This is a very frugal meal. Just take 2 slices of your favorite white bread and spread one with your jelly of choice and the other with peanut butter.

Serve with your favorite chips!

I was reading earlier in a book that most christians think they know more about the bible then they actually do. I thought this was a strange blanket statement. As I continued on reading..I saw at the bottom of the page was a short quiz. The quiz was suppose to back up the statement. They wanted you to silently name the book of the bible that each story could be found in..as well as the chapter.

This was the quiz.

1. Jonah and the “great Fish”—-what book and what chapter?

2. David and Goliath—-book and chapter?

3. Daniel and the lions den—-book and chapter?

4. Samson and Delilah—book and chapter?

5. The Ten commandments–books and chapter’S?

6. Stephen being stoned—book and chapter?

7.Noah and the flood–book and chapter?

 OK, now embaressing as it may..I did not know the chapters at all.  I knew all the books that each story could be found except two. That was not good. Granted I do spend more time in the NT then the OT. But I got two wrong. One was from the OT and one from the NT!

Intresting quiz non the less..*smirk*

1 box yellow cake mix
2 boxes (3 1/8 ounce) JellO vanilla pudding mix

Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 dash salt

Make cake according to directions on box. Let cool. Make pudding according to directions on box. Let cool until set.

Place one cake layer on cake plate. Top with pudding. Cover with another cake layer and top with chocolate frosting. Decorate top with chocolate chips or sprinkles or whatever you have on hand.

For Frosting: Mix dry ingredients together. Add water. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Add more water if needed to make frosting thin enough to pour over cake. Chill cake several hours before serving.

When pressed for time you can just use store bought frosting. This is super rich and moist!

Cracker Candy

35 to 40 Saltine Crackers
1 16oz package of chocolate chips
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

 Line a greased 9X13 cookie sheet with crackers, one layer thick only. Melt butter in sauce pan. Add brown sugar and stir until sugar is melted, blended, and bubbly. Pour over crackers. (Crackers will float) Place in preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove. Add chocolate chips to top, spread until melted evenly over crackers. Add nuts if desired. Bake again for 15 minutes. Remove and cool. Cut into squares.

6 apples
1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels
2 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS:

Remove the stem from each apple and press a craft stick into the top. Butter a baking sheet.
Place caramels and milk in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave 2 minutes, stirring once. Allow to cool briefly.
Roll each apple quickly in caramel sauce until well coated. Place on prepared sheet to set. Add nuts or sprinkles!

Chocolate Buttermilk Pie

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup  flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
1 cup buttermilk {I use the powder kind}
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 pre-made store-bought deep dish pie crust

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Place the chocolate chips in a double boiler and melt over low heat, stirring constantly. Or you can microwave them.
  Whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt until well combined. In a large mixing
bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the sugar mixture and mix with an electric
mixer then stir the melted chocolate into the batter.

Pour batter into the piecrust.. Place pie in oven on middle rack. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes  or until the pie is crisp on
top and a knife inserted in the center comes out with just a bit of moist chocolate on it.

Remove from oven and cool completely. Let stand at least 1 hour before serving. This pie can be served warm or chilled.
 

Cheese Popovers

1 Cup of flour
1 T of melted butter
pinch of salt
2 Eggs
1 C milk
1/4 cup of cheese of your choice.

Mix all together and will 6 custard heat proof cups 1/2 way OR a muffin pan.
Place 6 custard cups on baking sheet in a cold 450 degree oven.Heat for 15 mins. Then lower heat and cook 20 more mins. until golden on top. Cool 10 mins and serve as a snack or with a main dish.

I double this recipe when I make it. These are great to have for leftover snacks with your tea or coffee.

Cheesy Tortellini Bake

Olive oil or Pam spray for baking dish.
2 cups of  sauce  or {1 jar}
1/3 cup Italian style sweet mascarpone cheese {This is found in the deli section} It is pricey so I would recommend ricotta or cottage cheese to make this dish more frugal.
 parsley leaves to taste
 thyme leaves to taste
1 pound package of cheese tortellini
Shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish.
Whisk the sauce, mascarpone OR other cheese of choice, cheese, parsley and thyme in a large bowl to blend. Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Add the tortellini to the sauce and toss to coat. Transfer the tortellini mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top the mixture with the mozzarella and Parmesan. COVER and bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheeses on top melt, about 20 minutes in a preheated oven.

Rice and Black Beans 
 
 
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup instant brown rice
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon adobo seasoning with cumin
 
Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rice, black beans and adobo seasoning and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. ENJOY!

I make this just for myself. No one else loves beans the way that I do. It is a great frugal meal non the less.

3/8 cup semisweet chocolate chips  {Melt them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds}
8 ounces  cream cheese  {soften it in the microwave too}
1/2 cup Splenda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 325 degrees 

Spray mini loaf pan.

Mix together the cream cheese and the chocolate chips. Beat well. Add Splenda and vanilla. Add egg.

Pour batter into the loaf pan. Place the loaf pan in a larger square pan and fill the larger pan with enough water to come halfway up the side of the mini pan. This is called a water bath.

Bake at 325 for 30 minutes. Remove from water bath and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until cold.