Krispie Peanut Butter Goodies

Impress your roommates with your culinary expertise - make filled chocolates to help everyone through the next bout of final exams!

Ingredients:
2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter (one stick)
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
3 cups crisp rice cereal

Beat the peanut butter and softened butter together in a large mixing bowl until blended. Add the powdered sugar and beat until well combined. Stir in cereal. Shape into either one-inch balls or snack candy bar sized oblongs. Refrigerate on waxed paper lined baking sheet for an hour or two or until well-chilled.

Chocolate coating:
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup shortening

Melt carefully in the microwave. It burns easily so be careful! Dip your peanut butter centers into the melted chocolate and set on waxed paper to harden. Refrigerate until set.

OR!!!
Get some candy chocolate like the Wilton's brand or the blocks you can sometimes find in the baking section of the store. Just melt and dip centers as described above. These will set at room temperature unless you live near the equator and then you are on your own!

Hot legs and thighs . . .

Hey, I'm talking chicken here. What were YOU thinking?! Anyway, the easiest dinner to fix when you are hungry but need to study while dinner is cooking would be chicken.

Oven-Baked Chicken legs and/or thighs.

Buy enough chicken to provide each person with two pieces each with a few extra for the male guests.

2 packets of dry Ranch dressing
2 cups bread crumbs. (You can either buy bread crumbs or smash some store-bought croutons.
1 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese. (You can use the green cans of the stuff usually near the pasta aisle or ask someone!
1 cup vegetable oil

Combine the first three ingredients in a large bowl. Preheat oven to 350 degree. Vegetable spray a large baking dish.

Dip each piece of chicken in the oil and then in the crumbs. Place in the prepared baking dish. Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is brown and the juices run clear if you pierce a piece with a fork.

You can also cut wedges of potato, dip them in the oil and arrange on a baking dish or between the pieces of chicken if there is room. You can spice and herb them before putting them in the oven with the chicken.

Dried Italian dressing works, too.

Can't help but improve your life . . .

Here is an interesting site that might help get you through the cafeteria line with a better appetite!

http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2009/12/09/101-ways-to-hack-your-college-cafeteria/

Easy Beef and Rice

You can always tell when you need something hot and filling . . . When school seems too hard and you feel like just opening your book will take your last energy. Sure, protein is the expensive component of a meal but you can cope with the extra cost and stretch it to fill several hungry, fellow students.

About two pounds or more of chuck steak or whatever is on sale.
About 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 can of chicken or beef broth - look for the store brand
1 chopped onion
3-4 cloves of smashed and chopped garlic
Salt, pepper, chili flakes, etc. to taste

Cut the meat into medium-sized cubes and place in a bowl. Toss in the flour and mix so each piece of meat is well coated. Heat a frying pan or large pot with 1/4 cup oil. Get at least a couple sides of the meat cubes browned, stir in the onion and garlic and continue frying until they soften. Add the canned broth, stir to get well-mixed, and turn down to a simmer. Cover the pan/pot and continue cooking until the meat is tender and the gravy thickens. Watch it and add some water or more broth if it starts drying up. Serve over hot rice.

The ratio for cooking rice is 1 cup rice to two cups water in the microwave for approximately 15 minutes.

Easy Meat Pies

3/4 pound ground beef
3/4 pound ground pork sausage
1 finely chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped green onion
2 cloves minced garlic (or heaping teaspoon of powdered garlic)
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 - 12 ounces each - buttermilk biscuits

Brown the beef and sausage. Drain off the excess fat. Add onions and garlic, cooking until tender. Add the rest of the ingredients (NOT the biscuits!) and heat through. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Makes life easier if you prepare up until this stage the day before.

On a floured surface, pat one can of the biscuits into 4-inch circles. Top each with about 1/3 cup of the meat mixture. Pat the other can of biscuits into 5-inch circles, place over filled circles, dampen rim with water to seal and press the edges together with a fork dipped in flour. Pierce the tops to allow the steam to escape while baking. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown and filling is hot.

Yield: 10 servings.
Easy enough to double. Adding shredded cheese before sealing the dough would be tasty, too.

Ground beef, beans - hot food!

