The Vicky Challenge. Money saving recipes.

Last week I had quite a few money savers. Plus I hope that learning how to keep sourdough and make all kinds of things from this has given me lots of savings in the future.

For my challenge I wrote down...
$300 in savings from DIY painting.
$50 from making up two presents from soaps and my cooking.
$20 from all the gingerbread.
$100 from making all the lunches.
This gave me a $470 total.
I can't believe there are only a few weeks to go and I will know my yearly total!

Last week we were talking about keeping the costs down when taking food to an event, pooled dinner etc. and also when we make gifts of food to give.
Already I have some of your best recipes to share!  There will be a part two and maybe a part three I think.
Anyway tried and tested recipes are wonderful. We have some USA to AU differences in terminology, measurements etc.  Feel free to ask questions. Google can sometimes help. I had to ask google many things such as what is a stick of butter? We don't have those...   Google gives quick weight and measurement conversions, temperature conversions etc.
I have recipes I am going to try for sure and when I do I will post the pictures of those also.
Thank you to everyone for sending in your recipes and photos!
We all feel like we know each other. Somehow it is lovely to see what you cook!


Firstly Rachel shared a recipe she makes. I really like the sound of this.  I don't know how it works but I know some kind of magic happens when you use dates, boiling water and bi carb soda... something sticky and yum!

Eggless Date Roll
                                                     (M. Smith, Imbil, Qld)
                                                       [my variations are in square brackets!]

1 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup sugar [dark brown works well]
1 Tablespoon butter/olive oil
1 heaped teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
3/4 cup boiling water [1 cup makes it nice and moist]

Combine the above set of ingredients.
--------------------------------------
Add 1 1/2 cups plain flour [freshly milled whole wheat works well] and 1 teaspoon baking powder

Bake in moderate oven 35-40 minutes [25 minutes in a small oven], using a loaf tin.

This looks to me like a lovely thing to make at home, for afternoon tea, or for a gift! Imagine it wrapped in cellophane with a bow. Lovely! 

Now over to Jane...

Tim tam balls

Ingredients.

 1 pkt Tim Tams

1 container cream cheese

Method:

Process biscuits and cheese together. roll into balls. Roll in chocolate sprinkles. place in the fridge to firm up. Try not to eat too many.

This made up 14 golf ball sized balls.

For those without  a processor, crush the biscuits finely then mix with the cream cheese. 

You could use coconut instead of chocolate sprinkles. You could place naked Tim Tam balls in the freezer then cover in melted chocolate.

This basic, delicious recipe, has any number of variations.

Enjoy

Love Jane

Note Aldi Divine biscuits can be substituted.

Now I am glad of this next recipe as it is so useful and there are many variations but it is healthy, economical when Zucchini are in your garden or cheap and can be taken on a picnic, packed in lunch boxes and so on.  This is Jane's Zucchini Slice.

375g zucchini 

1 large onion

3 rashers bacon

1 cup grated cheese 

1 cup SR Flour

1/2 cup oil

5 eggs.

Grate unpeeled zucchini. Finely chop onion and bacon. Combine all ingredients. pour into a well greased lamington tin (I use a lasagna tin). Bake in mod oven 30-40 mins.

We had this for dinner tonight. It's  delicious hot or cold. When the children were small this was a lunchbox favourite.

Now over to Cookie...
These are her Cookie Rolls...
1 cup sugar,

3/4 cups oil or melted butter
4 eggs
4 tsps. vanilla or orange extract
5 cups all purpose flour
5 tsps. baking powder
1 tsp. salt.

Filling
cinnamon and sugar( mixed together)
raisins, nuts(optional)
Jelly or preserves
grated apple (optional)
additional oil or butter for brushing.

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix together the sugar,oil or melted butter, eggs, and flavoring.  Add
the dry ingredients and mix well.  (dough can be refrigerated and
brought back to almost room temp if you want to do this in stages.)

