Saving with Angel Food Recipes and Ideas

Pork Chop Supper (pork chops, potatoes, mixed veggies)

2011-06-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

Recently, Angel Food Ministries has been featuring pork chops in their Bountiful Blessings and Bread of Life boxes. That makes me happy. I love pork. I'll take pork over beef any day of the week.

I also grew up in a household where pork was known as the "dangerous" meat. That meant that if you wanted to eat it, you had to make sure it was mostly blackened to kill any potential cooties inside. And I still loved it.

But now that I have my own kitchen, I'm a bit more reasonable about my pork. I've also found that the best way to get the moistest, most wonderful texture from my pork it to prepare it in the slow cooker!

So here's a good, hearty, down-home, country recipe for those pork chops!

Ingredients:

6 pork chops
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 tablespoons catsup
1 tablespoon chives
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (plain salt works fine, too)
3 quartered medium potatoes (you can peel them, but I don't)
1 16-oz. package of frozen mixed veggies
(You can also add 2 or 3 cups pork gravy for added richness if you have it on hand!)

Place the pork chops in the bottom of your well-greased slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine the soup, catsup, chives, pepper, soy sauce and seasoned salt (and gravy if using) and then pour over the pork chops.

Stir in the potatoes, cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Stir in the veggies and continue cooking for an additional hour or until the meat and potatoes are tender.

Enjoy!
Kelly

Italian Salad (leftovers)

2011-06-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

I love summer salads. Not the mayo slathered kinds, but the kinds with fresh garden veggies, spicy dressings and leftover grill meat. Those are my favorite.

Imagine a salad you can make almost entirely out of leftovers and it will look like you took a ton of time to make it. Can't do it? Yes you can!!! Using as much as you can from your fridge, garden or Angel Food Ministry boxes can make this salad recipe fantastic and different time and again!

The trick to enjoying this recipe multiple times is to keep your creativity working. I'm going to provide a suggestion list of ingredients, but you can substitute anything you want if it works or makes sense for your house!

YOU are in charge here. YOU get the make the recipe rules. YOU are KING or QUEEN of the castle (or kitchen)!!!!

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice
1 1/2 cups cubed fully-cooked ham
2 cups cubes cheese (any kind you like here- whatever works with your meat/veggies or whatever you have)
1 diced green pepper
2 ounces of thinly sliced pepperoni (don't have/like pepperoni? Try grinding a few peppercorns for a nice "kick" in your salad!!)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing (always feel free to use more or less to taste)
1 2-1/4 ounce can of sliced ripe olives (optional)
2 chopped medium tomatoes (optional)

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients then cover and chill. Stir in the olives and tomatoes just before serving if desired.

Enjoy!!
Kelly
PS Having trouble getting those creative juices flowing? Ask your fellow diners what they think would be good in the salad!

Biscuit Pizza

2011-06-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

I love pizza. Have I mentioned that before? I wish I could have pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I love pizza from a pizzeria, frozen from the grocery store and even home made pizza.

When I was little, my grandmother used to use English muffin halves to make us little pizzas when we would stay for dinner. Could that be where my love for pizza blossomed? Who cares- pizza rocks!

A few years ago I came across this super inexpensive and easy way to make pizza at home. You can use so many different things that come in the Angel Food Ministry boxes and it's a great way to use leftover meat or chopped veggies.

The original recipe called for kielbasa or Polish sausage, but I've used many different traditional toppings to personalize it for our family. And what we have in the house. And for that time of the month.

Anyway, get out your favorite toppings 'cause it's pizza time!!!!

Ingredients:

2 tubes of 12oz. each refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (I get these at Aldis super-cheap!)
2 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Toppings of your choice!

Separate the biscuits and cut each one into fourths. Arrange in a greased 13x9 baking dish (don't flatten them!). Bake at 375-degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until the biscuits begin to turn brown.

Spread spaghetti sauce over the browned biscuit crust. Sprinkle with cheeses and the toppings of your choice. Bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until it is bubbly and the cheese is completely melted. Let the pizza stand for 5-minutes before cutting.

Enjoy!
Kelly

Barbecue Beef and Bean Wraps (ground beef, baked beans, corn)

2011-05-31T08:16:00.000-07:00

It's getting HOT outside! I'm lucky to live where I do. For some reason, I radiate heat all year long. When the weather gets over 70-degrees, I suffer. Really suffer. I won't get graphic, but it's not pretty.

Good thing we only have three or four months where we have the potential to get hot enough to make me turn gross. And while I use my slow cooker a lot during those months to keep the heat in the kitchen down, I do have some recipes that are easy, one-dish meals that are super quick and delicious. This is one of them!

And for those of you who still have an issue with ground turkey, try it in this recipe. There is just too much going on with flavor to make it intolerable for you- I promise!!

One more thing- don't panic if you don't have tortillas in your house. You can easily make them at home, serve this over chips, make lettuce wraps, eat on bread, serve over rice or eat by itself!

Ingredients:
1 pound ground meat (beef, turkey)
1 can (28oz.) baked beans or homemade
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 cups thawed frozen corn
4 and 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (sometimes I have this, sometimes I don't!)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
12 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded lettuce (my shredded lettuce is more ripped lettuce- you get what I give you in my house!!!)
1 and 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (feel free to use canned if you have them)
3/4 cups sour cream, optional

In a large skillet or frying pan, cook beef over medium heat until it is no longer pink and then drain the fat (rinsing with water removes extra fat!!!). Stir in the beans, barbecue sauce, corn and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Simmer on low for about 5-minutes or until heated through. Spring with the cheese and then cook for another 2-minutes.

Spoon about 1/2 cup of the mixture onto tortillas and top with lettuce, tomato and sour cream if using. Roll them up and enjoy!!!

Kelly

Chicken Scallopini (chicken salisbury steak patties)

2011-05-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

For a couple of months, Angel Food Ministries had these things they called "Salisbury Steak Patties" but in reality, they really are just chicken patties!

I am NOT a fan of Salisbury steak, but I do like to create flavor that not only enhances a meat but somehow makes it better. That's why when I saw this recipe, I knew it was right for those patties!

I should also note that I hate mushrooms unless they are cooked and covered up with other flavors. This recipe did the trick for me!

Ingredients:

4 chicken Salisbury steak patties
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 divided tablespoons of butter (I always use margarine)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms (I use whatever is cheapest and in this case it was fresh- but I wouldn't hesitate to use canned)
2/3 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

In a plastic baggie or container, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Add the chicken patties and shake until covered evenly. Next, heat the oil and 4 tablespoons in a skillet or frying pan and add the patties. Cook thoroughly and then remove from pan.

Now add the mushrooms to the pan, stirring until tender (about 2 or 3 minutes). Spoon them over the chicken patties.

Next, add the broth into the pan and add the remaining butter along with the parsley. Cook while stirring for about 2 minutes or until it becomes slightly thickened. Pour the sauce over the patties and mushrooms.

This is great served with rice and a salad!

Enjoy!
Kelly

Summer Slacking

2011-05-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

Yeah-I'll admit it. I've been slacking. Between the weather, trying to get our garden tilled and planted between rain showers, moving two sisters and home schooling, I think I'm reaching the end of my rope.

But I'm back. And it feels great!

Today I'm sharing something I came across from another home school parent. I have not tried it yet, but she does this kind of stuff for a living so I tend to believe she knows what she's talking about.

You can save money by making your own cream deodorant! Woot woot!

Okay- here's the recipe:

1/4 cup baking soda

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup melted coconut oil or more if you want a creamy deodorant

few drops of any essential oil if you want to add scent to your deodorant

Mix it all together. Don't worry if it looks "soupy" at first. Just let it sit overnight until the coconut gets back to its solid state. Voila! You'll have yourself some homemade deodorant!!!

One more thing- I've sat in the sun with this woman and hugged before we parted. She didn't stink, so I believe it works!

Enjoy!
Kelly

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore (any cut chicken, tomatoes, onion, pasta)

2011-05-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge fan of chicken leg meat. It's a color/texture thing, I think. But that's why I started this blog.

Using everything in the Angel Food Ministry boxes can be a challenge for many- including me!!! But thanks to my grandmother and my daughter, I've learned so much about flavor and presentation that can really make something that was once undesirable into something really yummy- like Chicken Cacciatore.

This sauce is outstanding. The recipe is simple, so when I started making it I didn't expect too much from it. I thought that at the very least, I'd have some buttered pasta if it was a bomb. But it wasn't!

I used the Angel Food Ministry drumsticks that I'd left in the bottom of the freezer for a while and I can happily say that isn't likely to happen again! The meat simply fell off the bones and made a wonderfully authentic Italian meal for the family!

Ingredients:

2 pounds of any cut chicken (skin and bones make more work, but the reward is worth it!)
1 sliced large onion or 2 small ones
1 can (14.5oz.) diced tomatoes
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons of oregano
1/2 teaspoon of basil (I LOVE basil and increased this to 1 teaspoon)
1 minced clove of garlic (I used two- yes. We smell like garlic a lot.)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound of pasta cooked according to package directions and then lightly buttered (you can use any kind of pasta- all I had was Angel Hair which was good but it didn't hold the sauce nicely like a larger noodle would!)

Spray the inside of your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Spread the sliced onion on the bottom. Place the chicken pieces on top of the onions.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the tomatoes (including juice), tomato sauce, oregano, basil and garlic. Once blended, pour over the chicken. (At this point, feel free to add diced veggies to really make this a loaded sauce- celery, carrots, peppers, etc. Go nuts!)

Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 to 8 hours. Serves 8 to 10.

The key to a good Chicken Cacciatore sauce is to let it cook in order to thicken. It's just as good if you don't have the time, but if you do it's nice to have a thicker consistency that will grab on to the noodles!

Enjoy!
Kelly

Creamy Mexican Pasta (pasta, salsa, cream cheese, milk)

2011-05-13T13:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I wanted to post on here much sooner but Blogger was giving me a hard time. I don't know why. I'm sure I haven't done anything to make it angry. I'm just glad we're connecting again. :D

So......I wanted to share what we had for Mother's Day dinner! I usually want to have pizza on Mother's Day, but not this year. I have fallen in love with this recipe. It's my favorite at the moment and I just can't seem to get enough! (But I'm good- it's a bit rich, but once a month is good for me!)

This recipe is quick and easy- and inexpensive! You can use whatever pasta you have on hand from the spaghetti or angel hair pasta in the Angel Food Ministry boxes to boxed elbows (what I used) or ziti.

You can also add cooked chicken or beef if you like! I prefer it the way it is below, but my hubby likes it with chicken added. But it was Mother's Day. My day. I ruled. My food.

Ingredients:

1 pound of uncooked pasta
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 crushed cloves of garlic (you can use powder, minced or granules- just adjust to your taste)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup of milk
1 cup water
1 cup salsa
1 8-oz. package of cream cheese cut into 1/2-in. cubes (I have used both regular and light with good results!)

Prepare the pasta according to package directions and then set aside.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and add garlic over medium heat. Saute for a few minutes and then add the flour. Next pour in the milk and water while constantly stirring. Next, add the salsa and cream cheese. Continue to stir until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce bubbles.

Add the the pasta, stir to coat and serve!

Enjoy!
Kelly

Not so sure...

2011-05-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't posted for a bit. We've been outside, doing some work and enjoying family. It's been pretty awesome.

I've also been spending some time thinking about our last order from Angel Food Ministries. We ordered the Pastor Joe's box, 2-fruit and veggie boxes along with a couple of Bountiful Blessings boxes (all for the month!). For the first time ever, we had some issues.

The fruit and veggies were worthless. In fact, some of them were just plain gross. I was shocked, floored, horrified, disappointed- get out your thesaurus and you can follow my emotions.

Not only that, but we extended ourselves to have the treat of getting the Pastor Joe box. The twice-baked potato packages were opened. There is just no way I want to chance serving something that has been opened to my loved ones!

So....I contacted our local site person. She wasn't sure what to do and got back to me in a few days. Angel Food Ministries said that we could have her go to the store, buy what was bad/ruined and they would reimburse the church.

I immediately felt for this person. She is a volunteer. I feel it is completely unfair for her to have to use more of her time, gas and energy fixing Angel Food Ministry's error. We didn't ask her to do this. It wouldn't have been right. It was wrong of Angel Food Ministry to put her in that position.

At the very least I was hoping for an apology and promise to look into the situation. At the most, a small credit would have nice.

Have you had issues? If so, what have you done? What was the outcome? How do you feel about how they are handling this one?

Well, I feel a bit better now. Off to make some spicy whiting fillets along with an Ethiopian side-dish with cabbage, carrots and potatoes! If it works out as nicely as I'm hoping, I'll be posting it here soon!
Kelly

Stuffed Turkey Burgers (ground turkey)

2011-04-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

So, my oldest was home from culinary school this past weekend (yea!). She grilled the Pastor Joe steaks on Saturday night and OH MY GOODNESS. They were out of this world! Was it the the quality of the meat? Was it the way she grilled them? I have no idea! I've decided to give credit to both my daughter and Angel Food Ministries for this one!

I thought things couldn't get any better than the steaks, but I was wrong. On Easter, she made stuffed turkey burgers using the ground turkey that came in last month's Angel Food Ministry boxes. Again- oh my goodness!!!

I should also mention that I'm a huge lover of condiments when it comes to my burgers. Catsup, mustard, onions, relish, tomato, lettuce.....if I have it and can throw it on there, I will. But not with these. They are so good on their own, I at it "as is"!!!

This recipe is so flavorful and so easy, you almost don't need the recipe!

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey, thawed
You need equal parts:
minced garlic
mozzarella cheese
roasted red peppers (I got these at Aldi's but feel free to look at the Dollar Store or make your own!! I suspect sun-dried tomatoes would be amazing in this recipe, too.)

Combine the garlic, mozzarella and peppers. Take the amount of meat you would to make 1-hamburger patty and divide it in two. Flatten one side pretty flat (to about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch). Place some of the cheese mixture in the center. Flatten the other half of the ground turkey and place on top of the first half with the mixture. Gently but firmly press the edges together to seal in the "stuffing".

Repeat and cook! We had paprika fries in when she wanted to cook these in the oven, so we cooked them at 425 degrees for about 15-minutes.

Enjoy!
Kelly

Cooking Inspiration (limited time)

2011-04-26T15:45:00.000-07:00

Sooooo.....I'm not posting a recipe today. It's been very busy around here and I'm really tired. I'm so tired that I pulled some of my frozen homemade spaghetti sauce out of the freezer and we're have that over angel hair pasta from Angel Food Ministries. That's it.

