Calzones

The last post was a recipe for home-made pizza. Since then, I have used the pizza crust to make a calzone.

It works very well; you just bake it longer.

Here is how I made the dish tonight:

• I made spaghetti
• I made the pizza crust
• Roll out the pizza crust and spoon the spagetti into the middle, (like you would for a burrito).
• Roll the crust up like a giant burritto, pinching the ends and placing it folded side down on the ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 400* for 30-35 minutes. After it bakes, slide it out and brush it with butter and bake for five more minutes to brown it (or if you are brave, put it on broil).

After I made the spaghetti calzone, I thought it would have been even better if I had sprinkled some garlic salt/powder or Italian herbs on top. Have fun with it!

Here are some good ideas for a large variety of calzones.

Home-made Pizza

I found a great recipe for pizza crust a couple of years ago. It has served me well, so I decided to share. I always double the recipe to make a giant pizza.

Self rising pizza crust:

2 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry yeast

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup oil

Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. I mix all together with a wooden spoon.

I roll it out on top of a large piece of aluminum foil (sprinkle with flour). Pick it up and flatten it into the pan and up the sides.

Top with sauce, cheese, and toppings. Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes (make sure it is browned or it will be gummy).

Easy Fudge Recipe

Easy Fudge

You can use an 8x8 or even a bread pan if you want a big block of it.

This is so easy and so yumm!

1. 2 pounds of powdered sugar
2. 1 cup of cocoa
3. 1/2 cup of milk
4. 1 tsp of salt (I don't put this in unless my butter is unsalted)
5. 2 sticks of butter
6. 2 tsp vanilla (I use maple flavoring sometimes too)

Mix 1st four ingredients in a very large microwave safe bowl. Cut butter into pieces and add to the top. Microwave on high for 2 minutes (my microwave takes longer).

Stir very well with a mixer and pour into pan. Refrigerate until set.

You can buy foil pans to pour it in if you want to give as a gift

Frugal at Home: Once-A-Month Cooking Family Favorites: Review and Giveaway

Frugal at Home: Once-A-Month Cooking Family Favorites: Review and Giveaway

Chicken, Beef, Bean, or plain Cheese Enchildada

This recipe comes from Michael's aunt Carolyn. We love it!

This recipe is so versatile! The chicken mentioned can be replaced with refried beans, plain beans, cheese or beef! You can get my "from-scratch" recipes by clicking the highlighted words.

• 1 cup of boned chicken [or refried beans, chili beans, beans & rice mixed, shredded cheese only, or beef (hb meat or shredded)]
• 2 cups of grated Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup Chicken broth or water
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• Vegetable oil
• 1 can of diced green chiles
• 1/2 tsp of pepper
• 1/2 cup of chopped onion (I just use about a tablespoon of onion powder since Michael isn't fond of onions)
• 6 soft corn or flour tortillas

Chop cooked chicken, add diced onions (or onion powder), and let set. Add diced green chilies to cream of chicken soup and mix with chicken broth. Set aside. Take tortillas, add chicken and onion, tablespoon of shredded cheese and roll up and place into a 9 x 13 oil sprayed pan. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Cover with cream of chicken soup mixture and bake at *400 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Chicken Vegetable stew

Today I made a very large stock pot of chicken stew. Here are my directions:

Ingredients: Chop or prepare the ingredients below (adding to or deleting to your taste), cover with water and boil until tender.

• One portion each of cooked chicken & one portion of chicken broth. *Option: This is roughly one or two cans of pre-cooked chicken or 2 chicken breasts and one 14 ounce can of chicken broth. You could also use beef instead!
  
• 2 diced stalks of celery
• 5 diced carrots
• 7 potatoes peeled and diced
• 1/4 of a red (or white) cabbage, diced
• 1 can of kernel corn
• 1 small can of mushrooms
• 4 tomatoes, peeled and diced *option: you can use a can of diced tomatoes
• Season with salt, pepper, dry onion powder, & dry garlic powder
  

After the above ingredients have cooked to tender add:

• 1/2 - 1 cup of sour cream, or plain yogurt, or milk, or a can of cream of chicken soup!
  
• 4 tablespoons of cornstarch: Get 1 cup of cold water and mix in the cornstarch well before pouring into the pot (after all ingredients are cooked and water is boiling)
• 1 cup of dry rice, cooked according to directions. Dump this in any time after the veggies are tender.
  

This makes a giant pot of chicken stew. If you think it is too much you can adjust by halving the ingredients, or sharing with friends and family!

I usually take all leftovers and freeze into single serving sized portion containers to heat up later for lunches!

How to Stretch a Chicken :-)

I know the title of my post sounds hilarious, but it is a skill of which a frugal Home-maker should be very aware!

Here are my humble instructions:

1. Boil or cook your chicken in a crock pot:

• Make sure your chicken is completely covered in water. Add garlic, onion or onion powder, salt, & pepper and poultry seasoning (optional). Dice fresh celery and add to the water.
  

2. Remove the chicken from the broth. Place the chicken in a covered bowl and refrigerate. Strain the broth and refrigerate in a separate bowl.

3. The next day (after meat and broth have been refrigerated all night), de-bone the chicken and separate the meat into zip-loc bags according to how many meals you want the chicken to be stretched. I usually separate our meat into 3 or 4 quart-sized bags (depends on the size of the chicken).

4. Take the broth and scrape the layer of fat (it will have risen to the top) away into the garbage. Separate the broth (will be a jelly-like consistency) into zip-loc bags according to how much you need. Most recipes will call for 14 ounces... so that is a good amount to pour into your bags.

Freeze all into separate containers. Now you should have at least 3 or 4 ready to go portions of cooked chicken and broth!