1 pound of ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup diced celery
1 package Italian dressing mix (the dry type)
1 28 ounce (or there abouts) can baked beans - Bush's Beans are the best.
1 bottle of barbecue sauce

Brown the meat until crumbly. Add the onion and continue cooking and stirring until the onion is limp but not brown. Add the celery, dressing, beans, and enough barbeque sauce to make it almost soupy. Simmer about 20 minutes on low heat in a covered pot. Stir ever so often to keep it from sticking or burning.

Goes well with corn bread but can be put in hamburger buns, too.

Easy Apple Crisp

3 1/2 pounds of green and red apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Grated rind and juice of one lemon

Topping:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix and place the first three ingredients into an oven-proof baking dish. Combine the topping ingredients, mixing the butter in with a fork until it resembles coarse meal. Small lumps of butter is all to the better! Sprinkle topping mixture evening over the apples.

Bake approximately 20-30 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden.

Pretty Quick Clam Chowder . . .

1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup whipping cream
4 - 6 1/2 ounce cans chopped clams- reserve clam juice
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
Pinch of dried thyme
Pinch of granulated garlic and onion.

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling, salted water until cooked through, about 25 minutes. Drain. Transfer potatoes to bowl. Mash lightly.

Scald 1 cup half and half and cream. This means bring it barely to a boil but don't let it boil over and curdle. Add potatoes, Claim, 1/4 cup reserved clam juice, seasoned salt, and thyme. Bring soup to a simmer, stirring frequently and thinning with more half and half if desired. Serve.

Don't worry about spices/herbs. Use what you have on hand as most of them can enhance the soup.

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick butter, room temperature
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour and baking soda. Using mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add both sugars and beat until fluffy. Mix in egg, vanilla, then peanut butter and melted chocolate. Mix in dry ingredients, then chocolate chips.

Form dough into 1-inch balls. Arrange on baking sheet (sprayed with vegetable spray, lightly) about 1 1/2 inches apart. Flatten to about 1/2-inch thick with back of fork in cross hatch pattern. Bake until cookies are just firm around the edges and bottoms of brown, about 10-12 minutes. Keep checking on first batch. Cool on rach and store in covered container or freeze.

Friday fare!

It's Friday and you know your mother will ask if you abstained from meat but you have to figure out a meal that will satisfy you and not cost a fortune. Lobster is seldom on sale!

Lentils and rice

1 pound of lentils
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced finely
Salt
Sharp cheddar cheese
Cooked rice

Rinse the lentils thoroughly. Cook the onion and garlis in a large pot on medium heat until the onion is limp and just starting to turn golden. Add the rinsed lentils and about 4-6 cups of water. Simmer, covered, for about an hour and a half. Check and stir often and add some water if it gets too thick.

About twenty minutes before the lentils are done, prepare your rice. Follow the directions on the bag or box as to how much and how long. Do know that you can do the cooking in the microwave.

Grate the cheese. When you lentils are done, add about a teaspoon of salt but put the salt, pepper, and pepper flakes on the table for those who might like it spicier.

Scoop out a generous portion of rice. Top with a ladle of lentils and serve. Each person can add the cheese.

Butter Almond Crescents

Butter Almond Crescents

Ingredients
2 sticks (1 cup) of margarine, softened
1 cup powdered confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped almonds*

Directions
In large bowl, beat margarine with 1/2 cup sugar and then add remaining
ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.

Divide
dough and shape into 1/2 inch rolls and then cut into 2 inch pieces.
Taper ends of each by pinching them and bend into a crescent shape.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 to 18 minutes or until light brown.
When cooled, dust with remaining sugar.

*You can usually find small packets of sliced almonds at Wal-Mart in the baking section. Just use a sharp knife and mince them up a bit more. Other nuts will work, too. Tiny chocolate chips would be interesting. Very versitile cookie.

Excellent Meatballs with rice!

1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs (Panko crumbs work well if you can find them - Asian section)
Oregano
Basil
Salt
Alfredo sauce - large jar (more depending on how many you are feeding. All the ingredients can be doubled to make a large batch.)

