Texas Caviar - Michelle's Atlanta Version ;o)

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Texas Caviar - Michelle's Atlanta Version ;o)

Here's my "Atlanta" version of this delicious black-eyed pea dip. Serve with Tostito's Scoops!

1/2 pound dried black-eyed peas (soaked overnight, rinsed, drained, cooked in 6 c. water for 2 hrs, drained again = about 4 c. of cooked peas)
4-6 green onions, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/4 c. chopped red onion
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped

Dressing:
4 T. sugar
6 T. balsamic vinegar
1/2 c. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt, as desired

In a large bowl mix together all the dressing ingredients. Gently fold in the cooked black-eyed peas and remaining ingredients.  Refrigerate for 4 hours, the longer it chills the better it gets.  Serve with Totstitos scoops or chips, like a dip.

I dare you to eat just one! :o)

Happy New Year!!!

Submitted by Michelle Jones
http://www.frugalfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/

Our Best Collard Greens with Ham Hocks

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Our Best Collard Greens with Ham Hocks

Although I do love spinach, I have never enjoyed collard greens, mustard greens or the like.  After making these fresh greens (collard - with some special ingredients for flavoring), I was pleasantly surprised.  Even I liked them!  They weren't bitter or yucky at all, in fact, they were actually good!  If you're looking for a new recipe I hope you'll try it, it's very good and very frugal! :o)

3 bunches of fresh collard greens (or other greens if desired), rinsed well in large bowl or sink of water
2 medium-large ham hocks, cut in half, for flavoring
6 c. chicken stock (you can also use broth, 1 chicken bouillon dissolved in 1 c. water, or a combination of all to equal 6 cups, whatever you have on hand)
1 Vidalia (sweet) onion, chopped
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. vinegar
Sea salt, as desired
Hot sauce, dash, or more if desired

Place ham hocks in large stock pot with chopped onions and brown lightly, it's good to also add a little olive oil or shortening.  Add chicken stock and chopped greens (roll leaves together and cut into 1" strips, then cut in half). Cook over med-low heat for about 30 minutes, or until greens have wilted down. Then add brown sugar, vinegar, salt and hot sauce as desired.  Simmer until ready to serve.

As I said, I don't like greens but these are GOOD! :o)

Submitted by Michelle Jones
http://www.frugalfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/

Michelle's Black Eyed Peas with Smoked Sausage (Crock Pot Recipe)

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Michelle's Black Eyed Peas with Smoked Sausage

This year we tried something NEW for our New Year's Day black-eyed peas.  We added smoked sausage.  Oh my goodness, it was so good.  If you like sausage I would think you would also like this recipe, even if you don't like black-eyed peas! ;o)  I threw a bunnch of things together and it came out fantastic. I would be perfectly happy to make this every year from now on. If you have your own favorite black-eyed pea recipe you might also try just adding the sausage to it, or you can use my recipe below.  Either way... have some black-eyed peas for good luck and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

1 1/2 pounds dried black-eyed peas (soaked overnight, rinsed and drained)
2 pounds smoked sausage links, cut into 1-2" slices
1 Vidalia (sweet) onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
10 c. water
1 T. plus 1 tsp. chili powder
Sea salt, as desired

Place prepared black-eyed peas in crock pot. Add cut up sausage, chopped onion, minced garlic, water and chili powder. Add salt and stir all together.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6.

You can also add a little hot sauce to spice it up more, or let people add it at the table.  Yum!   

Submitted by Michelle Jones
http://www.frugalfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/

Chicken and Dumplings, Spaghetti with Garlic Toast

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Hi Michelle, here are a few recipes I thought I would share.

Chicken and Dumplings:

Boil chicken thighs and legs, add salt, pepper and garlic clove. Reserve the liquid. When the chicken is done remove it to cool and remove garlic clove.  Add 1 can of cheap biscuits, tear or cut each biscuit into about 4 pieces, drop into boiling chicken water.  Add 1 can of veggies.  De-bone chicken, add the chicken back to the biscuits and veggies.

My kids love it done this way, and you can't even tell it was made from biscuits.

Spaghetti with Garlic Toast:

1/2 box of angel hair pasta
1 lb ground beef/chuck is usually cheaper
Can of stewed/diced tomatoes
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced mushrooms
1 can of veggies, drained
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
bay leaf
1 jar of spaghetti sauce.

Directions:

Cook noodles per directions on package, drain. in a skillet, cook and drain ground meat.  Add back to skillet, then add rest of ingredients and let simmer for about 10 mins.  Remove bay leaf.  Serve over noodles or mix with noodles, depends on how your family likes it.  Top with Parmesan cheese.

Serve with homemade garlic toast.  I use sandwich bread and butter each piece, and then slice into 3 pieces.  Lay on cookie sheet and sprinkle with garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning.  Toast until golden brown.

