Frugal Friday: Four Unusual Ways to Use Applesauce

 I love living in a part of a country where we have 4 distinct seasons, and Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year in Upstate New York.  I love it so much, sometimes I go a little bananas picking apples. (Get it, bananas. . .apples. . .see, that’s cute? Oh, nevermind.)  

I’m not exaggerating when I say that every year I end up with bushels of apples in my kitchen, all ready to become yummy, cinnamon-y applesauce.  My kids would eat applesauce every day, at every meal, so I never have to worry about making too much. But if you are like me and have lots of applesauce to make, here are a few different things to do with your applesauce. (And I promise none of them involves pork chops!)

1. Homemade Apple Leather -- this is a healthy, easy, and delicious snack.

2. As a substitute for oil in baked goods -- in general, you can substitute applesauce for oil in a 1:1 ratio: that is, if a recipe calls for 1/2 cup oil, you can use 1/2 cup applesauce instead. If you are using sweetened applesauce, you may have to decrease the amount of sugar in the recipe.  Applesauce can also be a substitute for eggs, and even milk, but I only use it to substitute for the main fat (such as oil) --otherwise the final product might have a rubbery or tough texture. Applesauce works best in making sweet, fall-like baked goods such as pumpkin bread and oatmeal muffins.

3. Stirred into oatmeal -- Instead of sweetening with sugar or honey, add 1/4 cup of applesauce to your morning oatmeal. Applesauce is an all-natural sweetener and it helps cool down the oatmeal so you can eat it immediately. Add raisins for even more yumminess.

4. Slow Cooker Applesauce Chicken -- one of my favorite recipes, and the whole family loves it!

You’re next! I’d love to hear some more out-of-the-box uses for applesauce!

Overnight Peach French Toast

In October’s All You magazine, there is a section on what to do with canned fruit.  First of all, the idea of canned fruit is annoying at best, and kind of gross at worst, but stay with me.  One of the recipes featured was an “Overnight Peaches and Cream French Toast.”   I had two beautiful, overripe, local peaches (from Mason Farms in Williamson, NY) sitting on my counter, begging me to transform them from soft and mushy to juicy and delicious. I knew they would be perfect for this recipe -- but of course, I had to doctor it up a bit first. 

Overnight Peach French Toast Bake

(inspired by All You, October Issue)

1 small loaf challah bread (I prefer homemade, but Wegmans has a passable substitute)

4 large eggs

1 cup milk (any kind -- I used Almond Milk)

3 tbsp  brown sugar

2 tbsp honey

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

For Topping:

1-2 cups of sliced peaches

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1. In a large, buttered, glass baking dish (8x8 works well), arrange the bread slices so they are covering the entire bottom of the dish.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together  the eggs, milk, 3 tbsp brown sugar, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

3.Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Arrange the peach slices on top, and sprinkle the additional 1/2 cup of brown sugar over the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

4. The next day, bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, until the top is browned and all the egg mixture is cooked.  Serve hot and dig in!

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Make It Yourself Monday, Errr- Tuesday: Easy Peasy Peach Tart

As you can see I'm about 24 hours too late for my Make it Yourself Monday recipe feature. The beginning of the school year and all its related tasks and business are really catching up to me! Anyway, I was inspired to make this Peach Tart by one of my friends, who was inspired by Real Simple.  In its Real Simple incarnation, this recipe is for a 3-Ingredient Nectarine Galette, and was featured on the cover of the July 2011 issue. My friend recreated the recipe perfectly and deliciously for a recent playdate.


Of course, I couldn't just keep it a 3-ingredient recipe; I had to tinker a bit with it.  I  decided to use fresh, locally grown peaches, and add some seasonings. One thing I didn't change: the store-bought crust.  I actually attempted this peach tart last week using a homemade crust -- but, for some unknown reason, I didn't use my great-grandma's tried and true pie crust recipe. The tart turned out to be a crumbly mess.  I had to keep adding flour because the dough kept sticking to my wooden rolling pin, but the more flour I added, the crumblier it became. It was a disaster.  Don't get me wrong -- I still baked it, ate it, and picked the crunchy crumbs off the bottom of the pan with my fork.  It tasted great, but it certainly wasn't pretty.


