cook on low for about 7 hours. Don’t add liquid. It will have enough juice.

Other options:
- My daughter in law has a large crock pot. She buys a small 10lb. turkey instead of chicken and cooks it this way all the time.
- You can add things like onions, carrots and celery to the bottom of the pot.
- Use the leftovers for turkey enchiladas (in place of chicken), sandwiches for lunch, on salads etc.
Cucumbers in Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
4 cups sliced cucumbers

Mix first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Add cucumbers and stir to coat. Cover and chill for 2 hours.

Bachelor’s Peach Delight*

1 large fresh peach, diced
4 Tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. almond extract, optional

Combine honey with enough hot water to make it thin and liquidy. Add sugar and extract. Mix well. Place diced peach in dish. Pour honey liquid over it. Serve with ice cream or whipped topping on top. Makes 1 serving.
August 5, 2010
Easy Summer Meal Plan, Tasty Bean Goulash, Cucumber Salad And More!
Tips:

Do we love our crock pots or what? Especially in the hot summer months. Even though we think of the crock pot as being a semi new invention, it really isn’t. For thousands of years, people have been using the technique of slowly cooking in one pot as their primary and easiest way to fix a meal.

The only difference between then and now is that they had to let their pots slowly cook over a hot open fire where we are blessed to be able to slow cook in a pot with the heat contained within it. We do love that wonderful man who invented our modern day crock pot. So get your crock pots out and start using them on those hot summer days.
- To make clean up easier always spray or grease your crock pot with oil.
- Use crock pots for other things like hot bean or cheese dips.
Easy Meal Plan

Bean Goulash*
Cucumber Salad*
Cornbread*
Angelic Strawberry Dessert*
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Crockpot Bean Goulash Recipe

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This crockpot bean goulash recipe is a super easy dump and go crockpot recipe. It makes a delicious, hearty one dish meal that everyone loves and it takes less than 5 minutes to prepare!

Author: Tawra Kellam

Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. bacon
1 stalk celery
1 small onion
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans or 2 cups cooked beans
1 (15 oz.) can butter beans
1 (15 oz.) can pork and beans
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 cup barbecue sauce or ketchup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350° (unless you’re using a crockpot).

Brown the ground beef, bacon, celery and onion.

If using canned beans, drain them.

Mix the remaining ingredients together with the beef mixture.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or put in the crockpot on low for 1-2 hours.
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Easy Cucumber Salad Recipe

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This easy cucumber salad recipe is a cool and delicious cucumber and onion salad with vinegar that you will love! It’s a perfect bright, seasonal side dish.

Author: Tawra Kellam

Ingredients

Units

3 medium cucumbers, peeled, diced, or sliced

1/2 medium onion, diced or sliced (I use white or red.)

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

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Instructions

Mix all if the ingredients in a bowl.

Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Serves 4.
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Best Ever Easy Cornbread Recipe

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4.8 from 4 reviews

Yield: 9 servings

Ingredients

2 cups baking mix (Bisquick)
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup milk

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Stir all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

Blend until smooth.

Pour into a greased 8×8 inch baking pan.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Notes

I like to bake my cornbread in a cast iron frying pan. I grease it with bacon grease and heat the pan in the oven while it is preheating. As soon as it is hot (about 5 minutes of so or the amount of time it takes to mix the batter) I pour the cornbread batter into the pan and bake it.

You can also easily make this easy cornbread recipe into corn muffins by pouring the batter into muffin tins.
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Angelic Strawberry Dessert Recipe

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This strawberry dessert recipe is the best summer dessert! It is great to keep 2 or 3 of them made and in the freezer for unexpected or out of town company. It’s also a great dessert for a bridal shower, graduation or summer party.

Author: Jill Cooper

Ingredients

Units

1 (1 lb.) angel food cake (you can use a larger one — the filling just won’t be as thick) 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened 1 can vanilla frosting 1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced

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Instructions

Mix cream cheese and frosting.

Cut cake in thirds horizontally.

Spread the bottom layer with half of the frosting mixture.

Then layer with half of the strawberries.

Place the next layer of cake on top of that and again spread with the other half of the frosting and strawberries.

Add the top layer of cake.

Wrap and freeze.

When you’re ready to serve this recipe, set it out to thaw slightly before cutting.
These Recipes Are From Volume 1 of Our Cookbook:

[dining]
Photo by: karviainen
July 26, 2010
Ham Wraps – Quick and Easy Menu
Tips:
- I love having leftover rice. You can toss it into soup, sprinkle on fruit or veggie salads or have it for breakfast with a little milk, cinnamon and sugar. You can also make a quick dessert with rice stirred into Cool Whip that has been sprinkled with half a package of Jello.
- If you do heavy amounts of canning and your stove stays messy, try covering it with foil, cutting holes for the burners, for an easier clean up.
- When blanching things like tomatoes, use a deep fat fryer. Fill it with water and let it come to a boil. Drop in tomatoes using the fryer basket so you can easily lift them out. If you have or can find a frying basket of some sort at a garage sale you could use a large pan to do the same thing.
- Use all those “crumbs” in the bottom of your sweetened cereal boxes in place of sprinkles when you are decorating a cake or cupcakes. If you are in a pinch, make some cereal crumbs to use as decoration.
Menu:

In today’s quick and easy summer menu, the Ham wraps are great, not only for supper, but to wrap up and take on a picnic or a trip in the car. The Rice and Fruit Salad is especially good to help you use up leftover rice.

