A Frightfully Frugal Food Flaunt - Bones 'n Blood -

Serving any kind of treat for an event deserves a clever presentation.  Each year at our Elementary school our 4th graders have a fun afternoon feast of “Gross Grub” around Halloween time and the feast features healthy foods for the kids to snack on as sort of a counter attack on all the candy they tend to consume at this holiday.  This year, my daughter decided her contribution for this event would be “Bones ‘n Blood”.  It sounds terrifying but really it is just bread sticks dipped in Marinara.   For more of a meal and not just a side you could serve these with Tomato Soup. 

But how could I serve a huge pile of bones straight from a… boring Rubbermaid container???  And what about the blood?  I searched around home to see what I had already and then glanced at the store.  Nothing inexpensive was striking my fancy. 

After mulling this over (I dream about problems like these to solve… their solutions come in sleep or while driving for me or sometimes just as I sit at the desk and begin working) I decided that a simple canning jar that my daughter could decorate with leftover Halloween stickers would be just the thing for the blood.  And a large paper bag was just the solution for serving bread stick bones in IF, and only IF, it were decorated to look like Frankenstein.

I snipped the top of a paper bag in a zig-zag to look like scary hair, I found some artsy black foam and a scrap of green ribbon, two milk bottle caps in my recycling bin and a couple of googly eyes in my craft supplies.  For the nose I simply used a small colored band aid I happened to have on hand in the medicine cabinet and the mouth is a shred of red ribbon although I would have used rick-rack if I’d had it.  I drew in a scar with black permanent marker and shaded the entire bag face with white chalk, rubbing it in with my fingers when I was done.
 
This is my inexpensive way to cleverly present spooky food at a Halloween Party.



Serving containers were free with what I already had on hand combined with some creativity.

I stretched the recipe to feed more people by dividing the dough into twice as many strips for biscuits as the original recipe suggests for its twisted bread sticks.  A triple batch of these, now serving 72, cost about $1.50 using just 5 typical bread ingredients readily found in the pantry: water, sugar, yeast, salt and flour which produced a very soft, easy to work with dough.  If you choose store bought dough to shape yourself the price will rise.  Barilla Marinara Sauce was on sale for $1.77.  The main cost was my time.  I was home for 2 hours getting other things done while the dough was raising.  I spent the last 45 minutes of that time giving them undivided attention as I cut and formed one batch of bread sticks at a time and pushed them through the oven while I approached the next batch and repeated the same process allowing them to raise, covered and on the warm stove top, only while the previous batch was baking, two trays at a time until all three batches were cooling.

To make more of a meal with these I suggest dipping these into an accompanying homemade tomato soup, also blood-like if that suits your occasion, which is super simple to make and more satisfying than its canned counterpart.

Zucchini Pasta Sauce

Many gardeners find themselves with an overabundance of zucchini at some point during the summer months.  Perhaps you are that home gardener or maybe you find yourself being the lucky recipient of a friend or neighbor's harvest who has a greener thumb than you.  For me, what comes out of my tiny garden depends on the year and what seems like pure luck to me.  If you somehow find yourself without a garden fresh zucchini it is also inexpensive and plentiful in the grocery stores at this time of year.
Combining a White Sauce with the typical Red, this recipe is a great way to use some garden produce up and is a delicious way to sneak a few healthy vegetables into the most reluctant veggie eater's diet. Besides serving up a portion of hidden vegetables here, I also like this recipe because it serves a lot of people without using a lot of meat.  I'm sure you could omit the meat completely if you are vegetarian and still partake of dairy or if your budget simply does not stretch far enough to allow you to use the meat you have in your pantry at the moment.  Either way, serve this with a spoonful (or two) of mozzarella or freshly grated Parmesan over a cup of Bowties or other favorite pasta.  Along with freshly baked bread sticks and a garden salad you've got a complete meal.  Serves 7 - 8.  Enjoy!

Red Sauce

1/2 lb. ground beef or Italian sausage
1 onion, chopped (or 3 Tbsp. dried onion)
5-6 garlic cloves
2 (15 oz.) cans diced tomatoes (Italian Style works nicely)
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 zucchini, chopped or shredded
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda (to neutralize acid)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dried Parsley or Italian seasoning, to taste

In large saucepan, brown the meat.  Saute onions until tender once meat is cooked through.  Toss in garlic and lightly cook until fragrant.  Add the remaining Red Sauce ingredients and simmer on low with lid on for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  After one hour, vegetables should be tender.  You can use an immersion blender at this point if you intend to really disguise the vegetables or you can keep the texture of the sauce if you like.  Make the White Sauce and boil the noodles at some point while the Red Sauce is simmering.