Grease cookie sheets.  Divide dough into 3 to 5 pieces and roll each
piece out on a floured surface.  Brush the dough with oil or melted
butter, spread on the jam, sprinkle with raisins, and nuts and apples
if using, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Roll up the dough in
jellyroll fashion, brush top with more oil or butter and sprinkle more
cinnamon and sugar lightly.  Cut into 1/2 inch slices but not all the
way through.  Bake at 350 F. 20-25 minutes or until done.  Remove from
oven and cool slightly and cut all the way through.  (the rolls spread
so leave enough room on the baking sheet to allow this.) Makes about
60


Cookie added some easy instructions down in the comments below and a picture...

CRACK

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Supplies
1 large baking sheet with sides covered with foil that has been greased
Saltine crackers, 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, 1 cup of butter, 1
cup dark brown sugar, 12 oz bag of Heath's bits of brickle, plain or
chocolate covered.

Place the saltines on the foiled covered baking sheet salt side up. In

a saucepan melt the butter and brown sugar together, bring to a boil
and then simmer for 5 minutes.  Pour this mixture evenly as possible
over the saltines and bake for 6 to 10 minutes depending on your
oven..  Remove immediately and pour chocolate chips over the crackers
spreading them as they melt.  Sprinkle with the bits of brickle.  Let
cool to room temp and then refrigerate to harden.  Break into pieces.
These are best refrigerated and keep almost indefinitely (if you can
keep out of them) in the freezer.

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Supplies
1 lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking pan.

For the cake
Mix together one cake mix of your choice (I usually make this with
chocolate or lemon Duncan Hines mix), 1 egg and 1 stick of melted
butter.  Press into pan.

For the filling.
8 ounces of cream cheese softened
2 eggs,
1 stick of melted butter
16 ounces of powdered sugar.
1 tsp vanilla


Beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the eggs and vanilla.  Add
butter and beat.  Add powdered and mix well.  Spread over cake mixture
and bake 40 to 50 minutes.  You want the center to be a little gooey
so don't overbake. Remove from oven and cool completely and cut into
small squares.  I usually get 24 servings out of this recipe as it's
very rich and only a small amount is needed.

If using a chocolate mix you can gild the lily by sprinkling chocolate
chips and nuts on the filling before baking.  When using a lemon mix I
add extra lemon zest and juice or lemon extract to the filling.

Annabel, I costed this one out and it came to about 18 cents per
serving for 24 servings.  Everything used in this recipe was bought on
good sales making it a pretty cost effective dessert. Love Cookie.

Thank you so much Cookie I really want to try this... anything gooey is good with me! 


Now to Cristy... 

Red Beans and Rice from the kitchen of Crafty Cristy
1 pound dry red beans, fully cooked
1 32 ounce can chopped tomatoes, with the juice
1 ½ cups chopped onion
1 ½ cups chopped celery or 1 T celery seed (optional)
4 teaspoons minced garlic or 2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin (optional)
1 ½ teaspoons pepper
½  teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
1 cup water or chicken broth
Cooked rice
1 pound smoked sausage, your favorite type

Directions: Prepare red beans until they are soft and ready to serve.
Salt to taste.
Then, combine prepared beans, tomatoes with the juice from the can,
chopped onion, celery, garlic, thyme, oregano, pepper, cayenne pepper
and chicken broth in slow cooker. Cook on low 8 hours.
Prepare 2 cups raw rice and 4 cups water in pot on the stove until
done. Salt to taste. Add butter to taste.
Saute 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into bite sized pieces until lightly browned.
To serve: Put the cooked rice on the bottom of the plate, spreading
around. Top rice with the bean combination including the juices. Top
that with the sausage. Serve.
If you are taking this for a potluck, then combine the rice, bean
mixture and sausages after cooking each individually. Stir well.
***It is easy to make this recipe spicier, if that is your preference.
Just add more cayenne, and black pepper, or Tony Chachere’s Creole
Seasoning.


This really interested me! Thank you Cristy!

Thank you everyone! Sometimes just one new recipe is a money saver for us. When we find something that the family loves that isn't expensive to me we are on to a winner!

How did you do with your Vicky Challenge or how did you save last week?
I am hoping to get this week off to a good start.  I did a lot of cooking over the weekend and do not have to cook for a couple of nights which I love. I have Christmas things to do. Things to post, things to wrap! 
Have a fantastic week! xxx