Recipe | One Hundred Dollars a Month

Easy Summer Salad Recipes – Cucumber Tomato Salad

August 30, 2012 7 Comments

This recipe comes from my friend Mama JJ’s cousin, Zoe.

Well, actually it’s Zoe’s Moms recipe, but I thought it would be weird to say this recipe is from Zoe’s Mom, who I don’t know, but I kind of know her daughter Zoe, but only virtually {does that count?}. See what I mean. Introductions can be weird. But even though I have never met Zoe in real life, I can tell she is an awesome cook. And eats real food.

Here is her rock star Cucumber Tomato Salad Recipe

Ingredients

3 cucumbers, half peeled, and sliced wafer thin
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 red onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup mayonnaise {I used Best Foods}
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions

The key to this recipe is to get the cucumbers super duper thin. So if you have a mandoline slicer be sure and use it. Otherwise, use your best OCD skills and just use a sharp knife to get the cucumbers wafer thin.

Combine your wafer thin sliced cucumbers, sliced onion, and mix them together in a bowl with salt. Let the cucumber mixture sit in the refrigerator for 1 -2 hours. Drain salty liquid and squeeze out as much liquid as you can without squishing your cucumbers.

In a small bowl combined the mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar. Pour the dressing over the cucumber mixture, add chopped tomatoes and stir together. Sprinkle a bit of fresh cracked pepper over the salad. Serve immediately.

Thanks for the recipe suggestion Zoe. This was awesome!

Need a mandoline? Amazon currently has the Progressive International Folding Mandoline Slicer on sale for only $19.50 and it has great reviews.

*Amazon prices can change at anytime

Filed Under: Recipe, salads, Salads & Sides Tagged With: cucumber salad recipes, cucumbers, Easy Salad Recipes, recipe, tomatoes

Recipe – How to Make Zucchini Hummus

August 29, 2012 12 Comments

Seriously?

Zucchini hummus?

Yep. You probably think I am totally nuts, but you have got to try this. I stood in my kitchen at 10 am this morning still in my footie pajamas scooping this zucchini hummus out of the Blendtec.

First of all, you cannot even tell you are eating zucchini {always a plus in my book}. Secondly, if you are a gardener, you are probably swimming in zucchini right now trying desperately to find different ways to use it up.

Well my friends, today is your lucky day.

This stuff rocks. And it’s good for you too. Imagine that!

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups zucchini, peeled and chopped
3/4 cups tahini sauce
1/2 cup lemon juice {I used bottled}
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground cumin

Garnish
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions

Toss all the ingredients {except the garnish} into a heavy duty blender {I used a Blendtec} and puree until smooth. Pour zucchini hummus into a small dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle smoked paprika over the top. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with fancy chips or Kashi Oven Roasted Vegetable Crackers {my favorite}.

With the exception of the zucchini and the salt, I was able to get everything else for free thanks to Vitacost. If you haven’t heard of Vitacost, head on over HERE to find out how you can get a FREE $10 credit off you first order.

Filed Under: Recipe Tagged With: mavis garden blog, one hundred dollars a month, recipe, zucchini, zucchini hummus

Canning 101 – Carrot Cake Jam Recipe

August 29, 2012 40 Comments

Yesterday, Jennifer O left me this comment…

“I bought a tiny jar of homemade jam at a local farmer’s market for $9! Yes, expensive but it was Carrot Cake Jam, and the best I’ve ever had (I’m a bit of a jam enthusiast and this one make me swoon). I’ll be paying them another $9 at some point, I’m sure.

Carrot Cake Jam? Never heard of it. But I found an awesome recipe, so guess what? I whipped up a batch of the stuff this morning. Hole Lee Crap! What have I been missing all my life? Not only does my house smell incredible… But this carrot cake jam… Is Da’ Bomb!

Go find some carrots people… And make this today!

