Mother's Day recipes: Easy brunch ideas Dad and the kids can make

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Mother's Day is the one day of the year I prefer not to cook. I have prepared many a Mother's Day brunch for my own Mom, but as I've gotten older I've turned the duties over to my children. They're grown now, and both are students of the culinary arts, and both prefer recipes a little more complicated than the first recipes I taught them how to cook.

One of my all time favorite recipes for Mother's Day brunch is fresh fruit salad with poppy seed dressing.
With a little help from dad, kids can make this recipe for Mom. I love the flavors of the raspberries, lime and poppy seeds.

You can make a simple breakfast with this delicious fresh salad, fresh bagels, cream cheese and maybe some lox. Don't forget the coffee and tea!
Having a delicious home cooked breakfast at home saves you the money of brunch out, which can cost over $100 for a family of 4, as well as the aggravation of dealing with crowds at most restaurants on Mother's Day. Plus, teaching the kids to cook early instills a love of food in them. You never know where that might lead them!
Until next time, I remain frugally yours!
Rachael Monaco

Chicken recipes: It's what's for dinner!

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Chicken has been on sale a lot and I've got a freezer full of all kinds. I thought I'd share some of my chicken recipes with you.
Sticky chicken: this is awesome, and I always have to pull out the big roasting pan and make three whole chickens because everyone loves sticky chicken and I want leftovers. The spice mixture you rub on this is wonderful and you baste the chicken throughout the cooking time which is what makes the skin "sticky".

Chili-maple glazed chicken: this is one of many "dump chicken" recipes that I love! They are easy, and you can prepare them ahead of time and freeze them, then defrost and "dump" into a baking dish and bake in the oven or "dump" in the crock pot or slow cooker and let it cook while you're out running errands or at work.

Grilled chili lime chicken kebabs: perfect for summer grilling! No grill? That's okay, you can make these in the oven and turn the broiler on for the last few minutes to make sure they get a nice brown on them. You can also make these on a grill pan or on the GF grill.

Sesame hoisin chicken wings: these wings are so good! They're a little bit sweet, a little bit salty, sticky but crispy. Yummy! Perfect any time of the year. They make a wonderful appetizer for an outdoor summer party, as well as the Super Bowl.


Ground chicken spanakopita meatballs: the first time I made them, huge hit! They've asked for them twice since. I serve with Greek salad, homemade pita bread and homemade tzatziki, which is a delicious dip/spread made with yogurt, cucumbers and garlic.





If the links don't work, you can copy and paste them directly:
Sticky chicken: www.examiner.com/article/oven-roasted-sticky-chicken-recipe
Chili-maple glazed chicken: www.examiner.com/article/chili-maple-glazed-dump-chicken-recipe-perfect-for-memorial-day-or-everyday
Grilled chili lime chicken kebabs: www.examiner.com/article/chili-maple-glazed-dump-chicken-recipe-perfect-for-memorial-day-or-everyday
Sesame hoisin chicken wings: www.examiner.com/article/serve-up-a-chicken-wing-super-bowl-buffet-sesame-hoisin-chicken-wing-recipe

Ground chicken spanakopita meatballs: www.examiner.com/article/ground-chicken-recipe-chicken-spanakopita-meatballs-with-tzatziki-and-pita 
Bonus recipes:

• homemade tzatziki: www.examiner.com/article/tzatziki-recipe-greek-cucumber-yogurt-dip
• homemade pita: www.examiner.com/article/pita-bread-recipe
• Greek salad: www.examiner.com/article/how-to-make-fresh-salad-dressings-recipes-to-save-you-money-2012

Till next time, keep on keeping on and fight the frugal fight!

This week's featured recipes: Summer recipes, meatless Monday recipes, weeknight and back to school recipes and fudgy brownie cookies recipe!

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This week I've been sharing up a storm with summer recipes, especially pickles and recipes to use the bounty in your garden, from you CSA or from the Farmers market. I've also been sharing quick back to school and weeknight dinner recipes. We've also been sharing Meatless Monday recipes.

Next week we'll be sharing more quick back to school recipes, crock pot recipes and cooking for two. Hubby and I have recently become sort of empty nesters with one son living on his own, and one son living here, but not really. He's out a lot, working, spending time with his girlfriend and his friends, he rarely eats at home anymore. So, we're learning to cook for two a couple of nights each week.

In today's blog post you'll find links to the recipes I've shared from July 1st through July 21. Enjoy and let me know how you like the recipes you try.
Don't forget to join us on Facebook at Better Frugal Living for Families and Rachael's Recipes, Frugal Living Advice and Homemaking Hints.