BUT....and it's a really big but....there is a great deal from one of my favorite places to browse for recipes right now. Taste of Home is having a huge sale on their cookbooks. Click HERE to go to their site!

INSPIRATION ALERT!!! Imagine what you can get out of these recipes! Anything that comes in the Angel Food Ministry boxes can be used in any number of recipes and adjusted for ingredients on-hand!!!

Not only are their cookbooks just $5.00 each, if you type in coupon code 401 and order $20.00 or more (that's 4 books!!!), you get free shipping.

I ordered four. You'll know when I've received them because I'll be sharing what I learn!!!

Enjoy!
Kelly

Bacon-Cheddar-Biscuit Brunch Bake (egg, onion, milk)

2011-04-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

I was browsing the internet yesterday looking for new recipe ideas. There's a lot of the "same-old, same-old" stuff out there and I just wasn't inspired.....

Until I got an email from Pillsbury. And then I found THE recipe I was looking for.

It really doesn't have much that comes in the Angel Food Ministry boxes with the exception of an egg, onion and some milk, but what really stood out was how affordable it is to make!

That and my oldest is coming home from college for Easter and she loves bacon. I mean she LOVES bacon. I have to watch my sodium so she's okay to eat turkey bacon (and it costs less in our area than regular bacon) so that's what I made it with.

And my hubby loved it. He actually stopped on the way home from a 12-hour graveyard shift to get more of the ingredients we needed to make it. And my picky eater at all of it. This was a rare and wonderful experience!

Ingredients:
1 16oz. can of flaky biscuits (in the refrigerator section of the grocery store- we bought ours at BJ's Wholesale because they had an in-club coupon and I used a manufacturer's coupon, too)
1 pound of cooked bacon
1 egg
2 tablespoons of milk
1/2 chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I toyed with Romano for this, but stuck with cheddar- you can substitute what you have on-hand!)

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. In a large bowl, beat the egg and milk thoroughly. Cut the biscuits into quarters and gently add them to the egg mixture, covering each piece completely.

Next fold in the onion, bacon and cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until settled and light-brown.

This is a recipe I'm looking forward to having a little fun with in the future. I think garlic, basil, sage, oregano, parsley and whole lot of other herbs would keep it fresh time and again. I also think crumbled and cooked sausage or even seasoned ground beef would make this a hit. Green peppers, shredded carrots or zucchini are also fun additions to try out.

Enjoy!
Kelly

French Fry Salad (waffle fries, lettuce, cabbage)

2011-04-18T14:46:00.000-07:00

So, the April Angel Food Ministry Bountiful Blessings and Bread of Life boxes have waffle fries in them. I still have some of the waffle fries left from when we got 5# bags of them.

I'm not complaining. In fact, I view this as a challenge! So, here's what I did for dinner this past weekend to not only use up some of the waffle fries but to also make a nicely balanced meal everyone enjoyed. The hubby got his bacon, I got my fries and cheese and the healthy eater got her salad. Everyone was happy!!

Ingredients:
3 cups frozen waffle fries
4 strips of bacon (I use turkey bacon- it costs less and has less sodium)
1 tablespoon of yellow mustard
3 tablespoons dill relish (or just chop up a dill pickle)
1 1/2 tablespoons of catsup
3 tablespoons mayo
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (apple cider vinegar is more acidic than regular vinegar- if you want a less-biting flavor, use white vinegar)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup halved grape tomatoes (optional)
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
1 shredded romaine lettuce heart (iceberg is fine)
2 cups shredded cabbage
1/4 cup cheese (your choice), optional

Bake your fries and allow to cool (we cook ours for 20-25 minutes at 425-degrees 'cause we like 'em crispy). While the fries cook, cook your bacon thoroughly, allow to cool and then break into pieces.

Now make the dressing: Whisk the mustard, pickle, pickle juice,catsup, mayo, vinegar, sugar and 2-tablespoons of water in a large bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.

Add the fries, bacon, tomatoes, red onion, lettuce, cabbage and cheese to the bowl with the dressing and toss to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

The beauty of this salad is that you can add whatever dressing you like as well as add meat, fish and any other veggies to this you want!

Enjoy!
Kelly

Light Thousand Island and Blue Cheese Dressings

2011-04-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

Here are the final two light dressings for you to make at home....and hopefully save money!

Light Thousand Island Dressing
Ingredients:
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons milk (non-fat gives you the "light"!)
2 tablespoons catsup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce- optional (seriously- I don't think I know anyone who has this, but a pinch of chili powder will give the sauce a "kick"!)
3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
3 tablespoons minced red bell pepper (my mom made a version of this recipe when we were kids consisting of mayo, catsup and relish....I don't think this is necessary!!)

Combine the yogurt, mayo, milk, catsup, salt and chipotle (if using) and pulse in a blender until smooth. (Um....I whisked it in a bowl and let it sit for a while before using. Yes, I'm lazy. Yes, it tasted really good!) Transfer to a bowl (my lazy version was already in a bowl) and stir in the relish and bell pepper. You're done!

AND....Light Blue Cheese
Ingredients:
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon milk (2% is fine)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (you'll have this from April's Angel Food Ministry's Fruit and Veggie box!)
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of cayenne pepper (again, you can substitute with chili powder)
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (if this is a huge expense for you, you can try feta or goat cheese instead)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Whisk the yogurt, milk, mayo, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne pepper in a bowl until smooth. Gently stir in the cheese. Add the salt and pepper, stir in and let the dressing sit overnight to allow the flavors to develop.

Enjoy!
Kelly

Light Italian Dressing Recipe

2011-04-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

After loving the light ranch dressing, I had to share the light Italian dressing recipe! It's full of flavor but light on the guilt!

Ingredients:

1 halved medium tomato
1/4 water
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small minced garlic clove
1/8 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon basil
Salt and pepper
Pinch of sugar

Rub the cut sides of the tomato along the coarse holes of a grater into a bowl and then discard the skins. Next, whisk in 1/4 cup water, lemon juice, dijon mustard, sugar, olive oil, garlic, oregano, basil, a splash of salt and a bit of pepper to taste. And....you're done!!!

Enjoy!
Kelly

Save Money Making Your Own Salad Dressings

2011-04-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

So many people balk at making almost everything that they can from scratch. There is only one item I can agree on that is almost a wash and often much more convenient to buy rather than make from scratch- sandwich bread. That's pretty much it!

This past year I started making as much as I can from scratch and it works. I've saved money. We're even trying to take it a step further this summer by growing our own fruits and veggies. Although I'm terrified, I'm determined to do some canning for the first time in my life, too!

Salad dressing always feels like a frivolous purchase to me. I love salad and would eat it every single day if my family would enjoy it as much as I do.

But it's getting pricey and along with dressing....not all that frugal (with the exception of this one tip- if you get the Angel Food Ministries Fruit and Veggie boxes, shred some of the cabbage and add it to your salad. You get more, it goes farther and the nutritional value can't be beat!!!).

So I'm making my own dressings now. I can even use some of the items I get in the Fruit and Veggie boxes from Angel Food Ministries!!

The Food Network Magazine recently featured some super-easy recipes for homemade dressings...and they are trimmed down a bit in the calorie and fat departments!!!

Here's the recipe for a Light Ranch Dressing:

Ingredients:

2/3 cup buttermilk (ummm..never in our house- I used the 2% milk that comes in the AFM boxes. Note that it was a bit runnier, but it spread nicely when tossed!)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried onion flakes
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (I love garlic and upped this to 1/2)
1 tablespoon chives
1 tablespoon dill
1 tablespoon parsley
1/2 salt
1/4 pepper

Whisk the buttermilk, mayo, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, onion flakes, garlic powder, chives, dill and parsley in a bowl. Add the salt and pepper, stir and serve!
That's it- enjoy!
Kelly

Stacked Turkey Jumble (ground turkey, peas, rice, onion)

2011-04-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

April showers bring May flowers and that's wonderful, but I look forward to my Angel Food Ministry orders more than almost anything else each month!!!

Ground meat is such an important staple in a frugal kitchen. Chicken, pork, beef.....and yes, TURKEY are all great ways to get the most out of a meal. Not only can you do a ton of things with them, but you can also create meals where all your nutritional needs (meat, veggies, etc.) are pretty much met in one dish!

April's Angel Food Ministries menu has ground turkey and even if you don't like ground turkey, this recipe has enough additional flavors/ingredients to mask the typical blandness of the meat. Give this one a try!

Ingredients:

4 cups water

2 cups rice

2 pounds ground turkey (or other ground meat- I used 1 pound simply for frugality)

1 10¾ oz. can cream of mushroom soup

1 10¾ oz. can cream of celery soup

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon ground sage

1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic (minced, salt, powder or whatever kind of garlic you have is fine!)

2 cups cooked peas (hot is best)

Shredded cheese for topping

In a large pot combine water and rice then bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender.

While the rice is cooking, brown down turkey in a large saucepan until thoroughly cooked. Add both cans of soup, milk and herbs/spices then stir until well combined and creamy. Cook until warmed through.

To serve as “stacks” put some rice on a serving dish, top with meat mixture, then top with peas and finally top with shredded cheese. If your peas are warmed the cheese should melt over them. You might hat to put the plate in the microwave for about 30 seconds to get the cheese melted if the peas are cool.

You can always change up your vegetables or even try different "cream of" soups with this recipe- it's really versatile!!!

Enjoy!

Kelly

Classic Spaghetti Frittata (eggs, onion, leftover spaghetti, milk, veggies)

2011-04-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

We are blessed to have chickens. I grew up on a street surrounded by corn fields, but I was still pretty much a suburban girl. The thought of growing up to have my own chickens never occurred to me.

Yet when we moved to our small hobby farm, one of the first things my hubby wanted to get was a bunch of chickens. I am blown away by how much I have grown to love those little buggers! They are great for their fresh eggs, but my love for them goes much deeper.

Chickens seem to live the definition of multiple-personality-disorder. When I feed our barn cats, the chickens flock to the group of cats and feed on cat food like they are one of the bunch.

When we let the sheep out to graze, the chickens actually graze along with the sheep, moving from patch of grass to patch of grass along with them. We also have a chicken who rides on the back of one of our large rams (I've included a picture of it here). It's really ridiculous to watch.

Finally, if we are sitting out on our deck, some of the chickens will actually come and join us. It's wonderfully absurd!!!

Anywhoo....when our chickens become divas and don't lay as frequently because of the cold weather, our Angel Food Ministries Bountiful Blessing or Bread of Life boxes conveniently have a dozen eggs in each of them for us! And we love our eggs!

I do all kinds of things with eggs from crustless quiches to this Classic Spaghetti Frittata. Just because it calls for spaghetti, don't worry if you only have elbows, ziti, etc. You can use those shapes, too!

Ingredients:

1 diced onion
2 cups of frozen veggies of your choice
1 cup cooked spaghetti (or other pasta)
4 large eggs (if using AngelFood Ministry eggs, you will need 5-eggs as they are medium eggs)
¼ cup milk
Salt, pepper, garlic, parsley and any other herbs and spices you like for taste!
(Note that you can also add things like diced ham, ground beef, sausage, etc. but this is the very basic recipe here- cheese is awesome, too!)

In a large frying pan or skillet, spray with cooking spray (or use a dab of margarine) and cook the onion until soft. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and any spices of your choice.

Add the veggies and move around with a spatula until they are no longer frozen. Next, add the pasta and fold it in with the other ingredients until heated through (if your pasta was refrigerated, it will need to be warmed up a bit in this step!).

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs in with the milk and then pour as evenly as possible over the spaghetti mixture. Cover if possible and let cook until the eggs are done. If you don't have a cover, you can gently turn the mixture after it has cooked for a while and then allow it to cook longer until it is set.

That's it! Enjoy!
Kelly

Slow Cooker Pizza Dip (tomatoes or pasta sauce)

2011-04-11T17:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Sunday and after church, I kept busy pretty much all day. By the time dinner was approaching, I didn't want to do a whole lot of work but I also wanted something special for dinner.

I made a pizza dip that was out of this world....for me, at least!

I made mine vegetarian and my hubby enjoyed his with ground beef as well as beef sausage from the Angel Food Ministries boxes. It was just perfect for the end to our busy day.

Please note that I'm going to post the BASIC RECIPE here. You can ADD ANY of your favorite toppings!!!

Ingredients:

2 cups of spaghetti sauce
1 8oz. bar of cream cheese, cut into cubes
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
Tortilla chips (for dipping)
Topping ideas: pepperoni, mushrooms, onion, peppers, ham, pineapple, pork sausage, chicken, beef chunks- just use your imagination! (I put in shredded carrot, broccoli and believe it or not, chopped up cabbage and it was awesome!)

Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray and then add the sauce, cream cheese and mozzarella cheese. Next add your toppings and stir them together.

Cover and cook on HIGH for one hour. Stir the dip and then cover and cook on HIGH for an additional hour or on LOW for another 2-hours.

Use the tortillas to dip or simple cover tortillas and dig in!

I also served carrot cake muffins for dessert, but that recipe with have to wait!

Enjoy!
Kelly

Pleasantly Pleasing Fried Rice Pilaf (rice, eggs, beans, peas and carrots)

2011-04-10T15:05:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung and I'm kind of enjoying it! I spent the last couple of days working with our youngest getting the seeds started for our garden. (We're almost all the way up to Canada, so our summer season really starts in June!!)

I'm not a gardener. I've never had my own garden. I'm not known for having a green thumb. This is a big deal.

So I'm hoping that out of the 216 seeds we planted yesterday, we get a good yield. If at least half don't survive, I'll know it's me and plants should stay far away for their own safety.

Sometime during those couple of days, we made time to visit my grandmother...and she gifted me with some more magazines!!! Rachel Ray is not a favorite of mine, but she usually has one or two recipes I'll adjust for what we have from Angel Food Ministries in the house and it always tastes great.

Here is a great and filling rice and bean recipe!

Ingredients:

1 cup of rice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 beaten eggs
1/3 cup diced onions
1 large cubed bell pepper (add this if you have it, but I didn't and didn't miss it)
2 cups prepared white beans
1 cup Angel Food Ministries frozen peas and carrots
1 teaspoon cumin (chili powder works, too)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup cilantro (parsley will work, too)

In a small saucepan, cover the rice with water and stir until the water becomes cloudy. Drain and repeat this twice.

Return the rice to the saucepan, add 1-cup of cold water, cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 25-minutes. Fluff with a fork.

While the rice is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat in a frying pan then add the eggs. season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring until set and just dry (often about 1-minute). Transfer to a cutting board, let cool and then chop into coarse bits.

In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and pepper, cooking until just tender- season with salt and pepper if desired. Add the beans and peas-carrot mixture and cook until thoroughly heated. Transfer to a bowl.

