Fruit Dip Variations

8oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 sm. jar of marshmallow cream
juice of 1 orange (optional)

Mix together and serve.  Keep chilled. 

OR

1 carton cool whip
1 carton flavored yogurt

Mix together and serve.  Keep chilled. 

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Fruit Cup

1c. mandarin oranges, drained
1c. shredded coconut
1c. pineapple, crushed or tidbits
1c. mini marshmallows
1c. whipped cream, sour cream, or yogurt

Mix together and serve.  Keep chilled.

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Wonderful Icing

3T. cocoa (if making chocolate icing)
1 cube butter
1-1&1/2 boxes powdered sugar (16 oz. box)
1/2t. vanilla
evaporated milk

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter.  Mix in the cocoa and vanilla.  Stir in powdered sugar and evaporated milk adjusting both the sugar and the milk to make the quantity (amount) at the consistency (thickness) desired.

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Leavening or Rising Agents (yeast, baking powder, baking soda)

Here are the common kitchen leavening (rising) agents:

Baking soda-A base that requires an acid ingredient such as sour dairy products, honey, molasses, fruit juice, or cream of tartar to create leavening.  Once the acid is added and the dough is moistened, leavening is activated by creating carbon dioxide gas.

Baking Powder-Baking soda and an acid (in powder form) used for leavening. It is  inactive in its dry form; but, as soon as it is moistened, the leavening is activated by creating carbon dioxide gas.  Baking powder is activated again by the heat in the oven; thus, it is double-acting.  There's a baking powder substitute below.

*Note:  Baking powder and baking soda are not interchangeable--they can not be substituted for one another.

Steam-The water vapor released when water in pastry dough reaches 212℉ and vaporizes.

Yeast-Yeast eats sugar and they create carbon dioxide gas and alcohol (fermentation) creating the leavening effect.  Want to learn more about yeast and different types of yeast?

Yeast:

1 pkg. active dry yeast = 2&1/4t. active dry yeast

How to tell if your yeast is good:

In a small bowl, add yeast (amount specified in a recipe) to 1/4c. warm water.  Let stand 5-10 min.  If yeast grows, your yeast is good and active.  

Baking powder substitute:

From this frugal living website 

1t. baking soda

2t. cream of tartar

1t. cornstarch (for storage purposes)

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container.  Makes 1T. baking powder.

For more information on baking powder and baking soda and why they are not interchangeable, please visit this chemistry site (it's not too technical).

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Scones (Fried Bread)

2c. buttermilk or milk
2 eggs
2 yeast cakes (2T. yeast)
1/2t. baking soda 
3t. baking powder
2T. sugar
1t. salt
6T. cooking oil 
5c. flour

Dissolve yeast in 1/4c. warm water and set aside for 5-10 min.  Meanwhile, in a separate mixing bowl, warm the milk and stir in the eggs, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cooking oil.  Add the yeast and stir in half the flour.  Blend well.  Stir in the remaining flour until well blended.  Turn out onto lightly floured board.  Sprinkle with additional flour to ease handling.  Knead about 5 min.   Return to bowl, cover and let rise until dough has doubled in bulk.  Heat more cooking oil in a large skillet or deep fryer to 375℉.  Pinch off a small ball-size piece of dough, stretch and pull into desired shape.  Cook in deep fat until lightly browned on each side.  Drain on paper towel.  Serve hot with melted butter, cinnamon-sugar, honey, jam, or your favorite topping.

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Tamale Pie (2 versions)

Original Version:

Filling:
1 lb. ground beef
1 sm. chopped onion
1 jar (16 oz.) salsa
1/3c. water
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1c. frozen corn (optional)
1 can slices olives (optional)
Crust:
1c. corn meal
1 can evaporated milk
1can diced green chiles (optional)
1c. shredded cheese
1t. salt

Cook beef and onion in a large skillet until beef is browned; drain the grease.  Stir in salsa, water, and taco seasoning mix; bring to a boil.   Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally for 3-4 min.  Stir in corn and olives.  After preparing filling, combine corn meal, evaporated milk, chiles, 1/2c. cheese, and salt in a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium-high heat stirring frequently until thick.  Remove from heat.  Spoon filling into an ungreased 13x9-inch baking dish.  Spread cornmeal mixture over the top.  Bake at 425℉ for 25 min.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake another 5-10 min. to melt the cheese.