White Sauce

1/4 c. butter (no substitutes)
1/4 c. flour
2  1/2 c. milk (try using powdered milk for at least half if you are trying to rotate it out of storage. Powdered milk incorporates nicely when you cook it on the stove top.)

In a medium saucepan melt butter over medium-low heat.  When melted, whisk in flour until combined.  Slowly add milk, whisking constantly until slightly thickened.

When Red Sauce is prepared stir in the White Sauce until combined.  Serve with a box of prepared Bowties or other favorite pasta and sprinkle with mozzarella or Parmesan.

Simple One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

Usually there is only one cupcake at my house because it is just that good and I’m decidedly a bit of a food snob.  (Not to scare anyone… just telling the truth).  Because it is a family favorite that I’m forbidden to share it often disappoints people that the only way they can get one is if I make it for them.  This year I got brave and decided to try something new.  After many failed attempts at finding a good cupcake, guess what?  We LOVE these!!!  They are perfect!  And I can share them!!!  The best part, besides the taste, (and the sharing) is that it is a plain chocolate cupcake which just fits the bill sometimes.  I’m not giving up my old family favorite anytime soon but these quick, one bowl creations are super moist and delicious enough to pass even my taste test.  They are now permanently added to my repertoire.

How does this recipe fit into my “provident simplicity” theme?  Not only are the ingredients simple and probably all on your pantry shelf right now but it’s always way less expensive to make a beautiful treat than to stop in at the local bakery.  So put some money back in your pocket book and enjoy the creativity you have to produce these for your next event or classroom birthday party.
Chocolate Cupcake:
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. plus 2 TBSP. unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk or regular milk with a splash of lemon juice
1/2 c. canola oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. boiling water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin tins with baking cups. 
Combine sugars, cocoa, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  Add egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla to combine.  Add boiling water and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  The batter will be thin.  Fill cups 3/4 full with batter.
Bake 15-20 minutes or until center tests clean.  Cool completely and decorate as desired.
Serves 14-16 regular cupcakes or 12 jumbo sized cupcakes.
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Cupcake Toppers:
These cupcakes deserve something homemade on the top of them but you can be as plain or as fancy as you want to be with these cupcakes.  Use something you already love or try what I did.  Mine were served with a chocolate ganache spooned over the top followed by a thick vanilla buttercream frosting after they were cooled which I squeezed out of a cookie press for a dramatic effect in the first photo.  With some chocolate sprinkles shaken over them I was done.  Or you can make this into chocolate buttercream if you want, with my directions down below.  The second picture is the same vanilla buttercream recipe with a cup full of fresh pitted and chopped cherries and a splash of almond extract stirred into the mix.  Spread this over the cupcake tops with a knife.  With a stemmed cherry and a piece of a Hershey Bar stuck on the tops for a totally different look they also gave a beautiful and dramatic effect at my daughter’s graduation party out on our deck last spring.
Ganache:
4 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup heavy cream gently stirred and melted over low heat in a double boiler.  You can try your hand at heating the cream to bubbling in the microwave and then stirring in the chocolate chips until melted but chocolate can be temperamental and cannot be overheated.  Whisk together until smooth.  Cool uncovered until slightly thickened.  Spoon over the tops of your cupcakes.
Buttercream Frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter with a pinch of salt or 1 cup salted butter
3 cups powdered sugar
4-6 Tbsp. milk or cream
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
(Optional: You can also add almond, lemon or peppermint extract to taste or leave it plain vanilla)
Beat butter about 1 minute until smooth and creamy.  Add powdered sugar and beat on low until combined.  Increase speed once combined and beat for a full minute.  Add extracts and milk one at a time beating after each addition until desired consistency is reached.  Beat on medium high speed until light and fluffy. 
(For chocolate buttercream just add in 1/3 to 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, and add additional cream or milk as necessary)

Peanut Butter and Jam Ice Cream Sandwiches… Gluten Free!

I don’t need to eat a gluten free diet like several of my friends do but I tried these out so they could be served specifically to a couple of my young friends at a church event a few months ago.  They were a hit!  They are very easy to make and delicious enough that you’ll have to bring enough for those not on a gluten free diet as well.  Really a fun treat for all and they were gone quickly.  Gluten free foods and recipes have gotten much better in my opinion as well as more common in recent years.  With multiple requests, here is the recipe:

Cookie
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (must be regular and not natural style)
6 Tbsp. brown sugar packed
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 medium or large egg white
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray cookie sheet.  Beat Peanut Butter, brown sugar, baking soda and egg white until combined.  Form dough into 24 even balls by about a 1/2 Tbsp.  Place on cookie sheet and slightly flatten with your hand.  Place in freezer for 10 minutes.  Then bake 5-7 minutes until cookies puff up and edges are set.  Remove cookies onto  rack and cool completely.
Filling
Vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt
Strawberry or Raspberry Jam  (Homemade strawberry marmalade is amazing too)
To assemble:
On 12 flipped cookies spoon a small amount of jam or marmalade and a small scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt on top of that.  Sandwich a second cookie on top of each to create a “sandwich” and gently press together.  Store in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to serve.  These transport well over a short distance using an ice cooler.
Serves approximately 12.
Recipe doubles easily.