In the same pan, heat the remaining cooking oil, cilantro and cumin over medium-high heat. Stir in the cooked rice. Spread the rice into a single layer, allowing a crust to build up (about 3-minutes). Break up the rice and sprinkle with the soy sauce.

Stir the rice and eggs in with the onion/bean mixture and serve!

Enjoy!

Kelly

Stacked Sweet Potatoes (sweet potatoes)

2011-04-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

The sun is attempting to peek through the clouds, but it's warm enough to enjoy being outside. Yet the weather just hasn't been enough to help me face some of life's challenges.

I need comfort food.

Some people find it difficult to meet their cravings or needs (in my case, I use the term very loosely!!), but it doesn't have to be that way. No matter what Angel Food Ministries seems to have in their monthly boxes, I find that I'm never at a loss for the next food to meet my emotional needs.....er....I mean, appetite.

So here's a decadent recipe that uses those wonderful sweet potatoes that come in the Angel Food Ministries fruit and veggie boxes. It's rich, creamy and sinfully satisfying!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pound of peeled and thinly sliced sweet potatoes (I keep the skins on- because I'm both lazy and convinced the nutrition factor justifies this)
2 teaspoons thyme
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 minced garlic clove (feel free to substitute a dry version like powder or granules)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease the cups of a 12-cup muffin pan and then stack half of the sweet potatoes in each cup. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoon of thyme and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Top with the remaining sweet potatoes (it's okay if the potatoes come up over the rims).

Next, microwave the cream along with the garlic, salt, pepper and remaining thyme on HIGH for 1-minute. Pour the cream mixture into the muffin cups (this should be about 1-tablespoon per cup).

Cover with foil and bake for 30-minute. Uncover, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes (just until the cheese is melted.

Let the muffin pan stand for 5-minutes and then use a knife to work around the sides of each cup. Lift the stacks out with a spoon or flexible spatula.

These are decadent- enjoy!!
Kelly

Pizza-Taco Soup (ground meat, onion, taco seasoning)

2011-04-06T15:40:00.000-07:00

I love to cook so much that I seem to have passed my love on to my oldest daughter. She is currently away at culinary college learning everything she can about cooking.

The best part is that she likes to come home to eat my cooking. She can have the most amazing food made from the best ingredients in the world, but something about mom's home-cooking just feels right to her. That's the best compliment I could ever get from her!

One of the best things about having so much love for cooking in my home is the sharing that goes on. I learn something and pass it on to my daughter. She learns something and passes it on to me. We make a delicious mistake, pass it on and then celebrate!

When we started buying from Angel Food Ministries, I felt a bit challenged by some of the items we received. Some things I never considered purchasing before while others we never would have fit into our budget. The love of cooking has come in quite handy with our love of Angel Food Ministries!

One of the things she's been good at doing is getting me to try combining flavors I normally wouldn't on my own. This is a recipe that seems a bit odd, but give it a try- I dare ya!

Also- this is a great one to try with ground turkey. There is so much flavor that whether it's beef or turkey it won't really matter!

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef or turkey (being frugal, I just used 1-pound)
1 chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 packages dry taco seasoning (make your own using THIS RECIPE)
4 cups pizza sauce (I just dropped in the can of pasta sauce from the Angel Food Ministry boxes-seriously!!)
4 cups water
tortilla chips, sour cream and shredded mozzarella cheese for serving (optional)

In a large frying pan or skillet, brown down your beef or turkey. Add the onions to saute in the fat while browning. Drain.

Combine the beef or turkey, onion, salt, pepper, taco seasoning, pizza sauce (or pasta sauce) and water into your slow cooker (you are going to want at least a 5-quart or larger!!!)

Cover and cook on LOW for 4-hours.

This is a recipe that can have a TON of variations. Add green peppers, chilis, mushrooms, beans, corn or anything else that strikes your fancy!!!

Enjoy!!!
Kelly

Slow Cooker Broccoli Cornbread (cornbread mix, broccoli, eggs, onion)

2011-04-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

In our home, I'm the only one who would typically eat cornbread with anything so the boxes of cornbread mix we've gotten the past couple of months from Angel Food Ministries have been sitting on a shelf. I like cornbread just fine, but not enough to make a batch just for one!

As I was reading a cookbook today (a beloved habit I inherited from my grandmother), I came across a cornbread recipe that HAS to be shared! It looked like a great way to use up my cornbread, have a bit of fun with my handy-dandy slow cooker and even trick my wonderful family into eating this bread!

One thing that I want to make note of here before heading right into the recipe: Make sure you always spray down the inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray or spread with shortening. Not every recipe will call for it, but in my own experience it can save you from a lot of yucky, stuck on bits at the end of the day!

Ingredients:

1 melted stick of butter (we only have margarine for most of the year, so I measured out 1/2 cup)
10 oz. package of chopped broccoli, cooked and drained (our Aldis has a great deal on broccoli this time of the year so I just bought a bunch of fresh broccoli and cut it up- I didn't bother to cook it beforehand)
(FEEL FREE TO SUBSTITUTE FOR SOMETHING OTHER THAN BROCCOLI LIKE CORN, SPINACH, CARROTS, ETC. OR EVEN MEAT LIKE HAM)
1 chopped onion
1 box of cornbread mix (the size in AFM is perfect)
4 well-beaten eggs
8 oz. of cottage cheese (this is the equivalent of a cup)
1 1/4 teaspoon salt (I only added 1/4 teaspoon and didn't want any more)

Combine all of the ingredients, mix well and pour into a well-greased slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6-hours or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (My slow cooker cooks a bit high, so my cooking time was less. It's a good idea to get to know your slow cooker and how it seems to cook!)

You can either serve it like spoon bread or turn the pot over, letting the bread fall onto a wire rack before cutting into wedges.

On another note, I'm probably going to add some garlic and parsley next time. It tasted great, but my ever-evolving-cooking mind kind of wants to try it out!

Enjoy!
Kelly

Rich, Basil Pork Chops (pork chops)

2011-04-04T15:25:00.000-07:00

I've always loved pork. Beef and I are fickle friends, but there has always been something about pork I can't resist.

Even as a finicky child, my parents would sit and watch me pick off as much meat as I could from the bones. Besides hot dogs, I never did each much meat in front of them!

Imagine how excited I've been to see that Angel Food Ministries has had pork available recently. Not only do I get to enjoy my favorite meat, but I also get to play around in the kitchen some more!

While pork has an amazing flavor all on its own, I love this recipe for adding a special "richness" to the meat. It's simple while decadent enough to serve to guests!

INGREDIENTS

4 pork chops
1 cup tomato juice
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Trim any excess fat off the pork chops and discard the fat. Cook the pork chops in a frying pan (no need to add fat). Once brown, add the remaining ingredients. Cover and then allow to simmer for 40-minutes, turning the pork from time to time (you might need to add a tablespoon of water to keep it from burning).
Serve with rice or potato and a veggie!
Enjoy!

Kelly

Super-Easy Black Bean Side Dish (black beans, onion, garlic)

2011-04-03T11:06:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking of starting a super-easy side dish Sunday recipe! What do you think???

Side dishes are often overlooked with the intense preparation of a main dish. Yet if you have kids, side dishes are an incredible opportunity to get those picky eaters to eat more of what is better for them that just what you can trick past their stubborn little palates!

I was a huge fan of side dishes when I was growing up as meat just wasn't something I enjoyed. I had no problem with the principles behind meat sources and preparation. Pregnancy was where my love of meat kicked into "active" mode!

Anywho, I kind of wish my mom had opened herself up to trying beans for side dishes. She utilized rice, potatoes and a variety of veggies, but beans were never on the table. They are such a well-rounded nutritional food that it 's nice to get those nutritious little buggers in any finicky eater's diet!

So here's a really simple recipe for a black bean side dish. I honestly can't recall if we've ever gotten them in our Angel Food Ministry boxes, but if not you can always play around with the flavors by using beans other than black!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of cooking oil
2 cups of prepared black beans (soaked and boiled or quick soak and boiled are both fine- if you like, make extra and freeze what you don't use for a quick grab next time you want to use them!)
1 chopped onion
1 chopped clove of garlic (fresh provides the best flavor, but powder or minced can be used)
1 tablespoon of fresh chopped cilantro (we buy bulk cilantro and never have fresh- I simply added and additional teaspoon for full-flavor)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I had Chipotle and used that- you can always lower the heat by adding less!)

In a medium saucepan, add the cooking oil and saute the onion for about 5 minutes. Add the beans and garlic and simmer for about 5-minutes. Season with the cilantro and your choice of hot pepper. Allow to sit for 5-minutes before serving.

This is great with a bit of shredded cheese and sour cream!

Enjoy!
Kelly

FLAVORFUL Ground Turkey Meatloaf (ground turkey, egg, oats)

2011-04-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

The search for incredible ways to serve ground turkey continues on my end!

Before the big hubbub on Facebook about ground turkey being in the April Angel Food Ministries Bread of Life and Bountiful Blessings boxes, I guess I never gave preparing it much thought. I was lucky enough to have found ways to prepare the lean meat in a way my beef-loving husband enjoyed and sometimes even requested!

This recipe is loaded with flavor. Flavor is the key to getting anyone who has an issue with ground turkey to, at the very least, tolerate it for one meal. And if you're really adventurous or even better, a huge skeptic, check out the optional gravy recipe at the end!

Ingredients:

1 lb. Ground turkey

½ teaspoon sage

½ teaspoon thyme

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg

¾ cup old fashion oats

¼ cup catsup or tomato sauce

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (you can use steak sauce or even soy as a substitute)

Handful of sun-dried tomatoes and/or mushrooms (Optional)

Preheat the oven to 400-degrees. Combine the turkey, sage, thyme, oregano and salt. Mix in the remaining ingredients.

Shape in a loaf pan or other oven-safe baking dish and bake for 45-minutes to an hour (until the top edges have browned nicely).

GRAVY
Now I'm not a huge fan of gravy, but I came across this recipe for gravy to be served with ground turkey meatloaf and it just might be what some people need to get the meal by certain skeptics! So for those of you who like fancy-schmancy meatloaf, here's a quick gravy recipe:

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cup beef stock
1 teaspoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons red wine
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons of flour

Combine the stock, wine and tomato paste then set aside.

In a small saucepan, cook the butter and flour over low heat until it forms a paste. Increase the heat to medium and add the stock mixture, stirring frequently until it boils and thickens which should be about 3 to 5 minutes.

Enjoy!
Kelly

Ground Turkey Casserole (ground turkey, egg noodles)

2011-03-31T13:57:00.000-07:00

I've been fighting a cold for several days now and even though I don't feel better yet, I know the end is near because when I came across this recipe I got excited. It's simple yet rich and for anyone who hates ground turkey- flavorful enough to get you through using it from your April Angel Food Ministries box!

Even better, it uses the egg noodles that will be in the boxes as well. It almost seems too good to be true that I came across this recipe and the April boxes are cooperating so nicely!

So- here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey
1 diced onion
1 15oz. can of tomato sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 8oz. container sour cream
1 8oz. package cream cheese
1 12oz. package uncooked egg noodles
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large frying pan or skillet, saute the ground turkey and onion for about 10 minutes over medium-high heat or until cooked through. Drain the turkey and then add the tomato sauce and sugar. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream and cream cheese. Mix them well and then set aside.

Cook the egg noodles according to the package directions. Place them in a greased 9x13 baking dish, then cover with the turkey mixture and finish by covering with the sour cream/cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese.

Bake for about 25-35 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serves about 6 people.

Enjoy!
Kelly

Breakfast Eggs and Rice (eggs, onions, rice)

2011-03-30T14:10:00.000-07:00

So, I'm pretty sick and I just don't feel like sitting in front of the computer much today. I just left the comfort of the wood stove, blanket and book to see what's happening online and I'm already feeling drained from it.

My hubby loves to share his colds with me. I think in the 18-years we've been married, there has only been one time he brought home a cold and I didn't get it from him. The kids are always hit or miss, but the big guy is a guarantee to contaminate everything in sight. If you have one of those at home, too, my condolences.

So when I woke up feeling like I should just crawl back into bed, I indulged in some comfort food. My body must have known I was coming down with a nasty cold as I made extra rice to go with dinner last night, so I was ready to whip up a quick, filling and satisfying breakfast with the eggs from my Angel Food Ministry boxes!

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked rice
4 eggs
1 chopped medium onion
1 chopped clove of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
(this is a great recipe to play around with- consider adding cheese, bacon bits, sausage or any other food you like to have with/for breakfast!)

In a large frying pan or skillet, add a bit of cooking oil then add the chopped onion and garlic. Cook until softened a it and then add the rice. Crack the eggs on top of the rice and using a spatula, break the yolks and scramble the eggs and rice together a bit.

Cook as you would scrambled eggs- allowing to cook for a bit and then moving the contents around to cook everything thoroughly.

Salt and pepper to taste0 this makes enough servings for 4-people!

Enjoy!
Kelly

Paprika French Fries (Baking pototoes)

2011-03-29T06:59:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I love that we are the country with an unnatural adoration of French Fries! They are so simple yet wonderfully delicious!

In fact, French Fries have a special place in my heart. I remember my hubby and oldest daughter bonding over French Fries one afternoon 18-years ago. I don't know why that memory stays with me, but it does. She was smitten with the little things and had fun with her daddy while they chatted away, eating together. It seemed special then and still does now!

So anyway, here's another super way to "dress up" your Angel Food Ministry baking potatoes from the March 2011 Fruit and Veggie box. We got 2 of those boxed this time and I've been having a ball working with those pristine potatoes!!!

Ingredients:

5 small baking potatoes (since our Angel Food potatoes were so huge, I used 4)
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (I only had red pepper flakes, so I took a few, crumbled them as best as I could with my fingers and added them)
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon dill
1 tablespoon chives
1 tablespoon parsley

Preheat your oven to 425-degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, cooking oil, salt, paprika, cumin and red pepper, tossing gently to coat. Arrange the potatoes on your prepared baking sheet and bake for 20-minutes or until the fries are done (we like our fries crunchy, so I left ours in for an addition 5-10 minutes).

While your fries are cooking, combine the mayo, sour cream, dill, chives and parsley in a medium-sized bowl. Use as a dip for your fries!

That's it- enjoy!!
Kelly

Sweet and Sour Chicken Meatballs (Ground Chicken, eggs, onion)

2011-03-28T14:51:00.000-07:00

This month's Angel Food Ministry boxes had ground chicken in them and I was pretty excited about it. Using ground meat other than beef is a challenge for most and I'm no exception.