Easy version:

1 lb. ground beef 

1 onion

1 pkg. taco shells, broken up

1 can drained corn

1 can black olives, cut up 

1 lg. can tomato sauce

shredded cheese

In a skillet, brown the ground beef and onion.  Drain the fat.  Line a baking dish with the taco shells.  Then pour meat mixture over the taco shells.  Spread corn and olives over the meat.  Spread tomato sauce over the top.   Top with cheese and bake at 350℉ for 30 min. 

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Pizza Dough

1T. sugar
1t. salt
1T. shortening
1c. boiling water
1T. (pkg.) yeast, dissolved in 1/4c. lukewarm water
3c. flour

Mix sugar, shortening, and salt in boiling water, cool to lukewarm.  Add yeast mixture, then half the flour and mix well.  Stir in remaining flour until dough is manageable enough to knead (use more if needed).  Grease and flour pizza pan, then spread dough and add toppings.  Bake at 425℉ for 15-20 min. or until cheese starts to brown.

**To speed things up, dissolve sugar, shortening, and salt in 1/2c. boiling water, then add 1/2c. cold water to make lukewarm.

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Spice Cake (also Pumpkin Spice & Applesauce Spice Cake)

From BH&G's New Cook Book

2c. flour

1&1/2t. baking powder

1/2t. baking soda

1t. cinnamon

1/4t. nutmeg

1/4t. cloves

1/4t. ginger

1/4c. butter

1/4c. shortening

1&1/2c. sugar

1/2t. vanilla

2 eggs

1&1/4c. buttermilk or sour milk

In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, butter, and shortening.  Add the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and vanilla.  Stir well.  Mix in the buttermilk or sour milk.  Slowly stir in the flour.   Pour batter into a greased 9x13-inch pan and bake at 350℉ for 35-40 min. or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  See below for Applesauce Spice and Pumpkin Spice Cake directions.

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For Applesauce Spice Cake

Follow the above Spice Cake recipe with the changes below.

Add 1c. applesauce

Reduce sour milk to 1/4c.

For Pumpkin Spice Cake

Follow the above Spice Cake recipe with the changes below.

Add 1/2c. canned pumpkin

Reduce sour milk to 1c.     

Hello Dollies

1 stick margarine
2c. graham cracker crumbs
1c. coconut
1c. chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1c. chopped nuts (optional)

Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl.  Mix in graham cracker crumbs.  Spread graham cracker crumb mix in the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan.  Layer the coconut and chocolate chips over the graham cracker crust.  Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over the top.  Sprinkle the nuts on top.  Bake at 325℉ for 30 min.

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Poke & Pour Gelatin Cake

A variation from the Kraft website

1 pkg. white or yellow cake mix
2 egg whites
1&1/2c. water
1c. boiling water
1c. cold water
1 pkg. cherry, raspberry, or strawberry gelatin

Prepare cake mix as directed on package with egg whites and 1&1/2c. water.  Pour in greased and floured 13x9-inch pan.  Bake as directed.  Cool 15 min.  Meanwhile, prepare gelatin as directed on package with boiling water and cold water.  With tines of fork, poke holes to the bottom of the cake at 1/2-inch intervals.  Gently pour gelatin evenly over cake.  Refrigerate 3-4 hours before serving.  Serve with whipped cream.  Store in refrigerator.

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Graham Cracker Squares

1&1/2c. graham cracker crumbs (22 square graham crackers, crushed)
1 pkg. (6 oz.) chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1t. vanilla
1c. chopped nuts (optional)

Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla together in a bowl.  Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.  Pour in an 8x8-inch square pan and bake at 375℉ for 15-20 min.

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Common Kitchen Thickeners

Here are some thickening agents commonly found in the kitchen:

Flour

Cornstarch

Potato Starch

Tapioca

Eggs

Wheat

Butter

Cream

Cheese

For a more complete list of thickeners, please visit this site.

