Coffee & Santa Claus - Video

HO, HO, HO, and a Merry Cheap$kate Christmas. Light a log in the fireplace, grab a cup of Joe, and check out my holiday humor. The video is short and sweet...literally.

There is nothing worse than running out of coffee in the morning. But don't despair, as I have a solution! 

So keep checking back here for a sleigh-full of food-themed blog posts and budget recipes that even minimum wage-earning elves can afford.

                               Play it here, video runs 1 minute, 55 seconds.

To link or play on YouTube, click here.

Christmas Recipe Month - Homemade Eggnog

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 are creamy, 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.

Happy Holidays!

Click here to 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.

Christmas Recipe Month - Green Beans with Almonds

Check back for a weekly dose of Christmas recipes all this month - it's a digital all-you-can-eat holiday brunch at the Cheap$kate Chateau!

Here's a perfect side dish for your Christmas Day feast. Fresh steamed green beans with crunchy almonds pair perfectly, and garlic gives it all a finishing flavor kick. My Green Beans with Almonds travel well, so bring a casserole dish full if you are a guest. Your host will surely place it between the centerpiece roasted turkey and sweet potatoes with marshmallows.

The green beans are steamed for a couple of minutes while some almonds are sauteed with garlic in a frying pan. Finally, spoon out the cooked green beans, mix them all together, and serve. I used fresh green beans, but for an easy and cheap substitution, it's okay to use fresh frozen green beans.

Green beans are a little more expensive than dried beans, but they frequently come on sale at my local Latin grocery store, especially during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Frozen green beans even show up at my local Dollar Tree.

Nuts have been in the news lately, touting their health benefits and as a diet aid to your appetite. Read about it by clicking here. You only need a 2.5-ounce package of almonds (a handful).  I used unsalted ones, but it's easy enough to rinse off typical oversalted ones. 

I used to get small packages of Almonds from the late, great Los Angeles 99c only Stores. 

Now I get a tiny package of nuts from my local Dollar Tree. You can use almost any nuts on sale, including cashews, walnuts, peanuts, and pecans would take this side dish in a Southern Cuisine direction.

Add my Green Beans with Almonds to your Christmas dinner menu. I'm sure the bottom of the bowl will be scraped by hungry diners looking for seconds.

Ingredients (about 3 servings)

• 1 pound green beans - stringy stems removed. Okay to use frozen green beans. Canned green beans may be too mushy for this recipe.
• 1 small package of almonds - I used a 2.5-ounce package. They were unsalted and whole. I chopped each almond in half. If you get salted almonds, then do a quick rinse and drain. Okay to use any nuts on sale, including walnuts, cashews, pecans, or peanuts.
• 1 teaspoon garlic - I used chopped garlic from a jar.
• 1 teaspoon oil - I used olive oil.
• Salt and pepper to taste - optional. For salted almonds or nuts, leave out the salt in this recipe.

Directions
Rinse off fresh green beans. Cut off stems and any brown, discolored parts. If green beans are very long, it's okay to chop them in half.

You can remove the green beans' stems, then place the green beans in a couple of cups of water or put them on a steam rack with water. Steam covered for 2 to 4 minutes to the desired tenderness. I like them a little crunchy.

If you are using frozen green beans, then follow the package directions to heat them up - usually, just steam in a 1/4 cup of water for about 3-5 minutes until defrosted and warm. Drain green beans when done.

While green beans are steaming, chop each almond in half (or most of them). You could buy slivered (pre-cut) almonds, but they are much more expensive.

In a large frying pan, add a teaspoon of oil over medium/low heat. Add chopped almonds; stir and lightly toast them for about 2 minutes. You are just heating them through until just starting to brown - you will keep sauteing them with garlic and steamed green beans.

When the almonds are done, turn down the heat to low and add a teaspoon of garlic. Stir as you add the garlic so it doesn't splatter out of the hot pan. Sauté for about one minute.

Green beans should be done by now, so add them (without the water) to the frying pan with the garlic and almonds. Mix well.

Ready to serve when green beans and almonds are mixed together and warmed through.

Hindsight

If you don't have access to almonds, almost any type of nuts will do. Just remember to rinse off salted nuts. If you use peanuts, just call the dish Southern-Style Green Beans with Peanuts, or Chinese Stir-Fry Green Beans with Peanuts -- it'll taste delish with any name.

The Saddest Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner

This Deal of the Day is the anti-Norman Rockwell holiday dinner. I've had my share of sad Thanksgivings. This can happen when you are single, or after first moving into a new city, maybe you are out of town on business, or just plain busted, penniless, and, on some holidays, all your friends are visiting relatives.

While one does feel self-conscious eating alone during the holidays, there is something to be said about being out of the holiday family drama loop. And this Turkey Dinner by Banquet is a meal you do not want to share -- nor could you do so, with its small serving size.