FLAVOR, FLAVOR, FLAVOR is my mantra when it comes to ground chicken or turkey! And I don't have to add tablespoon after tablespoon of salt to get that flavor. My water retention thanks me.

I've mentioned that I'm not a huge fan of Chinese food, but I do enjoy creating my own similar tastes with ingredients I trust at home (and I get that through Angel Food Ministries!!). I found this recipe that called for ground pork, but I actually prefer the ground chicken in it!

Ingredients:

1/2 finely chopped green bell pepper (I hardly ever have these but did find some affordable frozen ones for this!)
1 tablespoon onion flakes
1 15oz. can of tomato sauce
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds ground chicken (scale recipe back by half if you want to use 1-pound)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup corn flake crumbs (bread crumbs would work fine, too)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 sliced medium onion
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cider vinegar
Bread or rolls to serve them on if desired (we served them over rice- the sauce was great in the rice, too!)

Put just a touch of cooking oil in a skillet or frying pan and then add the green pepper, cooking over medium heat for about 4 minutes. Next, add the onion flakes, 3 tablespoons of the tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic salt and the pepper. Remove from heat.

Put the ground chicken in a large bowl. Stir in the eggs, corn flake crumbs and green pepper mixture until thoroughly blended. Shape into meatballs (about 1/3 cup for each!).

Now heat oil in a large frying pan, add the onion, cooking for about 7-minutes. Add the remaining tomato sauce, remaining 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt, the sugar and vinegar. Add the meatballs to the pan and cover. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for about 20-minutes, turning the meatballs over once halfway through.

Serve on rolls or over rice- either way, be sure to add sauce when you serve them!!

Enjoy!
Kelly

Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps (ground turkey, onion, carrots, lettuce)

2011-03-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

My mission for providing more delicious recipes using ground turkey continues!

Which is kind of a good thing for me since we haven't had a day over 30-degrees in more than a week. And I'm cold. And we have a chilling wind that keeps me from venturing out to enjoy any tiny bit of sunshine.

And I might have lost my mind without this little self-imposed mission.....so Angel Food Ministries does even more for me than I first thought!

So here's a great recipe to use in lettuce wraps, pitas, tortillas or even on good, old-fashion buns!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 pound ground turkey
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons sliced green onion (I add regular diced onion to brown with the turkey- it softens them nicely and flavors the meat!)
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce (we actually had mild salsa we used- I added a bit of sugar to make it sweeter)
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
Lettuce leaves (or pitas, wraps, tortillas, rolls, etc. for serving)

In a large frying pan or skillet, heat the cooking oil and then add the turkey (and onion if you are using instead of green onion). Cook for 7 to 10-minutes or until cooked through and crumbly. Remove from the heat.

Add the garlic salt, green onion and sweet chili sauce. Serve on your choice of lettuce or bread!

Serves about 4 people- enjoy!

Kelly

Mini-Meatball Soup (ground chicken, carrots rice)

2011-03-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

Ground meat. Over the last few days, I've been amazed by how people have such strong opinions about it! I guess I've just taken it for granted that I know how to work with food to make it likeable for my family- but now I get to share some of what I know here!

Meatballs are fun. I don't care how old you are, they just make a meal seem....better in some way.

They are also a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen. Whether you have kids or grand kids, ask them to stick their hands in a bowl of gooey, sticky stuff to make small balls and you'll be surprised at how willing they are to oblige!

So here is a great recipe to use your March 2011 Angel Food Ministries ground chicken in.

Ingredients:

For the meatballs-
1 pound of ground chicken
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs (if you don't have bread crumbs- make your own! Take bread and rip it into small pieces. Then add your favorite seasonings, toss and add to your recipe.)
1 large egg
1/2 cup finely diced onions
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (if you don't have any, substitute a combination of garlic and onion salt for flavor)
1teaspoon parsley

For the soup:
2 tablespoons cooking oil
3 chopped large carrots
1 large chopped onion
6 cups chicken broth (I use water and bullion cubes- you can also use lightly salted water if you don't have any)
2 teaspoons thyme
1 cup rice
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
4 cups of water
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

To prepare the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, bread crumbs, egg, onion, Parmesan and thyme. Stir or work together with your hands. Next, form 1-inch meatballs (about 40) and set aside.

To prepare the soup: In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the carrots and onion to soften for about 5-minutes. Add the rice,broth, thyme and 4 cups of water. Turn up the heat to HIGH and bring to a nice simmer.

Gently drop the meatballs into the soup, reducing the heat to medium. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20-minutes or until the rice is soft. Stir in the pepper, salt and Parmesan.

This soup makes enough for 6 to 8 servings.

Enjoy!

Kelly

Bold Ground Turkey Sauce w/Spaghetti (ground turkey, diced tomatoes, garlic, onion)

2011-03-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

Well, the ground turkey debate seems to have cooled down a bit on Facebook, but I'm not done trying to put recipes out there that will convince the naysayers that you CAN enjoy ground turkey with the right preparation and seasonings!

Cooking is an awesome way to experiment with chemistry. Everything you add to a dish interacts with one another in some way. Sometimes it's a physical change while other times ingredients accent, heighten or even alter the way food tastes. It's pretty cool, if you ask me....

So our April boxes from Angel Food Ministries will have ground turkey in them. So what?

I dare those who don't like ground turkey to try one of my recipes!

Actually, this one is from Paula Deen. But if you know anything about Paula Deen, you know that she only makes really rich and/or flavorful food!!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter (Paula would use butter- we have margarine)
1 pound ground turkey
1 chopped onion
3 minced cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (Usually a combo of basil, oregano, onion powder, sage, thyme or any combination of the flavors you like in your sauce)
1 28oz. can of drained diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Dash of red pepper flakes if desired
1 cup Parmesan cheese (optional- fresh is great but we usually have the canister kind!)
12 oz. prepared spaghetti

In a large skillet or frying pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning and if using, red pepper. Cook until the turkey is brown, crumbly and the onion has become tender.

Add the diced tomatoes and simmer on the stove for about 15-minutes or until the mixture has thickened. Season with the salt and pepper (more or less to taste).

Toss with the prepared spaghetti and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to serve. This recipe makes 4 to 6 servings as is!

Enjoy!
Kelly

Lemony Turkey Burgers-for those who HATE Ground Turkey! (ground turkey, lemon, garlic, onion)

2011-03-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before that I follow Angel Food Ministries on Facebook. It's a great way to stay on top of what Angel Food Ministries has to offer as well as what people are saying about the service (hence some of my other posts regarding how people feel about the service!). If you want to follow it as well, visit here.

The reason I mention this is that the April Angel Food menu features ground turkey in the Bountiful Blessings and Bread of Life boxes. And some people really don't like ground turkey. I mean that they REALLY don't like it. They don't like it to the point that this one item will prevent them from taking advantage of this month's menu.

What people don't understand is that there is usually a way to make something you don't like into something that is manageable or even, dare I say, delicious when prepared differently!

Here is a recipe for ground turkey that has so much flavor added to it, you might actually forget you're eating it for a few minutes! Don't let the absence of one or two ingredients in your kitchen put you off. Just forget about it or replace it with a flavor you know you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 lightly beaten egg
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoons dried parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel ( never have lemon peel- I just add a bit more lemon juice. Don't go wild, though! You don't want the burgers to be too runny!)
3 minced garlic cloves (powder, granules or salt will do, too!)
1 teaspoon crushed caraway seeds (I hate these as much as some people hate ground turkey- they never go in our burgers!)

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 pound ground turkey

In a large bowl, combine the first 9-ingredients. Crumble the ground turkey over the mixture and then combine gently with your hands.

Shape the mixture into five or six patties and cook in a frying pan or skillet until the center is no longer pink (I always break into the center of a burger to ensure it's thoroughly cooked and it only changes it's appearance- not the taste!)

Serve on rolls plain or add lettuce, tomato and mayo!

Enjoy!
Kelly

Dumpling Soup with Peas and Carrots (peas, carrots, biscuit mix)

2011-03-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

I love my grandmother. We are fortunate enough to have her with us the the young age of 86 and she's still a wonderfully active woman for her age!

At least once a week, I try to visit her with my youngest child, have lunch and interview her about her life. (If you have a child who hates learning about history, this is an amazing way to get them interested!).

When we leave, she hands me empty egg cartons to bring her some of our fresh eggs and a stack of cooking magazines. She loves to cook just as much as I do and the stack of cooking magazines makes it feel as though I've won the recipe lottery!

I don't often find affordable recipes in many of them, but an issue of Rachel Ray's magazine caught my attention. You know those bags of carrots and peas from Angel Food Ministries? Also, some of the Bountiful Blessings and Bread of Life boxes had biscuit mix in them recently. I found a great recipe for both.

This soup is a great way to make a REALLY AFFORDABLE and delicious meal using just a handful more ingredients! I made a few changes from the original recipe to work with my Angel Food Ministries ingredients and what I had around the kitchen, but I was really pleased with the results!

Ingredients:

1 8oz. box of Jiffy Biscuit Mix, batter prepared according to package directions (you can also make your batter from scratch and stop just shy of baking your biscuits!)
3 tablespoons butter or magarine
1 chopped rib of celery
1 chopped medium onion
1 bay leaf
2 rounded tablespoons of flour
4 cups chicken broth or stock (I cheat and add 4 bullion cubes to the water as it's cooking)
1 rounded tablespoon dijon mustard (I used mustard powder and a bit of regular prepared mustard)
2 tablespoons dill or parsley (I added both)
1 bag of frozen peas and carrots
Salt and pepper

In a large pot, melt the butter and add the chopped celery and onion. Add the bay leaf as well as your preference for salt and pepper. Stir until the celery and onions soften, about 8-minutes.

Sprinkle the celery and onions with the flour and stir for just a minute. Whisk in the chicken broth until it is a bit thickened.

Next add the peas and carrots and bring to a boil. Add the herbs to the biscuit batter, stirring to combine.

When the soup is bubbling, gather the batter with 2 spoons and drop them onto the surface of the soup. Cover the pot with a snug lid (or foil) and cook the dumplings until they are just firm (this is usually about 8 to 10-minutes).

Find the bay leaf and discard it. Serve the soup and dumplings in bowls! This recipe makes about 4 servings.

We sprinkled a bit of Parmesan cheese on top and it was the prefect finish!

Enjoy!
Kelly

Flavorful Bits and Pieces (ground meat, onion)

2011-03-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

I find it fascinating when people talk about Angel Food Ministries. They seem to either love it or hate it. I simply don't understand.

The difference between people complaining and being simply grateful regardless of the ingredients that go in can really be summed up here- Give thanks that you are so lucky you can choose not to order and give thanks that you have the opportunity to order.

We do the best we can with what comes in our Angel Food Ministry boxes. I hope I can help others do the same here whether they are regular buyers of the food or simply now and then buyers!

So- on to the recipe. This is a wonderfully interesting and affordable ground meat dish!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (turkey or chicken)

2 teaspoons cooking oil

1 chopped onion

1/2 cup divided chopped scallions (¼ cup each)

3 minced cloves of garlic (garlic powder will also do)

4 teaspoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional- you can also use a dash of hot sauce or chipotle powder)

1/2 cup golden raisins (regular raisins are fine if that's what you have on hand)

1/2 cup chopped pitted green olives (we don't use these- I find them repulsive)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 eggs(optional)

The eggs are used as garnish, so if you would like to add them to your main meal, hard boil them, peel, slice and set aside.

Next, cook the meat in a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat, breaking it up into smaller pieces as it cooks. Drain any extra fat and set the meat aside.

Using cooking oil, add the onion, scallions and garlic and cook over medium heat until soft, stirring constantly. Then add the chili powder, oregano, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne (or other hot addition) and stir for about 1-minute.

Add the raisins, olives, tomato paste, water and meat, stirring to blend. Reduce the heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for about 10-minutes.

Season with the pepper and garnish with eggs and additional scallions if desired. This meal serves about 4 people.

Enjoy!
Kelly

Chili Meatloaf (ground meat, beans, tomatoes, onions)

2011-03-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

Being a meteorologist sounds like a great profession. As a mom, I don't get paid to be wrong (which happens more than I care to admit). Meteorologists are wrong most of the time in our area. That's truly a genius gig.

We had a brief warm spell in our area that's about to come to an end. Our forecast was for us to have a rainy morning with some sun by the end of the day, but we just finished a downpour and I'm getting ready to put dinner on the table.

So, after enjoying a few nights of lighter fare like grilled hots and burgers, it was time to fire up the oven again with something that will warm us from the inside out.
I also need to make room for my new Angel Food Ministry orders coming this weekend. A bit of ground meat and beans will clear up some space!

Before getting into this recipe, note that you can make the recipe "as is" or if you have more beans that meat, simply cut the meat and increase the beans (smash them up nicely to get them to stick together better). Beans can provide a ton of protein while helping any mean spread a bit more!

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken)

3 tablespoons minced onion (dried is fine)

1 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons of chili powder (round it up to 2 if you like a bit of heat)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder (fresh minced or dry minced are fine)

2 lightly beaten eggs

1/2 cup cracker crumbs or 1 cup of cubed bread

1 cup canned diced tomatoes (just save the rest for another time or use to top)

2 cups cooked beans (kidney, pinto or black beans are favorites)

Combine all ingredients and mix gently. Press into a meatloaf shape in a 13 x 9 inch pan or use a loaf pan. Bake at 350° for about 75 to 90 minutes or until done.
This serves about 8 to 10 as is.

Top with cheese or extra tomatoes if desired!
Enjoy!
Kelly

Creamed Tuna with Biscuits

2011-03-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

My mother hates fish. She can't stand it. If fact, I was well into my 20's before I had my first bit of anything other than tuna or fish sticks because we never had it in the house. I found out I like it. But tuna is still a huge and affordable staple in our kitchen.

Tuna is wonderfully versatile. You can make soup, burgers, salad and more with tuna. The one dish my mother could make (besides tuna salad) was creamed tuna over biscuits (she hates to cook!). It was one of those weekly meals during the cold winter months that didn't look like much but really tastes great and stays in your stomach for a good, long time!

Creamed tuna with biscuits is also a great meal to have if you still have some of the biscuit mix that came in February's Angel Food Ministries Bread of Life and Bountiful Blessings boxes. If not, throw some of your own biscuit mix or make some from scratch. Here's a simple drop biscuit recipe for you.

Also, this recipe serves 4 people. My mother easily doubled or even tripled it to serve our hungry family of 9. She only added 2 cans of tuna to keep it extremely economical and we never noticed!!

Ingredients:
(just a quick side note, the basis of this recipe is a simple basic white sauce which can be used in other dishes)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine (we almost always use margarine)
2 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
1 can flaked tuna
1 cup corn or peas

In a saucepan, melt the butter or margarine over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, salt and pepper until it is smooth. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly until it reaches the desired consistency (we like ours nice and creamy).