Because I was expecting company for dinner last night, I really didn't want to take a chance, so I purchased Wegmans' pre-made refrigerated crust for my second attempt.  Result: it worked beautifully, tasted like gooey, sweet, late summer amazingness, and was completely demolished in one sitting. :)


Easy-Peasy Peach Tart


For the filling:
3 large or 4 small fresh peaches, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp corn starch
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch cloves


For the crust:
1 store-bought refrigerated pie crust
1 tbsp egg white (I just put the remainder of the egg in a container in the fridge and scramble it up later)
1/2 tbsp sugar


1. Unroll the dough and press gently into a tart pan or a small pie pan. There will be extra hanging off the sides; that is what you want.

2. In a small pan, combine the peaches, water, sugar, and corn starch. Simmer on medium low for 10 minutes. Add nutmeg and cloves and simmer an additional 5 minutes.

3. Take the peach mixture off the heat and pour it carefully into your dough.  Gently fold over the extra dough, so it looks like this:

4. Brush the exposed dough with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. 
5. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, checking halfway through, until crust is brown and filling is bubbly. 
5. Cool slightly and enjoy. This would be amazing accompanied by fresh organic vanilla bean ice cream.

Frugal Friday: I’m doing the Slow Food USA $5 Challenge for the Natural Network Blog Hop!

This Saturday, September 17, Slow Food USA is inviting you to be a part of their $5 Challenge, and the Natural Network Blog Hop wants to kick it off and invite you to join us!


The challenge is to take back the 'value meal' by getting together with family, friends or neighbors to enjoy a meal that costs no more than $5 per person (the cost of the average fast food meal). Slow Food USA says that slow food shouldn't have to cost more than fast food, and they're right!

If you want to join in, you can sign up for the challenge over at Slow Food USA. If you're a blogger, join us by sharing your favorite slow food meal ideas and linking up with to our Natural Network Blog Hop at the bottom of this post!

When I first read about this challenge here, I thought, ok, $5 for a healthy, whole foods,  family meal, it will take some finagling but I can do it -- after all, I’ve done it before! 

Then I read further and realized -- the challenge is $5 per person.  Really? That’s a piece of cake. That’s $20 whole dollars for my family of four. The point is, taking back the “value meal” isn’t as hard as it sounds. It does take some planning, and sometimes, even some ingenuity.

The recipe I’ve chosen to share today requires neither! It is easy, healthy, and filling. I do use organic canned tomatoes, which technically aren’t a whole food. However, you could easily use fresh tomatoes from the garden and achieve the same results.

Simple Natural Goulash (For a family of 4, with leftovers)

1 lb 93% lean Organic, Grass-Fed Beef -- $4.19 using a coupon

1 pound organic pasta elbows -- $2.79

1 28-oz can, Muir Glen Crushed Tomatoes -- $2.99

1 organic onion -- $1

1 organic bell pepper -- $1

3 cloves minced garlic

2 tbsp Italian Seasoning

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

Brown the meat in a large stock pot. Add the onions and saute 5 minutes

Add 2 1/2 cups water, the tomatoes, and all spices. Put the lid on and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the elbow macaroni, stir, return lid, and simmer on med-low for 20 minutes

Turn off heat, and let goulash sit for 15-30 minutes before serving. 

Final Cost= $11.97 per recipe, or $2.99 per person 

(I didn’t include the seasonings in the cost analysis because they are assumed to be pantry ingredients)

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Make it Yourself Monday: Homemade Applesauce

I’ll be the first to admit that making your own applesauce is not the least bit difficult.  Filling my freezer with jars and jars of homemade applesauce is one of my favorite fall activities. And the best part is how it makes the house smell. One whiff of that cinnamon-y apple goodness, and you know it’s fall. 

The early crop of Burgundy apples I used for this batch of applesauce literally just appeared at my door. Well, to be accurate, they were delivered by my brother from my parents’ house.  My mother’s friend has an apple orchard and was practically giving apples away.  I got an entire bushel for only $5!! That is less than the price of 2 jars of Santa Cruz Organic Applesauce at Wegmans. 

These apples were a little time-sensitive, since they had been at my mom’s house for a few days before I got them and it was swelteringly hot out, so I had to make the applesauce right away. 

There are as many applesauce making methods as there are varieties of apples, but what follows is the method that works the best for me.  Keep in mind that this is my bulk recipe, but it’s pretty foolproof to adjust to whatever quantity of apples you have on hand. 

Homemade Applesauce

Step One: Wash your apples. I just fill the sink with cold water and agitate them gently for a few minutes.

Step Two: Cut the apples into quarters. I don’t peel, de-stem, or de-anything to my apples. I generally use organic apples, so I worry less about the pesticide residue. If I know I’m using conventional apples that have been sprayed, I will use my apple peeler to peel them first.

