Waffles with Raspberry Sauce

Heat waffle iron while preparing batter.

2 eggs
2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp shortening

Beat eggs well. Combine dry ingredients. Beat in eggs, buttermilk, and 6 tbsp shortening until smooth. Pour 1/4 c. batter onto each section of the waffle iron and cook as directed. Remove from waffle iron with a fork and serve warm with the following raspberry sauce.

Raspberry Sauce:
1 pint fresh raspberries
4 tbsp sugar
juice of half an orange
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 c. water

Stir the cornstarch into the water. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan. Gradually stir cornstarch mixture into pan and heat over med-high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to med-low and heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Cool for a few minutes, then puree with a blender or if you would like it chunkier, just mash up the large pieces with a fork. Strain through a sieve if desired. Serve warm.


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Peach Coffee Cake

Peel and cut 4 peaches into 1" pieces.

Cream together:
1/4 c shortening
3/4 c. sugar
Add:
1/2 c. milk
1 egg

Combine:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder

Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture.

Topping:
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp butter, melted

Pour 3/4 of the batter into a greased 13x9 pan. Top with peaches. Drop the remaining batter on top of peaches. Spread topping mixture over the top. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Cashew Chicken

Chop 2 carrots and 1 celery stalk. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over med-high heat. Add the vegetables and stir-fry until crisp tender.

Stir together:
juice of one orange
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground ginger

Stir sauce and 1/2 c. cashews into the vegetables. Cook, stirring constantly until sauce is thickened.

Stir in:
3 c. cooked chicken, diced or shredded

Serve with steamed rice.


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Blueberry Muffins

This is a very basic muffin recipe. They are sweet, but not too sweet. They aren't quite as soft and buttery as the ones at your local coffee shop, but they are better for you, and definitely less expensive. You can substitute the blueberries with any fruit and play around with this recipe to suit your desires. If you find a great alteration, please feel free to share in the comments.

Combine in a large bowl:
2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Mix:
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 c. milk or buttermilk

Stir into dry ingredients just until combined. Gently stir in 1 c. blueberries (I chop the blueberries into smaller pieces first). Grease 12 muffin cups or use paper liners. Fill cups 3/4 full with batter. Bake at 375 for 20-22 minutes.


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Sopes

Sopes are these wonderful little breads you can find in a Mexican market, or in the Mexican dairy section of your grocery store. If you have ever had a gordita from Taco Bell, the bread is like that but they are flat and small. You serve them like tostadas. So, go to your local store, find these awesome little breads and top them with the following:

cooked shredded beef, seasoned well (remember that AMAZING beef roast from last weekend? Use that or any leftover cooked beef roast)
sour cream
shredded cheese
diced tomatoes
shredded lettuce
taco sauce
chopped cilantro
whatever else you'd like


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Menu Plan Monday--Smart Seasonal Shopping

A smart menu planner will always take advantage of the season. What's in season right now? For those of us in summer, we have stores and farmers markets abounding in fresh fruits, especially berries. And because they are so abundant right now, they are extremely inexpensive. Stock up when you find a good deal and plan your meals around what you buy. You can also use these items on food prep day and make up a bunch of muffins, breads, sauces, or whatever you can think of to use up the fresh fruit now and be able to enjoy them later. Other things that are a great deal during summer are fresh corn on the cob, ribs, ice cream and popsicles, and bottled drinks. Pay attention to what are the good seasonal sales and use them to your advantage. During the fall, stock up on apples and pumpkin. In winter you can get baking supplies for next to nothing. Spring yields eggs, chocolate, and lemons.

Check out what I am making this week with my summer seasonal finds:

Menu Plan 7/26-8/1

Monday:
breakfast~bagels
lunch~vegetable soup
dinner~roasted chickens, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, cornbread

Tuesday:
breakfast~oatmeal
lunch~McDonalds :)
dinner~shredded beef sopes

Wednesday:
breakfast~blueberry muffins
lunch~grilled ham and cheese, cheese crackers, melons
dinner~ribs, asparagus, baked potatoes, rolls

Thursday:
breakfast~smoothies
lunch~pasta
dinner~cashew chicken, rice

Friday:
breakfast~peach coffee cake
lunch~quesadillas
dinner~meat lovers pizza, salad

Saturday:
breakfast~waffles with fresh raspberry sauce
lunch~leftovers
dinner~spaghetti no knife

Sunday:
breakfast~cereal
lunch~go out
dinner~beef enchiladas


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Amazing Beef Roast

I can't decide if it is more amazing because of the taste, or the ease to prepare. What do you think?