Mix and form into small meat balls. Brown the meat balls in a bit of oil until nicely browned on all sides. Medium heat so they cook and don't dry out or burn. Remove the meat balls from the pan BUT DON'T CLEAN THE PAN! All those drippings are good for the sauce. Add your Alfredo sauce to the pan and gently warm up. Keep stirring up and scraping all the meat bits in the pan into your sauce. Return the meat balls and simmer on very, very low heat for 20 minutes. If the pan has a lid, cover it. If not, you might have to add a bit of water to keep it the same liquidity.

In a large, microwave-proof bowl, add two cups rice and four cups water. Cook in microwave about 15-20 minutes until all the water is absorbed.

Serve the meat balls over the rice along with a vegetable or salad because you mother will ASK about that!

When it has to be Italian!

Yes, you can buy frozen lasagna when you are craving Italian food but it can be cheaper and much tastier to make it yourself. If you don't want to spring for the slightly more expensive lasagna noodles, you can use regular pasta, too. It just changes it's name from lasagna to pasta casserole! Same taste.

Lasagna noodles
1/2 pound ground beef
1 chopped onion
16 ounces mozzarella cheese (the generic store brands work just fine)
1 jar spaghetti sauce (usually around 1 pound some ounces.)
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce - in case!
Teaspoon of oregano, if you have it.

Brown and crumble the ground beef with the onion until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are tender. Stir in the sauce and oregano and simmer on low a few minutes. If the mixture is too dry, you might want to add some of the standby tomato sauce. The noodles go into the dish uncooked so you need to have some moisture to cook them in the oven.

Meanwhile, use vegetable spray on a large baking dish. Grate the mozzarella cheese. No grater, you can cut it into thin slices. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the sauce mixture from the heat. Ladle in a spoonful of the sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and spread it around. Place one layer of the lasagna noodles on the sauce. Ladle some more sauce and some of the cheese on top of the noodles. Continue these layers and end with a sauce/cheese layer on top. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes until it is cooked through and bubbly.

If you are using regular pasta like elbows, etc., layer your dish like this:

Put down half your sauce mixture into the bottom of the baking dish. Layer some of the cheese. Layer about 12-16 ounces of uncooked noodles on top of the sauce. Pour on the remaining sauce and top with cheese. Bake as indicated above. This works well if you don't have a long baking dish for the lasagna noodles.

Impressive apple pies!

You are craving pie. The frozen variety are expensive and not tasty unless you are into overly-sweet fillings and cardboard crust. Besides, you probably don't have a pie pan in your dorm room. Here is an easy way to enjoy a hot apple pie with not too much effort.

Refrigerated biscuits - the ones in the tube container, get generic to save money
Oil for frying
Canned apples or a chunky jam or fruit filling

Heat your oil but don't start a fire! Roll out one of the biscuits into a circle about four or five inches in diameter. Put some filling in more towards one side of the circle. Dab the edge of one side of the dough with water to help form a seal. Fold over, press down gently all around and then press the same edge with a fork to make it look professional.

Deep fry until golden on each side. You want your oil hot but not smoking. If the turnover pie cooks too quickly, the inside might not get done. Drain each turnover pie on paper towel and sprinkle with sugar.

Chicken pot pie - no experienced needed!

I ran across an idea for making Chicken Pot Pie with very little effort and a pretty good result.

Ingredients:
2 cups diced, cooked chicken
16 ounces frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 jar Alfredo sauce
1 roll refrigerated croissants or crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the first three ingredients and mix well. I'd suggest adding the sauce in installments in case it might be too much and the end result too soupy. Place the mixture in an oven-proof dish. Unroll the croissant or crescent roll dough, flatted a bit, and arrange over the top of your chicken mixture. Pinch to seal at the sides of the dish and cut a few slits in the top so the steam can escape. Bake approximately 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the chicken, etc. is heated through and bubbly.

Notes:
Easy enough to double although you might not have to double the sauce depending on the dryness of the meat, etc.

You can use canned chicken, if it is on sale, or cook a couple of chicken breasts or use leftover fried chicken for the filling removing the bones, of course!

You can spray the top of the dough with vegetable spray and sprinkle sesame seeds if you want to be impressive.

Cheap and handy ideas . . .

After cooking, there is always clean up. Here are some ideas to keep things clean without spending too much precious food money on mundane cleaning products!

