Speed scratch shakes, for a fraction of the price

Healthy Milk Shake
Originally uploaded by laurasmoncur

Like so many of us who telecommute and work from home, I'm always on the lookout for delicious food and treats that I can make at home for less money.

One of my favorite new e-mail discussion groups is the Yahoo Group from cheapcooking.com. 

List members share their ideas for inexpensive cooking, including shopping tips, recipes and meal stretching ideas. A list member posted this recipe today for chocolate shakes. What a great way to repurpose chocolate pudding!

If you have kids -- or a sweet tooth -- give this a whirl:

Frosty Pudding Milk Shakes
Makes 4 to 6 servings

3 c. cold milk
4 oz. pkg. chocolate instant pudding
1 1/2 c. vanilla ice cream

Pour milk into blender. Add pudding mix and ice cream. Cover and blend on high speed for 30 seconds or until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

Speed scratch comfort food to end your Monday the right way

InstaGravy
Originally uploaded by kpishdadi

On Monday, I like to start my day with several small, concrete accomplishments. As a virtual assistant and a mom, I am constantly working on life balance. My slow cooker lets me prepare tasty meals for my family, but also conserves precious work time.

Starting dinner in the crock pot before I begin my work day is just one way that I try to get an accomplishment quickly under my belt and have a home-cooked meal at the end of the day.

I enjoy cooking. I make my gravies from scratch, the way my Mom and Nana did. However, I've caved in on this speed scratch recipe for beef and noodles because it's delicious and quick.

Now I'm also not a morning person, so when mixing the ingredients first thing in the morning, it might not smell the most appetizing. However, for a quick meal at the end of the day and tasty leftovers, I highly recommend you give this quick comfort food recipe a try:

Quick Beef and Noodles

1 3-pound (or so) pot roast
2 jars of Heinz beef gravy (I like Boston Market beef gravy the best, but cannot buy it at bigg's here locally, for some reason)
1/2 cup Wishbone Italian Salad Dressing
1 6-ounce jar of sliced mushrooms (optional)

Thaw the pot roast if needed. Trim any visible fat. Place in crock pot insert.

Wisk together the 2 gravies, salad dressing and mushrooms (if you are using them).

Pour the mixture over the roast in the crockpot, lifting the roast so that some of the liquid flows underneath the roast as well.

Cook on low 7-10 hours, or until the roast is tender and falling apart. Shred the meat, removing any additional fat if needed.

Serve over egg noodles or spaghetti squash for a lower carb option. With a tossed salad or steamed veggies and rolls, it's a quick and delicious slow cooker meal.

Leftovers reheat beautifully, and are also good as sandwiches.

Kitchen Klutzes of America Day

According to Hungry Girl's Friday, June 13 newsletter, it's Kitchen Klutzes of America Day.  That makes me laugh.  I don't consider myself a kitchen klutz, but I do try to avoid using large, sharp knives in the kitchen.  Somehow I always manage to cut myself in the process.

Hungry Girl has 3 recipes in today's newsletter that are low in fat, high in taste -- Crantastic Pears, EZ Tomato Basil Chicken and Peaches 'n Cream Microwave cupcake.  These sound worth giving a whirl.  

Read the newsletter online here.

Ouch Kabibble!

This looks really uncomfortable - as if underwire isn't already enough torture!

Evidently, according to Lunch in a Box, disposable chopsticks are having a detrimental effect on the environment. As a result, people are beginning to carry their own chopsticks in their purse or bag -- and in other ways as well. The My Hashi Chopstick Bra is just one solution -- sticking the sticks in a holder on the bra.

Pure Genius

Lifehacker blogged about a great entry at the Lunch in a Box blog regarding freezing meat. Why didn't I think of this before?

Put hamburger (or ground turkey or chicken) in a gallon zip top bag. Flatten as much as possible. (Flattening makes defrosting go much more quickly) Then gently press a chopstick (or other similar item) against the closed bag to create "squares." See the photo here. Freeze. Break off only what you need and leave the rest frozen!

Benefit for our household: With Ben's busy music and school schedule, I need quick, healthy meals in a flash. We can easily break off just one burger from the grid and put it on the Foreman to grill frozen. Because it is so thin, it will cook in a flash.

Challah French Toast

A sweet way to use up challah or italian bread any time!

1 inch thick slices of italian bread or challah - about 3/4 of a loaf (day old is best)
1 3/4 cup milk
4 eggs (or 1 cup egg substitute)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 stick of butter or margarine (1/2 cup)
Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 13 x 9 baking dish, melt the butter in the microwave. Remove dish from microwave, add brown sugar. Distribute brown sugar and butter over the entire bottom surface of the dish. Wisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla. Dip pieces of the bread into the milk mixture, thoroughly soaking. Arrange slices in one layer in the 13 x 9 baking dish, taking up all available space. (Depending upon the size of the bread, the number of slices you can fit into the dish varies.) Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown. Invert slices onto plates and serve.

Quick, easy breakfasts that deliver

We've never been New Year's Eve partiers. My idea of the perfect New Year's Eve is to have a really delicious dinner with my family, a nice bottle of champagne or a couple of martinis and to be snuggled in bed with my honey by about 11:00. Maybe, just maybe, we stay awake to see the ball drop.

