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Our Interview with Karen from Relish Come Listen

We were so honored to have Karen as our second guest on today’s show she is from a website called Relish which is located at http://www.relishrelish.com/ Relish is an amazing site that is such a god sent for all of us Moms whether you work from home or out of the home. Relish is a wonderful site that helps you to plan out your dinners for your family throughout the week offering you 5 main dish meals with the sides and desserts. Plus a huge bonus after you have picked out your meals for the week, it will automatically generate a shopping lists for your grocery store so you are ready to go for the week without all the hassle.  Each week you can choose 5 meals out of 15 you have to choose from and you can decide which one will suite your family and their diffrent tastes as well.

Karen also mentioned they even have the recipes broken down into catagories as well like Kid Friendly , Vegetarian or Crock Pot Recipe and Dinner and a Movie which really sparked my interest. She mentioned for example the movie Ice Age and how the entire movie is based around the movie Ice Age. Which would be so fun to pop in your DVD and watch the movie with fun recipes to correspond with that movie.  One of the great things she mentions during our interview is that all the recipes are kitchen tested where they work with several chefs, meaning test for being fast to prepare, easy to make, and tasty as well.  Another great feature is for only $7 a month you can get access to all of these great recipes and the recipes will come in at under $95 which is wonderful for all those that are on a tight budget.

Some of the future plans for the site is that they hope to incorporate a search feature so you can search for recipes you have used or tried before, also a application to download on your Iphone so that you can take your grocery lists with you on your Iphone to the grocery store.  All the meals are budget friendly and kid friendly. Another new site is where they are now offering Gluten-free recipes from their new site called G-Free which you can find at http://www.gfreecuisine.com/ At G-free they offer simple and delicious meals that are all gluten-free. This is great if you maybe have Celiac or maybe have a child with autism, this could be a wonderful alternative for your family and your way of life.  G-free is a litte bit more a month but still a huge deal at only $10 a month please be sure to listen to our interview and also be sure to check out their site for more information.

Be sure to click below to listen to our interview  with Karen it is right after our interview with Carol McManus two great interviews both having to do with getting back to the basics of cooking for your family!

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Our Interview with Carol McMannus Come Listen to our Show!

We are so thrilled to have had the opportunity to interview Carol McMannus, she was such a warm hearted lady to interview. Carol as so kind as to send me a copy of her recipe book titled ” Table Talk , Food, Family and Love” and I have to just honestly say I love this cookbook. One of the things that normally deters me from buying cookbooks is that the recipes are too big for me. Meaning I didnt understand half of the ingredients, or understand some of the lingo, or the fact that you needed to be a chef just to prepare the dishes. With this cookbook it was so reminiscent of small town America. The cookbook was full of good wholesome, easy to make but flavorful recipes in such a wide variety of styles. Another wonderful feature of this cookbook is the photos inside, not only is there pictures of the wonderful recipes, but also photos of a dog in the back of a truck, and Carol’s family sitting at a picnic table to a home cooked meal. Also you will find in the sides of the pages you will find great tips or additional recipes maybe to go with the main dish being featured, or wonderful quotes from famous people. There is just so much to love with this cookbook our favorite recipe I created with my twelve year old was the “Tried and True Meatballs” and my daughter just loved them. My daughter is a huge spagetti fan and has always asked me to make meatballs but I did not have a good recipe for meatballs until now.

Carol shared with us that the premise of her book was to get people to sit back down for dinner and to get to know each other. Her recipes do not require alot of ingredients but just fresh and tasty food that will make a big impact on your family. Carol started cooking at an early age and eventually opened up her own restraunt called Expresso Love and soon decided it was time for a cookbook that really showcased the importance of sitting down as a family and start cooking and eating together. We also touched on the subject that in today’s society there is a large number of children with weight problems because we are too reliant on fast foods to feed our kids, instead of getting down to the basics as our parents did and start serving healthy and tasty home cooked meals.

One of the things that Carol finds  so sad in today’s society is how dependant we have become on processed foods and fast food and sadly our families are suffering because of it. Carol also shared how a friend of hers said people should only shop on the outer aisles of your local shopping center because then you are purchasing only fresh foods which is so much better for your bodies and your children. While talking with Cathy we started to talk about how when our parents and grandparents cooked for us they saved all their left overs to use in diffrent meals, and each night we had home cooked meals so that we could take time to sit down and reconnect with each other and get to talk to one another.