Remove from heat and add the tuna and corn or peas. Serve over warm biscuits. (Cheese is a fun way to "dress it up" from time to time, too!)

Enjoy!

Kelly

Beef and Macaroni Casserole (ground beef, pasta)

2011-03-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge fan of kitchen clean up. There might be people out there who love to stand at the sink, suds up to their elbow, humming a silly little tune while they scrub away for a while. It could be their way to meditate.

I prefer to meditate to the sound of a dishwasher sloshing water around inside.

Casseroles rock. They are usually easy to put together, make the house smell wonderful while they are cooking and nothing beats having one dish an entire meal can be served from.

March's Angel Food Ministries Bountiful Blessings and Bread of Life boxes have both ground beef and ground chicken in them. SCORE! Lots more opportunity to make casseroles!

Some people might be a bit put off by ground chicken or even ground turkey. I'm not going to lie to you. They just don't taste like ground beef, but they do offer their own smooth, enjoyable taste to most meals!

Here's a casserole that would work using either ground beef or ground chicken. We love it and it's a breeze to put together- it's basically a "no fail" recipe.....unless you forget it's in the oven. But that's not really the casserole's fault....

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (or chicken or turkey)
Bacon bits to taste (I have been able to get these at the dollar store in the spice section!)
1 diced onion
1 diced green pepper (we never have these and just leave them out or replace with something like peas or spinach)
1 14.5 ounce can of tomatoes (diced, purees or crushed)
6 chopped cloves of garlic (can use garlic powder, granules or limited garlic salt, too)
1 pound of cooked pasta (spaghetti isn't the best choice but does work)

In a frying pan or skillet, brown ground meat with the onion until the meat is thoroughly cooked. Add to the pasta along with the other ingredients. Stir together until completely mixed, transfer to a greased, 9 x 13 oven-safe baking dish and cook at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

This dish serves up to 8 people!

Sometimes I like to throw shredded cheese (whatever I have) into the mixture before baking. It's also fine to put on top, but cover with foil and then remove the foil for the last 10-minutes of baking.

Enjoy!
Kelly

Beef Stroganoff in the Slow Cooker (beef, onion)

2011-03-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

The slow cooker is one of the best kitchen appliances to have ever been invented, in my very limited and humble opinion. It costs a fraction of what the oven does to run, I can leave it on all day long while I go about my business and when it's done, I feel like I've been magically rewarded for very little effort.

The slow cooker is the way I live in my own modern-day fairy tale. (Don't judge me....:D)

My youngest is the pickiest eater in our house and the feeling of accomplishment I get when she actually likes something I've made is a great feeling. Sometimes I even do a touchdown dance when she says she likes something, therefore mortifying her and probably scarring her more than necessary. But I digress....

So here's one of the few dishes that got the entire family's approval. The recipe calls for beef stew meat, but I've also used an entire roast, shredding it when it was done and ground beef, both of which can come in Angel Food Ministry boxes. It works great with all of them!

Ingredients:

1 pound beef (stew, roast or ground works)
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (10.75 oz.)
1/2 chopped onion (I chop a whole onion- it tastes great and stretches the finished product a bit)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 water
4 ounces cream cheese

Note: This recipe typically serves 4 people. I've doubled the entire recipe with the exception of the meat and it can stretch to feed 6.)

In your slow cooker, add the meat, soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce and water. Set to LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. Stir in the cream cheese just before serving.

As I think about this recipe, I'm sure you could do this on the stove as well. I would cook up the meat with the onions until done then add everything but the cream cheese replacing the water with milk. Simmer for 10-minutes before adding the cream cheese. Stir constantly until the cream cheese is melted.

Serve over noodle, hot rice or even baked potatoes!

Enjoy!
Kelly

Barbecue Chicken Soup (chicken, onion, celery, milk)

2011-03-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

I'm really glad that Angel Food Ministries has been having so much chicken in their family boxes lately. March has tons of good chicken and I'm already working on researching my old recipes to get ready for it's arrival!

Barbecue chicken has always been a favorite of mine. So has soup. You might not think to make barbecue chicken as a soup, but I just did tonight and it was fabulous!

Soups are wonderful. You can often take one item from your Angel Food Ministries box, add it to a soup and get multiple meals out of it. Even if you only get one meal out of it, soups typically cost well under a dollar or two a serving and when served with bread, vegetable or fruit, a well-rounded, filling meal!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 cups of cooked and cubed chicken
1 chopped onion
1 cup of chopped celery
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup margarine or butter

Put the flour and margarine in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat until the margarine is melted and then whisk together. Set aside.

In a large pot, add the cooking oil, chicken, onion, celery, milk, broth barbecue sauce and garlic powder. Stir together.

Add the flour and margarine mixture. Whisk until well-mixed.

Bring to low simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese until it is melted. (Feel free to add additional barbecue sauce if you want a stronger flavor!)

Serve with salad or other veggie and rolls for dipping.

Enjoy!

Kelly

Our First Lambs of the Season!

2011-03-15T14:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I had mentioned the growing bellies of our sheep in a previous post and sure enough, I walked outside to see our girl, CC, with two sweet baby boys!

Our youngest daughter (who is not really a farm-type girl :D) actually got a bit excited that they arrived almost in time for St. Patrick's Day.

Therefore, she suggested we name them Patty and Patrick.

Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce Patty and Patrick as the newest addition to our small hobby farm!

Kelly

Irish Treacle Bread (molasses, flour, milk, sugar)

2011-03-15T11:53:00.000-07:00

I love springtime. While we're officially just shy of the season on the calendar, the sun is shining, we have daffodils standing a few inches above the ground already and our ewe's bellies get bigger by the day. It's a beautiful time of year!

I also love the holidays around spring. Easter is my all-time favorite holiday. St. Patrick's day is one I also enjoy a great deal, too.

For starters, my great-great grandparents came to our wonderful country from Ireland, so it's in my blood. Secondly, I love good, hearty, Northern-European food. It just sticks to your ribs and stays in your belly for a good, long time.

Many Irish recipes were created around what was available rather than what was desired. Kind of like the way we use Angel Food Ministry menus in our house!

With St. Patty's day fast approaching, I wanted to dig into my heritage and find some fun yet inexpensive additions to our meals this week. I happened across a couple that I'll be sharing here starting with Irish Treacle bread!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons molasses
1 cup of milk
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar (I'll admit- I cheated and added a bit more...)
3 1/3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar (if you don't have cream of tartar, omit both the cream of tartar AND baking soda, replacing it with 2 teaspoons of baking POWDER)
1 teaspoon baking soda
A really good pinch of ginger (I just poured a bunch- probably close to 2 teaspoons!)

Heat the molasses and milk together in a saucepan on the stove or even in the microwave in a save measuring cup or dish. Stir frequently if heating on the stove.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add the liquid until a soft dough forms. If the dough is too dry and stiff, add a bit more warm milk. Stiff bread won't rise!

With floured hands, shape the dough into a round cake about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut it into quarters, put the quarters on a greased baking sheet and cook for 35-40 minutes @ 400 degrees.

To store your bread, wrap in a dish towel to keep the crust soft.

Enjoy!
Kelly

Simple Hamburger Soup (ground beef, onion, tomato, celery, carrots)

2011-03-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

I live in an area with a number of excellent hamburger joints. Back in the day before I had a family, bills and numerous unexpected expenses per month, I enjoyed these hamburger joints.

But not so much anymore. My folks are kind enough to treat us every now and then. And if we are really, really, really good without any cars that need fixing, multiple doctor visits or household repairs- we can treat ourselves with a buy-one-get-one-free coupon.

I'm okay without eating out. In fact, I've started to prefer my own cooking to what I could order in a restaurant. Indulging in what I crave sometimes can help ease the lure of the expensive night out.

So when I get ground beef in my Angel Food Ministries monthly boxes, I usually start to think about my love of hamburgers. Grilled, fried, nuked from the day before- load it with ketchup, mustard, onion and relish and I'm a happy camper!

And then reality hits. I should eat healthier. It would also be a good idea to get as much as I can out of my ground beef. Maybe I might even be able to get two meals out of one pound if I make HAMBURGER SOUP!

Believe it or not, hamburger soup does a good job of satisfying my cravings for a nice, juicy burger. I'll even share my little secret to what I do to make it even more enjoyable for me after the recipe!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 chopped onion
1 20-ounce can of diced tomatoes (I've used tomato sauce and even pasta sauce for different textures/flavor combinations and it works!)
3 cups beef broth (water works fine for me when I don't have any)
1 cup water
4 sliced celery ribs
4 thinly sliced carrots
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup quick cooking barley (rice works too- just don't use the minute-kind!)
1 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup parsley

In a big pot, cook beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is thoroughly cooked. Stir in tomatoes, broth and water. Add the celery and carrots. Stir in the pepper, salt, thyme and parsley, bringing the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 45-minutes.

After it's cooked for the 45-minutes, add in the barley (or rice). If cooking barley, bring to a boil, cover and cook for an additional 10 or 12-minutes. If adding rice, bring to a boil, cover and cook for another 20-minutes.

Let the soup stand for about 5-minutes before serving. This soup serves about 8 hungry people, so leftovers are common! Freeze it up for a quick meal when things get super-busy, too!

Okay- my secret to making it MY favorite hamburger soup? I love to drizzle it with ketchup, mustard and sometimes I'll even drop in a little relish on top. My husband thinks it's gross. Actually, I believe the word he uses is "nasty" but I still love it.

Enjoy!

Kelly

People who "Hate" on Angel Food Ministries (my humble opinion)...

2011-03-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

I follow Angel Food Ministries on Facebook and sometimes I feel a bit defensive when I see people say negative things about my favorite way to save on groceries. Sometimes they complain about the quality of the food. Other times they say that the main meal boxes contain a lot of items they won't use.

First, let me just say with the exception of a piece of fruit now and then (which doesn't bother me considering I'd be paying $50+ for the amount of fruit I get in my area), I've never had a problem with the food quality.

Secondly, people who say that they don't or can't use a lot of items in the box either must not need to use this service or they have some kind of hang up about using a lower-cost food program. Neither of these reasons are Angel Food Ministries' fault!

Pride is such a tricky thing. I've got it. You probably have some. I'm pretty confident that every single human being has some level of pride. Pride can be good. Taking pride in the way you take care of your family, home, yard and other aspects of your life is admirable.

Yet pride because of stereotypes and financial hangups is really sad. I would hate to see anyone suffer because their own pride was too big of a hurdle to overcome.

Angel Food Ministries makes money for the founders. So what? Am I still getting great deal? Am I helping my family to have better balanced diets with more variety because of them? Am I ridiculously excited to see what's available in each new menu? Yes, yes and YES!!!!

Shopping, cooking and getting the most out of what we have in our home has never been more exciting or rewarding for me. Do I have to work to have it this way? Sure I do! But it makes my life and the lives of those around me so much better.

And I get to share what I'm learning and creating with other great people through this blog. It's a blessing in so many ways that I hope others get to enjoy more and more over the coming years.

Great work Angel Food Ministries. I love what you do and what it has done for my family and so many other people.

Kelly

Cheeseburger Pie (ground beef, onion, eggs)

2011-03-12T12:10:00.000-08:00

We like meat in our house. I realize it's not for everyone, but we're okay with it. The one time my kids decided that they wanted to be vegetarians, it lasted for about two weeks before my oldest was begging for cheeseburgers.

I have nothing against vegetarians or vegans. We've been meat eaters our entire lives and know that our bodies are going to crave it now and then. In fact, if I could remember the 10-minute speech my culinary-student daughter gave in the car last night about how we've evolved to need complex proteins in our diet, I'd share it with you.

But I can't. I zoned out about 5-minutes into it. And it was snowing. And I was driving. I figure I can cut myself some slack because I'm not really a good multi-tasker.

So anyway, February's Bountiful Blessings and Bread of Life boxes from Angel Food Ministries had some biscuit mix in it. I prefer to make my biscuits from scratch, but the boxed ones are great for a recipe like this!

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground beef
1 1/2 cups of milk
3/4 cup pre-made biscuit mix
3 eggs (the size that comes in the Angel Food Ministries boxes are the perfect size)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (any flavor cheese will do, but we're partial to cheddar for this recipe!)

If you have a 10-inch iron skillet, you can pretty much put the entire meal together in it. If not, you'll have to prepare the filling (meat, etc.) in a pan on the stove top and then transfer it to an oven-safe baking dish like I do. I usually use an 8 or 9-inch square dish or a 9x13-inch dish if I've doubled the recipe.

In a pan on the stove, cook the ground beef and onion until the beef is no longer pink. Drain off any fat if necessary.

In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, salt and pepper. Whisk thoroughly or run through a blender.

If using a baking dish, put meat in the bottom and cover with the biscuit mix (if using an iron skillet, just pour over the meat mixture).

Sprinkle cheese over the top and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until the biscuit topping is toasted brown and cooked.

This is great served with any veggies or you can even add veggies to the meat mixture before topping with biscuit mix!!

Enjoy!
Kelly

Ground Meatballs with Apple and Cheese (ground meat, apple)

2011-03-11T17:23:00.000-08:00

I'm very happy today. My oldest daughter is home for the weekend! She started at the Culinary Institute of America two and a half months ago and I've missed her terribly.

We both love to cook. The kitchen is where productivity is the most rewarding. She wanted to take her culinary skills to the next level. I'm more of a footloose and fancy-free kind of gal. Angel Food Ministries boxes work perfectly for me in that way.

March's Bountiful Blessings and Bread of Life boxes have ground chicken in them and I'm pretty excited. I have a recipe that typically uses ground turkey or beef, but I am definitely going to pull it out to make it with the ground chicken.

I am particularly fond of recipes like this one because there is a ton of flexibility with ingredients. Don't have something? Leave it out or use a substitute. It makes me happy to improve on and change things around a bit.

Yes, folks- these are the kind of things I love to look forward to!

Ingredients:1 pound ground meat (turkey, beef, or chicken)
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 peeled and finely chopped apple
1/2 cup of cheddar cheese (I didn't have cheddar once and used mozzarella cheese- it was good!)
1/2 cup craisins (if you don't have or like these, try raisins or even chopped nuts in place-play around)

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl using your hands (ew, I know). Make small, 1 1/2 inch balls and place them in an oven safe baking dish.
Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

These are like mini-meatloaf. They are great served with mashed potatoes, rice or fries along with veggies. I'm not sure how they would go over with pasta, but if you get the urge, go for it!

