GET TOGETHER GOODIES

This weekend, I am sure a lot of people will be having cook-outs and family gatherings.  Hard to believe, but this is summer's last big HOORAH!  Labor Day will be the official start of fall.

Will you be grilling?  Hamburgers, hotdogs, steaks, chicken, oh my!  We also like to grill fruit.  You should try halving peaches and grilling them - oh my goodness they are good.  Pineapple slices are wonderful grilled as well.  It sure brings out the sugars in fruit.
Like Ellen mentioned the other day, grilled zucchini is wonderful too.  I like to cut lengthwise into slabs (you could cut in thick rounds as well), a little olive oil drizzle and season and grill.  Rounds grilled are great on top of a hamburger in a bun!

There are so many options for fun and different goodies for gatherings.


GRILLED CORN
De-husk your corn
Grease up with a little olive oil, season with some Kosher salt, pepper, and smoked paprika and place on grill or grate.  Turn often.  Done in about 25 minutes.


STRAWBERRY WATERMELON SLUSH
 1 pint strawberries, hulled and halved
2 C watermelon, seeded and cubed
1/3 C sugar
1/3 C lemon juice
2 ice cubes

Combine berries, watermelon, sugar and lemon juice in blender.  Blend till smooth.  Gradually add ice and continue to blend.  Serves 5 or 6


BLT PASTA SALAD
8 oz. pkg. elbow macaroni - cooked
4 C diced tomatoes
4 slices bacon fried - and crumbled
3 C shredded lettuce

1/2 C mayo
1/3 C sour cream
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt and pepper

Rinse macaroni in cold water and drain.  Add next 3 ingredients and set aside.  Mix topping ingredients, stir well; pour over mac mixture.  Serve immediately.


5 MINUTE ICE CREAM CAKE
9 ice cream sandwiches
chocolate and caramel syrup
1 container of thawed Cool Whip

Unwrap and line up 3 sandwiches side by side (touching)
Drizzle with a little caramel or chocolate syrup
Top with 3 more sandwiches
Drizzle with the other type of syrup
Top with the last 3 sandwiches
ICE with Cool Whip and drizzle with both chocolate and caramel topping.
Place in the freezer till whipped cream sets.
Slice and enjoy!

Hope this gives you a few new ideas for your gathering.
Experiment, try new things, and most of all - ENJOY all the yummies!!!!!! 

ZUCCHINI Surplus Part 2

Here we go again.
Time for some more recipes to use all those zucchini and often times yellow squash with.  The 2 types of squash are pretty interchangeable.
I hope you enjoy some of these this summer.

This first one is a dish I have made for years, as did my Mom.  I can give you directions, amounts of each ingredient depends on how many you plan to feed.


ZUCCHINI SKILLET
1/2 lb. (give or take some) of bacon or ground sausage
If using bacon, remove from the pan and keep grease.
Slice up onion, zucchini, and/or yellow squash and cook in the bacon grease or sausage grease.
Once tender, add back in bacon crumbled.
Thinly slice tomatoes, and lay over the top of the squash mixture.  Add shredded cheese, turn heat to low, and cover the pan till cheese has melted.
Serve as is or over rice. 
This is one of our FAVORITE dishes.  The combination of flavors is incredibly yummy!


JALAPENO POPPER ZUCCHINI BOATS
(I received this recipe from a friend - it is also a favorite)
2 medium zucchini
6 Tbsp. shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. cream cheese (softened) *
2 Tbsp. sour cream *
1 1/2 tsp. chopped jalapeno peppers *
4 Tbsp. Panko bread crumbs

Heat the oven to 400*.  Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds.  Microwave for 1 -2 minutes.
Mix cheddar, cream cheese, and sour cream and peppers.
Spread about 2 Tbsp. of mixture in each zucchini boat.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs
Bake for 25 minutes or until the crumb topping is golden brown.
*I increase these ingredients by 2X - as the original recipe just didn't contain enough in our opinion.


ZUCCHINI JAM
(I just want to offer a disclaimer to this that it would not be approved by USDA rules.  I make this each year, and shelf store, and have never had a problem.  Use YOUR OWN judgment)

3 C peeled, grated zucchini (good way to use large ones)
1/2 C lemon juice
1 - 3 oz. box gelatin - peach, pineapple, raspberry, or strawberry work great
3 C sugar
Bring zucchini and lemon juice to a boil and boil for 10 minutes.  Add gelatin and sugar.  Boil for 6 more minutes.  Pour into sterilized jelly jars and seal tops with paraffin.  Once set - please add lids and bands (extra care for keeping out insects)
I have never had one person figure out that there was zucchini in this jam!
I know several people who make this.