Amazing Beef Roast

Slice 4 potatoes and 2 carrots and place at the bottom of a greased crock pot. Cut numerous slits in the top of a 4-5 lb beef roast. Slice a few garlic cloves and place one slice in each of the slits in the roast. The more garlic, the better. Place roast in the crockpot and dump entire contents of a jar of pepperoncini peppers on top. Cover and heat on low for 6 to 10 hours. A-MAZ-ING


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Dessert Pizza

Streusel
1-2/3 c. bread flour
2/3 c. white sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. solid shortening
1/4 c. oil

Icing
1 c. powdered sugar
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix together streusel ingredients and store in closed container.
To make pizza: take pizza crust and add 1/2-1 tbsp oil to crust leaving 1/2 inch space around crust. Sprinkle cinnamon all around buttered crust. Top with 1 cup streusel mix(recipe above makes abo0ut 3 c. so you can either make multiple pizzas or save the extra streusel mix for a later time). Use a sifter if necessary to break up any lumps. Bake at 490 degrees for 7 1/2 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil halfway through to keep streusel from burning. Mix icing ingredients until it is of a drizzle consistency. If it is too thick, then thin with a small amount of milk--1/2 tsp at a time until you have reached your desired consistency. When finished baking, allow to cool for a few minutes then top with icing in a circular pinwheel pattern. I usually ice the pizza with a sandwich bag with the end cut off. Serve warm.


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

BBQ Chicken Wraps

Using leftover chicken from a previous meal makes throwing together chicken wraps for lunch super easy. Today I made bbq chicken wraps, using leftover bbq chicken from Monday. You could also just use plain chicken and add bbq sauce when assembling.

To assemble:
Spread a small amount of mayo or ranch dressing in the center of a tortilla (could also use a vinigrette for a healthier option)
place a couple leaves of lettuce and a slice of tomato
add a couple strips of bacon
and your bbq chicken
add some sliced or shredded cheese (I like monterrey jack here)
drizzle with additional bbq sauce
fold and eat!


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Fish Tacos

mmmm...one of my favorite So Cal inspired dishes. For convenience, most of the time I use frozen fish fillets, but you can use fresh fish. Breaded and fried yields the best flavor.

cook fish as desired...like I said I just use some frozen breaded and fried fish fillets, cook in oven, then cut into small pieces. If you have small kids, fish sticks are a good option too.
steam corn tortillas
prepare tartar sauce and combine with taco sauce or salsa
cut cabbage in small pieces
shred cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese
cut limes into wedges

Put all the ingredients out and let everyone build their own fish tacos. :)


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Garlic Green Beans

Most of the time I just steam my green beans and call it a day, but sometimes I like them with a little more flavor.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet. Drain and add 2 cans green beans. Sprinkle with a generous amount of garlic pepper (could instead use fresh garlic, salt and pepper). Add some slivered almonds (1/4-1/2 cup) Stir and cook until heated through and flavors are well blended.


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Menu Plan Monday--Quick Meals

You know me, I'm all about frugality. I will always tell you that it is worth it to invest time into making foods from scratch rather than paying for convenience. But that doesn't mean that I would condone spending hours and hours in the kitchen. News flash! Frugal meals do not have to take forever and quick meals do not need to cost a fortune. This weeks dinner menu features all meals that can be made in less than 30 minutes, yet are very inexpensive to make. Remember to check all the previous menu plan Mondays for more ideas make yourself a list of quick meal standbys that you can turn to when you need to get dinner on the table fast.