Enjoy!
Kelly

Oatmeal Pancakes (oats, milk)

2011-03-10T14:48:00.000-08:00

The last couple of months our Angel Food Ministries orders were wonderfully full of oatmeal. I have such an abundance that I've been working on new ways to prepare it.

My husband says he likes oatmeal, but he'll only eat it when I disguise it with a ton of fruit, sugar or even ice cream. It's just not the way I envision his heart benefiting from oatmeal.

I know our family isn't alone. So many people I come across really can't stand the taste and texture of oatmeal. It's too bad because it really has some wonderful health benefits.

And I just don't understand this oatmeal-bashing. They are small, even a bit cute. They taste good to me and they provide fine nutrition to some of the world's most beloved farm animals.

Whatever, right?

Well, here's another way to use your oats, get the benefits from them and completely disguise what you're doing! Oatmeal pancakes have a wonderful texture- the trick is to let the oats sit in the milk for a while before mixing with the other ingredients!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup milk (some people love the richness of buttermilk if you have it)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons of melted butter or margarine
(Most pancake recipes don't call for cinnamon, but we love to add about 2 teaspoons to the batter)

In a bowl, combine the oats and milk. If you have the time, all it to sit for a good 10-15 minutes. Add the egg and butter, stirring to combine.

Add the flour, baking soda and sugar. Blend thoroughly.

Spoon the batter onto a greased, hot griddle (I use my cast-iron skillet). Turn over when bubbles form on the top side. Cook the other side until nice and brown.

Enjoy!

Kelly

Tuna and Rice (rice, tuna)

2011-03-10T14:26:00.000-08:00

Rice isn't something I've loved over the years. The way my mother made it was always bland and it just had no appeal to me.

Imagine my surprise when I realized you can actually make rice fun! Interesting! Even delicious!

While tuna may only be in the No Child Goes Without box from Angel Food Ministries, I know that it is really affordable at the stores in our area. In fact, it's so affordable that I try to keep 20+ cans around in case of an emergency.

What kind of emergency would require 20+ cans of tuna you ask?

I have no idea, but for some reason having them in my cupboard helps me to sleep better at night.

Ingredients:

2 cans of tuna in water
1 cup white rice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
2 1/2 cups assorted veggies (fresh or thawed from frozen are just fine- add your favorites!)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the rice and onions, sauteing the rice until the onion becomes soft.

Add the pepper, dill and water. Bring the mixture to a boil and cover, reducing heat. Simmer for about 15-minutes or until the rice is almost cooked (you should still have some liquid in the pan at this point).

Add the veggies and cook for another 5-minutes. Add the tuna and 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese and stir to blend. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on the top of served portions. (This recipe serves about 4 moderately hungry people!)

Enjoy!
Kelly

Spaghetti Casserole (pasta, ground beef)

2011-03-09T14:06:00.000-08:00

It's official. Posting my Easy Alfredo Sauce recipe earlier put me in a pasta mood! Pasta is a staple in our home. It's versatile and everyone likes it, which isn't always easy to come by when it comes to meals. And it's almost always in the Angel Food Ministries Bountiful Blessings and Bread of Life boxes. Win-win!

I also like to think that I make a killer sauce. Jarred and canned sauce is okay, but taking my own tomatoes and putting in your own seasonings makes me feel like I've earned yet another pasta meal.

I'm aware that this makes no sense at all. It's just how I justify the things I want from time to time. My husband thinks it's cute and that's all that really matters.. :D

So, here's a nice little pasta dish that I love because I can use whatever cheese I have regardless of what the recipe calls for and I often choose to leave out the meat, saving it for another meal in our home. You can also double it for a large crowd or company!

Ingredients:

8-ounces of cooked spaghetti (simply cook according to package directions)
1 egg
1/4 cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese (again, I cheat and use the powdery stuff in the canister)
3/4 pounds of beef (you can reduce to 1/2lb., increase to a full pound or omit altogether!)
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 cups pasta sauce
1/2 10oz. package of frozen spinach (this is a hit-or-miss item in our home. When I don't have it, I just leave it out!)
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 read and/or yellow bell pepper, cored and seeded (another rare item for our house and we just omit it from the recipe) (Optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil an 8-inch square cooking pan. Add Parmesan cheese and egg to the cooked pasta and toss. Place in the cooking pan.

In a saucepan, cook beef and onion until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the fat. Stir in the pasta sauce and spinach. Spoon over the spaghetti mixture.

Sprinkle the dish with mozzarella cheese and cover with sliced peppers. Cover with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

That's it- enjoy!

Kelly

Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce (milk, cream cheese, parmesan)

2011-03-09T08:40:00.000-08:00

I'm going to be a little indulgent here and share a recipe that isn't made from much that comes in the Angel Food Ministries boxes with the exception of milk. The only reason I feel I can share it is because it is relatively affordable for our area when I shop sales or at Aldi's.

That and I'm a carb-lover. I know many can relate to this and adding a delicious, rich and creamy cheese sauce to the spaghetti that often comes in the Bountiful Blessings and Bread of Life Angel Food Ministries boxes is quite a treat.

We even have a cat who will sit on the back of my chair during dinner to get a taste of what we're having. Yes- she eats spaghetti. Maybe carb-addiction is a household illness here.....(and the photo is of our silly cat)
Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (we usually only have margarine and that works fine)
1-8 ounce package of cream cheese, cut into small squares
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 cups milk
6- ounces grated Parmesan cheese (I've used the dry, powdery stuff in the canister with decent results)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Over medium heat, melt the butter (margarine) in a pan. When it is melted, add the cream cheese and garlic powder. Stir in with a wire whisk until melted and smooth.

Begin to add the milk a bit at a time, stirring as you go. Stir in the Parmesan and pepper. Cook until the sauce reaches your desired thickness. (I'm a bit impatient sometimes and only cook the sauce for 5-minutes, letting it sit on the counter for a while. It seems to thicken just fine for me that way.)

Tip: If your sauce gets a bit too thick, no problem. Just add enough milk to bring it back to your desired consistency!

Another tip: Toss your pasta with the sauce rather than serve it on top. It goes a lot farther when feeding multiple people!!

Enjoy!
Kelly

Oven BBQ Chicken (chicken)

2011-03-08T08:26:00.000-08:00

When the weather is warm and we're spending time out in the yard, at least once a week one of our neighbors will grill barbecue chicken in their backyard. The minute the scent hits my nose, I stop what I'm doing, inhale the wonderful fragrance as deeply as possible and then decide we MUST have barbecue chicken, too! It's a bit odd, I know, but I'm okay with it.

During our cold winter months we are sometimes able to get out to the grill without a ton of shoveling or wearing as many layers as possible, but those times are few and far between. I don't have a counter-top grill and I don't think I want one. I came up with my own way of make almost summer-like barbecue chicken in the oven.

It's a good thing, too, with all of the wonderful chicken coming in the March Angel Food Ministries boxes!

Ingredients:
Enough THAWED chicken pieces to feed your family
Barbecue Sauce (home made catsup-based sauce recipe at the end of this post!)

Place the THAWED chicken pieces in a large oven-safe baking dish, cover with barbecue sauce and cover tightly with foil. Cook for 30-40 minutes at 425 degrees.

Take the foil off the chicken and bake for another 10 minutes. This will give the chicken that sticky, gooey coating it gets on the top when using the grill. If your sauce seemed to thin out during the first cooking time, feel free to add more.

Also, here is a recipe for home made BBQ sauce. Home made always saves money and you know a bit more about what's going into your food!

BBQ Sauce

		1 cup catsup 1/2 cup vinegar (cider or wine vinegar tastes best) 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons soy sauce (we use low sodium and it tastes just fine) 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons prepared mustard 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon garlic powder (you can always add more if you love the taste) 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Kelly

Broiled Fish Parmesan (fish, lemon)

2011-03-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

I was never a huge fan of fish while I was growing up. The only time we had fish in our house was during lent and that always consisted of fish sticks and french fries with tons of tartar sauce and ketchup. Not the healthiest meal, but it served its purpose at the time!

As an adult, my palate has changed (hopefully for the better!) and I do finally enjoy fish. It has to be prepared right- I won't even begin the story about when I ordered my first grilled salmon and thought the taste reminded me of what I imagined was in the dog bowl might be like.

So imagine my delight to see flounder as part of both the Angel Food Ministries Bountiful Blessings and Bread of Life boxes for the month of March! The Fruit and Veggie box also has lemons. Score! It gives me an excuse to break out one of my favorite fish recipes- Broiled Fish Parmesan.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. fish fillets
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup softened butter
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice (I didn't have lemon juice one time and used orange juice- it worked!)
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder (I often replace this with garlic for variety)
1/8 teaspoon celery salt (regular salt will do, too)

Preheat your oven to broil and line your pan with foil (you can grease it instead, but I've had some struggles with clean-up this way!).

In a small bowl, blend the cheese, mayo, butter and lemon juice. Next add the basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well together.

Place the fish fillets in a single layer on you pan. Broil a few inches from the heat source for 2 to 3 minutes. Take the pan out, turn the fillets over and broil for an additional 2 minutes.

Remove the fillets from the oven and then spread the cheese mixture over each one. Broil for at least 2 more minutes or until the fish is easily flaked with a fork.

The nice thing about a dish like this is that you can combine it with any number of Angel Food Ministries side dishes like rice, french fries, potatoes, corn, beans, carrots, peas, muffins or beans!

Enjoy!

Kelly

Slow Cooker Sweet and Salty Aisian Beef (beef, rice)

2011-03-07T10:46:00.000-08:00

We had a mini-snowstorm here yesterday. After two days of rain and a nice thaw, the snow returned. I typically don't mind the changing weather, but the hubby was away for two-days at a sheep shearing class. I planned on having a nice hot beef dinner ready when he got home but changed my mind because the weather was going to make him late.

So today I'm making my favorite beef meal. I originally tried a recipe for Korean barbecue and it was good, but I decided I could improve on it for my family. I often use a beef roast, but I was able to buy some wonderfully-priced steaks from last month's Angel Food Ministries menu and I'm using those instead.

Ingredients:
2 lbs. beef (roast, steaks or flank work fine)
2 cups soy sauce (we use reduced sodium)
3/4 cup brown sugar
10-20 cloves of garlic (minced, powdered or granules are fine)

Pour the soy sauce into the slow cooker and add the brown sugar. Stir until the brown is broken down into the liquid. Place your beef in the liquid and add your garlic.

Cook on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours or LOW for 8 to 10 hours. Serve over rice or noodles.

About a 1/2 hour before serving, I like to take a fork and shred the beef down into the juice. That way when I serve it, the meat is saturated with flavor and I even spoon some of the sauce on the rice.

Enjoy!!

Kelly

What to Do with those Waffle Fries!!!

2011-03-06T13:34:00.000-08:00

For two months recently, Angel Food Ministries included a huge 5-lb. bag of waffle fries in their Bountiful Blessings boxes. Since we ordered 3 boxes, that means we ended up with 15-lbs. of waffle fries!!!

I wasn't sure what to do with these fries. Sometimes we get an item that I'm not sure about and they don't come with directions. That's okay! I just did a little research and got creative!

First of all, if you just want to have your fries without deep frying them (we try not to do that sort of thing in our house as tempting as it is!), bake them for about 20 minutes at 425 degrees. If your oven cooks hot, you might want to try 400 degrees and keep a good eye on them.

I have found a number of ways to enjoy those fries without breaking the bank! First, simply coating them in olive oil or canola oil before putting them in the oven gives them a nice crispy taste.

Also, different dry powders work to make them different and fun each time you serve them! For example, put the fries in a large baggie, add a little oil and sprinkle them with dry chili seasoning. Shake them up, pour them on the baking sheet and cook them. You've got chili fries!!!

Dry dip mixes are great for this, too. We like a tomato basil blend while onion, ranch or cheese powders might work for you. You can find these in the bulk section of the grocery store or even in the soup aisle.

You can also make your own "dip" with the spices you have in your pantry. Give it a try!

Don't forget to serve them with chili or even with some salsa! Chili fries make my day but my daughters prefer to have cheese fries. Think outside the "fry" box!

Finally, I just used the waffle fries in a breakfast bake instead of hash browns this morning. I put them in the microwave to thaw and then cut them up into smaller pieces. I placed them in the bottom of the baking dish and then covered them with the egg mixture, baked and voila! We had breakfast with minimum work!

Hope these tips help. I like to have directions and ideas right on a package, but this way motivated me to get creative AND have fun!!!

Enjoy!

Kelly

Split Pea and Sausage Soup (split peas, sausage, carrots, potato)

2011-03-06T12:43:00.000-08:00

Soup makes me happy. Just recently I took having soup at home to the next level and made homemade soup bread bowls. It was a very, very good day in our house.

I've never been a huge fan of sausage, but since we've had a few months where our Angel Food Ministries boxes had smoked and Italian sausage, I needed to come up with ways to disguise....I mean enjoy our blessing!!

Split Pea and Sausage Soup did the trick for me. It was rich, hearty and had a surprisingly nice flavor courtesy of the sausage!

Ingredients:

1 pound of dried, split peas
8 cups of water (I have patience issues and always have to add additional water because I cook mine too high- you might want to watch out for that, too!)
1 pound of sliced smoked sausage
5 cubes of chicken bouillon (a tsp. or so of salt to the water can help if you don't have these)
1 chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped carrot (I'm lazy and slice mine- works fine for me)
1 cup chopped celery (again, I slice mine without a problem!)
2 cubed potatoes (we love to keep the skins on for texture, flavor and nutrition, but feel free to peel yours!)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (fresh minced, granules or salt works)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (I am partial to basil and use that instead- parsley is nice as well)
2 bay leaves (they are great but expensive- not necessary to enjoy the flavor here!)

In a large pot, combine all of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low for at least an hour. Serve when the peas are desired consistency.

Enjoy!

Kelly

Chili Rice Recipe (beef, chicken, rice, beans)

2011-03-06T12:32:00.000-08:00

I (quite happily) notice that the March 2011 Angel Food Ministries Bountiful Blessings and Bread of Life boxes have a nice amount of chicken in them.

I love chicken. It's a great compromise for the guys, like my hubby, who would eat beef day in and day out. They can get their "meat" while slowing down the damage we think about but won't mention here...:D

So in light of the upcoming blessings we'll be picking up soon, I'm feeling the need to go through my chicken recipes and share them here!

