Meals on a Budget

[Vjumpstart]

Menu: French Toast Sandwiches, Spiced Fruit Cup, and Orange Juice Spritzer

Cost: $1.58/serving (sandwiches and fruit cup serve 6, spritzer makes 2 quarts)

French Toast Sandwiches
12 slices Canadian bacon; 6 slices Monterey Jack cheese; 12 slices French bread (1/2 inch thick); ¾ cup eggnog; 3 tablespoons butter or margarine; 6 tablespoons strawberry preserves
Place two slices of Canadian bacon and one slice of cheese on each of six slices of bread. Top with remaining bread. Place eggnog in a shallow dish. Dip sandwiches in eggnog.
In a large skillet or griddle, melt butter. Cook sandwiches on both sides for 2-3 minutes or until bread is golden brown. Serve with strawberry preserves


Spiced Fruit Cup
1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained; 1 can (15 ¼ ounces) sliced peaches, drained; 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries; 1 cup cubed honeydew or cantaloupe; 1 cup cream soda, chilled; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon ground coriander; 1 medium banana, sliced
In a large bowl, combine pineapple, peaches strawberries, melon and cream soda. Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and coriander; stir into fruit mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Just before serving, add banana. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Orange Juice Spritzer
1 quart orange juice; 1 liter ginger ale, chilled; ¼ cup maraschino cherry juice; Orange wedges and maraschino cherries, optional
In a 2 quart container, combine the orange juice, ginger ale, and cherry juice; stir well. Serve over ice. Garnish each glass with an orange wedge and cherry if desired.

NOTE: All recipes were taken from Taste of Home December/January 2004, pages 12-13.

[Vjumpstart]

Menu: Hay and Straw, Creamy Bacon Salad Dressing, Chocolate Cream Dessert

Cost: $1.50/serving (Hay and Straw and dressing serve 8, dessert serves 12)

Hay and Straw
1 package (16 ounce) linguine; 2 packages julienned fully cooked ham; 1 tablespoon butter or margarine; 3 cups frozen peas [we used green beans], 1 ½ cups shredded Parmesan cheese; 1/3 cups whipping cream
Cook linguine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, sauté ham in butter for 3 minutes [I just sprayed a little Pam so there was less fat]. Add peas; heat through. Drain linguine; toss with ham mixture, Parmesan cheese and cream. Serve immediately.

Creamy Bacon Salad Dressing
½ cup mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons light corn syrup; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled; 2 teaspoons finely chopped onion; 6 cups torn mixed salad greens
In a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise, vinegar, corn syrup and salt until smooth. Stir in bacon and onion. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve over salad greens.

Chocolate Cream Dessert
¾ cup cold butter or margarine; 1 package (18 ¼ ounce) chocolate cake mix; 1 egg, lightly beaten; 1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened; 1 cup confectioners’ sugar; 4 cups whipped topping, divided; 3 cups cold milk; 2 packages (3.9 ounces each) instant chocolate pudding mix; 2 tablespoons chocolate curls
In a bowl, cut butter into cake mix until crumbly. Add egg and mix well. Press into a greased 13x9x2” baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until set. Cool completely on a wire rack.
In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Fold in 1 cup of whipped topping. Carefully spread over the crust; refrigerate.
In a bowl, whisk the milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes; let stand until slightly thickened. Spread over the cream cheese mixture. Top with remaining whipped topping. Refrigerate 2 hours before cutting. Garnish each slice with chocolate curls. Refrigerate leftovers.


NOTE: All recipes were taken from Taste of Home August/September 2003, pages 46-47

[Jeannie]

1 lb linguine or spaghetti

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
8 anchovy fillets -optional... ( I love anchovies)
1 dried chili pepper, crumbled
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs

Heat all but 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic, and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds over medium heat; discard the garlic. Add the anchovies to the oil in the skillet and cook, crushing with a fork to break them down, until they dissolve, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chili and parsley, and cook for 30 more seconds. Remove from the heat. In a second skillet, toast the bread crumbs for about 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring often. Remove from the heat. When you are ready to serve, place the warm anchovy-olive oil sauce in a serving bowl large enough to hold 1 pound of cooked linquine or spaghetti. Add the pasta, along with 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and toss; adjust the seasoning, and serve hot, sprinkled with the bread crumbs.

Will serve 4 generously

[snowowl551]

Wow, these all sound so good, I don't know where to start! The omelet roll up meal sounds the best! Now if I can convince DH to like breakfast for dinner.......

[tree3branches]

I been working on a menu for low cost and wasy to fix. I be posting it in my jounarl here if anyone wants to see.. Hope it helps you or give you some ideas too.

This be Tree

[Vjumpstart]

[This one is one of our FAVORITES!]

Menu: Grilled Meatloaf, Beans with Parsley Sauce, Peanut Butter Pudding Pie

Cost: $.99/serving (8 servings each)

Grilled Meatloaf
½ cup ketchup; ½ cup quick-cooking oats; ¼ cup chopped green pepper; 1 egg; 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes; 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon dried basil; ¼ teaspoon pepper; 2 pounds ground beef; Additional ketchup, optional
In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into two loaves. Place a sheet of heavy-duty foil in center of grill. Place meat loaves on foil (do not seal foil).
Grill, covered, over indirect medium heat for 50 minutes and a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. Brush tops with additional ketchup if desired [I did.]. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Beans with Parsley Sauce
2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed; 2 tablespoons butter or margarine; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon pepper; 1 ½ cups chicken broth; 2 egg yolks; ½ cup milk; 1 cup minced fresh parsley [I used the dry equivalent].
Place beans in a large sauce pan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until crisp tender. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually whisk in broth. Bring to a boil; cook and whisk for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat.
In a small bowl, combine egg yolks and milk. Stir in a small amount of hot broth mixture into egg mixture. Return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in parsley. Drain beans; top with sauce.

Peanut Butter Pudding Pie
2 cups milk; 1 package (3 ounces) cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix; 1 cup peanut butter chips; 1 graham cracker pie crust (9 inches); 2 ½ cups whipped topping; 1/3 cup milk chocolate chips; 1 teaspoon shortening
In a sauce pan, whisk the milk and pudding mix. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture come to a boil. Reduce heat; stir in the peanut butter chips until melted. Pour into the crust. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until set.
Spread whipped topping over the pie. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and shortening. Cool for 5 minutes. Drizzle over topping. Refrigerate until serving.

NOTE: All recipes were taken from Taste of Home magazine June/July 2003, pages 20-21.

[momperson]

I'm lovin' this thread! I can always use new recipe/meal planning ideas!

Tree: You are such an inspiration, girl! I've just finished reading your journal & meal plan ideas & just wanted to let you know printed your recipe for Poor Man's soup out & am fixing it for lunch today, along with a pan of cornbread. Thank you!

momperson

[Vjumpstart]

Did I miss something? I didn't see a journal. Where is it?

V.

[momperson]

hi Vjumpstart!!! If you'll look under forums, there is one called "Organizing Journals" & click on tree3branches journal. One of her threads is "memnus/recipes/& such

hope this helps, momperson

[momperson]

oh no, of course it's 'menus'....bad, bad speller today!!!
mp