Ingredients

1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained
1-1/2 cups shredded carrots
1-1/2 cups chopped peeled ripe pears
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 package (1-3/4 ounces) powdered fruit pectin
6-1/2 cups sugar

Directions

Bring a boiling-water canner, 3/4 full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.

In a 6 – 8 quart sauce pot, combine the first seven ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the pears are tender. Stir occasionally so nothing sticks to the pan. Remove from the sauce pan from the heat, and stir in pectin.

Bring mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Slowly stir in the sugar and return to a full rolling for 1 minute, making sure to stir constantly to avoid boiling over. Remove from heat and skim off any foam with metal spoon.

Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. {Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.} Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary}. Yields {7} 1/2 pints.

Taste of Home Farm Fresh Favorites: Cook It, Can It, Freeze It $10.98 ~ Amazon

With 300+ recipes for the most popular produce including corn, tomatoes, peppers, apples, berries and much more plus methods for freezing and canning to help help you preserve its goodness, this book will help you get more nutritious, healthy vegetables and fruits into your meals and help you save money by preserving them yourself. ~ Amazon

Filed Under: Canning 101, Recipe Tagged With: Canning, canning 101, Carrot Cake Jam Recipe, carrots, jam, recipe, taste of home

Easy Pasta Recipes – Simple Summer Pasta with Roasted Vegetables

August 28, 2012 2 Comments

Now matter what time of year it is, pasta is on the menu at least once a week in our house. During the summer months I take away the traditional marinara sauce and meatballs, and replace them with pesto and grilled vegetables. Eating what’s fresh, and in season, is the key to feeding my family for one hundred dollars a month.

Here is my Summer Pasta recipe. I hope you like it.

Ingredients

1 pound fettuccine noodles {or your favorite pasta}
2 tablespoons pesto {here is my pesto recipe}
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups zucchini chunks
4 Roma type tomatoes, halved
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese {optional}
2 basil leaves, chopped {for garnish}

Directions

Cook pasta in boiling water according to the package directions.

While you are waiting for the pasta to cook, toss the zucchini, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and salt and pepper with 3 tablespoons olive oil together in a large bowl until the vegetables are evenly coated. Cook the vegetables over medium heat in a grill basket on the bbq, until tender.

When the pasta has finished cooking, drain the noodles into a colander and add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons of pesto and toss until the noodles are coated.

Place pesto covered noodles in a large serving bowl, top with grilled vegetables, and garnish with fresh Parmesan cheese and basil. Serve with a crusty loaf of bread and a little butter.

Dinner is served!

Looking for more pasta recipes? Check out Everyday Pasta by Giada DeLaurentiis. Amazon has it currently on sale for 36% off.

Filed Under: Recipe Tagged With: easy pasta recipes, one hundred dollars a month, pasta, recipe, roasted vegetables, Simple Summer Pasta, tomatoes, zucchini

Canning 101 – Cinnamon Plum Jam Low Sugar Recipe

August 28, 2012 6 Comments

Remember those free plums we picked up the other day? Well this morning I whipped up a batch of cinnamon plum jam using a low sugar recipe. Even though I’ve canned enough jam this summer to last the next year or two, I just can’t stop trying new jam recipes when I find them.

I think all the fruits and vegetables we’ve been eating are finally starting to get to me. My inner pilgrim is shining through, and at this pace I fully expect to be darning socks and salting mackerel by Christmas.

Here is the recipe-
Ingredients

4 cups chopped plums {I left the peels on}
1/4 cup lemon juice {I used bottled}
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 1/2 tablespoons Ball Low Sugar Pectin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Measure 4 cups chopped plums into 6- or 8-qt. sauce pot. Add pectin and stir. Add lemon juice.

Bring plum mixture to a full rolling boil, reduce heat, and stir in sugar. Return to a full rolling boil and boil for 4 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid boiling over. Remove from heat and skim off any foam with metal spoon. Stir in cinnamon.

Looking for more unique jam recipes? Check out The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook By Rachel Saunders. Amazon currently has it on sale and the book has great reviews.