As I got up to make coffee this morning, I flipped on Good Morning America. Sara Moulton was doing a segment on lovely brunch items to ring in the new year. She made an egg dish where a piece of ham (or turkey) lines a muffin cup, is topped by sofrito, has an egg cracked on top and then a bit of cheese. These egg cups are baked at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, then eased out of the muffin cups as a perfect little package. The sofrito mixture, listed below, doesn't appeal to me, but Moulton talked about subbing creamed spinach, salsa, or sauteed mushrooms for the sofrito. Personally, I'd sub turkey for the ham. What's nice about this recipe is that it can be made ahead, popped in the fridge, then baked when you're ready.

I don't know how long these articles stay online at ABCNews.com, so I'm reprinting the recipe here. It originally appeared on January 1, 2008 at:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=4066646&page=1

Eggs Baked in Ham with Sofrito

Makes 4 servings
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Total preparation time: 30 minutes

½ large red bell pepper, coarsely chopped (about 2/3 cup)
1 small onion, coarsely chopped (about ½ cup)
1 large plum tomato coarsely chopped (about ½cup)
½ cup packed rinsed and dried fresh cilantro
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped (about 4 teaspoons)
Kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper
8 thin slices Black Forest or Virginia ham (without holes; 6 to 8 ounces)
2 ounces plain or jalapeño Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about ½ cup)
8 large eggs
8 large tortilla chips (3-inch triangles), coarsely crushed (about ½ cup)

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Combine the bell pepper, onion, tomato, cilantro, garlic, ½teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a food processor and process until smooth.

3. Fit a slice of ham into each of 8 lightly oiled muffin cups, custard cups, or mini souffle dishes (they must hold a scant ½-cup) with the ends of the ham extending above the edges of cups. Divide the sofrito mixture among the cups, shaping a hollow in the center. Crack 1 egg into each, and divide the cheese over the tops. If using custard cups or souffle dishes, place on a rimmed baking sheet for easy handling.

4. Bake in the center of the oven until the whites are cooked but yolks are still runny, about 15 minutes. Season the eggs with salt and pepper and carefully remove (with the ham) from the muffin cups, using 2 spoons or spatulas. Sprinkle with tortilla chips and serve.

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I love breakfasts that are make ahead. It gives our family the opportunity to eat well and have a lovely hot breakfast before starting their day -- always a nice way to begin! Here's an overnight stuffed french toast that I've also used with great success. Make it the night before and let it "soak" all night in the fridge.

Overnight Blueberry Stuffed French Toast

butter (for coating pan)
1 (14 ounce) loaf French bread or Italian bread (day old challah works well too)
1 (8 ounce) package light cream cheese, cut in small pieces
1 cup fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries
12 large eggs (I used Eggbeaters to cut down on the fat and cholesterol)
2 cups milk
1/3 cup real maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
sugar (for sprinkling on the blueberry layer)

1. Butter a 13x9-inch glass baking pan generously.
2. Tear bread into one-inch cubes; place half into prepared pan.
3. Evenly distribute cream cheese pieces over bread; cover with blueberries & sprinkle lightly with sugar.
4. Place remaining bread cubes on top.
5. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, syrup and cinnamon; pour over bread cubes.
6. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
7. In the morning, preheat oven to 350F degrees.
8. Remove casserole dish from fridge and bake, covered, for 30 minutes.
9. Remove foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until lightly browned on top and centre is set.
10. Cut into squares and serve with maple syrup.

Make a quick, hot blueberry sauce to go with:

In a medium saucepan, mix 1 C sugar, 2 T cornstarch, and 1 C water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the remaining 1 cup blueberries. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, until the blueberries burst. Pour over the baked French toast. Note — I often double the sauce.

This recipe appeared on the RecipeZaar.com web site at:

http://www.recipezaar.com/14472

Best Yet Walnut Bread

Best Yet Walnut Bread
Originally uploaded by Just Nora

This vintage recipe is handwritten by my Nana. I make it every year for Thanksgiving - it's been a tradition in my family long before I was alive.

I learned tonight that this recipe actually belonged to my great, great grandmother - mama to Carrie Fisher in my Old Family photos set on Flickr. My great, great grandmother prepared this recipe on an old cast-iron stove.

You can tell it's one of the "good" recipes from all the stains and marks due to use! When my mother-in-law, of blessed memory, passed on, my sister-in-law asked me if there was anything I wanted from Mom's house. I told her I wanted to look at her recipe box. I took the recipes that looked the most stained and worn -- I knew they were the ones that the family loved and that she must have prepared often. I wanted to prepare these dishes to give my husband a taste of Mom's cooking after she was gone and hopefully some pleasant memories.

I'll never be as good a cook as my mother-in-law was, or my Nana or my Mom -- but I keep trying!

Best Yet Walnut Bread

3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Sift dry ingredients into bowl. Add egg mixed with milk and beat well. Stir in walnuts. Pour into well-greased loaf pan and let stand 20 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes. Turn out on a rack to cool.

Notes -- this dough is very, very stiff to mix. I try to mix this one up when my boys or hubby are around to help. The nut bread is delicious as is, and is also particularly tasty toasted and buttered for breakfast.