Step Three: Fill a stock pot no more than 2/3 full of apples. Fill halfway with water, but don’t cover the apples with the water. Some people will disagree with me here, but I really prefer a thick applesauce to a watery one.

Step Four: Simmer on Medium Heat uncovered for about 20-30 minutes. Keep an eye on the apples and stir a few times. You’ll know the apples are done when the skins are falling off and they are fairly mushy. They don’t have to be sauce consistency yet, though.

Step Five: Here’s where the magic happens. Break out the Foley Food Mill, pour in apples, and grind away. All the savory apple yumminess will be strained through, while all the solid seeds and peels will be left in the food mill. Oh, you’re going to need a big bowl to mill the sauce into. I’ve used the Tupperware bowl pictured forever.

Step Six: Add sugar and cinnamon. For the quantity of apples used here (one bushel), I used a cup of sugar and 3 tbsp cinnamon. You could also add some nutmeg or ginger for a more savory bite. I tend to keep mine kind of bland because I also use the applesauce as an oil substitute in my baking, and I can always add more spices into individual servings. 

Step Seven: Let cool in the large bowl for a few hours, then carefully ladle into mason jars.  When the applesauce is completely cool, screw on the tops and freeze!  Applesauce will stay good in deep freeze for up to a year.

There are so many uses for homemade applesauce: it’s an easy snack for kids, a good add-in to waffles, a substitute for oil in baking recipes, swirled into oatmeal, or made into a glaze for pork dishes.  It’s easy to make, delicious, healthy, and inexpensive. What could be better?

This recipe is part of Live Renewed's Your Green Resource Link-Up!

Frugal Friday: Homemade Salsa with my CSA Leftovers

It’s funny how, when you put an idea out there -- into the vast wide universe -- it comes back to you.  Not to get all hippy-dippy, but this weekend I was thinking about making some beautiful fresh salsa with a few leftover tomatillos I had, and later that day, my brother-in-law offered me all the tomatoes I could pick from his garden. Score!

I had to use these up, and I knew I had more than one serving’s worth of salsa here, so I decided to freeze what I made.  

First, I gathered everything from my pantry and refrigerator that could remotely be a part of a salsa. I found:

• Cherry Tomatoes
• Grape Tomatoes
• Jalapenos
• Small green peppers
• Sweet Onions
• Tomatillos

Perfect ingredients for a beautiful, fresh salsa -- and all hand picked and organically grown!

Second, I started chopping everything together. I did this in batches, using my Pampered Chef Food Chopper. I seriously love that thing. Of course, both kids loved banging it on the cutting board. It provided a solid seven minutes of entertainment for them before they ran back off to play dinosaurs.

Finally, I seasoned the salsa with a pinch of salt, black pepper, and a touch of cumin, and ladled it carefully into my mason jars. Isn’t it pretty?

I’m so looking forward to opening the freezer in the middle of winter and finding this delicious salsa. It will add a fresh, healthy kick to plain cheese or chicken quesadillas, which my kids absolutely love. 

We only have one more week of our CSA deliveries. I’m glad I’ll have this little reminder of late summer tucked away in my freezer.

Frugal Friday: Cucumber-Tomato Salad

It's so funny how the best dishes sometimes result from literally throwing together leftovers.  Since we have the CSA, we get a huge variety of vegetables every week that we may or may not have bought if we were getting our produce at the supermarket.  And since it takes effort and planning to use it all up every week, I invariably find myself with about-to-turn veggies in my crisper.  

I got the idea for this salad by watching a beautiful heirloom tomato look sadder and sadder on my counter for several days. When I ransacked the fridge to find something to go with it, I found a cucumber that was getting pretty flabby. Add an onion for bite and garbanzos for protein, and this is a salad that my family absolutely raved about. Who knew?

Cucumber Tomato Salad

1 large cucumber, sliced in thin rounds

1 large tomato, cut into small chunks

1 medium onion, sliced thin

handful of chives

1 can garbanzo beans (I used Eden Organics)

1-2 tbsp EVOO

2 tsp Dill-Herbed Vinegar

Toss everything gently and serve chilled. Tastes even better the second day, after veggies get a chance to marinate in the dressing. You can't even tell the vegetables weren't picked that day!

Host a Labor Day Picnic for 8 for under $30!