And if you are looking for a canner, I used the Granite Ware 11-1/2 Quart Covered Preserving Canner with Rack to can my jam. If you need a tool kit, I use one similar to this one.

Filed Under: Canning 101, Recipe Tagged With: Canning, canning 101, gleaning, low sugar canning recipes, Mavis, one hundred dollars a month, plum jam recipe, plums, recipe

Recipe – Biscuits with Brown Sugar and Bacon

August 27, 2012 3 Comments

I saw this recipe for biscuits on Joy the Baker and decided to give them a try. I mean how can you possibly go wrong with biscuits, bacon and brown sugar? I don’t even think it’s possible. Even though you can totally serve these with supper, I served them this weekend to the Handsome Husband for breakfast alongside a plate full of fresh eggs.

To put it mildly, he love them. And so did the rest of my family.

Here is the {slightly adapted} recipe -

Ingredients

For the Bacon

8 slices of bacon
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

For the Biscuits

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons chives, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper {or a silpat} and lay the bacon on the baking sheet in a single layer. Grind pepper over the top of the bacon and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake the bacon until it is nice and crisp, about 15 to 17 minutes. When the bacon has finished cooking, remove the baking sheet from the oven and using tongs place the bacon on a plate to cool down. When it’s cool enough, chop into bits and set aside.

Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl combined the flour, brown and white sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper and mix well.

Add butter bits to the flour mixture and using your fingers, rub the butter and flower together until it resembles a coarse meal. Make a well into the center of the coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and lightly beaten egg. Mix well until the dough is nice and sticky. Fold in the bacon and chives and then turn the dough onto a well floured surface and roll the dough out to about 1 inch thick.

Cut the dough with biscuit cutters {mine were 3″ wide} and place the biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet {or use a silpat} and bake at 400 degrees for 11-13 minutes.

Serve warm with butter. Makes 9 biscuits.

*The next time I make these I think I’ll make a double batch. They were THAT GOOD!

Amazon currently has the Joy the Baker Cookbook on sale for only $12.38 and it rocks, and you should check it out.

Filed Under: Recipe Tagged With: bacon, biscuits, recipe

Easy Sunday Brunch Recipes – Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping

August 26, 2012 12 Comments

Once you have tried this recipe for blueberry muffins, you will never try another blueberry muffin recipe again. I ate 2 of these muffins as I was typing this up. Seriously, they are that good.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 1/3 cup blueberries {I used frozen}
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Crumb Topping

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, cut into bits
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Line crusty old muffin tins with muffin/cupcake liners.
In a large bowl mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Add oil, egg, milk and stir until there are no lumps. Fold in blueberries. Set aside.

In a separate bowl mix together the ingredients for the crumb topping with your fingers {or a fork if you don’t like to touch your food} until nice a crumbly. Is crumbly even a word? Hmm.

If you have major OCD like me, use a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop to fill your muffin tins, if you don’t, just fill the tins 2/3rd of the way full and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

Bake the best blueberry muffins on the freakin’ planet for 18 -20 minutes until they are lightly browned.

Cool slightly and serve warm.

After everyone has had a blueberry muffin, {or two} swipe the rest and hide them for later. Yummmm!

My favorite cookie scoops ~ Amazon $11.39 and up

My favorite baking cups ~Vitacost $1.44

Filed Under: Recipe Tagged With: blueberries, blueberry muffins, mavis butterfield, recipes

Recipe – How to Make a Crust for a Blackberry Pie

August 24, 2012 9 Comments

The Girl and I went blackberry picking this morning and came home with baskets full of warm, juicy berries. I couldn’t decide if I should make blackberry ice cream or a blackberry pie, so I decided to ask everyone on facebook and go from there.

Clearly, people would much rather eat a blackberry pie than a scoop of blackberry ice cream.

Interesting!

So {obviously} I made a pie.

And snapped a few pictures.

