Dinner tonight: Simple Taco Meat, Butter Peas, & Rice

Tonight we are having Simple Taco Meat, whole wheat Tortillas; Shredded Cheese; Shredded Cabbage; Buttery Peas & Rice (recipes below)

Simple Taco Meat
fry up a pound of ground beef and use a fork to smash it into small bits. When it is brown drain off the fat. Add 2 tablespoons flour and stir until the meat is sort of dusty looking. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chopped onion and 1/2 cup of water. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Simmer until thickened. Serve on homemade tortillas with a little bit of shredded cheese. Instead of lettuce, top the tortillas with finely shredded cabbage. It is very good. Almost better than lettuce in fact. Pass hot sauce at the table for them who like it spicy.

Buttery Peas & Rice
prepare rice in the normal way using 1 cup of dry rice and 2 cups of water. Add 1/2-teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons of margarine and 1 cup of frozen peas right before you put the lid on and simmer for 20 minutes.

These recipes are also from Hillbilly Housewife

Supper Tonight: Boston Baked Beans, Macaroni & Cheese, & Coleslaw

Boston Baked Beans

2 pounds white beans (northern or navy beans)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 onion, peeled and chopped
4 to 6 oz of raw bacon, chopped
Soak the beans overnight in plenty of tap water. Or, you can bring them to a boil on the stove and then turn them off, cover them and let them sit for an hour or two. After the initial preparation boil your beans on the back of the stove for about half an hour. They won't be perfectly soft, but they will be almost soft. Drain off the cooking water. In a very large casserole (4-quart) combine the semi-cooked beans, salt, dry mustard, molasses, sugar and chopped bacon. Add enough hot water to barely come to the top of the beans. Put a lid on the casserole, or tin foil. Bake the beans at 300° for about 5 to 7 hours. They will be tender, fragrant and delicious.

The cooked beans may be frozen in two cup portions to substitute for canned baked beans or canned pork'n'beans in any recipe. They make a good main dish, or a side dish for a large crowd. This recipe serves about 16.

Another way to cook this, good in the summertime, is to use a crock pot. Boil the soaked beans for half an hour, as directed above. Then, instead of combining everything in a casserole, combine them in the crock pot instead. Put the lid on the Crock Pot after you've mixed everything up in it, and cook it on High for about 3 or 4 hours, or on low for 6 or 8 hours. You can put a folded dish towel on top of the lid if your crock pot doesn't get quite hot enough to cook beans normally. The dish towel helps maintain a temperature hot enough to just barely simmer the beans.

Coleslaw

3 or 4 cups of shredded cabbage
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup minced onion (optional)
1/2 cup mayonnaise1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
The cabbage is best thinly sliced into shreds with a sharp knife. Cut the cabbage in half, remove the core, and slice it across the bias, into thin strips. You can shred it in a food processor if you prefer, but it won't be as good. The carrot and onion can be shredded on a cheese shredder, or put them into the food processor too. Mix the vegetables in a large bowl with the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. You cna use both the vinegar and lemon juice because it gives the slaw a pleasant flavor. You could substitute 2 tablespoons of either vinegar or lemon juice, and still come up with a tasty product. This makes about 8 servings.

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The mac & cheese, is from a box. I know, a convienece food, but it is cheaper to make it this way instead of from scratch. A box of mac & cheese costs me $0.40.

Once again, these recipes come from Hillbilly Housewife.

Tonight for Supper

Meat loaf (recipe below), Mashed potatoes, Green Beans, and Plain Muffins (recipe below)

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I am using the menu from Hillbilly Housewife's $70 Low Cost Menu for 4 to 6. I am doing this because, my husband has to take 2 unpaid days off a month, and I am trying to cut back on expenses. I know that this site works, because I have done it in the past. She has great ideas and the food is wholesome. I do make some adaptions with some of the things... like instead of white rice, we use brown rice (I know it's more expensive, but it's healthier) IMO

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My Favorite Meatloaf
2 pounds ground beef
1 cup dry bread crumbs (see note below)
1 cup water or broth
2 carrots, shredded
1 onion, peeled and minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper (scant)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

I use a food processor to chop up the dry bread first (about 4 slices, toast may be used), and then follow with the carrots, onion and garlic. It can all be done by hand though. The crumbs can be made by placing the bread in an extra bread bag, use a rolling pin to crush the bread. The carrots can be shredded on a cheese shredder, and the onion and garlic may be chopped by hand. Put the hamburger, bread crumbs, water or broth, prepared vegetables and seasoning into the bowl. Start mixing and mashing everything together. Continue to mix and mash until everything is uniformly distributed, and the water is fully incorporated. Press the mixture into a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan, or any pan which will hold a full two quarts. Smooth out the top so it will be pretty.
Bake this at 350° for at least an hour, if the meat was at room temperature, 1-1/2 hours if it was still cold from the refrigerator. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow it to sit for a couple of minutes to firm up. Drain off the fat. Serve it in thick slices to hungry grateful folks. Serves 8.
NOTE:
The bread crumbs are not written in stone. Depending on what I have available, I have substituted dry oatmeal, cracker crumbs, and crushed cornflakes with reasonable results. Usually I use half crumbs and half oatmeal, but the best results come from using all dried bread crumbs. The main thing is to look in the cupboard and use what you have. If nothing else is available, use four slices of fresh bread torn into small bits.
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Plain Muffins
1/4 cup oil
1 medium egg
1 cup milk
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder (3 teaspoons)
2 cups flour
In a large bowl combine the oil, egg, milk, sugar and salt. Mix it very well with a fork or wire whisk. Measure in the baking powder and flour. Mix again until all of the dough particles are moistened. Do not over mix. The whole thing should take about 20 to 30 strokes. Spoon the batter into a dozen well oiled muffin cups. Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool slightly before removing from the pan.
This is the basic recipe. I used to make it every night when I was young and poor. It is so easy and so cheap and so down right good to eat, that it almost seems a shame to expand on it. I will list several easy variations now, and you can go from here in any direction you like.
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These recipes comes directly from Hillbilly Housewife. I have to say, I use her site a lot.