HO HO HO& Merry Christmas! This Cheap$kate Santa comes bearing GIFs not gifts, but you don't have to wait until the early morning of December 25th to open your pictorial presents!
'Tis the time of year where I set the table with a cornucopia of eye-popping delights for you to indulge in.
Have you been bad or good this year? Well, I'm not judgmental whether you've been a do-gooder or the naughty type, so read on.
While not a brightly wrapped package sitting under the Christmas tree waiting to be opened, you can watch my GIFs anytime. If you don't know what I'm talking about, just check out the animations below for an eyeful.
The letters, GIF, stands for Graphics Interchange Format and is a short video, graphic, or photo clip, that play in a loop, that is, it keeps repeating. There is usually no audio and the clips last for a few seconds each. You can read all about a GIF by clicking here.
I use GIFS to show a cooking technique; how a recipe looks as it bakes, fries or boils; the slicing or chopping of an ingredient; and sometimes I make them just for fun.
So keep on scrolling and feast your eyes on my 2017 roundup of GIFs past. And click on any recipe name to see the scrumptious recipe/review blog post.HappyHolidays!
Simplicity is sometimes best as my latest cheap$kate recipe video will show. Oyster Mushrooms Sauteed in Butter - that's all the ingredients you need.
I chose oyster mushrooms because they showed up at my local 99c only Stores. I could have added them to a hot soup of 25 cent per package ramen with veggies and topped with a boiled egg; or added them to a medley of button mushrooms for an earthy Mushroom Soup (like I did in this recipe, here.) But they don't show up cheaply very often so I just wanted to enjoy them sauteed in butter.
Click on any photo to see larger.
I used salted butter so seasoning was reduced to just black pepper - and even that is optional. But do use plenty of butter, I used a fat slice of about a tablespoon to saute 5.5 ounces of mushrooms. You can keep the recipe vegan and use your favorite tasty vegetable, seed, or nut oils like virgin olive, avocado, coconut, peanut, grapeseed, walnut, etc.
I used to find regular packages of real butter at my local 99c only Store, but now I get single sticks of butter from my local Dollar Tree.
The oyster mushrooms I got came in a sealed package and in one large root segment. I split the mushrooms into smaller segments for easier sauteing. You only need to cook them until soft and tender - just a couple of minutes on each side.
Most types of mushrooms can be sauteed in butter. I've done it with brown crimini, white button, and portabella mushrooms. And they are all on sale at my local 99c only Store and Latin grocery.
These Oyster Mushrooms Sauteed in Butter can be served right out of the frying pan, or add them warm to a fresh green salad. They can also go into your favorite pasta dish.
When you find mushrooms on sale then give them a quick saute in butter for a decadent dish, and you don't have to wait for that special occasion lobster to get out the butter!
Oyster Mushrooms Sauteed in Butter - Video
Play it here. Video runs 43 seconds.
My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.
Ingredients (1 to 2 servings)
Fresh mushrooms - about 5.5 ounces. I cooked with oyster mushrooms, but okay to use regular button mushrooms or any favorite you find.
Butter - about 1 tablespoon. I used salted butter. Okay to add more or less to taste. For a vegetarian recipe use any tasty veggie oil or vegan butter you like.
Salt and pepper - optional. I did not season this recipe because of the salted butter.
Directions
Prepare mushrooms. If there is dirt then brush or scrape it off. Discard dried or old stems from any mushroom.
Slice or break apart mushrooms into bite sizes. You can leave whole, smaller button mushrooms.
Add butter to a medium-heated pan. When butter is melted then add mushrooms and stir to coat them.
Depending on the size of the mushrooms you can saute each side for a couple minutes each, until soft and slightly browned. Saute about 3-5 minutes total.
Saute time will depend on the temperature of the frying pan and the thickness of the mushrooms. A quick saute is what you want - best not to overcook mushrooms.
The Cheap$kate Forager has a grab bag full of the best 2016 deals from Dollar Tree and 99c only Stores.
Los Angeles is the epicenter for cheap food finds. And, while not all 99 cent or dollar stores are created equal, this Chintzy Cuisineste knows were to get the goods for the most economical deals.
Some of my cheap$kate finds are healthy and some are not - that's what happens when you cruise the aisles. What you find today may not be there tomorrow, so I have learned to get it while you can.
This year I've found everything from grass-fed cow yogurt to Star Wars themed SpaghettiOs.
I tried the delish yogurt but only took a photo of the SpaghettiOs - I'm no fool.
Click on any photo to see larger.
Freeze-dried fruit, like grapes and pear, are "in" this year. There is not much to them really - they are all air and lightness, with none of the heft and concentrated sweetness that regular dried fruit carries. I can't say I'm a big fan....yet.
This year my local Dollar Tree store has really kicked it up a few notches. While the selection is no where near what my fave budget 99c only Stores stock, they are getting better.
Single servings of frozen, seafood, pork, beef and poultry are well represented.
I've even found enough dollar ingredients to create tasty individual pizzas (click here to see my recipe for Sausage and Black Olive Pizza.)
I always discover fantastic eatable finds at my local 99c only Stores. Again, if you see it today, it may not be there tomorrow, so I advise impulsive purchasing.
Click on any photos to see larger.
Not every 99c only Store sells beer and wine, but I have found the ones that do, and boy do they ever! Twelve to sixteen ounce bottles or cans of Pumpkin Ale, Thai lager or The Hobbit Smaug Stout, anyone?
Deli meats make frequent appearances, everything from sliced Roast Beef to Blackened Chicken Breast. Those are the kind of finds that vanish from the store shelves very quickly.
I picked up a couple of containers of Oyster Mushroomslast week, to simply saute in butter.
Living in Louisiana during my high school daze, the Southern product brand of Zatarain'swas everywhere to be found -- and here in Los Angeles it's a great treat to get it at such cheap prices.
So major props to the 99c only Store and Dollar Tree for keeping my stockings stuffed all through the new year! And be sure to check back next week for my Top 9 Recipes of 2016.