Photo Credit

When it comes to frugal living and keeping the grocery budget down, I am always derailed by the cost of entertaining. Either I go overboard in an attempt to impress my guests (thus spending too much), or I avoid entertaining altogether in order to save money. 

I realized this week when I was doing my Wegmans Match-Ups that I could probably throw together a healthy, fun picnic menu for 8 lucky guests without busting my budget.  

First, I’ll share my menu, then I’ll show you my money-saving plan. :)

Menu: 

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas w/ Homemade Salsa

Chips & Guacamole

Fresh Cucumber Salad

Edamame

Fresh Corn on the Cobb

Fresh Fruit & Whipped Cream

Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?  If you were invited to this party, would you know it only cost $30 to put together?

Here’s how I’ll do it: 

Slow Cooker Fajitas and Salsa

Philadelphia Cooking Creme, Plain -- $1.19 at Wegmans when you use this coupon

Small Jar of Newman’s Own Salsa Use $1/2 from 8/28 RP = $1.49

1 ear of cooked corn, cut off the cob = $.40

1 1/2 lb Chicken -- breast or thighs =$2.00

Burrito Wraps = $.99/8 with this Wegmans coupon

CSA Cucumber Salad (This is made with ingredients I will get in my CSA basket this week, so no out of pocket cost. The prices listed are if you purchase the items at Wegmans)

2 large cucumbers = $.89 each x 2 = $1.78

1 medium sweet onion = $.75

1 large tomato or 1 cup cherry tomatoes = $1.00

Oil, vinegar, salt & pepper, and fresh herbs to taste = cost negligible, pantry items

Chips and Guacamole:

Late July Snack Chips -- $1.50 when you use the coupon here

Wholly Guacamole -- $3.99 with this coupon

Edamame:

Cascadian Farms Edamame, $1.69 with the coupon here

Corn on the Cob -- 1 dozen= $4.00

Dessert:

Fresh Strawberries, $4.99

Organic Valley Heavy Whipping Cream -- $2.69 (add a pinch of sugar and vanilla when you whip it up to make it really flavorful!)

Drinks:

Homemade Rose Hibiscus Ice Tea -- Use a pitcher, about 5 tea bags, water, and the sun to create a delicious late summer treat = $1 

Total Out of Pocket: $29.46 -- and if you have a CSA and use what you get in your basket, you can create this menu for even less!

I’d love to hear your ideas for entertaining on a budget!

Frugal Friday: Zucchini Freezer Waffles

Zucchini is still going strong in our CSA boxes lately. I feel like I've tried every preparation of zucchini that I can think of:

• Zucchini Chips
• Zucchini Corn Cakes
• Zucchini in a Salad
• Broiled Zucchini as a Side
• Zucchini Chocolate Muffins
• Oven Roasted Zucchini
• Zucchini Muffins with Struedel Topping
• Zucchini Boats

I've done sweet, savory, side, main, and everything in between, it seems!  But I'm not done yet!

I had an unexpected block of time to myself this weekend,  and a giant zucchini from 2 CSA boxes ago staring me in the face.  I knew I wanted to make freezer waffles -- these are a great  healthy afternoon snack for the kids, especially spread with a little homemade strawberry jam -- yum!

So I pulled out my Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, Bridal Edition  - one of my absolute favorites -- and went to work doctoring up their recipe for waffles to include some healthier ingredients.  And yes -- it included a TON of zucchini!

Healthy Freezer Waffles

(inspired by Better Homes & Gardens)

• 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 3/4 cup white flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 2 tbs raw honey (only for children over age 1)
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup finely shredded zucchini (I used the finest setting of a box shredder)
• 1 tsp cinnamon

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 

2. In another medium bowl, beat eggs, then add milk, honey, zucchini, and cinnamon.  Add this mixture to the flour mixture, stir until moistened.

3. Pour 3/4-1 cup batter at a time into a heated, greased waffle maker. Bake 3-5 minutes, until waffle is golden brown and slides easily with a fork out of waffle maker. Repeat with remaining batter.

This recipe is easily doubled, and can be frozen for up to 3 months. The waffles are easily defrosted in a toaster or toaster oven, and taste great spread with a little organic jam. 

It's Weekly Menu Plan Time!

In preparation for my weekly shopping trip to Wegmans,  I looked through all the cabinets refrigerator to see what I needed to use up this week.  You'll also notice that there are a couple of repeats from last week. I never made the pork ribs because I'm afraid to grill them (our grill is old and occasionally shoots fireballs out the side), and it was hot so I didn't want to bake them in the oven. Now that it's a little cooler, I'm going to give it a try. 