We also discussed how alot of us are so busy taking our kids to school functions and sports events that we tend to just grab and go at fast food places to pick up fast food instead of preparing your food ahead of time so that you can enjoy a healthier and home cooked meal.  When Carol’s kids were growing they too were so busy with sporting and school events but she still found the time to make sure her kids had a healthy home cooked meal to enjoy together as a family. And that is not to say that you cannot go out to eat Fast food occasionally but it is nice to make sure you set aside a couple meals a week that are solely time to spend with your family.

Carol’s book is amazing I have already created my grocery lists for next week with recipes from the book so I am so excited to start making and enjoying more of this yummy recipes! Here is just a small sampling of some of the recipes in the book:

• Baked Italian Chicken
• Honey Mustard Beef Stir Fry
• Love’s Fritta
• Walnut Oil Vinaigrette
• California Pizza
• Amish Cocoa Square (Yummy tried this one)
• Raspberry Turnovers

To purchase your own copy of Carol’s book “Table Talk, Food, Family and Love” please click on our link below and Click below to listen to our show!

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Fresh Strawberry Pie

Fresh Strawberry Pie

from a Southern Plate

Fresh Strawberry Pie

* 1 C sugar
* 1 C Water
* 3 T strawberry gelatin mix
* 1 Pint Fresh Strawberries
* 3 Heaping Tablespoons Cornstarch
* 1 pie crust, cooked and cooled (The recipe for my crust may be found here I made a recipe and a half for a bit thicker crust)

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and dry gelatin mix by stirring well. Add water and cook until thick and clear over medium high heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Set aside and let cool. Wash and hull strawberries, cut in half and arrange over pie crust. When filling is cool, pour over strawberries and chill pie until ready to serve. Serve with whipped cream.

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Peanut Butter Brownies

Peanut Butter Brownies

1 stick butter
3/4 C peanut butter
1 3/4 C sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 C chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13×9 inch pan. Melt butter in a 4 quart pot, after the butter is melted
Take pot of the heat. Add peanut butter , and stir until melted. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs with spoon
stir until well blended. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir until well blended. Stir in Chocolate Chips.
Spread in prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes or until tops is golden brown
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Overnight Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

2 – boxes frozen sliced strawberries or 1 large size (24 oz)
2 – cups green grapes
2 – small cans or 1 large can Mandarin oranges, drained
1 – 16-24 oz pineapple chunks, drained
4 – 5 bananas, chunk ed
1 – 21 oz Can Peach Pie filling

Directions:

Gently mix all the ingredients together and chill overnight or at least 6 hours.
(Make sure to drain the pineapple and the mandarin oranges) Do not drain the strawberries.

This is a easy recipe to make. Just toss everything together and refrigerate overnight. Perfect to take to a brunch, party or potluck. My Kids love this salad.

Recipe submited by Tina Butler

Please Visit Tina’s Site today by clicking here

Contact Tina at tinabutler@sbcglobal.net

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Frugal WAHMs Talk Radio Wed Show

On Today’s show we shared some Easter Recipes, some great stories from our site including one on Customer Service. We also shared HOT TOPICS in the news. Some of the recipes discussed were Breakfast Pizza, Easter Dinner and Dumplings, Strawberry Dream Salad and more!

Be sure to join our show tomorrow where we will discuss great frugal tips for cleaning your home!

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Pastel Easter Punch

What You Need:

2 pints strawberries

4 fresh peaches, sliced

2 (6 oz.) cans frozen pineapple juice

24 ice cubes

4 C sparkling mineral water

How to Make It:

Place the strawberries into the blender.

Add the sliced peaches.

Place the juice concentrate unthawed into the blender.

Cover and puree until well combined.

Gradually add the ice cubes one at a time and puree after each addition.

When the last ice cube is added continue to puree until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Immediately pour the mixture into a large punch bowl.

Pour the mineral water into the bowl and stir to combine.

Garnish the top with slices of strawberries.

Serves: 24

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Basic Pantry Staples to Keep on Hand

Remember how our moms always seemed to have a great meal every night? Even when times were lean, she came through with fabulous meals and snacks to satisfy even the hungriest of kids. By keeping a few of the essential food staples on hand, you too can be awed for your cooking genius.

