Of April bargains & macaroni
Man is the only being – not angels, not animals – whose perfection is not preordained. Man must participate in his own perfection. (Adapted from LIVING EACH DAY, p. 168)
I hope that all of our Christian friends had a good Easter!
HOUSEHOLD HINTS:
If you are in the market for a used car, place notices on the bulletin boards of local senior citizens’ centers. Elders are more likely to have gently-used & well-maintained cars, compared at least to teenagers!
To counteract the truism that you lose one sock in every washload, try loading your socks UNDER the rest of your clothes in the washing machine. It works!
Your kids can develop a booming business by advertising through the Welcome Wagon that they will break down & cart away used moving boxes. Not only will the newcomers pay for the service, but the cardboard can be recycled for cash!
Vinegar – especially -- & baking soda cost money, isn’t it true? I am always amazed at how homemade cleansers utilizing these 2 household stalwarts are touted as being cheaper than cleansers designated as such in the stores. It’s certainly true that vinegar & baking soda are more environmentally sound, but cheaper? Not according to my calculations.
To keep your kitchen cutting board from slipping, place 2 rubber bands around it, at 2 kitty-cornered edges. (You may want to use the wide bands that broccoli comes in at most markets.)
GOOD BUYS FOR THE COMING MONTH (APRIL):
Groceries:
Artichokes
Asparagus
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Eggs
Grapefruit
Strawberries
Other Deals:
Exercise equipment sold by private parties whose New Year’s resolutions weren’t kept!
Home entertainment
Snow blowers
Space heaters
Winter sports equipment
RECIPE:
Cheesy Macaroni & Tomato Bake:
2 T canola oil
½ large or 1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
In a small skillet, heat oil & then sauté onion & garlic, NOT browning it but keeping it crisp. This requires frequent stirring & a cooking time of 10 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the water for pasta (I always put a little salt & a little oil into the pasta water.)
Prepare 1 lb elbow macaroni, cooking for the least time that the package directs. (You can use the same Dutch oven for this & every step that follows in this recipe. Your Dutch oven must be able to contain at least 4 quarts.) Drain, & set aside the macaroni. Spray the Dutch oven with cooking oil spray.
Prepare the tomatoes by mixing together in a bowl:
A 29-oz can of tomatoes in juice, cut into small pieces using a kitchen shears, UNDRAINED
1 tsp salt
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste OR ¼ tsp ready-ground black pepper
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
Prepare a cheese sauce:
2 T canola oil
2 T flour
2 c milk (soymilk or dairy)
2 c grated Cheddar cheese (sharp cheese will give superior results, but it IS more expensive!)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat the oil in the Dutch oven. Add the flour, stirring constantly. You want to brown the flour slightly, but certainly NOT burn it. Add the milk slowly (2/3 c at a time), stirring frequently. Watch (while stirring) until the sauce becomes thicker. Add the cheese (1/2 c at a time), & stir until the cheese is completely incorporated in the sauce.
Break up the clumped macaroni with a cooking spoon. Return it to the Dutch oven (adding it to the cheese sauce). Then slowly add the tomato mixture to the Dutch oven. Stir thoroughly.
Bake for 40 minutes. Serves 8.
I hope that all of our Christian friends had a good Easter!
HOUSEHOLD HINTS:
If you are in the market for a used car, place notices on the bulletin boards of local senior citizens’ centers. Elders are more likely to have gently-used & well-maintained cars, compared at least to teenagers!
To counteract the truism that you lose one sock in every washload, try loading your socks UNDER the rest of your clothes in the washing machine. It works!
Your kids can develop a booming business by advertising through the Welcome Wagon that they will break down & cart away used moving boxes. Not only will the newcomers pay for the service, but the cardboard can be recycled for cash!
Vinegar – especially -- & baking soda cost money, isn’t it true? I am always amazed at how homemade cleansers utilizing these 2 household stalwarts are touted as being cheaper than cleansers designated as such in the stores. It’s certainly true that vinegar & baking soda are more environmentally sound, but cheaper? Not according to my calculations.
To keep your kitchen cutting board from slipping, place 2 rubber bands around it, at 2 kitty-cornered edges. (You may want to use the wide bands that broccoli comes in at most markets.)
GOOD BUYS FOR THE COMING MONTH (APRIL):
Groceries:
Artichokes
Asparagus
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Eggs
Grapefruit
Strawberries
Other Deals:
Exercise equipment sold by private parties whose New Year’s resolutions weren’t kept!
Home entertainment
Snow blowers
Space heaters
Winter sports equipment
RECIPE:
Cheesy Macaroni & Tomato Bake:
2 T canola oil
½ large or 1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
In a small skillet, heat oil & then sauté onion & garlic, NOT browning it but keeping it crisp. This requires frequent stirring & a cooking time of 10 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the water for pasta (I always put a little salt & a little oil into the pasta water.)
Prepare 1 lb elbow macaroni, cooking for the least time that the package directs. (You can use the same Dutch oven for this & every step that follows in this recipe. Your Dutch oven must be able to contain at least 4 quarts.) Drain, & set aside the macaroni. Spray the Dutch oven with cooking oil spray.
Prepare the tomatoes by mixing together in a bowl:
A 29-oz can of tomatoes in juice, cut into small pieces using a kitchen shears, UNDRAINED
1 tsp salt
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste OR ¼ tsp ready-ground black pepper
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
Prepare a cheese sauce:
2 T canola oil
2 T flour
2 c milk (soymilk or dairy)
2 c grated Cheddar cheese (sharp cheese will give superior results, but it IS more expensive!)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat the oil in the Dutch oven. Add the flour, stirring constantly. You want to brown the flour slightly, but certainly NOT burn it. Add the milk slowly (2/3 c at a time), stirring frequently. Watch (while stirring) until the sauce becomes thicker. Add the cheese (1/2 c at a time), & stir until the cheese is completely incorporated in the sauce.
Break up the clumped macaroni with a cooking spoon. Return it to the Dutch oven (adding it to the cheese sauce). Then slowly add the tomato mixture to the Dutch oven. Stir thoroughly.
Bake for 40 minutes. Serves 8.
posted by THE PENNY ORCHID -- "Thrift with Flair" at 1:32 PM
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