Check back for a weekly dose of Christmas recipes all this month - it's a digital happy hour at the Cheap$kate Chateau!
Store-bought Eggnog is too sweet and rich for The 99 Cent Chef, so I came up with a delicious recipe that uses 2% milk and a minimum amount of sugar. This recipe is a simple and festive start to your holiday.
Grocery stores start selling Eggnog during Thanksgiving and Christmas. So you can try out my recipe now, so you will have the recipe down when it's time to trim the Christmas tree!
However, be careful and do not get carried away -- those small airline bottles of booze mixed into an Eggnog carry a kick, as the second half of my Christmas-themed video will attest.
The airline bottles of Lauder's Scotch in the video were $1.29 a bottle when I shot the video a decade ago. I can still find 99c airline bottles - I would give Fireball a shot!
Recent finds - Click on any photo to see larger.
And some dried spices are always for sale at local dollar stores and markets. If my spices are getting old, or I don't remember when I bought them, I give the Sniff Test - if the smell is pungent, I may still keep using them.
Pumpkin Spice + Vanilla has all the flavor you need for my Homemade Eggnog.
Lately, I've been buying vegetarian Eggnog, while not 99 cents, it's not outrageously expensive. They are not as sweet but still taste similar to regular Eggnog and arecreamy, too.
But for the real thing, check out my recipe for a tasty and lighter version of Eggnog. So pour yourself a 99-cent Homemade Eggnog and enjoy the Tipsy Chef's video.
Eggnog Recipe and A Tipsy Tree Trimming - Video
Play it here. The video runs 5 minutes 19 seconds.
HappyHolidays!
Click hereto view or embed the video on YouTube. *One ornament was broken, and two fuses were blown in the making of this video.
Ingredients (2 servings)
3 cups of milk - or 2 cups of milk and 1 cup of half-and-half cream for a richer nog. Okay to use 2% milk or plant-based milk for a lighter version.
4 egg yolks - OK to reduce this amount to 2 yolks for an even lighter version.*
1 tablespoon of sugar - or a sugar substitute.
1/4 teaspoon each of ground nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.
1 airline bottle of Rum, Scotch, or Brandy - about 2 ounces. Optional.
Directions
Heat 3 cups of milk over low/medium heat (do not boil) until it begins a low simmer - about 3-5 minutes.
While the milk heats up, separate egg yolks in a bowl, add sugar, and whisk together for a minute to mix well.
Add one cup of the heated milk to the yolk mixture a little at a time while whisking.
After milk/egg is incorporated, return milk and egg to the heating pot of milk and continue cooking.
Mix in spices, including 1/4 teaspoon each of nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Make sure egg nog does not boil and keep lightly whisking. The Eggnog will thicken slightly after about 10 minutes. The longer you simmer the Eggnog, the thicker it will get, as it reduces.
Turn off the heat and set aside. You can enjoy the Eggnog warm, or refrigerate it for later. The Eggnog will finish thickening as it cools down to a milkshake consistency.
Add as much or as little of an airline bottle of booze as suits your taste - my Homemade Eggnog is good with or without alcohol.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, so you have time to make my Mom's Pumpkin Pie. I was back in Gonzales, Louisiana, a few years ago, around Thanksgiving, and got her to cook it on camera. Boy, was it good -- so good that a lot of my Cajun cousins swung by. It was a fun and noisy day, as you will see, where everyone lined up for a slice after the pies had cooled down.
Mom made a wheat crust from scratch, but for the filling, she went with the convenience of canned pumpkin. I know you are disappointed that we didn't find a free pumpkin in the wild like we did for Mom's last dessert recipe of Mini Pecan Pies -- where we went pecan picking out in a field of pecan trees (click here for that video).
Even with canned pumpkin, Mom's extra ingredients of spices, eggs, and evaporated milk make a luscious filling with a creamy flavored kick of cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, and clove.
The rest of the pie filling was made with cheap ingredients. This week, I went searching for a cheap can of pumpkin and found out how expensive it is. Almost $3 a can!
Now, for this recipe, I am following Mom's lead and would not have her change a family recipe handed down to her, but I can offer a $1.25 substitution: canned sweet yams. They are the same color, and by the time you add sugar and all the spices to Mom's pumpkin filling, it almost tastes the same.
I've had Sweet Potato Pie (probably made with canned yams or sweet potatoes) at my local Soul Food restaurant, and it's dang good. The consistency is similar to pumpkin, and the flavor is sweeter. Usually, canned yams are cooked chunks floating in liquid. So if you want to make a cheaper pie using yams, you should drain the can and mash the cooked yams' flesh. And, I would use half the sugar that Mom uses for her Pumpkin Pie.