Secret Fairy Garden

While my heart most certainly lies elsewhere, in reality I live in a fairly urban area barely outside of the city limits with a postage stamp yard that is nearly as tight on space for us as the inside of our little house is with five children.  But while space may be tight and reality suggests something less than perfect there is no limit on where our imaginations can carry us.  My now 8 year old daughter and I have enjoyed working on this idea of a fairy garden over the past several years adding to it a little bit at a time.  It is a work always in progress.  This project is fun, a great way to connect and spend time with your child or just combat boredom on hot summer days.  Best of all, this is entertainment that takes no money using things that are already on hand or can be found lying unused and underappreciated around the house or garage.  I like to keep a little junk box the size of a shoe box for odds and ends that come in handy for projects such as this.    Using your imagination, the sky is the limit.  

So take a walk past our tomato garden next to the garage, through the locked garden gate overflowing with white flowery vines, underneath the arbor filled with pink lemonade honeysuckle; an oasis for hummingbirds, past the spring lilacs and you’re on your way to escape in a Secret Fairy Garden; the stuff literary tales are spun of.

On the curved path, pass the Black Eyed Susans, the Welcome Kitties and the small love rock that was a Mother’s Day gift.

Pass the remembrance garden filled with impatiens, the three little kittens and a wonderful pink butterfly.

You will find a small bird house floating in the midst of some tall wild flowers.  Duck behind the laundry airing out on the line daily and it’s time to look down to find a tiny little Fairy Garden filled with treasure and the inspiring imagination of a little girl.

Take a seat!  Take a close look… Strung on floral wire between a picnic fork and spoon you will find “Joy Garden” crafted from alphabet beads and a fairy sign made out of popsicle sticks in the midst of tiny flowers with bead pots and a clam shell growing a tiny bed of flowers which guard a single little white pearl in an area littered with the smallest shells pockets can hold from our Northern Atlantic Coast summertime adventure.

Among these you will find a little fairy contemplating by her bead pot filled with flowers who watches over her cute tiny turtles and her bicycle.

In a sunny spot sits a small wooden birdhouse found in the garage repurposed; repainted and decorated to a Fairy’s liking with fresh green paint, a string of pearls, some flowers and a stone roof with a stony walkway to the front door as well.  More bead pots adorn the landscape and a marble serves as a ball for Fairy recreation.

Did you notice the little table and lamp… made from an empty spool, a pink cut straw and a toothpaste cap… perfect for reading in the evenings or sitting on the clam shell and watching a sunrise.

Here is the little clam garden with the pearl again and a resident horse goes for a refreshing drink at the shell pond.

 

His stable nearby is tucked secretly under the peony leaves next to some more coastal treasures.

Tucked under the greenery and within the forest of mint or among the rocks lining the Fairy garden you will see that our Fairy Friend shares her space with a sweet little cow, a friendly squirrel and a Maine Coast Minion who doesn’t really cause any trouble.  The black and white kitty mysteriously disappeared during our vacation and is sorely missed now.

The time my daughter and I have spent here with our imaginations working together truly makes this a garden of joy.

More Paper Bag Scrap Books

Inspired by how much I enjoyed making my Mom’s paper bag scrap book and the desire to make a special homemade gift for a special retiring teacher that I had the opportunity to work with this past year as she taught a third child of mine I decided that another paper bag scrap book was the best gift I could give.  Our kindergarten teacher had made the most amazing scrap books for each of my children the year she had them and I hoped she might enjoy being on the receiving end as much as we had.

 

Again, I alternated direction of the paper bags so that the openings and flaps would lay neatly and create interesting flaps and pockets for the scrap book.  I found pictures of each of my children from the year she had had them and found quotes and poetry about teachers.  Each of my children included a personal note as well, to make it more meaningful. 

My second grade daughter enjoyed making an appreciation gift for her teacher modeled after my scrap book.  Easy and fun… just takes time.

This was so much fun we spent more time making one for the retiring principal who had been so helpful to us through the years as well!  Perhaps you will be inspired to make a personal gift that is both meaningful and inexpensive.

Of course, what better gift wrap for a  paper bag scrap book than a brown paper bag!  I love brown paper bags!  Tied with kitchen twine and decorated with a sticker and a fresh spring flower, it was a festive looking package with a gift straight from the heart.