Submitted by Carey Banks of Palestine, TX
http://www.frugalfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/

Super Easy ' N Cheesy Mac & Cheese

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I just discovered Better Budgeting today, and I think the whole site is FANTASTIC!

I had to share my favorite mac-n-cheese recipe with you. Super easy and super good. This uses Velveeta, which I know is expensive, but in our local grocery store (Kroger's) they have a store brand Velveeta they call Nice 'N Cheesy, which works fine. For a 2-pound box, Velveeta is about $6, while Nice 'N Cheesy is about $4.

Super Easy 'n Cheesy Mac & Cheese

1 pound box of elbow macaroni, cooked & still hot (or amount to fill whatever baking dish you're using)
2 pound box Velveeta-type cheese (you won't use the whole box, but probably more than half)
Milk
Margarine

For a 2 qt. casserole dish, pour half the macaroni in the dish, slice the Velveeta and COVER every bit of macaroni. If you can see it, cover it up. Dot with margarine. Repeat for a second layer. Pour milk over it all till it is about half way up in the dish. Bake at 350* for 30 min until everything is all melted together.

I have a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate I like to use, and I only use one layer in that, but adjust it to what you're cooking it in. This is FABULOUS, and I have never had anyone not like it!

Submitted by Nancy White

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Years ago when my husband and I were first married one of our best friends used to make her mac 'n cheese with Velveeta and it was always delicious! Thanks for also telling our readers about the store brand, Nancy! :o) - Michelle

Southern Sweet Tea - How to Make It Great!

Southern Sweet Tea
Copyright by Michelle Jones
www.FrugalCookbook.com

Having lived throughout the south for my entire life, there's one thing I can tell you for sure... life is just a whole lot sweeter with a glass of iced Sweet Tea!

Now, it depends on how sweet you like it, but this is the way many southerners make their tea (and the way my grandmother used to make it--although she used an old fashioned metal ball to hold the tea leaves and we use regular tea bags that are thankfully more common now.)

Ingredients:

8-10 regular size tea bags, or 4-5 family size (use any kind of tea you like, although I highly recommend Luzianne® or Lipton Iced Tea Brew®, I buy extra when they go on sale because we use decaf and it's more expensive than regular--experiment with different flavored teas too, it's fun!)
Small or medium pot of water, with a lid that fits well
1 cup of sugar (you can also use Splenda® to make sugar-free ‘sweet’ tea, and it's wonderful--if you like Splenda)
1 gallon-sized pitcher (or a big pickle jar)

Directions:

Add the sugar to pot of water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. (If using Splenda® or other artificial sweetener, add later; just bring water to a boil by itself.)

It doesn't matter how much water you boil; just make sure it gets really hot and bubbly. If you remembered to put the sugar in already, you're doing great. Now get your tea bags ready so that when the water comes to a boil you can toss them in.

As soon as you add the tea bags to the boiling water, the water may act like it's about to boil over. I usually add the tea bags in with one hand, and then take the pot off the stove with the other. That way the hot bubbles have a chance to stir the tea up a bit, getting them off to a good brewing start.

Cover the pot and let the tea steep for as long as possible. It will be good in 20 minutes, but even better in a few hours. Then pour the tea syrup (that’s what it's called when made with sugar this way) into your gallon-sized pitcher and fill with water. (If you're using Splenda instead of sugar, this is when you'll stir that in; while the tea is still warm.) Now gently squeeze the tea bags to get as much tea as possible into the water. We don’t waste a drop!

Well that’s it, your Southern Sweet Tea is ready to serve!

Pour tea into a glass (pretty canning jars are a southern favorite), filled with ice, and serve with a slice of lemon if desired.

Additional Notes...

Sweet tea will keep in the fridge for about 2 days, after that it’s time to make a fresh batch, if there’s any left! HA

Sweet tea made with Splenda will stay fresh much longer, and I can get away with just using 3/4 cup.

My kids love to help me make the tea so they can add more (regular) sugar but 1 cup really is enough for a gallon. 1 and 1/3 cup is what they call perfect! :o)

Always make sure your pitcher is washed and clean, including the lid. A quick rinse is not enough!

Also, do NOT leave your tea syrup sitting on the stove overnight, that is a big no no. It's a breeding ground for bacteria. If you start to make your tea and forget to put it in the fridge you'll need to toss it down the drain in the morning and make a new batch, don't even think about using it.

Great SWEET TEA must be FRESH!!!

Source: "Frugal Family Recipes" by Michelle Jones, available at www.FrugalCookbook.com

Photos copyright by Michelle Jones and Blue Ridge Publishing, Inc.

(We just made this tea yesterday, and it's as delicious as it looks! :o)