So you could drool over it.

Because I’m cruel like that.

I don’t know about you, but I like a nice thick crust when I’m eating a berry pie. I want to be able to soak up the berry juice with left over bits of golden, flaky goodness. And you need a thick crust to do that.

I like to make my crusts with Crisco shortening. I’d like to think my people {the Pilgrims} would have used it had they had it readily available to them in Colonial America.

In my book, Crisco is freakin’ awesome. And that’s all I’m going to say about that.

Here’s the recipe -

Pie Filling

6 cups blackberries
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup all- purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chopped into bits
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Pie Crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup vegetable shorting
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold water

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees

Combine pie crust ingredients together, divide in half, roll into a ball, use the palm of your hand to flatten crust to about 1 inch. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Roll out 1 crust and line a pie plate with it.

Combine filling ingredients in a large bowl and toss to coat. Pour filling into crust lined pie plate and add second {flattened} crust. Crimp edges of pie crust together and brush with egg wash.

Pace on a lined cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes or until juices are bubbling.

Cool. Serve with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream or whipping cream.

Looking for a few more delicious pie recipes? Check out the book Pie: 300 Tried-and-True Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pie by Ken Haedrich. Basically, the book is awesome. Enough said.

Filed Under: Desserts, Recipe Tagged With: blackberries, blackberry pie, How to Make a Blackberry Pie, how to make a pie crust, pie, pie recipes, recipe

Recipe – How to Make Kale Brownies with Carrots

August 23, 2012 26 Comments

Wahooooooo… I just made a batch of kale and carrot brownies! Kale brownies. Have you tried them? Holy Canolies. There may be a way to eat this ~~crap~~ stuff after all.

Thanks for the awesome suggestion Kirsten! The Girl and I tried the brownies and you can’t even tell there are vegetables in there. Wowza! I wonder what else I can sneak kale greens into.

This is freakin’ awesome!

Ingredients

1 box Brownie Mix {I used Pillsbury}
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 large carrot {I used a handful of baby carrots}
8 leaves of kale
1/2 cup chocolate chips

*I used a boxed mix because I have a bunch on hand I picked up for free last fall. If you would like to try a similar recipe made from scratch try this one.

Directions

Pre-heat over to 350 degrees

Steam carrots and kale {I steamed mine in the rice cooker} and place the vegetables in a blender and semi- puree. Add eggs, oil and water and puree. Add brownie mix and hit the pulse button a few times until everything is blended.

Line a 9″ by 13″ pan with parchment paper {or grease and flour} and pour brownie batter into the pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and stir in. Bake at 350 for 28 minutes. Cool. Slice. Serve with a sneaky grin.

The Sneaky Chef By Missy Chase Lapine $11.35 ~ Amazon

Filed Under: Desserts, Recipe Tagged With: brownies, carrots, How to Make Kale Brownies with Carrots, kale, Kale brownies, Kale recipes, recipe

Canning 101 – How to Make Rosemary Jelly

August 21, 2012 14 Comments

I spotted this recipe for Rosemary Jelly on the Taste of Home site and immediately decided to make it. Although I have Rosemary growing in the garden, I really have no idea what to do with it besides dry it and use it as a spice. So when I saw a recipe for Rosemary Jelly, I got excited knowing it would be a great staple to have on hand around during the holidays.

The recipe and directions could not be easier and making it was a snap.

I hope you like it.

Ingredients
1-1/4 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
3 cups sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 pouch (3 ounces) liquid fruit pectin
2 to 3 drops green food coloring

Directions

In a small saucepan combine 1 1/4 cups boiling water and rosemary. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes.

Strain, reserving liquid.

If necessary, add water to measure 1-1/4 cups.

Place liquid in a large saucepan, add sugar and vinegar. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, making sure to stir constantly. Addliquid pectin, stirring until mixture boils. Boil and stir constantly for 1 minute.

Remove from the heat, skim off foam and add food coloring.