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Chicken Salad

4 med. chopped apples
4T. lemon juice
8 cooked chicken breasts, chopped
4c. seedless grapes, cut in half lengthwise
4c. diced celery (optional)
1c. finely diced onion
2t. salt
1/2t. pepper
2&2/3c. mayonnaise
1c. slivered almonds (optional)

Place chopped apples in a large bowl and pour lemon juice over the apples.  Gradually stir in remaining ingredients one at a time (chicken, grapes, celery, onion, mayo, and almonds).   Add the salt and pepper (if desired) to taste, mixing well.  Keep chilled.  Ingredients may be altered to suit individual tastes (i.e. leave out celery if you don't like it or use less salt if you're trying to reduce your salt intake).

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Poke & Pour Jello Pudding Cake

From Kraft Recipes

1 pkg. cake mix, any flavor
2 pkgs. (4-serving size) Jello Instant Pudding, any complementary flavor
1c. powdered sugar
4c. cold milk

Prepare cake mix as directed on package, baking in a 13x9-inch pan.  Remove from the oven.  Immediately poke holes down through the cake to the pan with the round handle of a wooden spoon (or plastic straw using twisting motions).  Holes should be 1-inch apart.  After poking the holes in the cake, combine pudding mix with sugar in a large bowl.  Gradually stir in milk.  Beat at low speed for no more than 1 min. (don't overbeat).  Quickly, before pudding thickens, pour about 1/2 of the thin pudding evenly over warm cake and into the holes to make stripes.  Allow remaining pudding to thicken slightly then spoon pudding over the top, swirling it to "frost" the cake.  Chill at least 1 hour. Store cake in refrigerator.

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Seven-League Pizzaburger

1 loaf french bread about 18 in. long
1 lb. ground beef
1/3c. grated parmesan cheese
1/4c. finely chopped onion
1/4c. chopped ripe olives
1t. salt
1/2-1t. oregano
a dash of pepper
6 oz. can (2/3c.) tomato paste
3 tomatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
5 slices sharp cheese, halved diagonally

Cut loaf of bread lengthwise in half.  Combine uncooked ground beef, parmesan cheese, onion, olives, tomato paste, and seasonings (salt, oregano, and pepper).  Mix well.  Spread evenly on each half of the loaf of bread.  Broil about 5 inches from heat for 12 min. or until meat is done.  Alternate tomato and cheese slices down the top.  Broil 1-2 min. more or just until cheese starts to melt.  Cut each half of the loaf in 4 or 5 slices.

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Milk products (sour, buttermilk, evaporated, sweetened condensed, cream cheese, and more)

Sour milk or buttermilk substitute:

1c. = 1T. lemon juice or white vinegar + enough milk for 1c.
Stir and let stand 5 min.


Evaporated milk substitute:

From frugal living

2/3c. dry milk
3/4c. water

Mix ingredients together and keep chilled.  Makes 8 oz.


Sweetened condensed milk (not sweet milk) substitute:

A 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk = whole milk + sugar
A 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk = 1&1/4c. sweetened condensed milk

To make sweetened condensed milk, use one of the following recipes:

From cooks.com

2 eggs
1c. brown sugar
1t. vanilla
2T. flour
1/2t. baking powder
1/4t. salt   

Mix ingredients together and keep chilled.

OR

From multiple sources on the internet

1c. dry milk (solid)
2/3c. sugar
1/3c. boiling water
3T. melted butter

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Keep chilled.  Makes 14 oz. 


Half-and-half or light cream:

1c. = 1T. melted butter + enough whole milk to make 1c.


Sour cream:

1c. = 1c. plain yogurt  

For healthier cream cheese substitutions, go to this awesomely helpful website.

Sweet milk:

From:  yahoo answers

Traditionally known as raw milk straight from the cow.  For a pasteurized product, may use whole milk, half-and-half, or evaporated milk.  For something closer to sweet milk, add 2T. heavy cream to 1c. whole milk.  DO NOT USE SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK!!!

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