OK, I took the challenge. I went to the food store armed with a list and the strict budget of a SNAP recipient. The results were surprising. First of all, I read my local ads carefully to decide where to do the bulk of my shopping. Then I made a list and stuck to it….
Comfort Foods
Northeast Hearty Bean Soup
Northeast Hearty Bean Soup With the recent snows and cold snaps we’ve been experiencing in upstate New York the past couple of weeks, soup, and especially hearty and filling soups have been on my mind. I finally settled on making my hearty bean soup when I saw a huge bag of great northern beans staring…
Chili Hater’s Chili
Chili Hater’s Chili Much like the dreaded meatloaf, I was never a lover of chili. My late husband used to beg me to make this for him, and I just could never bring myself to do it. Fortunately, a neighbor satisfied his chili lust by sending over a doggie bag of hers whenever she…
Twisted Tater Tot Casserole
Twisted Tater Tot Casserole Not your ordinary Tater Tot Casserole! Raw ground beef is pressed into the pan like a crust, then casserole is broken up and stirred mid-way in the cook time so you get nice, solid pieces of beef unlike the usual “brown-then-mix” version of this dish. Don’t worry, the meat…
Maple Meatloaf
FROM KITCHEN “DISASTER” TO TREASURED RECIPE Maple Meatloaf I’ll begin by saying, “I HATE meatloaf.” Always have since I was a child. My kitchen odyssey has been at times to experiment with this hated dish to see if I could come up with something the least bit palatable–to me at least. About 4 or…
Easy Cheesy Pizza Casserole
Easy Cheesy Pizza Casserole What’s for dinner? Surprise them with this easy and delicious pizza casserole. This is an idea I worked from a basic recipe I saw in a magazine years ago. That used “wampum” biscuits (the canned variety found in the dairy case, aptly named because you wampum on the edge…
Beef Barley Soup
Beef Barley Soup Hearty and tasty soup that is a meal in itself when served with crusty Artisan bread or rolls. Perfect for nippy fall evenings. I make my stock in a pressure cooker, and I do recommend using one to make this. However, you can “cheat” and use that jellied concentrated stock as it’s…
Eggplant Parmesan
Eggplant Parmesan One of the favorite and hearty Italian vegetarian entrees. Yummy and comforting, especially with plenty of cheese. The eggplant preparation can get a bit messy, but it’s oh-so worth it. One of the favorite and hearty Italian vegetarian entrees. Yummy and comforting, especially with plenty of cheese.