The best substitution would be to fork mash the orange flesh of fresh-baked and peeled sweet potatoes -- they are almost as cheap as russet potatoes. See, dear reader, I am always thinking of you, and how to make a cheaper, but still tasty twist on a typical expensive dessert!
For the heck of it, I priced premade pumpkin pies at my local grocery chain store and found them on sale for $6.99 each. That's way too One Percent for The 99 Percenter Chef!
You could also buy an inexpensive pre-made pie crust -- but if you have time, do give Mom's homemade version a try. The whole pie came together quickly and easily. It's a two-for-one recipe. The video recipe is for 2 pies. Of course, it's easy to cut the ingredient amounts in half to bake one pie.
I have to give a big 99 thanks to all my Cajun relatives -- I didn't have to twist their arms to give Mom's Pumpkin Pie a try -- and an extra 99 thanks to Mom for sharing her recipe with all my readers. And Happy Holidays to all!
Directions for Pie Crusts Add flour and salt to a large bowl for mixing. Scoop in a cup of shortening. Mix in with a fork until the flour becomes pea-sized lumps. Pour in a cup of cold water. Now you have to get your hands dirty. Mix the dough by hand for about 3 minutes until it all comes together. Sprinkle flour over a work surface. Plop dough on it and form it into a ball. Divide the ball in half.
With a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball until it is large enough to fit over your baking pie pan. Press dough into the pan and press together any cracks that split during the transfer. You can pinch dough ridges around the top if you want to.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Pie Filling
2 cups of canned pumpkin - okay to use cheaper canned sweet potatoes or yams (drain then mash with a fork or potato masher to smooth.
1 cup of sugar - use half a cup if you are using sweet potatoes or yams. Of course, best to use baked and peeled fresh orange-colored yams - about 2-4, depending on the size.
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground cloves
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
4 eggs
2 cups of evaporated milk
Directions for Pumpkin Pie Filling In a large bowl, mix in dry ingredients and spices, including sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.
In another small bowl, add 4 eggs and lightly whisk the egg yolks and whites together for a minute. Pour blended eggs into the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix it all together for a minute.
Spoon in 2 cups of canned pumpkin into the spices and egg mixture. Next, pour in 2 cups of evaporated milk. Whisk it all together for a minute or two until well blended.
Okay to substitute cheaper sweet potatoes or yams, but first, drain and mash with a fork or potato masher. They're usually canned in liquid with large pieces.
Now it all comes together. Just pour the pie filling into both pie shells until the pie shells are almost full.
Add the pies to a 425-degree heated oven for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and finish baking for 40 minutes.
Mom uses a toothpick test to see if a pie is cooked through. She inserts a toothpick into the center of the pie, then removes the pick to see if it's wet. If it comes out clean, it's ready. If it is still wet, she puts it back in the oven for another 5 - 10 minutes. I think if the toothpick is slightly damp, you can just leave the pie out to cool, as it will continue cooking anyway.
Pie is ready to serve when it reaches room temperature (after an hour of cooling on the counter).
Of course, you could easily halve all the ingredients to make just one pie.
You can also speed up the cooling by putting the pies in the refrigerator. Since the pie plates are hot, you must first allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Then place potholders, or a kitchen towel, on the refrigerator surface and place the pies on it. Pies are stored well in the refrigerator, so you can make them a couple of days beforehand -- just cover them with plastic wrap after they cool down.
Pie slices are delicious on their own, but you may want to top them with whipped cream.
Hindsight Of course, you can just buy a premade crust at the market for cheap. I thought it was fun to show how Mom makes hers. As mentioned earlier, it is easy to cut the ingredients in half to make one pie. You could shave off 10 minutes of baking or so for a creamier pudding-like filling, which is still enough time to cook the crust.
With the last overnight freeze hopefully gone, I'm planting tomatoes and other summer veggies in the month of April. So let's visit my local Nursery in Marina Del Rey, now called Flora Grubb Gardens (the original name was Marina Del Rey Garden Center).
Last month, I replaced my topsoil with fresh compost that I make from used coffee grounds and veggie scraps. And in the last two weeks, I've made many trips to the Flora Grubb Gardens for tomato, lettuce, and herb seedlings.
And I especially like the variety of lettuce flats -- everything from Mesclun Mix to Red Buttercrunch and Gourmet Salad Blend. They also have a small orchard of budding fruit trees, some starting to bear fruit -- so you know your first crop is definitely on the way.
You can't get fresher produce than growing your own. And in my latest zany film foray, this green-thumbed budget horticulturist takes you on a tasty garden trek, with camera in hand. Now, you know this will not be a typical tour. Where The 99 Cent Chef goes, high jinx follow!
The Flora Grubb Gardens staff is knowledgeable and helpful, while giving you the space to explore on your own. You will see how the Cheapskate Forager takes full advantage of nature's bounty!