Get some cheap spray bottles from Wal-Mart. Fill the bottle with ammonia (under a dollar for a big bottle) and use that to clean surfaces. It is good at cleaning up grease and takes the cooking smells out of the air.

Windex or it's cheaper generic brand works on all the bathroom surfaces. No need to buy something for the counters, shower, and walls. Smells good, too.

Invest in a roll of store-brand foil and line your baking pans. When your food comes out of the oven, you will have an easier clean up. The mess will be cooked onto the foil not your pan. It is a good idea to reuse your disposable, foil baking pans.

Baking soda is good for scrubbing out a sink, boosting your laundry detergent, and for brushing your teeth when you forget to buy toothpaste.

Donuts for under a dollar . . .

If you watch the sales, you can provide yourself and your roommates with fresh donuts for not too much in cost.

Need:
Packaged biscuits in the round containers. These are the ones you find in the refrigerated section at the store. You know the ones, you peel off the wrapper, smack it on the counter and it opens to reveal unbaked biscuits! The store brands are usually the best price.

About three cups cooking oil.

Heat the oil but keep a close eye on it. You don't want it smoking or burning. Be careful!

Open up your container of biscuits and lay them out on some paper towel. Using a bottle cap or something small and round, cut holes in the middle of the biscuit. Save the holes! The oil should be hot so carefully place in several of the prepared biscuits and holes. Watch them carefull and when they are golden brown on one side, turn them over and cook the other side. Take them from the hot oil and let them drain on paper towel to remove some of the excess oil.

While the donuts are still warm, you can top them in several different ways.

Spiced icing
1 cup powdered sugar
Pinch of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg - all or one of them.
Enough apple juice to form an icing.

Chocolate icing
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Enough milk to form an icing.

Cinnamon & Sugar

To ice the donuts, just dip the tops in the prepare icing and then place on a plate
to set up. For the cinnamon and sugar donuts, put the sugar combo in a small bag and gently shake the donuts until covered.

Dinner ALMOST like Mom would make!

My daughter loves pot roast and after dinner, she requested I put up a version for her and the rest of the college crowd who bothers to cook for themselves!

One beef pot roast (this can be a chuck roast, tri-tip, chuck steak . . .)preferably one that is on sale. Three to five pounds is good as you definitely want leftovers.

Two or three large potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters.

One onion, chopped
Five carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

Onion soup mix


In a deep frying pan that has a lid or a pot with the same qualifications, pour in a tablespoon or two of oil. Heat. Dust the meat with flour and slightly brown on each side. Turn down the heat. Add the chopped onion, a cup of water, and herbs and spices of choice. If you aren't into that sort of thing, a packet of onion soup mix works well. Cover the pot and simmer on a low heat for an hour or so. Thirty minutes into the cooking, add the carrots. Twenty minutes before you think it might be done, add the potatoes. When the potatoes are tender, you are done. Lightly salt and pepper and serve.

A little money, a little work, enough food!

If you have kindly (and hungry!) dorm mates, you could get this meal going fairly quickly. If you have lazy ones, you get the pleasure of eating a good meal while they scuttle off to find a dry sandwich.

You need:
About two cups of all-purpose flour
2-3 eggs
Extra flour
A rolling pin or resonable facsimile.
Waxed paper or foil to lay the end product out.

Dig out a mixing bowl of sorts and toss in the two cups of flour. Break in two of the eggs and mix until you have a workable dough. If the dough is too runny, add a bit more flour. If it is way too stiff, add the third egg.

Flour a surface generously. Most kitchens have a bread board but any flat, clean surface (NOT your computer desk!) will work. Take a small fistful of dough, dust in the flour and roll out sort of thin but not paper thin. Cut the dough into strips about 1/2 inch wide. Place on some waxed paper, one layer deep. Continue rolling and cutting the rest of the dough into strips.

You have just made homemade noodles. Yeah, they aren't perfect. They are thicker than the packaged kind but you did it for a lot less money and toned up your arm muscles, too.

Lots of options as to what to do with them now. An inexpensive can or jar of pasta sauce would go well over them. Just melted butter, salt, and pepper tastes good, too. You can get a can of chicken or beef broth and some frozen vegetables.