Menu Plan 7/19-7/25

Monday:
breakfast~yogurt with grape nuts
lunch~chicken chowder
dinner~lemon pork chops, baked potatoes, carrots, fry bread (cook potatoes 5-8 mins in microwave, then put in oven for 10 to crisp)

Tuesday:
breakfast~english muffins
lunch~sandwiches, applesauce, white popcorn puffs
dinner~bbq chicken, rice, garlic green beans

Wednesday:
breakfast~eggs and toast
lunch~ramen
dinner~fish tacos

Thursday:
breakfast~oatmeal
lunch~bbq chicken wraps
dinner~mini meatloaves, mashed potatoes, mixed veggies (prepare meatloaf in muffin pans to cook faster, you can also leave the peels on the potatoes and cut them in very small pieces to save time)

Friday:
breakfast~strawberry muffins
lunch~pasta roni
dinner~blt pizza (make ahead tip-have pizza crust in the freezer, pull out in the morning and pizza can be assembled in 5 minutes, cooked in 10)

Saturday:
breakfast~blueberry pancakes
lunch~leftovers
dinner~shrimp alfredo

Sunday:
breakfast~cereal
lunch~go out
dinner~amazing beef roast (put in slow cooker in the morning before church, dinner is ready whenever you want it)


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies

2/3 c. real butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 c. crushed oreos

Heat oven to 375. Mix butter, sugars, egg and vanilla thoroughly. Combine dry ingredients. Stir into butter mixture. Add chocolate chips and oreos. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2"apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from baking sheet.


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Fruit Cobbler

One of my favorite things about summer is all the fresh fruits. An easy way to use up those fresh fruit into a yummy dessert is cobbler. This one is very basic and you can use any kind of fruit you want. My favorite is peaches!

1 c. sugar
1 c. flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 c. softened butter
1 egg, beaten
6 c. fresh fruit, peeled and sliced
additional 1/2 c. sugar
cinnamon
nutmeg

Stir fruit together with 1/2 c. sugar and let sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Combine the first four ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Cut butter into dry ingredients. Mix in beaten egg. Place fruit in the bottom of a 8 or 9" square pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Spoon dough over the top of the fruit. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c. margarine
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Beat first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Stir in next four ingredients. Shape into 1" balls, roll in sugar and place 2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Pat down with the greased bottom of a glass or a fork. (*optional-press thumbprint down into dough and fill with nuts, jam or a hershey's kiss) Bale at 350 for 6 to 8 minutes.


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Cinnamon Chocolate Cake

Cinnamon AND chocolate?! YUMMY

2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 c. water
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. baking cocoa
2 eggs
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda

Combine the first four ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a saucepan, combine the next four ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat. Pour into bowl and stir until well combined. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased and floured 15x10x1" baking pan. Bake at 37 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Delicious on its own, but can also be topped with chocolate frosting or just some sprinkle some powdered sugar on top.


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Chocolate and Oats Bars

Preheat oven to 350. Combine 1 c. flour, 1 c. oats, 3/4 c. brown sugar, and 1/2 c. butter. Reserve 1/2 c. of this mixture and press the rest into a 13x9 pan for 10 mins. Pour one can sweetened condensed milk over the top and spread over entire surface with a spoon. Sprinkle 1 c. chocolate chips and 1 c. chopped nuts over the top. Top with the reserved oat mixture, pressing it down. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool slightly before cutting.


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Menu Plan Monday--Desserts

Desserts are a must have in our house. Not only do I really like to have something sweet after meals, but it also helps the family to linger around the table a little longer. We have also been known to take our dessert and hot cocoa into the living room and enjoy it while mom (that would be me) reads aloud to the family. So, I encourage you to make desserts a regular occurrence in your home as well.

Making desserts frugal? That's easy. Just make sure you are always stocked up on the following ingredients and you will be able to make a wide range of wonderfully tasty desserts. No strange, exotic, unusual ingredients here, just basic staples to make sure you always have something yummy on the table after dinner.

flour (I keep white, whole wheat, and pastry flour)
sugar
brown sugar
powdered sugar
chocolate chips
cocoa powder
baking powder
baking soda
nuts
peanut butter
coconut
marshmallows
oats
oil
shortening
corn syrup
vanilla extract


milk
eggs
butter and/or margarine (I use margarine for the day to day stuff and butter for special items or occasions)

This week I will try to share some fabulous dessert ideas for you!