Also, my husband loved the Eggplant Parmesan from last week so much, he asked to have that again. Since we got another batch of gorgeous graffiti eggplant in our CSA basket this week, I couldn't say no. 


The funny thing is I can make all of the components for all of these dinners using items already in the freezer, refrigerator, or pantry.  I'm really happy about that -- it's what is helping me stay within my tight budget right now.  I shopped only for fresh staples like cheese, milk, and bread (and, of course, my Stacy's Pita Chips).


Here's the dinner menu for this week:


Monday:  Pasta with Sauteed Swiss Chard and Garbanzo beans (I forgot the greens were in there and needed to use them up!)


Tuesday: Broccoli Stir-Fry with Rice Noodles


Wednesday: Pork Ribs with Grilled Zucchini & Onions


Thursday: Chicken Pasta Primavera


Friday: Dinner with Family


Saturday: Tacos (using meat from my freezer cooking day) with Fresh Tomatillo Salsa

What are YOU eating this week?

Make it Yourself Monday: Seafood Dipping Sauce

My husband and I had an unexpected chance to go out for dinner last week at The Crab Shack, and since we had a Groupon, of course we jumped at it.  Crab legs are my husband's absolute favorite splurge item, so of course that is what he ordered, and I ordered the most beautiful crab cake sandwich.


On the side of my sandwich was an absolutely delicious dipping sauce. I could seriously eat whole spoonfuls of it, it was so savory and scrumptious.  I vowed to try to replicate it at home, and this is what I came up with: 


Seafood Dipping Sauce

• 3 1/2 tbs mayonnaise (I used Veganaise)
• 1 tbs ketchup
• 1/2 tsp yellow mustard
• 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 tsp Pampered Chef Smoky Barbecue Rub
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• dash ginger

Mix the mayo, ketchup, and mustard together thoroughly, then add spices. That's all there is to it! A delicious sauce to accompany any seafood dish. You could even use this as a barbecue sauce for grilled salmon. Yum!

For comparison, the dollop on the right is from The Crab Shack. The dollop on the left is the one I made.  Pretty close!

Frugal Fridays: Fried and Fabulous Eggplant Parmesan

My husband has never insisted that I blog about something before. After eating my version of eggplant parmesan, he was absolutely adamant that I share this recipe.  For my part, I’m thrilled it turned out well, considering I had absolutely no plan other than to use up the stuff in my CSA basket. Here’s what I had to work with:

• 7 small graffiti eggplants
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
• 6 beets
• lots and lots of eggs -- we get an egg share but we haven’t been eating many lately
• basil

Pretty random, right? But I have a decently stocked pantry so I decided to make some kind of eggplant parmesan. I’ve always baked, broiled, or grilled my eggplant in the past, but this time I thought, what the heck, let me fry it up and see what happens.

What happens is the cook loses an eyebrow, but the food turns out delicious. 

One Dish Eggplant Parmesan

For the fried eggplant:

• 6-8 small graffiti eggplant, cut into medallions
• 4 tbsp flour
• 2 eggs + 1 tbs milk, mixed and seasoned with pepper
• 1/2 -3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs 
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Take out 3 bowls, and create a breading assembly line. The first should be flour, the second should be the eggs, and the third should be the Panko mixed with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.  2. Dip the eggplant in the flour, then the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumb mixture.

3. In a large saute pan, pour in enough canola or vegetable oil to coat the bottom of the pan. 4. Heat the oil on MEDIUM heat. Oil that is boiling hot pops and sprays. Everywhere. Including my eyebrow. 

5. Toss the coated eggplant into the saute pan and fry for about 4 minutes on each side, until brown and crispy. Set on a paper towel on a plate.

For the pasta: 

12-16 oz dry pasta

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Set aside 1/2 cup of cooking water to help thicken the sauce.

2. Drain pasta (minus the 1/2 cup cooking water).

3. Add 3/4 cup cheese to the pasta and mix until mostly melted

4. Add the cherry tomatoes.  The hot pasta will slightly cook them until tender and sweet.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Put Everything Together:

1. Spoon the pasta into a large serving bowl

2. Add the fried eggplant and mix together gently

3. Top with 1/4 cup grated parmesan and chopped basil

Mangia!!

Oh wait. I forgot to mention the beets, didn’t I?  I boiled and peeled them. That’s it. And guess what? My kids both turned their noses up at the eggplant, but devoured boiled beets. Who knew?