Here's a basic recipe for Chicken Chili Rice-

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (you can easily substitute chicken with ground beef, turkey or chicken!)
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 minced onion
1 minced jalapeno pepper
1 minced green pepper (I rarely have peppers of any kind in my kitchen so I often buy dried vegetable pieces at the dollar store or simply put in frozen peas, carrots, etc.)
1 minced red bell pepper (again, see substitution ideas above)
2 tablespoons minced garlic (can use granules, powder or salt instead)
1 cup diced tomatoes (I'm likely to throw in a can of diced tomatoes)
2 cups rice
1 cup cooked beans (your choice- I love white beans! If you don't have beans or forgot to get them ready, so what? Leave them out!)
2 cups chicken stock (lightly salted water is what I used when I don't have stock and it works fine)
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt

In a dutch oven or large saucepan, add oil and cook onions and peppers over medium heat until soft.. Add garlic, tomatoes and chicken (or whatever meat you are using) and continue to cook until no longer pink.

Add rice to the meat mixture and cook for about 3-minutes letting the rice soak up the oil. Add beans, stock, water and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover and cook on low heat for 20-minutes.

Remove from heat and stir with a fork to fluff the mixture. Can be served with salsa, cheese, sour cream and even a bit of extra onion for a kick!

Enjoy!

Kelly

Recipes with Flexibility (chicken, beans, beef, tuna, fish, rice)

2011-03-06T12:09:00.000-08:00

The first time we ordered from Angel Food Ministries, I wasn't sure what to expect. The menus looked great but was I really going to be getting the kind of quality I was used to? Would I really be able to make sure we used everything that came into our home?

The saying "you get what you pay for" is in general, a good one to heed. Yet with Angel Food Ministries Bountiful Blessings and Bread of Life boxes, you actually get MORE than you pay for.

Consider the price of gas. Where I live, we just jumped 50+ cents per gallon. I'm home more than ever and can't make the same commitments to activities and events that we used to when gas was relatively reasonable.

What would it cost you in gas to do all of the shopping you can do with Angel Food Ministries? For us, we have to drive an hour to get to any reasonable grocery store. I realize most people aren't in this situation, but many of us save a ton on gas to drive 10-miles to get our Angel Food Ministry items!

Also, when you go to the grocery store (or warehouse club), it is so easy to pick up "this or that" because of good prices or it is just too tempting to not buy. When we buy our Angel Food Ministries boxes, we make the commitment that this is what we are eating for the next month. We don't make impulse buys like we used to!

Finally, the more we buy and the more people enjoy Angel Food Ministries, I believe that we'll continue to help keep prices low and affordable for most families. It's all for a greater purpose!

Now here's a secret I have for getting the most out of even those products we never used to buy before but now get through Angel Food Ministries.

USE RECIPES WHERE INGREDIENTS ARE EASILY SUBSTITUTED. Use chicken instead of beef. Use beef instead of beans. Use tuna instead of beans. Use pasta instead of rice.

Mixing and matching goes a long way when saving money and using all of your groceries. Most of the recipes I use are very flexible here. In each recipe list, I even try to give you alternative ideas for when you don't have something or need to use something up!

Feel free to ask questions or post if you have anything to add- I LOVE to learn new ways to get the most out of our food and our Angel Food Ministries boxes!

Kelly

Hot Bean Chili (beans, tomatoes)

2011-03-06T11:22:00.000-08:00

Chili weather lasts for a nice, long time where I live. From about November through April and sometimes even May, we have plenty of opportunity to throw together some steamy, spicy chili.

Now my hubby is definitely a meat and potatoes guy, so we often have ground beef in our chili. But I, on the other hand, love beans.

Beans are a great addition to many of our Angel Food Ministries monthly boxes and the are a much healthier source of protein than red meat. Tell that to my hubby though and he suddenly loses his hearing....sigh.

So when the big guy is working nights, I treat myself to a nice pot of Hot Bean Chili!

Ingredients:
2 cups dry beans (pinto or kidney are probably best, but I'm partial to Navy or great northern beans myself!)
4 cups of water
2 large chopped onion (minced or powdered work, too)
2 minced garlic cloves (powder, granules or salt are fine, too)
2 14-oz. cans diced tomatoes with juice (pureed, crushed, fresh or even whole canned cut up work)
1 4-oz. can of chopped chilies (feel free to use fresh hot peppers of any kind if you have them! You can also use a liberal amount of chili powder if you don't have either of these options)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I love chipotle instead!) OPTIONAL

Soak beans overnight or use the quick soak method. Drain.

Add water to the beans and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until the beans are just starting to become tender (usually about 1-hour).

Add all the additional ingredients, cover and cook for about 2-hours, stirring occasionally.

Feel free to top with cheese before serving and enjoy!

Kelly

Stovetop Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (oats)

2011-03-06T11:01:00.000-08:00

My favorite cookies are called "Cocoa Oatmeal Drops" in my house. They are better than chocolate chip, peanut butter or any other cookie I've ever made in my own kitchen.

In fact, remember back when we were allowed to bring in a homemade treat to school for our birthday? These were my choice every single year...

When my Angel Food Ministries boxes have oatmeal in them, I immediately start dreaming of making these chocolaty-rich cookies and enjoying their delightful aroma in my home.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine (butter is richly wonderful but margarine keeps them a bit softer- you choose!)
1/2 cup milk
2 cups white sugar
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
(Some people love to add 1/2 cup peanut butter or sweetened coconut when they add the oats!)

In a saucepan, melt and combine the butter/margarine, milk, white sugar and cocoa. Stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue to boil and stir for an additional 5-minutes.

Remove from heat and add the oats and vanilla. Stir until all the oats are covered and drop by the teaspoon onto waxed paper (we never have waxed paper in the house- I grease cookie sheets and they slide right off.), allowing to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Kelly

PS I have a sweet-tooth, so desserts will be popping up from time to time!

Spicy Chicken and Sweet Potato Bake (chicken, sweet potato)

2011-03-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up, I was one in a family of nine so we didn't have a lot of variety in our menu. Understandably, if it couldn't stretch between 9 people for a certain price, we simply didn't have it on our table.

We never had sweet potatoes. I was in my 30's before I even had my first bite of one and I was a bit sad at what I had been missing out on over the years! Ever since we started ordering from Angel Food Ministries, we've been enjoying sweet potatoes in our Fruits and Veggies box which is always a pleasant addition to our table!

I now wish my parents had been able to take advantage of a program like Angel Food Ministries. Their Bountiful Blessings Boxes would have been perfect for the large number they were trying to feed with variety each month!

Chicken seems to be a pretty regular staple in the Angel Food Ministries menus for the family and I'm always glad to have it my house. I honestly prefer chicken over beef and find that it's just as versatile as the red meat with the right recipes!

Here's my recipe for Spicy Chicken and Sweet Potato Bake:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2lbs of chicken (legs, thighs, breasts- even breaded if that's all you have!)
4 sweet potatoes, cut up into 1-inch cubes
1 sliced large onion
2 cans (14oz) diced tomatoes (you can use pureed, crushed or even fresh)
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream

Place chicken in the bottom of a well-greased baking dish.

In a bowl combine the potatoes, onion, tomatoes, chili powder, pepper, salt and sour cream until fully mixed together. Spoon evenly over the top of the chicken.

Cover with foil and cook at 425 degrees for about 40 minutes. Remove foil and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.

Serve with salad or other vegetable.

Enjoy!

Kelly

Making Your Kitchen Give you More (baking)

2011-03-05T10:47:00.000-08:00

I'm a huge baker, but I have to admit that I wasn't thrilled about the idea of making my own breads, tortillas, etc. until very recently. I'll be honest- yeast scared me. That's right. Yeast. As far as I was concerned, it's a temperamental, moody ingredient. I humbly admit that I was wrong.

I didn't know how yeast works. It never occurred to me that the time the yeast sits in the bowl with water (and often sugar) serves a purpose. I never questioned when my yeast didn't foam. And them my dough didn't rise. And then I had hard yet wonderful-smelling bricks coming out of my oven.

The trick to successful baking is good yeast as well as not over-kneading. That's it. It might seem complicated, but it's really not.

Baking along with Angel Food Ministries has helped my family's grocery budget become about half of what it was at one point. I really love the convenience, affordability, variety and the way I've learned to be flexible with Angel Food Ministries!

Do you want to get your kitchen ready to make the most out of baking at home? It SAVES MONEY and it's a lot healthier than products that come with a ton of corn syrup and preservatives!

Here's your shopping list to get your kitchen ready for baking:

Flour
Granulated Sugar
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Salt
Brown Sugar
Powdered Sugar
Eggs (comes in Angel Food Ministries Bountiful Blessings & Bread of Life boxes)
Milk (comes in Angel Food Ministries Bountiful Blessings & Bread of Life boxes)
Cooking Oil
Shortening

I'll be posting lots of baking recipes, so get ready!!!

Kelly

Vegetarian Refried Beans (beans, tomato)

2011-03-04T13:14:00.000-08:00

Beans still aren't your forte, right? Or maybe you're just tired of putting beans in chili. Better yet, maybe you're still getting over what beans did to your husband the last time you tried to introduce them to your family.

We've all had or still have our issue with beans. Yet they are so affordable and often come with the Angel Food Ministries Bountiful Blessings and Bread of Life boxes. Try adding them to your menu once or twice a week until not only does your palate get used to them, but so does everyone's digestive system. :D

Here's a fun recipe for Vegetarian Refried Beans you can serve with tortillas, rice, on taco night or even just a quick snack.

Ingredients:
1 lb. of rinsed dry pinto beans

2 divided tablespoons of minced garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin\
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
1 medium, diced tomato- for serving (I've used canned tomatoes and they did just fine!)
Put beans in a large pot and cover them with an inch or more of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. When they do come to a boil, remove from heat, drain the water and return the beans to the pot.

Cover beans with about 2-inches of water and add 1-tablespoon garlic, tomato, chili powder and cumin. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a very low simmer. Cook for about 3-hours and 45-minutes, taking care to add additional water as necessary.

When beans are quite soft, remove from heat and add 1-tablespoon of garlic and the olive oil. Mash until the beans become desired consistency. You can always add a bit of water if your beans are a bit too pasty for your liking.

Keep in mind that you can always add your own flavorings like bacon, onions or other ingredients you'd enjoy in your beans!!!

Enjoy!

Kelly

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Pork (pork, potatoes)

2011-03-04T12:56:00.000-08:00

Much to the dismay of my husband, I'm not much of a Chinese food fan. It just doesn't taste that good, isn't all that satisfying for me and never settles quite right in my stomach. Yet for some odd reason, every once in a great while, I'll get the urge to have something "sweet and sour" or "sesame" this or that.

During this past holiday season, Angel Food Ministries offered a Thanksgiving and Christmas food box (they are currently doing it here for Easter now) and they contained a ham pork roast. Now, I love to cook but I'm not all that comfortable with pork. I think it has to do with the way my mother served pork to us as burned briskets along with the warning that it was better that way so we wouldn't get parasites. Delicious, right??????

So anyway, I found a wonderful way to prepare my pork roasts instead of serving them for the holidays. I love this Sweet and Sour Pork recipe. It has just the right amount of "tang" and satisfying flavor for this fair-weather Chinese food consumer!

Before you begin, keep in mind that I always list the ideal ingredients. Substitutions or even leaving something out are completely fine! I know my pantry is lacking in many ways during different times of the month!

Ingredients:

Pork Roast (around 3 lbs., but you can use larger or smaller- just adjust your sauce amount accordingly!)
1 cup of chopped onion
3 cubed potatoes (again, I never take the skins off- good nutrition!)
4 cloves of minced garlic (powder, granules or a little garlic salt will do, too)
1 cup water
1/2 cup catsup
3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar (I've used apple cider vinegar with no problems)
2 tablespoons of light brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce (we use low sodium)
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (mustard powder or even table mustard can be used instead)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Place the potatoes and onion around the bottom of the slow cooker. Lay the pork roast on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle garlic over the pork.

In a bowl, blend the catsup, water, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, mustard and black pepper with a fork or whisk. When blended, pour over pork roast.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or LOW for 6 to 8 hours. (Some slow cookers have a mind of their own and cook a little faster or slower than these times. Get to know your slow cooker and adjust cooking times accordingly!)

Enjoy!
Kelly

Recipe for those who Don't Like Oatmeal (oatmeal, quick cook oats)

2011-03-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

I was never a fan of breakfast until my youngest child became a challenge to get to eat cereal for breakfast. I'll admit, I even resorted to threats just to get her to eat a piece of fruit before we went anywhere. I'm not proud of it.

But her finicky ways made me become a more flexible person when it comes to breakfast food. In fact, the new items we normally didn't have in the house that came in our Angel Food Ministries boxes help me challenge myself to find new and unique ways to make breakfast interesting and fun for our whole family!

The past couple of months, our Angel Food Ministries Bountiful Blessings boxes provided us with an abundance of quick cooking oats. Here's a great recipe that I use to get the people in our home to enjoy the oats without resorting to threats...

I like to call this recipe "Breakfast Cake":
Ingredients:

3 cups of quick cooking oats
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt (we try to cut sodium wherever we can and the absence of this doesn't seem to make a difference!)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup of melted butter (I like to substitute applesauce here- yum!)
2 lightly beaten eggs
Fruit, syrup or milk for serving

In a good-sized bowl, add the oats, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir until mixed. Next, add the milk, butter and eggs. Break the egg yolks with the spoon and then stir until blended with the oat mixture.

Pour into a greased 9-inch square pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. The "cake" should be set in the center. Serve with fruit, syrup or additional milk.

Some people like to add things like raisins, dried cranberries or freshly diced apples to this treat. I am particularly fond of the diced apples, myself...

Enjoy!

Kelly

Layered Casserole (ground beef, rice, potatoes)

2011-03-04T08:49:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned before that the Bountiful Blessings and Bread of Life boxes from Angel Food Ministries (sometimes the Bit O' Blessings box has some, too!) often have ground beef (sometimes turkey or chicken). It's one of those items that doesn't make me scratch my head as to what I need to do to get people in my house to eat it.

Not only that, but I can usually throw a dish together where it includes starches and veggies for a rounded-out meal. I'm saving money AND time with what I get from Angel Food Ministries!

Here's a recipe for a great, hearty Layered Casserole. It takes a long time to cook, but the prep work is minimal and it fills your home with the most delicious smells while it's baking!

Ingredients:
Enough sliced potatoes to layer the bottom of a large casserole dish (I almost never peel my potatoes- we love the texture as well as the nutrition!)
3- carrots, sliced (you can also substitute mixed veggies, corn or your favorite veggie for this)
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
1 thinly sliced large onion
1 lb. ground beef
28 ounces crushed tomatoes (I like diced tomatoes and others have successfully used pureed tomatoes)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place the slice potatoes in the bottom on your well-oiled dish. Next, sprinkle your carrots (or other veggies) on top. Your next layer is sprinkled, uncooked rice and then the sliced onion. Finally, crumble the hamburger RAW over the top, seasoning with salt and pepper if desired.