Menu Plan 7/12-7/18

Monday:
breakfast~bagels
lunch~taco soup
dinner~creamy pork and gravy with green beans and rice

Tuesday:
breakfast~cream of wheat
lunch~picnic of sandwiches, melons, cheese crackers
dinner~cheeseburger pie

Wednesday:
breakfast~peach muffins
lunch~chili dogs
dinner~chicken divan

Thursday:
breakfast~smoothies
lunch~pasta
dinner~black bean nachos

Friday:
breakfast~cinnamon bread
lunch~chicken nuggets and french fries
dinner~pizza and salad

Saturday:
breakfast~breakfast burritos
lunch~tuna macaroni salad
dinner~sloppy joes and tater tots

Sunday:
breakfast~cereal
lunch~go out
dinner~ribs, baked potatoes, carrots, and rolls


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Amatriciana

A co-worker of mine made this a few years ago, and I promptly went home and searched for a recipe. After making it a few times, I made a few adjustments and here is the perfected recipe:

8 slices bacon, diced
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes
1 pound spaghetti, fettucine, or linguini noodles
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

Cook bacon over med-high heat in a saucepan, until crisp (just a few minutes). Pour out excess grease, but leave about 2 tbsp in the pan (don't forget to save that bacon grease for other uses!). Add garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for one minutes, stirring. Add entire contents of both cans of tomatoes, turn heat down to medium and heat, breaking up the tomatoes for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta, al dente and drain. Stir the basil into the tomato sauce, then toss with the pasta.


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Pecan Crusted Tilapia

1/4 c. very finely chopped pecans.
4 Tilapia fillets
2 tbsp butter
1/4 c. dijon mustard
1/2 c. mayo

Coat the Tilapia fillets in the pecans, pressing to make sure they are well covered. Heat the butter in a skillet over med-high heat. Place the fillets into the pan. Cook about 2 minutes, then carefully flip and cook for another 2 minutes, just to brown. Combine dijon mustard and mayo and spread some on the top of each fillet. Continue to cook for about another 5 minutes, until done.


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Burger Sliders

You have probably noticed these little mini burgers, commonly named sliders popping up at restaurants all over the place. SO, as with so many other things I see, I thought to myself, "Hey, I can make those!" Once you see how easy they are, I am sure you will be saying the same thing.

Mini Burgers
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1/4 c. bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
salt and pepper
additional seasonings as desired (some suggestions--garlic salt or powder, chili powder, paprika, parsley, italian seasoning, dry mustard, the possibilities are endless)

Combine above ingredients well. Scoop out about 1/4 c. of the meat mixture and form into a mini patty-should be about 1 1/2" in diameter. Heat a skillet to med-high heat and place patties in the pan. Cook for about 3 mins on each side or until fully cooked. (you may want to cut one in half and make sure it is pink but not red or bloody on the inside) Remove to a paper towel lined plate.

For the buns you can use rolls or hot dog buns that you cut into sections. Serve immediately.

*Obviously, there are so many variations of how these can be served? How about with some bbq sauce and bacon? Or with some pepper jack cheese and avocado? You could even set up a "toppings bar" with tons of different choices for people to make their own. (great party idea!)

For mine today, I served them with homemade french fries and fry sauce. These are definitely going to become a frequent meal in our home!


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Chicken Pot Pie

How is it possible that I have not yet posted a recipe for chicken pot pie?! It is frugal, it is healthy, it is delicious! It is an all time favorite!

Chicken Pot Pie

Combine in a large skillet:
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 c. water
2 carrots, chopped
2 potatoes, chopped
Bring to a boil, reduce to medium and cook for 10 minutes.

Heat oven to 425.
Stir 1 c. peas and 1 c. corn into the pan.
Stir 1/3 c. flour with 1/3 c. water until smooth. Stir into vegetable mixture. Increase heat to med-high and bring to a boil. Stir continuously until slightly thickened.
Add 2 c. cooked chicken, shredded or chopped, into vegetable mixture.
Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust. Top with additional crust and cut slits in the top for steam. Bake in preheated oven for 20 mins.