Throughout the meals we cook, there are some common items that keep popping up. These are your basic staples that no kitchen should be without. As long as you have a few of these things on hand, you can turn it into an interesting meal even when the cupboards look like there is nothing to eat.

You know how kids are. If there is not a box of cereal or a ready-to-eat meal in the freezer then there is nothing good to eat in their mind. Teaching kids how to create breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks from basic food items will keep them from spending all their money on processed foods once they are on their own. Using basic cooking skills encourages a healthier lifestyle. Satisfying meals can be whipped up from pantry staples without resorting to the expensive alternatives found in today’s grocery stores.

Let’s start with the staples we always saw on the kitchen shelves as a kid but didn’t understand why mom always had them. Staples are basic ingredients that are combined to make other things.

Useful Pantry Items

· Flour

· Sugar

· Rice (white or brown depending on taste)

· Soup (creams and various flavors)

· Broth

· Pasta

· Baking soda

· Baking powder

· Nuts and legumes

· Chocolate squares

· Canned vegetables

· Fresh vegetables like onions and potatoes

Most of us probably have some of these in our cupboards right now. For a quick meal on a cold day, many of these items can be used to create homemade vegetable stew. A pan of rice mixed with a cream soup and a can of mixed vegetables turns into a casserole side dish for dinner. Pasta with mixed veggies is also a great combination. The possibilities are endless.

Here are a few more staples no kitchen pantry should be without.

Useful Condiments and Spice Items

· Ketchup

· Mustard

· Salt (plain and seasoned varieties)

· Pepper

· Vanilla extract (and others that you like)

· Soy sauce

· Chili powder

· Powdered seasoning packets

· Relish

· Mayonnaise (regular and light)

· Cinnamon

It is an eclectic group but they can be used to create wonderful dishes. Periodically check your basic staples for expiration dates. Yes, even flour has an expiration date. Replace them as needed so they are always fresh and available in case you need them in a pinch.

All in all, these pantry items don’t cost much. Combine them and you’ve created meals that would cost five times as much when bought ready-made from the store.

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Product Review- Blue Diamond Whole Natural Almonds

A lot of times when people come to visit, they are disappointed when they want to share my almonds with me and discover that they are not roasted and they also don’t have anything at all on them, like salt. They are completely natural and I love them that way. And I think they are healthiest that way, as well.

Almonds are a great treat if you are on a diet, too. They easily make up a big part of your daily protein intake. They’re also very high in Vitamin E, and of course they’re low in sugar. They are also a surprisingly good source of calcium.

Twenty-eight almonds is equal to 160 calories, which makes the perfect snack or protein addition to just about any meal. You can have a few on their own, you can sprinkle slivers on your salad for an extra crunch, and they go great with fruit and yogurt. You have to be careful though, you don’t want to go overboard eating them, because they are very high in fat.

Usually the almonds are pretty fresh and yummy, but every now and then I’ll get a pack that just isn’t quite as fresh. When that happens the almonds are kind of more flat and they don’t split in half or slice up quite as easily. However, this happens infrequently enough that I still really love this brand. I think that has more to do with nature itself – or maybe how long the can actually sat on the shelf at the store.

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Kick Butt Gorilla Bread

Ingredients:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
2 – 12-ounce cans refrigerated biscuits (10 count)
1 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon. In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat, stirring well; set aside. Cut the cream cheese into 20 equal cubes. Press the biscuits out with your fingers and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Place a cube of cream cheese in the center of each biscuit, wrapping and sealing the dough around the cream cheese. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nuts into the bottom of the bundt pan. Place half of the prepared biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, pour half of the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle on 1/2 cup of nuts. Layer the remaining biscuits on top, sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar, pour the remaining butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of nuts. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Place a plate on top and invert.

* I drizzled a powdered sugar glaze over the gorilla bread before serving to make it that much better Ü (powdered sugar, vanilla extract, butter and milk) mix together until it’s the consistency you want, drizzle over warm bread and serve.

* If you don’t know what Gorilla Bread is, it’s really just a mega version of Monkey Bread. If you have never made it then you don’t know what you are missing. Monkey Bread is a sticky, gooey pastry served as a breakfast treat. Gorilla Bread has a ooey gooey cream cheese center sure to please.

Recipe Submitted by Tina Butler
Email: tinabutler@sbcglobal.net
Website: http://tinamommyx3.blogspot.com/

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