Blog Recommendation

http://frugalplayground.com/

This blog has a list of all the "kids eat free" nights and lots of ideas for cheap or free entertainment for families in central Iowa. It's just nice to have it bookmarked if you are having one of those days when you think it would be fun to go do something! I can't remember who told me about it; otherwise, I would thank you right now. :)

Pudding

I found a recipe that I like even better for chocolate pudding here.

(It also has recipes for vanilla and butterscotch, but I haven't tried them.)

I haven't read anything else on this blog, but I do like this recipe! :)

Hamburger Rice Casserole

A great comfort food and makes a big batch! You may want to cut the recipe in half if you don't like leftovers.

In a pot, brown:
2 lbs hamburger
2 cups onion, finely diced
4 stalks celery, diced

Add and simmer:
2 cups brown rice (measured before cooked), cooked in beef stock or water
sea salt

Add white sauce to pot and mix well. Heat through.

White Sauce:
Melt 3 T butter. Add 3 T arrowroot powder. Whisk constantly for 2-3 minutes. Slowly add 2 cups organic whole milk. Simmer till thick and bubbly.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Mmmm! This recipe is adapted from the tea room in Perry, Iowa. It takes a little extra work but you can just throw baked potatoes in the oven with it and have a whole meal! There were also enough leftovers for another meal for our family which is unusual, so I think it was worth the time.

3 cups cooked rice (I used a mixture of rices, including wild rice.)
16 oz. package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
3 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 cup shredded organic cheddar cheese
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms or 2 cans organic mushrooms
2/3 cup mayonnaise (I use Hain's safflower.)
10 3/4 oz. can organic cream of mushroom soup or half-recipe of homemade
1 tsp mustard
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I have used Ezekiel or homemade bread.)
2 T organic butter
parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. In a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan, layer rice, broccoli, chicken, cheese, and mushrooms. In a small bowl, combine mayo, soup, and mustard. Pour over chicken mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Saute bread crumbs in butter until crisp. Sprinkle crumbs and parsley over top. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes or until bubbling hot.

Peanut Butter Fig Blondies

I would have never guessed that these would be as good as they are; I was just trying to use up a jumbo bag of figs that I had bought at Costco! This recipe is from What the Bible Says About Healthy Living Cookbook.

1 cup dried figs

Dry Ingredients
1/2 cup plus 2 T oat flour (I put rolled oats through my grain mill.)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
scant 1/4 tsp sea salt

Wet Ingredients
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup honey and/or real maple syrup (I used a combo.)
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 325. Spray an 8 x 8 baking pan.

2. Cut the stems from each fig and cut each into quarters. Place them in a small bowl and cover the figs with very hot tap water. Let them sit for 10 - 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl and the wet ingredients in a medium bowl, mixing well.

4. Drain the figs, reserving 3 T of the water. Put figs and reserved water into food processor and make a paste. Add to wet ingredients. Mix well.

5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.

6. Put batter into pan and bake for 30 minutes.

Hearty Black Bean Soup

1 lb. nitrate- and nitrite-free organic bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 large onions
2 medium carrots, diced small
2 cloves garlic
4 (15-oz.) cans organic black beans, drained
4 cups organic chicken stock
sea salt, to taste
sour cream (optional)
fresh cilantro, diced (optional)

In large pot over medium heat, cook bacon until slightly crisp. Remove excess grease. Add veggies; cook until soft, about 15 - 20 minutes. Add garlic, beans, broth, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Garnish with sour cream and cilantro if desired.

This tasted better than I expected it would! :)

Chicken Divan & Homemade Condensed Mushroom Soup

from my sister Elizabeth Behrens' kitchen

2 or more cups cooked brown rice
2 bunches fresh broccoli, chopped and lightly steamed
2 - 3 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
cream of mushroom soup (recipe below or sub 2 cans)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 - 2 tsp lemon juice
sea salt
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/2 - 3/4 cup bread crumbs
butter or oil

Combine soup, mayo, lemon juice, and salt. Keep the mixture relatively thin by adding milk or water.

Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Layer rice, then broccoli, then chicken. Pour soup mixture over layers. Sprinkle cheese on top. Combine crumbs and butter/oil (I sauteed the crumbs IN butter to make them crunchy), and sprinkle over all. Bake at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes or about one hour longer if casserole is coming out of freezer.


Cream of Mushroom Soup (equivalent of 2 cans)

2 T butter
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup whole wheat flour (I used arrowroot to make it thicker, but I should have done half and half or just used wheat. It made it TOO thick.)
1 tsp salt or more
12 fresh mushrooms (I used organic canned.)
2 cups of milk

Heat butter and oil then add flour and salt, whisking briskly. Add mushrooms and cook about a minute. Add milk and stir until thickened.