Risotto

Another favorite classic Italian dish at my house is Risotto. This is a rice dish made with Arborio (or more simply, medium grain rice). It is a more time-consuming recipe than most rice dishes. Instead of just dumping the water and rice into a pot and forgetting about it for 20 minutes, you gradually add broth as it's absorbed by the rice. Even though you do have to watch it for 20 min., it is very easy to make and the you end up with a nice creamy dish.

Like Frittata, this dish is versatile and you can easily substitute ingredients, but you always use Parmesan cheese.

Here is a very basic recipe for risotto.

Here is a recipe for Risotto Primavera. (Personally, I leave out the icky peas.)

If all you have in your pantry is long grain rice, it'll still work but the medium or short grain is better. I've never tried it with brown rice.

UPDATE: I tried it with brown rice. DON'T do it. It was a total failure. The brown rice takes too long to absorb the liquid so it evaporates before it cooks the rice.

Have It Your Way Frittata

My family loves Frittata. If you haven't had this Italian egg dish before, its kind like an oven omelet. My favorite is spinach with Swiss cheese and the runner up is broccoli with cheddar cheese.

The recipe I use can be found HERE. I cut this out from USA Magazine years and years ago and used it so often that it finally fell apart. This is a very basic recipe that you can modify to your tastes.

Going Vegetarian

One way to save money on your grocery bill, in addition to improving your health, is to cut back on meat consumption.

Also, during this time of Lent, many people abstain from meat for spiritual reasons.

Over the next month, I plan to post a vegetarian recipe each day to help those of you who need a little help going meatless.

Homeschool Pringle Challenge

From my inbox:

For immediate release!! Share with all homeschoolers you know!!

Objective:
For students to design and test a container for shipping a single Pringles™ potato chip, via the US Postal Service. The participating homeschools will be matched up via this web page. Students will exchange packages with homeschools somewhere in the United States. Upon arrival the packages will be evaluated and scored using the format in the scoring section.

Goal:
To engineer the package to have the smallest volume and smallest mass that will protect the chip so that it arrives at its destination undamaged.

www.freewebs.com/homeschoolpringles

Grocery Tip #17: Go to the Store Early Morning

If possible, I try to get to the grocery store in the early morning. One, it's not too crowded at that time. Two, often times there are loads of 40% off deals waiting for me. Produce, bakery goods, and meat close to their expiration date are marked down to sell fast and make room for the day's fresh items. This is true for discount clubs like Sam's too.

With my brood, food goes fast so if I buy something on the verge of expiration it's no big deal. If it doesn't look like it'll get eaten that day or next, there is always the freezer. And over-ripe fruit makes great fruit leather!

Refunds on Tainted Peanut Butter

There are refund options if you have the tainted peanut butter on your shelf. Read HERE for more information.

As of Feb. 16, ConAgra Foods has authorized retailers to accept returns of open or unopened jars of Peter Pan Peanut Butter or Great Value Peanut Butter marked with a product code beginning with 2111 for a full refund. You should return your peanut butter to the store where you bought it.

Or you can send your Peter Pan Peanut Butter or Great Value Peanut Butter lid or label with the product code beginning with 2111 to ConAgra Foods along with your name and mailing address for a full refund. That mailing address is ConAgra Foods, P.O. Box 3768, Omaha, NE 68103.

Peanut Butter Recall

From Thrifty Homeschool member Heather:

Some tainted peanut butter is being blamed for a nationwide outbreak of salmonella.The Food and Drug Administration is warning people not to eat certain jars of Peter Pan or Great Value (Wal mart brand) peanut butter. Those jars have a product code on the lid that begins with the number "2111." The peanut butter is produced by ConAgra Foods.Federal health officials said the outbreak has sickened 288 in 39 states, including Pennsylvania.If you have the peanut butter, send lids
from the jar, your name and address to: ConAgra Foods, P.O. Box 3768, Omaha, NE 68103.For more information, call 1-866-344-6970.

They are saying to throw out all questionable jars. The cases have risen to over 300. This is totally crazy that such a thing has happened. Please be safe.

Bishop on Poverty

What's So Great about Being Poor?
by Bishop Emil Wcela

If being poor and hungry is so much to be desired, why do our parishes collect and distribute food, or provide clothes from their thrift shops, or help with rent payments?

About: Super Bowl Food

About: Superbowl Recipes and Quick Party Food Tips