ENJOY your summer squash and these recipes.
GROW, HARVEST, EAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Frugal happenings 6/26

Happy Sunday everyone.  I hope you have had a good week.
My week was a bit of ups and downs.

 On Tuesday (our coolest day of the week) I went out to mow and do some yard work.  Well, I ended up with a bad case of heat exhaustion.  I did not feel back to 'normal' till Saturday.
It was really an awful feeling.  I felt sick at my tummy, light headed, forgetful, and just plain tired.  I really felt like I had a "bad hangover" for days.  I did not like that feeling.

But even with feeling bad, life had to go on.  I still did my usual stuff, and my sister and I had to accompany our brother Ron to his cancer doctor, so he could get his monthly shot (he had missed 2).  That was quite the ordeal.  It took a total of about 4 hours, and this was Wednesday (so not feeling well).  Mentioning Ron, we are all getting frustrated, as he seems to have quit trying.  We are all on a mission to get him home - it seems more than he is.  I am at my wits end - just don't know what to do anymore.

Sorry, I digressed.  Back to all things frugal!
My week:

• I made up and used chemical free pest control for lettuce, cabbage and broccoli (1/2 and 1/2 baking soda and flour)
• Picked more lettuce and my FIRST cucumber!!!!!  Also getting green onions
• Refilled all my seasoning and spice jars in the kitchen from the bulk containers I have.
• Had a MAJOR house cleaning day at the first of the week
• Dried oregano, rosemary, thyme, and more mint from the garden
• I did make it to Fresh Thyme market for double dip Thursday (you get both weeks sales).  I got brown eggs for .58/dozen. peaches (.77/lb.), seedless watermelon (2.88), and 6 fruit mangos (3/$1)
• We were gifted 4 large jalapeno smoked sausages to try
• Laundry in cold (and used dehumidifier water) and line dried
• Filled my gas tank and got a .30/gallon discount making gas 1.86/gallon
• After going to rehab visit Saturday, I stopped at one yard sale and at the church thrift store.  I got 2 wrist supports ($1 ea.) and a pair of jeans (.25) and 2 loaves of bread (FREE).
• I stopped at Kroger to get milk on sale for 1.49/gal. and of course looked at clearance/closeouts.  I found 3 containers chocolate/marshmallow frosting (2018) for .68 each, 2 bags of white chocolate macadamia nut cookie mix for .78 ea. (12/2017), and 2 bags of craisins  (2018) for .63 ea.  All went into downstairs pantry for future use!

My $2.25 haul!  Bread was free at the church thrift store.  They get bread twice a week, and give to everyone.  It was still extremely soft, so I wrapped it extra good, and one is in the frig and one in the freezer.

I got both a right and left wrist support, each with a metal stave at the wrist.  If you look closely at the original price tag it's dated 1999, and they had never been opened.  The last ones I bought a few years ago were $14.99 each.  I was more than pleased with this yard sale purchase.******************************************************************

Meals this week: 2015 garden green beans with small potatoes and ham steaks, leftover beans/boiled eggs/crispy chicken strips, grilled cheese sandwiches and salsa and chips, hamburgers and fries, homemade egg salad sandwiches and a side salad, fried chicken and a salad (2X).

Treats were: finished the cheesecake made last week, peaches from the freezer, watermelon, nuts
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Hopefully our temps will go down in a couple days to the low 80's.  We had rain a couple times this week, so I only had to water my pots (with collected rain water).  It has been so hot!!!!  Heat indexes have been at least 100*+  and the humidity has been crazy.  One day humidity level was 84% according to the news.
My outdoor kitties (and squirrels and birds) have plenty of water bowls around, and I change the water regularly.  They have shade and just lay around trying to stay cool.  Momma kitty is shedding something awful!  Her fur is so thick, so I am glad to see her lose some of it.

What was your week like?  Are you doing well surviving the heat and staying cool?  Are you getting garden produce yet?  Tell us your frugal finds!
I just love hearing from others, and I know other readers enjoy seeing what everyone is up to.  It's really fun for everyone.

Have a wonderful and safe week my friends.  May the Lord bless you in every way.
Wishing you happiness and peace.

