Guru Goddess

What You Need:

1 C brown sugar, packed
2/3 C of butter
1/4 C light corn syrup
1 C of peanut butter, divided
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 C quick cooking oats
1 (12 oz.) pkg. semisweet chocolate baking chips
1/2 C of chopped nuts

How to Make It:

Set the oven temperature to 375 degrees.
Lightly spray a 13X9 inch baking pan with a non stick cooking spray.
Place the brown sugar and butter into a saucepan.
Stir in the corn syrup and place the pan over medium low heat.
Stirring constantly, heat the mixture for 2 minutes or until well combined and smooth.
Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 C of peanut butter and vanilla until creamy.
Place the oats in a large bowl and pour the sugar mixture over the top.
Stir until well blended and the oats are all moistened.
Press the mixture into the bottom only of the prepared pan.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
In a saucepan over low heat melt the chocolate chips.
Stir in the remaining peanut butter.
Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until the mixture is very smooth.
Spread the mixture evenly over the hot crust.
Sprinkle the chopped nuts evenly over the top.
Let cool in the pan on a wire rack until the chocolate is firm then cut into bars.

Makes 15 bars

Candy cookie bars are a sweet treat that takes the place of those expensive candy bars. As a dessert these will put a smile on everyone’s face while you count the dollars you saved. Use whatever baking chips you have on hand. Mix and match them if you wish. Same with the nuts, whatever you have on hand will work just fine.

Preparation Time: approximately 30 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 14 minutes
Total Time: approximately 44 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 166; Fat 9g; Saturated Fat 4g; Carbohydrates 16g; Fiber 2g; Protein 3g;
Cholesterol 7 mg; Sodium 64 mg

What You Need:

2 Tbsp canola oil
3 lbs. beef stew meat
4 carrots, sliced
4 celery stalks, sliced
2 onions cut into wedges
2 C of beef broth
3 Tbsp quick cooking tapioca
2 tsp bottled minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp pepper

How to Make It:

Place the oil into a skillet positioned over medium heat.
Add the meat and cook until evenly browned.
Drain well and place in the crock pot.
Add the carrots, celery and onion and stir to combine.
Pour in the broth.
Add the tapioca, garlic, salt, basil, thyme, rosemary and pepper stirring to combine.
Cover and cook on high 5 hours or on low for 10 hours or until tender.

Makes 4 servings

Beef stew is a comfort food but is also a great budget food. Reserve 4 cups of the stew, cool and freeze for up to 3 months. Use the reserved stew for making pot pies or beef stroganoff. To make stroganoff just add 1 (8 oz.) container of sour cream, 1 Tbsp of flour and 2 C of sliced mushrooms. Heat through and serve over hot noodles.

Preparation Time: approximately 25 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 5 hours on high
Total Time: 5 hours 25 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 549; Fat 13g; Saturated Fat 4g; Carbohydrates 50g; Fiber 5g; Protein 49g;
Cholesterol 125 mg; Sodium 1,309 mg

What You Need:

1 prepackaged shortbread crust
2 Tbsp raspberry jam
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 C of sugar
1/2 C of butter, melted
1 lemon, grated rind only
2 drops of almond extract

How to Make It:

Let the oven preheat to 400 degrees.
Place the shortbread crust into a pie plate and prick on the bottom with a fork.
Spread the jam evenly over the bottom of the crust.
Place the eggs, egg yolks and sugar into a mixing bow.
Whisk until thick and pale in color.
Add the butter, lemon rinds and extract and stir to blend in well.
Pour the mixture into the prepared crust.
Bake 30 minutes or until nicely browned on top.

Makes 6 servings

This tart will be the hit of the dinner table. It’s a great budget dessert because it uses ingredients most of us already have on hand. You can make it even more budget friendly by using your own homemade shortbread crust. Don’t have raspberry jam in the fridge? That’s ok use whatever type of jam or jelly you have on hand.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 30 minutes
Total Time: approximately 45 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 417; Fat 20g; Saturated Fat 2g; Carbohydrates 56g; Fiber 0g; Protein 9g;
Sugar 36g; Cholesterol 215 mg; Sodium 226 mg

What You Need:

2 onions, peeled
1 1/2 lb. whole boiled potatoes
1 Tbsp margarine
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

How to Make It:

Cut the onions in half and slice them across the grain into crescent moon halves.
Place the onions in a large pan and just cover with water placing the pan over high heat.
Bring the water to a rapid boil then remove the pan from the heat.
Drain the onions and run under cold water draining again.
Thinly slice the potatoes.
Place the margarine and oil into a skillet placed over medium heat.
When the margarine has melted stir in the onions.
Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often until tender.
Add the potato slices, turning often, brown for 5 minutes or until evenly browned on both sides.
Season the potatoes with the salt and pepper before serving.

Makes 4 servings

This budget friendly side dish uses leftover boiled potatoes. By adding a little onion you have the perfect side dish to go with any type of meat. These potatoes and onions also make a great addition to breakfast or brunch. You can also substitute leftover baked potatoes instead of boiled if you wish.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 8 minutes
Total Time: approximately 23 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 163; Fat 5g; Saturated Fat 3g; Carbohydrates 26g; Sugar 5g; Fiber 2g;
Protein 3g; Cholesterol 13 mg; Sodium 49 mg

What You Need:

4 C of cooked chicken, chopped
2 C onion, chopped
2 C of whipping cream
8 oz. American cheese, cubed
8 oz. Swiss cheese slices, torn
1 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp pepper
1 (16 oz.) box of bow tie pasta, cooked and drained

How to Make It:

Place the chicken into the slow cooker.
Add the onion, whipping cream and both types of cheese stirring to combine.
Sprinkle with the sage and pepper and stir again to blend in.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.
Uncover the slow cooker and stir the cheese and chicken mixture well.
Add the cooked pasta and stir to incorporate.
Allow to remain in the slow cooker about 5 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 6 servings

This is an economical meal that even the kids will love. Leftovers should not be frozen but will remain fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator of up to 3 days. It is not recommended to cook this recipe on high. High heat will cause the cheese to scorch.

Preparation Time: approximately 20 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 4 hours 5 minutes
Total Time: approximately 4 hours 25 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 755; Fat 43g; Saturated Fat 25g; Carbohydrates 49g; Fiber 2g; Protein 43g;
Cholesterol 186 mg; Sodium 886 mg