Summer recipes:
Watermelon and tomato salad

Easy and refreshing watermelon pops


Meatless Monday recipes:
Meatless taco pizza
Greek quesadillas
Quick weeknight or back to school dinner recipesCuban quesadillasSteak pitas


Easy, delicious dessert or snack ideasFudgy brownie cookiesUntil next time, I remain...Frugally yours!Rachael Monaco

Pickles and pickled foods of all kinds: Enjoying the bounty of your garden, CSA or Farmers market

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When I was a child my grandmothers canned and froze the vegetables from their gardens. My mother did too. We enjoyed all kinds of wonderful pickled items all winter long. Zucchini pickles, garlic dill pickles, sweet and spicy pickles, Italian giardineria, Amish chow-chow...the list goes on and on.
This past week I've been sharing a lot of the recipes from my childhood. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
This was my mother's go to recipe when I was growing up. Sweet or sweet and spicy freezer pickles. My dad loved these, especially when she made them with zucchini instead of cucumbers. Thick or thin sliced, they are delicious.

Freezer pickles

And of course, dad's favorite pickles, zucchini pickles. I think it was the only time he ever ate zucchini that wasn't fried back in those days. Of course, these days dad loves raw zucchini, he's come a long long way! Mom would fill up the crocks of the crock pots and let these sit covered on the counter overnight before canning them. When I asked her why, she said they just tasted better that way. I've had them my grandmother's way when she just canned them and my mom's way where she let them sit overnight. I like them both!

Zucchini pickles

These are my very favorite pickle of all time, garlic dill pickles. I like to put several whole cloves of fresh garlic in the pickles because I love the taste of pickled garlic. Yeah, I'm weird like that! If you're not a fan of garlic, leave it out and just make dill pickles.

Kirby cucumbers are perfect for making whole garlic dill pickles

Seven day sweet pickles were my grandfather's favorite pickle. He'd ask for these as soon as the cucumbers started growing in the garden. I think they reminded him a lot of his childhood growing up during the Great Depression. He didn't get a lot of sweets because sugar was expensive, but the one thing his mother would make was sweet pickles. 

Seven Day sweet pickles

Here's another one of my personal favorites, Italian giardiniera! It's a little spicy, but not too much, and I used to eat this by the jar full! I still do...I love it! When my youngest son, who is almost 19, was around 4 or 5, this was the only vegetable he would eat sometimes. Of course, he grew to love veggies, he eats cauliflower and brussels sprouts like crazy, but back in those days whatever way we could get veggies in him, we used it!

Italian giardiniera

Last but not least, Amish chow-chow. This comes from my Amish/Quaker grandmother. I remember my grandmother and a couple of her sisters, she was one of 11 children, in the kitchen and everyone brought whatever they had left from the garden and they would make big batches of chow-chow. Basically it's the sweet Amish version of Italian giardiniera, but it sometimes has kidney or lima beans in it. No wonder I like it so much!

Amish chow-chow

That's all the pickled recipes I have for now, but I am trying a new freezer dill pickle recipe and a pickled eggplant recipe. They're almost ready for tasting, so look for those recipes in the next couple of weeks.Until next time I remain Frugally Yours!Rachael Monaco

Menu planning to save money: What's for dinner 8-18-12 through 8-24-12

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Chicken fricassee with sweet potato dumplings

Menu planning saves me money, plan and simple. During the summer months, life is a little more relaxed, but when the weather starts to get cooler, I get back to structured menu planning with even more purpose!
Here's what we'll be eating for dinner this week. Breakfast is pretty basic, we either have yogurt with homemade granola or oatmeal or toast and eggs. Lunch is almost always whatever was leftover from dinner the night before or a sandwich and soup. You'll find the links to most of the recipes in my blog. Let me know if you need help finding them!

Saturday 8-18-12                                                                                                       Beef + potato hash                                                                                                        Steamed green beans with lemon and sea salt                                                              Salad with homemade dressing                                                                                      cupcakes
Sunday 8-19-12Going out to dinner with gift certificate
Monday 8-20-12                                                                                                               Spaghetti with homemade sauce, zucchini + yellow squash                          Cheesy garlic breadiSalad with homemade dressing
Tuesday 8-21-12Crock pot ham + cheesy potatoesSteamed broccoliSalad with homemade dressing
Wednesday 8-22-12Chicken fricassee with biscuits                                                                                        Wax beans                                                                                                                      Salad with homemade dressing
Thursday 8-23-12C.O.R.N = Clean Out the Refrigerator NightAKA leftovers
Friday 8-24-12Veggie, cheese + ham frittata                                                                                      Hash browns with onions + peppers                                                                       Toast                                                                                                                       Salad with homemade dressing
Until next time I remain Frugally Yours!Rachael Monaco

Raspberry Peach Cobbler

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It is officially peach & raspberry season and if you have a peach tree you are probably looking for ways to use your peaches like I am. This week I am excited to share several new & delicious recipes that use fresh peaches & raspberries. These desserts are perfect to kick off the fall season and would go great for any upcoming events you may have. We are getting ready for our annual Fall-Kick Off party and I'm thinking of making this cobbler this weekend. The crunchy topping along with the smooth peaches and slightly tart raspberries made for a scrumptious combination! Throw on some vanilla ice cream on the warm cobbler and you have a match made in heaven!


Raspberry Peach Cobbler
12 oz. fresh or frozen raspberries (you can also use blueberries or blackberries if you want)
2 lbs. (4 c.) peaches (frozen, fresh, canned or bottled), sliced
Crumble:
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. oats
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. If you are using fresh peaches, peel and slice the peaches and place in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. If you are using canned, bottled or frozen, drain the extra juice from the peaches and place in the pan.  Sprinkle the raspberries on top of the peaches. For the crumble, mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and combine until a crumbly, soft texture. Sprinkle the crumble all over the top of the peaches and raspberries. Bake the cobbler for 25-30 minute, or until bubbly and warmed through. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
 Here are some of my other favorite peach recipes that I blogged about in years past:

*Peaches & Cream Cheesecake Bars (oh my heavens, YUM!!!)
*Homemade Peach Jam & Bottled Peaches
*Peach Cake with White Chocolate Mousse
*Brown Sugar Crumb Peach Crisp

Raspberry Peach No Bake Cheesecake

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I am a huge fan of no-bake cheesecake. I actually prefer it over the thick, sometimes dry, New York Style Cheesecakes. Maybe that is just because I am too lazy to go to all of that effort, but either way, I definitely prefer this no bake version of cheesecake.  It is so light, whipped, soft and smooth. The swirls of fresh raspberries and peaches helps the cheesecake not be overly sweet. If you are a cheater-cheater like me, using a pre-made graham cracker crust helps this dessert come together in just a few minutes! My Mother-in-Law has a similar recipe that uses Cool Whip instead of heavy whipping cream, but it's not a surprise the real whipped cream is even more rich and smooth. Yes, more calories & fat but SO worth it ;)
 Raspberry Peach No Bake Cheesecake**This recipe will make enough for one premade graham cracker crust as well as 2 Oreo Raspberry Cheesecakes in a Jar (recipe coming tomrrow) or 2 premade graham cracker pies (they will just not be quite as tall and thick).2 premade (or homemade) graham cracker crusts Sauce:2/3 c. powdered sugarZest of half of a lemon3/4 c. peaches, chopped1 1/2 c. raspberries1 1/2 T. cornstarchFilling:2 (8 oz.) cream cheese1 c. sugar Zest other half of lemonDash salt1 t. vanilla16 oz. heavy whipping cream2 T. powdered sugarFor the sauce, place all of the above ingredients into a saucepan and simmer on medium-low heat until thick (about 7-10 minutes). Once the sauce is thick, place in the fridge to cool off and become cold (about 20-30 minutes). While the sauce is cooling, whip the cheesecake filling by mixing the cream cheese and sugar together until completely smooth. Once the mixture is smooth, add the vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, whip the whipping cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Once the whipping cream is thick, fold it into the cream cheese mixture until smooth and fluffy. 
If you are using premade graham cracker crusts, place 1 inch of the cheesecake filling in the bottom of the crust. (Of course if you don't want to be lazy like me, you can make your own cheesecake crust ;). Take the sauce from the fridge and add 2-3 T. of the sauce on top of the first layer of the cheesecake (not too much or the cheesecake won't set up..just enough to put a nice swirl in the center of the pie). With a knife swirl the sauce into the bottom layer of the cheesecake. Spoon another portion of the cheesecake on top of the sauce (about 1 1/2 inches tall) and then cover the top of cheesecake with more sauce. Garnish with fresh peaches. Do the same to the second cheesecake until all of the cheesecake and sauce is gone.  Let the cheesecake set in the fridge for 1-2 hours until firm. You can make this cheesecake up the day before and keep the sauce off the top until just ready to serve. It will stay fine in the fridge without the sauce for several days if you need to make it ahead.