Garden Update

My garden has been growing really well.  We have had really warm temps and lots of rain the past couple weeks.
Still only picking lettuce and green onions, but it won't be long.  I have small yellow squash on the vine and zucchini are blooming, as well as peppers.  Also have some tiny cucumbers out there.
YUM - I can't wait!
I have been picking and drying herbs as well.

This was on June 8th.

This was June 14th.

This was June 21st

It's growing rapidly.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES (for preserving)

The gardens are starting to produce well in various parts of the country.  Farmer Markets are up and running.  It is time to get our plans made for what we want to can and preserve.
I know a lot of people can only have small gardens - enough to keep them in fresh veggies for eating only.  If you want to put up fresh food for the winter, also think about going to farm markets or directly to the farmer.

I know that markets often sell out of the "good stuff" early - but you also want to check them out at the end of the day.  Many vendors don't want to pack-up their items - so you can often get a great deal.

Here is a few weights and measures to keep in mind for canning and preserving pleasure!

Bushel of apples = 48 lbs.  Canned = 16-20 quarts
Bushel of cherries = 56 lbs.  Canned 22-32 quarts
Bushel of peaches = 48 lbs.  Canned = 18-24 quarts
Bushel of pears = 50 lbs.  Canned 20-25 quarts
Bushel of plums = 56 lbs.  Canned = 24-30 quarts
Bushel of tomatoes = 53 lbs.  Canned 15-20 quarts
Bushel of green beans = 30 lbs.  canned 15-20 quarts
Bushel of topped beets = 52 lbs.  Canned = 17-20 quarts
Bushel of topped carrots = 50 lbs.  Canned = 16-20 quarts
Bushel of peas = 30 lbs.  Canned 12-15 quarts
(remember - if canning in pints you get twice the number of jars)

I generally blanch and freeze my green beans, and I have always put about a pound of beans in a quart bag - but that is what works for us.

DON'T FORGET - you can keep and cook the tops of beets, turnips, radish, and carrots.  I know someone who uses the carrot tops fresh and puts them in their smoothies.
We recently tried turnip greens for the first time and they were wonderful!
The tops of veggies are the parts many people throw away or compost - but heck fire - that's free food.   We all like FREE!

**To change pounds to Kilograms multiply by 0.45

I hope this helps you figure out what you need to get you through the winter with your food preservation.
HAPPY CANNING!

Frugal Happenings 6/19

Good morning my friends.
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all the dads out there.

We sure have had a mixed bag of weather this week.  Started out with fairly nice temps, then we had torrential downpours mid week, now the heat and humidity are back for a few days.
It's not quite even summer (officially) yet, and we have all felt the heat!  Here's hoping for a mild summer season!!!!!

Other than running to the rehab, much of my week was spent at home.  I only stopped by Kroger once to look at clearance.  I just haven't felt like going much this week.  This has been a blah week for me for some reason.  I guess we all have them.

My week in a nutshell;

• Line dried laundry.  Oh how I love doing that! (It doesn't take much to excite me)
• Now have 110 gallons of rain water in my barrels after the big rain
• Did a bunch of  yard work.  Worked in the flower beds to pull weeds while the ground was wet.  That is a never ending job!
• Tried a new recipe (I'll post this next week - it was yummy)
• Dried more mint from the yard
• Used up the last of the older 'fresh' potatoes in 2 different meals
• Gave myself a pedi
• My only grocery buy - was 8 cartons of whole shelf stable milk (Hershey brand) on clearance for .59 each.  Dated march, 2017
• Made a library run
• Picked and ate more lettuce
• Used rain water to water plants when needed
• All meals and drinks from home.
• Shopped the pantry for items needed this week - no groceries bought
• Made a no-bake cheesecake from items I had on hand

CHEESECAKE
1 - 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1 - 8 oz. Cool Whip (thawed)
1/2 C sugar
Blend all together.
I didn't even make a crust - I simply crushed up some graham crackers and then added the filling over it and spread to even.  Added a can of cherry pie filling on top.  So easy and yummy!  G said "I'm not sure if it was good - I think I need another piece to see".  LOL (he didn't get it!!!!)

Bird planted and squirrel approved sunflower!  It's about waist tall now.  See the leaves on the ground?  That's the state of my back yard till fall.  Our tulip poplar tree starts losing leaves 2nd week of June every year.

I got bee stung this week in the palm of my hand!  I was breaking up some branches that had fallen out of the tree during the storm, and there was a darned old bee IN one of the limbs.  My home made remedies worked for keeping it from hurting and swelling - but a couple days later now, it sure does itch!   That's one of those pesky places you really don't want an itch!!