Press down all the ingredients from the top with a wooden spoon. Pour your tomatoes over the casserole, cover with foil and bake for 3-hours and 325 degrees (your veggies and meat are raw, so let them cook for a nice long time while enjoying the smells!).

We like to sprinkle a bit of cheddar cheese over the top before serving.

Enjoy!

Kelly

Home Made Dirty Rice Recipe- (Ground beef, rice)

2011-03-03T14:05:00.000-08:00

I don't think we've had an Angel Food Ministries Bread of Life or Bountiful Blessings box that hasn't had ground beef in it. I'm not complaining at all- this is a good thing! Ground beef is wonderfully versatile and you can make a well-rounded meal including servings of grains and veggies all in one dish many times!

Here is a recipe for Home Made Dirty Rice that is very, very flexible. Don't have one of the ingredients? No problem! Skip it or substitute whatever is missing with something else you enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef (if you happen to have ground chicken or turkey, this is fine, too!)
1 chopped medium to large onion
1 chopped green pepper (don't have it? Try peas or beans)
2 chopped stalks of celery (I don't always have this on hand so I throw in a bit of celery seed or celery salt)
3 cloves of minced garlic (garlic salt, powder or granules work, too)
4 beef bouillon cubes (sometimes I substitute this with tomato juice or lightly salted water- it works fine)
1 teaspoon paprika
dash of red pepper flakes or hot sauce
3 1/2 cups of water
1 1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce (Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce or even barbecue sauce can be used as well)

In a very large skillet or dutch oven, cook meat until it is no longer pink and heated through. Drain off any fat. Add the veggies and garlic (if using), sauteing until the onions become soft and translucent.

Next, add the rice, paprika, red pepper flakes, bouillon, water and soy sauce. Bring to a boil and hen reduce heat to a very low simmer. Continue to simmer for about 30-minutes. (Feel free to add additional water while it cooks to prevent burning.

That's it- enjoy!

Kelly

It's Time to Talk About It

2011-03-03T12:42:00.000-08:00

I'm always amazed at how many people are afraid of one food in particular. It's not big, threatening or harmful unless not prepared properly (which is quite easy, so no excuses).

The big, scary food is the DRY BEAN. (cue scary music...dum, dum, duuuummmmm....)

Beans are typically a part of each Angel Food Ministries menu per month. Since we like to buy 3-boxes, we usually get three bags of dry beans. Luckily for me, I got over my fear of the big, bad, dry bean years ago.

Beans are incredibly versatile and provide the body with an amazing source of protein. They are also quite good when prepared in the right dishes (I also love them plain, but I'm kind of weird when it comes to my beans).

Depending on which month you order from Angel Food Ministries, you are likely to get some sort of dry bean. This past month and the upcoming month both feature red kidney beans to go with the ground beef and seasoning provided for chili. That makes your introduction to dry beans very easy!!!

You can soak them overnight, drain and cook. Or, you can boil them for two minutes, then let them sit, covered, for one hour as a quick soak then cook to desired texture. That's it. Seriously.

Is it time consuming? A bit depending on how you choose to get them ready to cook, but they are wonderfully delicious and somehow the chili tastes better with freshly prepared beans. AND they don't have the sodium found in canned beans. It's a win-win.

The package usually has directions on how to cook them, but why do they seem far more threatening or complicated than the simple reality?

Beans rock.

Kelly

Adding to Your Angel Food Groceries

2011-03-02T17:51:00.000-08:00

You might be wondering just how much we buy from Angel Food Ministries. Well, it depends on the month and the offerings!

This month has a Pastor Joe's premium box that I'm chompin' at the bit to buy, but we won't. I'm just not that good at making that kind of food goes as far as I need it to YET!

We typically buy 2 to 3 of the Bread of Life or Bountiful Blessings boxes as well as the Fruits and Veggies box and any other special that works in our household. This is enough to get us (a family of 3-sometimes 4) by for a month or more.

I also want to note that we do some additional shopping to round out the menus for the month (including pantry staples mentioned here). Each month is a bit different, but it is pretty consistent on most things like:

Pasta
Carrots
Onions
Raisins
Pretzels
Nuts
Seeds
Lettuce
Bread
Milk
Juice

These things are really helpful when putting three meals a day together as well as snacks in between.

I'm also a huge baker. I like to make my own cookies, breads, tortillas and the like. It saves me tons of money and expensive trips to the store.

You might want to consider making your own additional snacks like homemade granola, cookies and snack bars. Recipes are easily found on the internet and I'm sure I'll be posting my share in good time!

'Till next time,
Kelly

Recipe to Use some of that Smoked Sausage!

2011-03-02T13:27:00.000-08:00

I mentioned in a previous post how much I dreaded having to find a way to use sausage of any kind. It's always been something I've avoided until we realized how much we benefit and save from ordering food through Angel Food Ministries.

So I committed myself to making the most of using everything I could in our food boxes. This required some creative thinking on my part, but I think it payed off!!!

I love my slow cooker, so here's a quick, easy and flavorful recipe to use up some of your groceries! Please keep in mind that if you don't have all of the ingredients, especially the veggies, on hand you can still put this together. Maybe try a bit of corn instead to make sure you get that serving in!

Here's a recipe for Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya:
Ingredients
2-pounds boneless, skinless chicken (if this month's box has bones and skin, simply pull the bones and skin out after the cooking is done. If this is the case, you might also want to add an additional pound or so of chicken to make up for the bones and skin)
1-pound smoked sausage cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1-1/2 cups uncooked regular rice
2-1/2 cups chicken broth or tomato juice (I prefer tomato juice)
2-dashes or up to 1/4 cup of hot sauce (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Use a 6-quart slow cooker for this recipe. Place the chicken and sliced sausage into the bottom of a well-greased slow cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients and cover.

Cook on HIGH for 4 to 4 1/2 hours or on LOW for 8 to 9 hours. The chicken should no longer be pink when done.

I'll probably say this over and over again, but don't let not having an ingredient or two stop you from trying something new. If you don't have minced garlic, try garlic powder, garlic salt or an bit of additional minced onion. For a bit of additional flavor, add some basil, parsley or sage to the mix!

Also, add your favorite veggies instead of what's listed if you have them on hand. You are in charge of your food!!

Kelly

Getting Your Pantry to Work for YOU!!!

2011-03-02T11:43:00.000-08:00

We've all seen the articles on what you should have in your pantry, right? I'm not one to follow them to the letter simply because I never have the kind of cash it takes to take those extensive lists to the store and just buy those items up. I don't know many people who do!

So when it comes to making your pantry "Angel Food Friendly" just know that you can still make things work with a trimmed down or limited pantry list. It's more important to know what you use most and where you can get it cheaply (see previous post for ideas!).

Here's the basic list that can help you round out and get the most from your Angel Food Ministries orders:

Flour
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
Sugar
Brown Sugar
Powdered Sugar
Salt/Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Basil
Chili Powder
Rice
Canned tomatoes (dices, crushed, pureed- whatever floats your boat. Most are interchangeable in recipes no matter what is called for!)
Ketchup, mustard, mayonaise

Seriously- that's it. It takes some dedication and a lot of home cooking time, but the savings are completely worth it.

I also want to note that this isn't all I use in my kitchen. We are fortunate enough to try new things here and there along with great opportunities to save right along with our Angel Food Ministries orders.

But if I had to make it for just one month with a bare-bones list, this would be it!

Kelly

Complementing Angel Food Boxes within Your Grocery Budget

2011-03-02T11:33:00.000-08:00

Angel Food Ministries provides a ton of affordable food, but we all need a few additional things to round out meals, stretch some pennies and provide a bit of variety. Here's what I do to bridge our grocery-gaps...

I love Aldi's stores. They aren't always the best value on everything, but I do know what is worth buying and what isn't for our area. Check and see if you have one in your area here.

We also have a couple of Mennonite grocery stores within 40-miles. They aren't something we drive to every week, but when we do it's worth the trip. They have bulk herbs, spices, baking supplies and even candy (my weakness...). Flour isn't the best price here but I can get my baking powder, oats and spices for a steal when we go!

Finally, know what your grocery store and your dollar store charge for items that are common for your household. Just because it only costs one dollar doesn't mean that you can't save 5 or even 10 cents by getting at the grocery store- it adds up!!

Just one more thought, here- buy anything you can that's really expensive in the bulk section. You can get away with buying only what you need and not an entire container that won't stay potent forever. It's nice to buy 40-cents of curry powder rather than pay $7.50 for a small container I'll never finish up!

I hope these ideas help or get your mind working on how to get creative to maximize your savings while enjoying Angel Food Ministries monthly groceries!

Please post additional ideas/suggestions in the comments area! I love to learn what others do to get the most out of our monthly groceries!

Kelly

Angel Food Ministries Works

2011-03-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

I love Angel Food Ministries. We started to buy their food about 6-months ago and it was like Christmas for us.

We live in a very rural area and just about everything we have is taxed in our state. The variety and savings were incomparable!

The first month we bought, we typically used everything we received. Chicken and beef are no-brainers for us and I love to play around with dry beans when I cook, so I was already hooked.

Then the next month came around and although I was excited, I was a bit stumped. I never, ever used things like smoked beef links or breakfast sausage. It had been years since I decided I didn't like them, but the value of the food far outweighed my remembered dislike so we ordered.

When I unloaded the boxes, I was staring at the sausages like they were some alien substance in my hands. My husband asked what I was doing and I told him I had no idea what I was going to do with these oddities for our home (he was secretly thrilled, coming from a strong German background).

My hubby is the reason I am such a huge fan of everything we get in our boxes from Angel Food Ministries.

It was his idea to not let the food dictate how we ate, but rather to let my cooking create food we would enjoy!

One of the most common reasons people tell me that they won't order from Angel Food Ministries is because they won't use everything that comes in the box.

Well, I'm here to help you get the most out of everything you get in your orders!!

Kelly

Saving with Angel Food Recipes and Ideas

Pork Chop Supper (pork chops, potatoes, mixed veggies)

Italian Salad (leftovers)

Biscuit Pizza

Barbecue Beef and Bean Wraps (ground beef, baked beans, corn)

Chicken Scallopini (chicken salisbury steak patties)

Summer Slacking

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore (any cut chicken, tomatoes, onion, pasta)

Creamy Mexican Pasta (pasta, salsa, cream cheese, milk)

Not so sure...

Stuffed Turkey Burgers (ground turkey)

Cooking Inspiration (limited time)

Bacon-Cheddar-Biscuit Brunch Bake (egg, onion, milk)

French Fry Salad (waffle fries, lettuce, cabbage)

Light Thousand Island and Blue Cheese Dressings

Light Italian Dressing Recipe

Save Money Making Your Own Salad Dressings

Stacked Turkey Jumble (ground turkey, peas, rice, onion)

Classic Spaghetti Frittata (eggs, onion, leftover spaghetti, milk, veggies)

Slow Cooker Pizza Dip (tomatoes or pasta sauce)

Pleasantly Pleasing Fried Rice Pilaf (rice, eggs, beans, peas and carrots)

Stacked Sweet Potatoes (sweet potatoes)

Pizza-Taco Soup (ground meat, onion, taco seasoning)

Slow Cooker Broccoli Cornbread (cornbread mix, broccoli, eggs, onion)

Rich, Basil Pork Chops (pork chops)

Super-Easy Black Bean Side Dish (black beans, onion, garlic)

FLAVORFUL Ground Turkey Meatloaf (ground turkey, egg, oats)

Ground Turkey Casserole (ground turkey, egg noodles)

1 lb. ground turkey 1 diced onion1 15oz. can of tomato sauce 1 teaspoon white sugar 1 8oz. container sour cream 1 8oz. package cream cheese 1 12oz. package uncooked egg noodles 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Breakfast Eggs and Rice (eggs, onions, rice)

Paprika French Fries (Baking pototoes)

Sweet and Sour Chicken Meatballs (Ground Chicken, eggs, onion)

Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps (ground turkey, onion, carrots, lettuce)

Mini-Meatball Soup (ground chicken, carrots rice)

Bold Ground Turkey Sauce w/Spaghetti (ground turkey, diced tomatoes, garlic, onion)

Lemony Turkey Burgers-for those who HATE Ground Turkey! (ground turkey, lemon, garlic, onion)

Dumpling Soup with Peas and Carrots (peas, carrots, biscuit mix)

Flavorful Bits and Pieces (ground meat, onion)

Chili Meatloaf (ground meat, beans, tomatoes, onions)

Creamed Tuna with Biscuits

Beef and Macaroni Casserole (ground beef, pasta)

Beef Stroganoff in the Slow Cooker (beef, onion)

Barbecue Chicken Soup (chicken, onion, celery, milk)

Our First Lambs of the Season!

Irish Treacle Bread (molasses, flour, milk, sugar)

Simple Hamburger Soup (ground beef, onion, tomato, celery, carrots)

People who "Hate" on Angel Food Ministries (my humble opinion)...

Cheeseburger Pie (ground beef, onion, eggs)

Ground Meatballs with Apple and Cheese (ground meat, apple)

Oatmeal Pancakes (oats, milk)

Tuna and Rice (rice, tuna)

Spaghetti Casserole (pasta, ground beef)

Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce (milk, cream cheese, parmesan)

Oven BBQ Chicken (chicken)

Broiled Fish Parmesan (fish, lemon)

Slow Cooker Sweet and Salty Aisian Beef (beef, rice)

What to Do with those Waffle Fries!!!

Split Pea and Sausage Soup (split peas, sausage, carrots, potato)

Chili Rice Recipe (beef, chicken, rice, beans)

Recipes with Flexibility (chicken, beans, beef, tuna, fish, rice)

Hot Bean Chili (beans, tomatoes)

Stovetop Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (oats)

Spicy Chicken and Sweet Potato Bake (chicken, sweet potato)

Making Your Kitchen Give you More (baking)

Vegetarian Refried Beans (beans, tomato)

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Pork (pork, potatoes)

Recipe for those who Don't Like Oatmeal (oatmeal, quick cook oats)

Layered Casserole (ground beef, rice, potatoes)

Home Made Dirty Rice Recipe- (Ground beef, rice)

It's Time to Talk About It

Adding to Your Angel Food Groceries

Recipe to Use some of that Smoked Sausage!

Getting Your Pantry to Work for YOU!!!

Complementing Angel Food Boxes within Your Grocery Budget

Angel Food Ministries Works

1 lb. ground turkey
1 diced onion
1 15oz. can of tomato sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 8oz. container sour cream
1 8oz. package cream cheese
1 12oz. package uncooked egg noodles
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese