Hello , Hi there and welcome to the next edition of the HBHW newsletter. After lots and lots of rain and not much time to do much of anything outside, today is looking beautiful. We did manage to get our fall garden started and the first little lettuce leaves and cabbages are starting to poke out of the dirt. I can't wait for the next round of harvests. We're still having a few okra pods here and there and the hot peppers are still going strong. I'm surprised that
after reading how much peppers like the heat, ours are doing much better now that it has cooled down a bit.
I'm also settling in nicely into my
role as taxi driver. My daughter has a record 5 after school activities going on and we're out and about most afternoons and Saturdays. Thankfully there is Sunday Football, which means I can spend my Sunday afternoons curled up on the couch knitting, relaxing and paying a little attention to the game here and there :)
Enough about what's going on in the Hillbilly Household. Let's move into this week's issue. I have a yummy new recipe to share, there's a new
frugal tip for you about storing bacon grease and for this week's article I've compiled some of my favorite homemade salad recipes.
There's also a new "I"m Looking for Request" take a look and see if you can help out a fellow HBHW
readers.
If you have a recipe you're looking for, email me at susanne@hillbillyhousewife.com and I'd be glad to feature it and give you my
own input. HBHW readers are an amazing resource when it comes to lost recipes as well.
Enjoy!
Susanne |
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My Granny used to make an apple pie that reminded me (texture wise…i.e. no discernible chunks/slices of Apple) of mince meat pie. It was one of my favorite things she used to make and unfortunately she is now suffering from Alzheimer’s and she never cooked off of a recipe, always by memory! Any help would be greatly
appreciated. Thanks,
Sarah
Please click through to the post here and share your suggestions, ideas and recipes.
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“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning."
Albert Einstein
Featured Recipe of the Week |
Garden Vegetable Casserole
- 2 lb eggplant
- 2 medium
onions
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 medium zucchini
- 5 tomatoes
- 2 ribs of celery
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- salt and pepper to taste
- additional salt for eggplants
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 cup dry Italian bread crumbs
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Peel and slice the eggplant. Sprinkle both sides with salt and let them sit in a deep dish for 30
minutes. Rinse with plenty of cool water, drain and pat the eggplant dry.
Cut the eggplant into bite size cubes and saute them in oil until they are lightly browned (about 5 minutes). Chop the onion and garlic, slice the zucchini and add them to the pan. Cook everything for 3 minutes.
Peel and chop the tomatoes. Slice the celery and chop the parsley and basil. Add all this to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil,
reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the mixture from the stove.
Stir in the parmesan cheese pour everything into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Combine the crumbs and butter and sprinkle it on top. Bake uncovered at 375F for 15 minutes. Springe with the mozzarella cheese and return to the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
You're welcome to share the recipe on Pinterest, Facebook etc. I'm also sharing a lot of recipes on the HBHW Facebook
page. Click on through to check it out. As always, likes, comments and shares are much appreciated. :) |
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Dump cakes are so quick and easy to make because usually it’s
just a matter of dumping (hence the name dump cake) the ingredients into a baking dish and putting in the oven. Sometimes the recipe will require you to mix the ingredients, but usually you don’t want to mix them. Young or old, dump cakes are a favorite dessert to make.
Here are a few of the recipes you will find in this Dump Cake Cookbook:
- Apple Dump Cake
- Rich Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Peach Dump
Cake
- Basic Dump Cake
- Easy Dump Cake
- Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake
- Cherry Chocolate Coconut Dump Cake
- Cherry Coconut Dump Cake
Order
the Book on Amazon
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We're having a lot of fun talking about all things frugal and homemaking on Facebook. Join in the discussion at the Hillbilly Housewife Facebook
page. Be sure to like the page so you don't miss a thing. Here's just one of this week's topics. |
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Does Bacon Grease Need To Be Refrigerated
Bacon used to be a cheap breakfast meat, but no more. Over the past few years, it has gone up quite a bit in price. Of course I’m still bacon, because …. well, it’s bacon and it tastes amazing. I don’t think it needs any more explaining than that.
We’re still eating bacon regularly, but I’m now making sure to use every last bit to make it worth the extra money. One way of doing that is to save
the bacon drippings and use the grease in my cooking. And I’m loving it. It adds a
lot of extra flavor to my dishes.
I use the bacon grease to cook eggs in the morning, when I’m sauteeing veggies and even some meats (pan fried pork chops anyone) and when I’m starting soups or stews. Of course it also makes awesome gravy to serve on biscuits or toast.
