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Poor Man’s Garlic Bread

July 29, 2010 By Kate 37 Comments

Just a few hours left! Have you picked up your copy of Better Breakfast – 110 Breakfast Recipes yet? Don’t forget, the sales price of $3.97 ends Thursday 7/29 at midnight. Order yours today!

As I made one of our favorite in-a-pinch side dishes the other day, I thought “surely I can’t be the only one that does this.” So I asked my husband if I should post about it. He said sure, but he also said that he thought everyone does this.

I couldn’t wait to post and find out! Do you make Poor Man’s Garlic Bread?

If you don’t, you might be wondering what it is. It’s quite simple really – hot dog or hamburger buns toasted in the oven with some butter and garlic powder, salt and Italian seasoning sprinkled on top.

I frequently find packages of either kind of buns (both white and whole wheat) marked down on manager’s special to 50¢ or less. When I see those, I snag a few and throw them in my freezer for just this reason. So cheap and so easy. Unless I’m making real garlic bread, our kids prefer this option to frozen loaves of garlic bread. I’m not going to complain!

I can’t wait to hear if you’ve ever made this too!

This post is being linked to Frugal Friday at Life As Mom.

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Summer Spaghetti with Ham

July 28, 2010 By Kate 1 Comment

Have you picked up your copy of Better Breakfast – 110 Breakfast Recipes yet? Don’t forget, the sales price of $3.97 ends Thursday. Order yours today!

Yesterday, one of our new neighbors invited the kids to forage through his garden. So my husband took them over and while the adults chatted, four little kiddos filled their plastic grocery bags with some wonderfully good garden bounty. What a treat for them, and for me! We are now even more excited for starting the prep work on our own garden for next summer when we head into fall.

Needless to say, my refrigerator and countertops were overflowing with fresh veggies just begging to be eaten. I figured an easy pasta skillet dinner would be a great way to enjoy the vegetables quickly and without heating up the kitchen too much. Toss in some ham and a light, summery sauce and dinner was all set. Delicious!

Summer Spaghetti with Ham

  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 1 T. butter
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 2 small zucchini, quartered and sliced
  • 2 ears corn, shucked and corn removed (or about 1 1/2 c. frozen corn)
  • 1 c. frozen peas
  • 1 8 oz. package diced ham
  • 1/2 c. chicken stock or white wine
  • 1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 t. thyme
  • 1/2 t. black pepper
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 1/8 t. nutmeg
  • 1 c. milk
  • 12 grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 1/2 c. Italian blend shredded cheese, plus more for garnish, if desired
  • 1/2 lb. thin spaghetti, vermicelli or angel hair, cooked and drained

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet.Add green peppers and cook for 2 minutes. Add remaining veggies, except tomatoes, and ham. Cook for about 5 minutes, until veggies are crisp tender.

2. Stir in chicken stock or wine, lemon juice and seasonings. Combine well.

3. Add milk and bring to a slow boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, just until the sauce begins to thicken up a bit. (It should just cover the back of a spoon without running off.)

4. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in tomatoes and cheese. Add pasta and toss to coat well. Garnish with additional shredded cheese, if desired.

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15 Minutes Or Less In The Kitchen

July 27, 2010 By Kate 3 Comments

Have you picked up your copy of Better Breakfast – 110 Breakfast Recipes yet? Don’t forget, the sales price of $3.97 ends Thursday. Order yours today!

Some days, I’m fortunate enough to find a big chunk or two of time in my day when I can steal away to the kitchen. I get dinner done, maybe bake some fresh goodies, and if there’s extra time, I do prep work for future days. But then there are other days where I just have a few minutes here or there. While it’s not as easy to get a lot done on a schedule like that, it really is surprising how much can be done in small chunks of time.

Personally, I sometimes find those small chunks of time more productive than larger ones. I know I only have so much time, so I stay on task without getting distracted. I view it as dedicated work time and tackle my projects that way. Plus, 10 or 15 minutes really is a lot of time. Set a timer and get to work, then see if you don’t agree with me.

Here is just a quick, off the top of my head list of things that I’ve done over the past few weeks in those small, 10-15 minute chunks of time.

  1. Brown and drain a pound of ground beef.
  2. Dice a pound of onions.
  3. Mince a whole head of garlic.
  4. Peel and cube 3 lbs. of potatoes.
  5. Make hard-boiled eggs.
  6. Assemble a lasagna.
  7. Mix up a batch of cookie dough.
  8. Roll out and cut a dozen homemade biscuits.
  9. Mix together the dough for homemade egg noodles.
  10. Peel and slice 6 apples.
  11. Make hummus.
  12. Make 2 dozen pancakes.
  13. Shred 1 lb. of cheese.
  14. Pound and season a pound of chicken.
  15. Dice the veggies for 2 cups of trinity (celery, onions, green pepper).
  16. Shuck and boil a half dozen ears of corn.
  17. Mix together a homemade bread dough and set to rise.
  18. Boil a pound of pasta.
  19. Make rice or couscous.
  20. Make homemade berry syrup.
  21. Roll out a dozen homemade tortillas.
  22. Make a pot of oatmeal.
  23. Fill and roll enchiladas or burritos.
  24. Trim and steam a pound of green beans.
  25. Make a roux-based sauce (ie. cheese sauce, gravy, cream of substitute, etc.)

What do you work on if you have just a few minutes in the kitchen?

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