It's hard to resist plucking and tasting a tart Kumquat from a branch weighed down with the colorful fruit, and I'm sure everyone has snagged a Strawberry, Blackberry, or a Grape or two from budding bushes displayed for sale. But, no one has gone to the extremes that the Chintzy Gardener goes in this latest docu-comedy video.
This time around, I had some help from a couple of 99 Cent Players. Making her first appearance is Garden Master Elissa (a workmate & cool drummer), while the Omniscient Voice at the end is provided by my neighbor, and frequent contributor, Pete, a comedian and actor. Both Elissa and Pete provided additional camerawork, too. 99 thanks to them, and also to the Flora Grubb Gardens and all their nursery gardeners.
So sit back and let me give you a comedic tour of the Flora Grubb Gardens. It comes with a warning, though: don't try what you see here at your own local nursery -- I'd hate to have to bail you out of the slammer!
Please note: I brought my own fruit, veggies, and props to the Flora Grubb Gardens. I did pluck a grapefruit from the tree there, but used my own to eat from (there were a lot of grapefruits that had fallen to the ground, so I didn't feel too guilty picking just one -- which I left behind.) Finally, I bought the flat of lettuce used in the video. Although I must fess up to noshing a handful of kumquats during several visits to the nursery.
To make your own Wanted Poster like mine above, click here (and upload a photo.)
Check back for a weekly dose of Christmas recipes all this month - it's a digital happy hour at the Cheap$kate Chateau!
Store-bought Eggnog is too sweet and rich for The 99 Cent Chef, so I came up with a delicious recipe that uses 2% milk and a minimum amount of sugar. This recipe is a simple and festive start to your holiday.
Grocery stores start selling Eggnog during Thanksgiving and Christmas. So you can try out my recipe now, so you will have the recipe down when it's time to trim the Christmas tree!
However, be careful and do not get carried away -- those small airline bottles of booze mixed into an Eggnog carry a kick, as the second half of my Christmas-themed video will attest.
The airline bottles of Lauder's Scotch in the video were $1.29 a bottle when I shot the video a decade ago. I can still find 99c airline bottles.
Recent finds - Click on any photo to see larger.
And dried spices are always for sale at local dollar stores and markets. If my spices are getting old, or I don't remember when I bought them, I go by a sniff test - if the smell is pungent, then I may still keep them.
Lately, I've been buying vegetarian Eggnog, while not 99 cents, it's not outrageously expensive. They are not as sweet but still taste similar to regular Eggnog and arecreamy, too.
But for the real thing, check out my recipe for a tasty and lighter version of Eggnog. So pour yourself a 99-cent Homemade Eggnog and enjoy the Tipsy Chef's video.
Eggnog Recipe and A Tipsy Tree Trimming - Video
Play it here. The video runs 5 minutes 19 seconds.
HappyHolidays!
Click hereto view or embed the video on YouTube. *One ornament was broken, and two fuses were blown in the making of this video.
Ingredients (2 servings)
3 cups of milk - or 2 cups of milk and 1 cup of half-and-half cream for a richer nog. Okay to use 2% milk or plant-based milk for a lighter version.
4 egg yolks - OK to reduce this amount to 2 yolks for an even lighter version.*
1 tablespoon of sugar - or a sugar substitute.
1/4 teaspoon each of ground nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.
1 airline bottle of Rum, Scotch, or Brandy - about 2 ounces.
Directions
Heat 3 cups of milk over low/medium heat (do not boil) until it begins a low simmer - about 3-5 minutes.
While the milk heats up, separate egg yolks in a bowl, add sugar, and whisk together for a minute to mix well.
Add one cup of the heated milk to the yolk mixture a little at a time while whisking.
After milk/egg is incorporated, return milk and egg to the heating pot of milk and continue cooking.
Mix in spices, including 1/4 teaspoon each of nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Make sure egg nog does not boil and keep lightly whisking. The Eggnog will thicken slightly after about 10 minutes. The longer you simmer the Eggnog, the thicker it will get, as it reduces.
Turn off the heat and set aside. You can enjoy the Eggnog warm, or you can refrigerate it for later. The Eggnog will finish thickening as it cools down to a milkshake consistency.
Add as much or as little of an airline bottle of booze as suits your taste - my Homemade Eggnog is good with or without alcohol.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, so you have time to make my Mom's Pumpkin Pie. I was back in Gonzales, Louisiana, a few years ago, around Thanksgiving, and got her to cook it on camera. Boy, was it good -- so good that a lot of my Cajun cousins swung by. It was a fun and noisy day, as you will see, where everyone lined up for a slice after the pies had cooled down.
Mom made a wheat crust from scratch, but for the filling, she went with the convenience of canned pumpkin. I know you are disappointed that we didn't find a free pumpkin in the wild like we did for Mom's last dessert recipe of Mini Pecan Pies -- where we went pecan picking out in a field of pecan trees (click here for that video).