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How To Get The Bacon
Grease
The grease comes out as you cook the bacon. You can fry it up in a skillet on the stove, take out the cooked bacon and then pour the rendered fat into a jar.
Or you can bake the bacon in the oven. This is my favorite way to cook it these days. Take the cookie sheet out, remove the bacon and then pour the grease that’s left over into a jar.
I use a glass jelly jar to store my bacon grease in. Each time
we cook bacon I add the drippings to it and use them in cooking. Every 6 months or so I clean the jar out and start fresh. I find glass works best to keep the
grease in. The flavor stays the same and it’s easy to clean.
Bacon Fat Storage Options:
Now that you have your bacon drippings in the glas jar, let’s talk about storage options.
On The Counter You can keep that jar on the
counter, next to the stove. If that’s what you decide to do, strain any little bits and pieces of bacon from the grease before storing it. A strainer and some cheesecloth work well for that. On the counter, the fat will stay good for about a month. After that you will notice that it starts to go rancid.
In The Fridge I prefer to keep my grease in the fridge. It’s out of the way, doesn’t clutter up my counters and lasts a very long time – 6
months in fact. That’s why I’m comfortable having a continuous jar of bacon drippings, adding to it each time we cook bacon. Every six months, I use up what we have and clean out the jar before starting over.
In the Freezer If you don’t use your bacon grease much, or want a longer storage option, freeze it. In the freezer, your bacon grease will last for up to a year. I’ve never frozen bacon grease because we go through it so quickly.
It’s a nice option to have and may come in handy if you’re leaving home for a few months and still have some bacon grease leftover.
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Homemade Convenience Foods
Make even more convenience foods right at home! You'll save money, control ingredients, and avoid expensive "fast foods" when you start making your own favorite
convenience foods.
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Featured Article of the Week |
Homemade Salad Dressings – My Favorite Recipes
One of the easiest things to start making yourself is salad dressings. They don’t use a lot of ingredients and all you have to do is blend them together and pour them over your salad.
There’s been a lot of talk about how bad processed food is for us, but sometimes it’s hard to find a way to cut out the store-bought convenience foods and go back to homemade foods. These dressings are an easy way to get
started. Pick your favorite and give it a try.
Not only will you be eating food without additives and preservatives, it also tastes much better. And in most cases, the homemade version is cheaper than what you buy at the store – and you know it’ll be fresh.
Ranch Dressing Let’s start with a family favorite. We love ranch dressing around here, not just for salads, but also as a dip for raw veggies. This recipe couldn’t be simpler and you won’t believe how much better it tastes than the store bought stuff. Just stir up the 5 ingredients and you’re good to go. Yogurt Ranch DressingIf you’re in the mood for something a little lighter and tarter, give this yogurt ranch version a try. It’s my favorite in the summer time. Italian Dressing If you’re not a ranch
person, or just not in the mood for a creamy type dressing, whip up a batch of this homemade italian instead. It’s quick, easy and of course delicious. As much as I like it on salad, I love it even more as a marinade for grilled or baked chicken. Caesar Salad
Dressing What would a post about salad dressing be without the classic caesar dressing? Grab some romaine lettuce, bake up some croutons and make a batch of this dressing. It makes a great side salad, or top it with some leftover chicken for lunch or a light dinner. Yum! Blue Cheese DressingThen of course there’s the rich, flavorful blue cheese dressing. It’s delicious on a salad, with some slice cucumbers and of course you’ve gotta have it if you’re making hot wings. Basic
Vinaigrette Last but not least, you can’t go wrong with a simple vinaigrette. I usually whip this up just before serving. It’s beautiful on some spring greens or some butter lettuce fresh from the garden. A Basic Recipe for an oil based vinaigrette and 5 yummy variations. These are my favorite homemade dressings and the ones I make on a regular basis. Do you have a favorite? Let me know in the comments below and as always I’d love it if you have a recipe to
share.
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A Little Something Inspirational...
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That's it from me for this week. I am getting ready to fix another cup of coffee and knit a Christmas Ornament. I'm thinking of giving some away as gifts this year and better get to work on them before the Holidays sneak up on me.
Did you see that the new issue of the Homemaker's Hutch magazine is out? It's beautiful and full of amazing articles, recipes and a knitting pattern from me. I think you'll enjoy it. Check it out if you're not already
subscribed.
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