Cheesy Potatoes

1 bag hash browns
2 cups shredded cheese
8 oz sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom
1 stick of butter
1 cup crushed corn flakes

In a large bowl combine hash browns and shredded cheese. In smaller bowl, mix sour cream and cream of mushroom. Add sour cream mixture to hash brown mixture. After it is mixed together, add 4 T melted butter and mix evenly. Place in 9 x 13 pan. Mix 4 T melted butter and corn flakes and pour over top of hash brown mixture. Cook at 375 for about 45 min to 1 hour.

We make this in a dutch oven for camping. We’re going this week and I’ll try to come back to let you know specifics.

Finger Steaks

from http://www.cooks.com/

1 med. round steak, cut into strips
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
2 c. flour
3 tsp. Lawry’s seasoned salt

Soak steak strips in egg and milk mixture. Combine flour and seasoned salt. Flour steak and fry in deep fat until done.

Oliebollen

Oliebollen
Dutch Doughnuts

Ingredients:
2 tsp. active dry yeast (1 cake yeast (2/3 oz))
1 cup milk
2 ¼ cups flour
2 tsp. Salt
1 egg
1 ½ cups currants and raisins
1 tart (cooking) apple
Oil for deep frying

Let’s Cook:

First blend the yeast with a little lukewarm milk. Sift the flour and salt. Add milk, mix to a batter with yeast and egg. Add currants, raisins and peeled, minced apple. Leave batter in a warm place and let it rise to double its size. Heat the fat to 375 degrees. Put two metal spoons into the batter. Shape balls with the two spoons and drop them very carefully into the fat. Fry for about 8 to 9 minutes until brown. Drain on absorbent paper and cover thickly with sifted confectioner’s sugar. They are best when eaten warm.

Eggnog

found: Fun Foods On a Budget!

6 eggs
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 quart milk
1/3 pint heavy whipping cream
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 pinch salt

Beat eggs; mix in condensed milk, vanilla, quart of milk and salt.

Beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold in to egg and milk mixture and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve chilled.

Lasagna

Makes 2 9×13 pans, one for the freezer!!

1.5 lb ground beef- brown
1 lb. ground sausage – brown w/beef
6 sm cans tomato sauce (or 3 lg, duh!)
4 sm cans tomato paste
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp oregano
A little parsley
2 pk lasagna noodles
2 pk swiss cheese (need 16 slices per pan I think)
24 oz cottage cheese
1 lb. mozzarella

Layer noodles, cottage cheese, meat sauce then swiss cheese (usually
makes 2 layers) then noodles, meat sauce and mozzarella
Bake @ 350 for 30 min unless it’s made ahead of time then it takes a little longer:)
To Freeze: cover with plastic wrap then foil
Frozen: tent tin foil over pan and bake on 350 for 90 minutes then take foil off and bake another 10 minutes until cheese in lightly brown.

Idaho-Style Finger Steaks

Found at:http://www.grouprecipes.com/97480/idaho-style-finger-steaks.html

Ingredients:

1 egg
2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons grill seasoning, such as McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 2 1/2 x 1/4 inch strips (cut across the grain!)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups oil for deep frying

Directions:

1. Beat together the egg, buttermilk, grill seasoning, and 1/2 cup of flour in a large bowl until smooth. Add the beef, and toss until well coated. Cover with plastic wrap, and place into the refrigerator to marinate at least 2 hours.
2. Sift 2 1/2 cups flour with the garlic powder, salt, and pepper into a large bowl. Remove steak strips from buttermilk batter and allow excess to drip off. Dredge each piece with seasoned flour and place onto a baking sheet. Place in the freezer and freeze until firm, 1 hour to overnight.
3. Heat oil to 370 degrees F (185 degrees C) in a deep fryer or cast iron skillet. 4. Drop a few frozen steak pieces into the hot oil and fry until golden brown on the outside, about 5 minutes. Do not overcrowd the frying oil, and do not allow the steak strips to thaw before they are fried. Once golden brown, remove to drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Make Buttermilk

found at http://frugalliving.about.com/od/condimentsandspices/r/Buttermilk_Sub.htm

Put 1 T lemon juice or white vinegar into a liquid measuring cup and add enough milk to make 1 cup.  Let set 5 minutes.  Presto, buttermilk!

Egg Drop Soup

Egg Drop Soup
from: http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2008/05/egg-drop-soup.html

4 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp. corn starch
3-4 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
2 eggs, beaten

I would also throw in a handful of corn niblets, even better if you have some left over from last night!

Set aside 1/2 cup broth, bring the rest of it to a boil. Whisk together reserved broth and corn starch, then whisk that into the boiling broth. Add food coloring. Drizzle the beaten eggs over the soup, stir gently to break it up, and serve. Garnish with green onion or chives, if desired. Easy and delicious!

Chocolate Explosion Cake

from Dawn’s kitchen!

1 box Super Moist Devils Food Cake Mix
1/2 cup chocolate milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 eggs
1 container (16 ounces) sour cream
1 small package (4 serving size) chocolate instant pudding mix
1 bag (12 ounces or 2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare pan.

Gently mix milk, butter, eggs and sour cream until eggs are incorporated. Add dry cake and pudding mixes. Mix until well blended. Batter will be very thick (almost like like brownies, but it will bake up like a cake- really!!). Fold in chips. Spoon into pan(s).

Bake 55-65 minutes or until top springs back (toothpick will not be totally clean with this cake). Cool in pan 10 minutes and turn out on wire rack and cool completely.

I pour ganache over it — no real recipe I just put chocolate, a chunk of butter and a splash of milk all in the microwave and voila, ganache!

My sushi rice recipe

I half the recipe that I have so I just wanted to make a note of it here.  If you are interested in making your own sushi/sushi rice, check out:

http://happilybarefoot.com/2009/01/sushi-its-easy-frugal-yummy-

http://japanesefood.about.com/od/rice/ss/howtocookrice.htm

For rice in the cooker:

1-1/2 c. short or medium grain rice
1-1/2 c. + 1/8 c. water

For vinegar sauce

50 Ml (1/2 of 1/3 c.)  rice vinegar
1-1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp. salt