Even with canned pumpkin, Mom's extra ingredients of spices, eggs, and evaporated milk make a luscious filling with a creamy flavored kick of cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, and clove.
The rest of the pie filling was made with cheap ingredients. This week, I went searching for a cheap can of pumpkin and found out how expensive it is. Almost $3 a can!
Now, for this recipe, I am following Mom's lead, and would not have her change a family recipe handed down to her, but I can offer a 99.99-cent substitution: canned sweet yams. They are almost the same color, and by the time you add sugar and all the spices to Mom's pumpkin filling, it almost tastes the same.
I've had Sweet Potato Pie (probably made with canned yams or sweet potatoes) at my local Soul Food restaurant, and it's dang good. The consistency is similar to pumpkin, and the flavor is sweeter. Usually, canned yams are cooked chunks floating in liquid. So if you want to make a cheaper pie using yams, you should drain the can and mash the cooked yams' flesh. And, I would use half the sugar that Mom uses for her Pumpkin Pie.
The best substitution would be to fork mash the orange flesh of fresh-baked and peeled sweet potatoes -- they are almost as cheap as russet potatoes. See, dear reader, I am always thinking of you, and how to make a cheaper, but still tasty twist on a typical expensive dessert!
For the heck of it, I priced premade pumpkin pies at my local grocery chain store and found them on sale for $6.99 each. That's way too One Percent for The 99 Percenter Chef!
You could also buy an inexpensive pre-made pie crust -- but if you have time, do give Mom's homemade version a try. The whole pie came together quickly and easily. It's a two-for-one recipe. The video recipe is for 2 pies. Of course, it's easy to cut the ingredient amounts in half to bake one pie.
I have to give a big 99 thanks to all my Cajun relatives -- I didn't have to twist their arms to give Mom's Pumpkin Pie a try -- and an extra 99 thanks to Mom for sharing her recipe with all my readers. And Happy Holidays to all!
Directions for Pie Crusts Add flour and salt to a large bowl for mixing. Scoop in a cup of shortening. Mix in with a fork until the flour becomes pea-sized lumps. Pour in a cup of cold water. Now you have to get your hands dirty. Mix the dough by hand for about 3 minutes until it all comes together. Sprinkle flour over a work surface. Plop dough on it and form it into a ball. Divide the ball in half.
With a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball until it is large enough to fit over your baking pie pan. Press dough into the pan and press together any cracks that split during the transfer. You can pinch dough ridges around the top if you want to.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Pie Filling
2 cups of canned pumpkin - okay to use cheaper canned sweet potatoes or yams (drain then mash with a fork or potato masher to smooth.
1 cup of sugar - use half a cup if you are using sweet potatoes or yams. Of course, best to use baked and peeled fresh orange-colored yams - about 2-4, depending on the size.
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground cloves
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
4 eggs
2 cups of evaporated milk
Directions for Pumpkin Pie Filling In a large bowl, mix in dry ingredients and spices, including sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.
In another small bowl, add 4 eggs and lightly whisk the egg yolks and whites together for a minute. Pour blended eggs into the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix it all together for a minute.
Spoon in 2 cups of canned pumpkin into the spices and egg mixture. Next, pour in 2 cups of evaporated milk. Whisk it all together for a minute or two until well blended.
Okay to substitute cheaper sweet potatoes or yams, but first, drain and mash with a fork or potato masher. They're usually canned in liquid with large pieces.
Now it all comes together. Just pour the pie filling into both pie shells until the pie shells are almost full.
Add the pies to a 425-degree heated oven for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and finish baking for 40 minutes.
Mom uses a toothpick test to see if a pie is cooked through. She inserts a toothpick into the center of the pie, then removes the pick to see if it's wet. If it comes out clean, it's ready. If it is still wet, she puts it back in the oven for another 5 - 10 minutes. I think if the toothpick is slightly damp, you can just leave the pie out to cool, as it will continue cooking anyway.
Pie is ready to serve when it reaches room temperature (after an hour of cooling on the counter).
Of course, you could easily halve all the ingredients to make just one pie.
You can also speed up the cooling by putting the pies in the refrigerator. Since the pie plates are hot, you must first allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Then place potholders, or a kitchen towel, on the refrigerator surface and place the pies on it. Pies are stored well in the refrigerator, so you can make them a couple of days beforehand -- just cover them with plastic wrap after they cool down.
Pie slices are delicious on their own, but you may want to top them with whipped cream.
Hindsight Of course, you can just buy a premade crust at the market for cheap. I thought it was fun to show how Mom makes hers. As mentioned earlier, it is easy to cut the ingredients in half to make one pie. You could shave off 10 minutes of baking or so for a creamier pudding-like filling, which is still enough time to cook the crust.