Anyway, while you are deciding on your finishing touches, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of oil to the boiling water. Gradually, add your homemade noodles and simmer them for about five to eight minutes. Drain, pour on or add your desired sauce/soup, and eat.

No, it won't be exactly like mom makes but it will taste a lot better than the reheated stuff in the cafeteria. You've impressed your roommates and can now probably get them to pitch in for some meat the next time you offer to cook a meal.

Dealing with a sweet craving on the cheap!

If I had any advice to give to a college student in charge of his/her own destiny . . . meaning, getting fed, a big box of Bisquick or a generic version would be on the have-to-have list. Aside from the great recipes listed conveniently on the box, you can fix yourself up a tasty sweet treat with a bit of effort and not too much expense.

Cinnamon Sugar Twists

About two cups of Bisquick, 1/4 cup sugar, and enough milk to form a workable dough you can roll out. (no rolling pin? Take the label off a can and use the side of the can!)

1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon

Dust a working surface with a bit of dry Bisquick and roll out the dough to about 1/2inch thick. Generously sprinkle the surface of the dough with the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Fold the dough over once, pat down a bit, sprinkle with mixture, fold over and repeat. Do this four or five times to form sugary layers in the dough. Roll out a final time, cut into one or two-inch strips, twist slightly, and place on a greased baking sheet. (Okay, no baking sheet, use foil and care in getting it in and out of the oven! Vegetable oil spray is good for 'greasing')

Bake for approximately ten minutes in a 375-degree oven or until golden brown. They make a good snack or something to gobble down with a glass of milk before heading out to class.

Crumbs and ants . . .

Ants happen because they have no concept of space, especially if YOUR space includes some tasty, spilled stuff from late-night snacks. In a home, there is space so you can work around the critters while you plan their demise. In a dorm situation, space is limited and who wants to be cheek to jowl with an army of thousands?

Ant spray smells terrible and isn't that great for human breathing. It might chase you out before the ants get a sufficient whiff of it. According to the environmental types, Tea Tree Oil is supposed to do the trick. Ants don't like it. I obtained a bottle and it must work because I haven't had a single ant show up so I can try it! Anyway, you dilute a few drops in water in a clean spray bottle. You just spray and wipe. No toxins for humans and, supposedly, the ants will go to college in another dorm. Yes, it does have a smell but it isn't bad and easy to get used to. Hey, it's better than waking up to an ant invasion!

Cafeteria Food or Life?

Although cafeteria food has much improved over the years, either finances or boredom often sends college students in search of more tasty meals. My one, college daughter claims that pizza is about the only 'healthy' item on her college's cafeteria list and she often eats to survive not to enjoy. She has asked me to post ideas and easy recipes as I think of them to help her through the coming school year and eat better.

Most dorms allow the students access to a kitchen area so fixing your own meals isn't quite the chore it might have been back in the olden days. From what I understand, the main problem is food theft from the communal fridge or cupboard. With that thought in mind, you might consider buying perishables on an as-needed basis and have a large, sealable container in your dorm to store dry goods. Why put temptation out there for the morally lax?!

An easy and fun way to test out your cooking skills would be with pancakes. This you could do on a Saturday morning and have a hot breakfast you won't have to wait in line to eat. It will be hot, too! In fact, if you can find a couple of other hungry friends, you can split the cost of the ingredients.

The all-purpose bisquit mix could be a staple in your culinary closet. With this box of stuff (generic or Bisquick), you can not only make pancakes, but bisquits, meat pies, dumplings, etc. Pick up a box at the market and check out the variety of food stuffs you can produce with this basic ingredient. The recipes are all on the box. Google for more recipes as you can accomplish cookies and coffee cakes, too.

Pancake syrup too expensive? Get a box of brown sugar. Put about a quarter cup of the brown sugar in a cup, slowly add drops of very hot water until it melts and forms a thickish liquid. Not exactly syrup but pretty good if you are hungry!

As you begin to cook your way through the semester, things get cheaper as you slowly accumulate ingredients that will last through several recipes. Just make sure you splurge on bags and containers that can be sealed. Ants happen even on dorm rooms/apartments on second or third floors!