Ham Wraps*
Rice and Fruit Salad*
Marshmallow Bars*

Ham Wraps

Mayonnaise
Mustard
Sugar
Salt
Ham, thin deli sliced
Swiss cheese, grated
Lettuce, finely chopped
Tomatoes, diced
Green onion, diced
Flour tortillas

Spread tortillas with mayonnaise and just a tiny bit of mustard. Sprinkle with 2 pinches of sugar and a dash of salt. Layer ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion on it and roll tightly. Secure with toothpicks.

Rice and Fruit Salad

You can use other types of fruit in this salad if you like. Just use about 2 cups total. The recipe calls for fresh fruit, but you can use canned fruit.

1 can (8 oz.) pineapple chunks
1-2 cups rice, cooked
1/2 cup each strawberries, bananas, peaches and pears, cut into bite sized pieces
2 Tbsp. yogurt, plain or flavored
1 Tbsp. honey
Fresh spinach leaves

Drain pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup. Mix first 3 ingredients. Mix yogurt, 1/4 cup pineapple juice and honey. Pour on fruit and rice. Serve on spinach leaves.

Marshmallow Bars

1 pkg. (18 1/4 oz.) devil’s food cake mix
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup water
1 egg
3 cups marshmallows
1 cup M&M’s or chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Mix dry cake mix, butter, water and egg. Press into a greased 9×13 pan. Bake at 375° for 20-22 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle with marshmallows, M&M’s and peanuts. Bake 2-3 minutes longer until mellows are melted. Cool before cutting.

For more quick and easy recipes to make your life easier, check out our Dining On A Dime Cookbook.

Photo By: jeffreyw
July 22, 2010
Menu-Hamburger Steaks

Menu

Hamburger Steaks (big hamburger patties)
Veggie Stir Fry
Glorified Fries
Grandma’s Cherry (Fruit) Cobbler

Recipes

Veggie Stir Fry

4 cups fresh broccoli
3/4 cup baby carrots, quartered lengthwise
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

In a nonstick skillet stir fry carrots, broccoli and oil for 5 minutes. Add everything else and stir fry 5 more minutes or until all are tender.

Glorified Fries

Sprinkle frozen fries with Parmesan cheese and, if you like it, rosemary. Add them in the last 5 minutes of baking.

You could top too with cheddar cheese, chili, or jalapenos.

Grandma’s Cherry (Fruit) Cobbler
As the cobbler bakes the crust comes to the top. Serve warm with cream.

1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup milk
1 can pitted sour red cherries, drained, reserve juice *
1/2 cup sugar for topping

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk to butter mix. Beat until smooth. Pour into greased 8×8 baking dish. Pour cherries on top and sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar. Pour 1 cup cherry juice over all. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

*You can use fresh cherries or other fruits. When using fresh fruit, cover with an extra 1/2 cup sugar and pour 1 cup of water over all in place of juice. Bake as usual.

Photo By: kaz k

June 21, 2010
Menu-Ham Sandwiches

Tips

~ Here’s a tip to make cleaning those small grills like a George Foreman one. When you are done using it and it is still slightly warm, unplug it and place a few wet paper towels on the grill closing it so the steam can work it’s magic.

~ When making mac and cheese and you are out of milk or anytime for that matter use sour cream in place of the milk for an extra creamy and yummy dish.

~ For a fast refreshing summer salad mix leftover crushed pineapple with applesauce. It is different but good.

Menu

Ham Sandwiches
Chips and Barbecue Dip*
Sliced Tomatoes
Corn on the Cob
Orange Floats*

Recipes

Barbecue Dip
1 cup sour cream
1/2 to 3/4 cup barbecue sauce

Mix ingredients.
I usually don’t measure anything in this recipe. I just start adding the barbecue sauce to the sour cream until it tastes good. It’s really yummy with plain old potato chips.

Orange Floats

Vanilla ice cream
Orange soda

Place one scoop of ice cream in a tall glass and pour a small amount of orange pop on it. Add another scoop and more pop. Repeat this until your glass is full. Top with whipped topping and/or an orange slice.

photo by: phototram

May 31, 2010
Stacked Enchiladas Recipe and Easy Meal

This homemade stacked enchiladas recipe makes a quick and easy meal that’s great for families! You’ll also find a yummy Grandma’s Banana Dessert recipe! (more…)

October 20, 2009