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Menu Plan Monday--Snacks

Okay, I don't plan snacks. I am a pretty detailed person, but even that is too much for me. However, I do have a list of stand-by snacks that I make sure I always have on hand. (included below) When thinking snacks, think again about REAL food. If your snacks tend to be things like fruit snacks or personal size bags of chips, you have a lot of opportunity to save money on your grocery bill (and your waistline!). Try to stick with snacks that are as close to God grown as possible. Also, think about trying to include all of the food groups. If you go to mypyramid.gov you can see the suggested servings for each of the food groups and get some ideas of what foods to eat for each group.

Here is my basic list of snacks that I always keep stocked up:
hard boiled egg
cheese
yogurt
frozen yogurt bars (homemade)
applesauce (homemade)
nuts
trail mix (homemade)
granola (homemade)
granola bars (homemade)
popcorn
pretzels
crackers
fruit
veggies

I also like to try new things or new combinations, so be on the lookout here for new snack ideas!

Menu Plan 7/5-7/11

Monday:
breakfast~croissants with cream cheese and jam
lunch~garlic vegetable soup
dinner~pork roast, potatoes, carrots, fry bread

Tuesday:
breakfast~cinnamon roll oatmeal
lunch~picnic-sandwiches, rice cakes, grapes, cookies
dinner~chicken pot pie

Wednesday:
breakfast~banana bread
lunch~mac n cheese
dinner~burger sliders and homemade french fries with fry sauce

Thursday:
breakfast~eggs and toast
lunch~pasta
dinner~pecan crusted tilapia, steamed asparagus, rice and cornbread

Friday:
breakfast~blueberry coffee cake
lunch~baked potatoes
dinner~mexican pizza

Saturday:
breakfast~french toast
lunch~ranch salad
dinner~amatriciana

Sunday:
breakfast~cereal
lunch~go out
dinner~roasted chickens, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, and biscuits


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Fried Chicken

Sorry, this is another one of those things where I don't have a recipe. Trust me, eyeball it, you can't go wrong with chicken seasoned and then deep fried in a vat of oil.

Soak the chicken pieces in a mixture of buttermilk and beaten eggs. Refrigerate. Meanwhile...

Season some flour (about 4 cups) with a generous amount of seasoned salt and pepper. Other things you can add in to the seasoning are garlic powder, paprika, dried parsley, chili powder, really anything you want. Pour an additional 1/2 c. buttermilk into the flour mixture and mix in with a fork. (I recently learned that this is the trick to having a thick chunky breading.)

Heat a large amount of oil in a deep skillet. It should be hot enough that when you sprinkle a tiny splash of water in the pan, it will pop. Turn the heat down to medium. Remove chicken from the refrigerator and dip in the flour mixture, coating generously. Place in oil and cook about 20 mins, or until breading is browned and no pink juice comes out of chicken when pierced. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Can be served hot or packed into a picnic to be enjoyed later! ;)


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Lemonade

Is there anything that is more characteristic of summer than homemade ice cold lemonade?! Just in case there isn't any hard-up-for-cash kids in your neighborhood with their stand, here is a recipe for making your own lemonade.

Fully juice 4 large lemons. (Roll on the counter with your palm before cutting)
Place juice in 2 qt. pitcher.
Add one cup of sugar.
Fill pitcher the rest of the way with cold water.
Serve by pouring into tall glasses filled with ice.

*For a healthier version, you can dissolve 1/2 c. honey into 1/2 c. hot water and use in place of sugar.


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved

Blueberry Buckle

An absolute must for the summer berry season. If you are looking for a way to use up those blueberries that are so abundant right now, this is it!

1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. shortening
2 eggs
1 c. milk
4 c. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 c. blueberries

Topping:
1 c. sugar
2/3 c. flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. butter, softened

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 13x9 pan. Cream together sugar, shortening, and eggs. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into sugar mixture, alternating with the milk. Stir in blueberries (I like to cut them into smaller pieces first.) Pour into greased pan. Combine ingredients for topping and sprinkle over batter. Bake for 35-40 mins. Serve warm.


© 2010-2011 Day to Day Cook - All Rights Reserved