My garbage disposal officially died this week.  I do believe the bearings went out.  This one has been in since 2011, and has just recently started giving me problems.  The one before that, lasted 20+ years.  Guess things aren't made as well any more.  I am trying to decide if I want to replace it (I do love it!).  For now, I am keeping a small holed strainer in the sink to catch bits and pieces. 
So that saga continues!
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Meals this week;  broiled chicken and dressing, nacho grande casserole (2X), pork chops with homemade cheesy potatoes and salad, tuna patties with mac n cheese and salad, dirty rice with pork and salad, toast and sausage gravy and fried potatoes.

Snacks - strawberries and pineapple mixed, ice cream floats, mixed nuts, cheesecake.
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As you can see, nothing much exciting happening in my neck of the woods.  My big exciting moments have been watching the squirrels play (the young ones are so darned cute) and watching my hummingbirds.  They absolutely amaze me.
What's happening around your home place?

I hope you and yours all have a blessed week.  Wishing peace, health and happiness to all.
Take care my friends!

ZUCCHINI Surplus? Part 1

It's getting to be that time of the year again!  It seems that no matter how many or how few zucchini plants you have, that there is always a surplus.

Zucchini is such a versatile veggie.  It basically takes on the taste of whatever it is cooked with, while adding vitamins, minerals, and fiber to your meals.
During it's 'season', we probably eat zucchini in some fashion at least 5 days a week.

**I love putting grated zucchini in measured amounts in the freezer - to make zucchini bread with, during the winter.
**We love it chopped and added to spaghetti sauce, instead of meat.
**FRIED zucchini is one of our favorites.  Often times, I fry zucchini and green tomatoes, and that is our dinner!  YUM - my mouth is watering just thinking of it.
**I dice and add to omelets and scrambled eggs (along with diced onion)
**G loves it when I make 'zoodles'.  I use my mandolin and cut zucchini into noodles and use it instead of spaghetti!
** I often replace cucumbers with zucchini when canning pickles.  We actually prefer zucchini pickles to cuke ones.   It is great in relish canning recipes as well.

Golly, the list could go on and on.
I will try to list some zucchini recipes each week, so that no one gets bored with their surplus!


One of our summer favorites!
FRESH ZUCCHINI SALAD
Dice zucchini (in whatever amount you want)  This is a good way to use those large ones.
Dice onion
Dice tomatoes
Mix all together and add Italian dressing to coat well.
Let it set over night in the frig and serve.
This is so refreshing and yummy.  We have zucchini and/or cucumber salad almost daily in our house in the summer


FAUX PINEAPPLE
16 C peeled, grated or diced zucchini (de-seeded).  Also a good way to use large ones!
1 1/2 C Bottled lemon juice
1 can (46 oz.) unsweetened pineapple juice
3 C sugar

Remove peeling and seeds from zucchini and grate (for crushed) or dice (wedge shapes for chunk).
Mix all ingredients thoroughly and simmer for 20 minutes.  Stir frequently.  Pour hot mixture into sterilized, hot jars, leaving 1/2" head space.
Process 30 minutes in a boiling water bath.
Use as a substitute for pineapple in any recipe.
You could HALVE the recipe if you want to can less.
(Last year I made 'crushed' - and use it in breads, cakes, dump-cake, and jello)


ZUCCHINI FRITTERS
5 tbsp. Bisquick (or similar product)
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. butter
2 C shredded zucchini  (Again - use those big ones!)
Blend Bisquick, cheese, and seasoning; add 2 eggs.  Grate the zucchini into the mixture to make a batter.
Melt the 2 Tbsp. butter over medium heat and pour batter into pan or on griddle into small pancakes.  Fry 4 - 5 minutes on each side - till golden brown and center is done.
Serve warm with a dab of butter or sour cream.
These are a great side dish!


ZUCCHINI PANCAKES
1 egg
1/2 C complete pancake mix
1/3 c milk
1/2 C firmly packed grated zucchini
1 Tbsp. oil
Mix all the ingredients.  Place by heaping tablespoons full on a little oiled griddle,  Cook until each side is golden and center done.
makes 6 - 8 pancakes.
Serve with your usual breakfast.


This should give you a few ideas.  I will be adding new zucchini recipes every few days.  I hope you enjoy your harvest and never get bored with it!

Do you have any favorite recipes you'd like to share?  PLEASE let us know!