by Marsha | Feb 18, 2009 | Breads, Budget Friendly, Main Dishes, Vegetarian Recipes |
Cornbread is the most versatile bread on the planet! A unit of cornbread is called a “Pone”, not a loaf. It’s easy to make and you can add ingredients you like to the batter. There is almost no way to mess it up! It is a great bread with any dish and travels well too. But let’s start with the basic bread. Lets start by preparing the pan. There are a couple of different ways that I prepare my skillet and which one I choose depends on how busy I am that day. 1. On an average day when things aren’t quite as hectic, I preheat my pan. Place it in a 400 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes while I prepare the cornbread mixture. Timing is everything with this method. You want the skillet hot when you are finished mixing the ingredients. Bring the skillet out of the oven and take a heaping tablespoon of shortening and move it around the sides of the skillet. It will melt and run down to the bottom of the pan. This gets the sides and the bottom well oiled for baking. Once the pan has been greased, then add about a teaspoon of dry cornmeal…that’s right, just cornmeal. This gives the outside of your bread a little crunch. Next you immediately dump in your cornbread mixture before the pan cools and return it to the oven. 2. On a hectic day I grab some shortening with a paper towel or just with my hand and give the unheated skillet a good smear. With this method you have to...
by Marsha | Dec 3, 2008 | Budget Friendly, Main Dishes, Soups & Stews |
This meal is easy on your wallet because it consists of things that i usually have on hand. My family just loves this soup! It makes a lovely side dish or serve with a pone of cornbread as a comforting main dish. 2 cups cooked cubed chicken 2 cups water 2 medium potatoes peeled and cut up into bite size pieces 2-3 stalks of celery (feel free to use leafy center) 1 whole onion chopped 2 large carrots – peeled and sliced 1 box chicken stock 1 can chicken broth 2 Tablespoons chicken bullion crystals 1 teaspoon salt 1 Tablespoon dried parsley 1 cup cooked medium egg noodles cooked Stove top Directions: Place all ingredients except for cooked noodles in a large pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium. Loosely place lid and continue to cook until vegetables are tender. Meanwhile cook noodles as directed on package. Drain and set aside until soup is ready to serve. Add noodles just to heat through, and soup is ready to serve! Crock Pot Directions: Combine all ingredients except noodles in crockpot. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. When soup is ready all you will need to do is cook noodles as directed on the package. Drain and add to soup and serve. Tip: I like to get all the ingredients except noodles (so they are not over-cooked) in the crockpot the night before and then place it in the refrigerator overnite. The next morning i just put the pot in the cooker, plug in and go on with my busy life! ~Marsha...
by Marsha | Dec 3, 2008 | Budget Friendly, Vegetarian Recipes |
My grandmother used to fix her green beans this way when i was growing up. There is nothing formal or fancy about this dish. It’s just delicious! 4 cups raw snapped green beans 10 new potatoes* 3 cups water 2 teaspoons kosher salt Place beans, water, and salt in a large sauce pan on top of the stove. Wash and scrub potatoes until thoroughly cleaned. Peel the center of the potato all the way around. Put the potatoes in with beans and bring to a boil. Once the pot is boiling, reduce heat to medium and and loosely place the lid on. Continue to cook until potatoes are fork tender and beans are done. Variation: My grandmother also cooked her beans with a small 2 inch square hunk of fat back in them for flavor. Try this variation for truly authentic southern taste. Fat back is salted pork. *New potatoes are simply that. Potatoes freshly harvested so they may be seasonal in some areas. They usually come in a small bag and are small red...
by Marsha | Nov 10, 2008 | Breads, Breakfast / Brunch, Budget Friendly, Vegetarian Recipes |
You have not lived until you have tasted one of these biscuits! Just think of soft warm bread with the slight tang of buttermilk topped with a your favorite jelly or just a pat of butter….they’re good! 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup vegetable shortening 3 Tablespoons butter cut into small cubes 2 to 2 1/4 cups buttermilk or enough to form a soft dough melted butter for brushing on top of biscuits Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray or grease 2 round cake pans or one large baking sheet pan, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a whisk until well blended . Cut in shortening and butter with pastry cutter until it is the size of peas. Add 2 cups buttermilk and stir. Slowly add more buttermilk (if needed). Dough will be sticky. Generously flour a piece of waxed paper or cutting board and turn your dough out onto it. Do not kneed. Simply dust the top lightly with flour and pat dough out to 1/2 to 3/8 inch thickness. You can roll the dough out with a rolling pin if you prefer. Cut biscuits with a biscuit cutter and place onto a greased baking pan. Be sure to place biscuits so that they touch each other in the pan. This helps them rise higher as they push up against each other. Brush lightly with butter to help with browning. Bake in the oven for roughly 20 to 25 minutes or until top is...
by Marsha | Sep 4, 2008 | Budget Friendly, Desserts, Holidays |
This rich and creamy chess-like pie is one of my favorites. The simple ingredients for the filling comes together in a flash and before you know it, they are in the oven to bake. This recipe makes 3 regular size pies or 2 deep-dish pies. I like to take these pies along to social events or make them to feed a crowd during the holidays. You can freeze them too. 2 sticks butter 3 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup self-rising flour 6 eggs 1 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon butternut flavoring 3 unbaked pie crusts or 2 deep dish crusts Whisk all ingredients together by hand and pour into prepared uncooked pie crusts. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 55 minutes in the center of oven. Cool on wire rack. These pies do not require refrigeration, but will last longer if you do refrigerate leftovers. Makes 3 pies. ~Marsha ...