This blog post was originally made in 2011. I haven't tried a Banquet Turkey Dinner in quite a while. I used to find them at the grocery store and at my local 99c only Store from time to time for a buck. These days, they are in the $2 range from regular grocery stores.

The package cover actually matches the real meal, this time around.

I actually like this frozen meal -- occasionally. While the turkey has the texture of baloney and the stuffing amount is minuscule. If you close your eyes, you would think you are having the real deal, as all the holiday flavors are there.

There's an ample amount of gravy to swab about the mashed potatoes, and the green peas are firm and tasty. The gravy has a deep turkey broth flavor, although it overpowers and drowns the stuffing.

The real weakness is the powdery instant potatoes. They dissolve once the gravy is mixed in. I don't know why the Banquet food scientists haven't figured out how to do it right -- after all these decades of frozen entree development. Their potato formula needs bulking up. And, a touch of butter (flavoring) wouldn't hurt.

The two turkey loaf slices appear to be white and dark meat. I couldn't tell any difference in taste. The mechanically separated turkey loaf doesn't compare to a fresh slice of steaming turkey breast, but for a buck, it will do.

The peas, of all the ingredients, are the real winner on the black plastic plate. They taste flash-frozen and are firm, not a typically mushy canned style.  They're as good as any name-brand frozen peas.

So if you are alone and broke this Thanksgiving, I would recommend Banquet's Turkey Dinner. On a scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best, I give it a 5. You would not be to far off to think the Grinch left this small entree under your tree -- and, you would need to consume 2 or 3 of these minuscule meals to get that second-serving bloated afterglow.

Now, don't worry that The 99 Cent Chef is unhappy this holiday, as there is a lot to be thankful for, including a sweet lady.

But I do keep a frozen Turkey Dinner in the freezer just in case.....

Thanksgiving Recipe - French Fried Onions & Green Bean Casserole

Nothing is fresh in my latest cheapie recipe, and I'm proud of it! Yeah, that's right, The 99 Cent Chef's dish is 1960's Betty Crocker Cookbook can opener cuisine.

And this recipe involves the same amount of cooking skill as defrosting a Swanson Frozen TV Dinner. This is classic casserole comfort food that will fit perfectly on your Norman Rockwell Christmas table -- an heirloom recipe to continue handing down.

You can read about the creation of this recipe from the Campbell's Soup archives, just click here.

All you need is a warm oven and a baking dish. And it's so easy to make, you could do it blindfolded while nursing a martini.

Serve my French Fried Onions & Green Bean Casserole flanked by sliced turkey with stuffing and cool cranberry sauce. This creamy, soul-soothing veggie side is over the top in tastiness.

And all the ingredients are on sale for the holidays at any grocery store. French-fried onions are a decadent topping -- while canned green beans are boring until you mix in a can of Campbell's Mushroom Soup.

For a 21st-century version, use fresh green beans that are on sale for a dollar per pound from now until Christmas.

I look forward to a French Fried Onions & Green Bean Casserole every November and December. I first had it at my in-laws' Christmas table, and now my mother-in-law, Annette, is generous enough to share her recipe (from a brittle, yellowing magazine clip). I hand it over to you, my special holiday visitors, for safekeeping. Enjoy.

Click on the following links for more holiday-feasting recipes, including: Stuffing Cupcakes with Cranberry Frosting and Gravy, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Homemade Eggnog Video, Green Beans with Almonds, Bacon Wrapped Dates with Cream Cheese, Mom's Pumpkin Pie,  Mom's Mini-Pecan Pies, Cranberry Orange and Coconut Cookies, Roasted Pumpkin with Pasta, Whiskey Yams with Brown Sugar Pumpkin Seeds, Roasted Potatoes with Carrots, Honey Orange Glazed Carrots, and my Sage Roasted Turkey recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 cans of green beans, drained - I used "French Cut", any type will do.
• 1 can of mushroom soup - or any "cream" soup you like, including vegan. 
• 1/2 "soup can" of water - Directions call for a full can of water, but I found it gets too watery.
• 1 package of French Fried Onions - or from a can.
• Pepper to taste - I find there is plenty of salt in the packaged ingredients.

Directions
In a casserole dish combine green beans*, mushroom soup, 1/2 can of water, and half a package of French-fried onions. Don't fill the dish all the way to the top, as it may bubble over when hot. Mix well, cover, and place in a 350-degree oven.

Bake for 20 - 30 minutes; since everything is already cooked, you are just heating it all up.
Uncover and top with the rest of the French-fried onions, and bake another 10-15 minutes.

This is a great dish to bring to any Thanksgiving gathering (best to bring a half package of crunchy fried onions to add at the last minute -- it will be too soggy otherwise).

Hindsight
* Okay to use a package of fresh frozen green beans. Allow to defrost and drain extra liquid, then add to the baking dish with other ingredients.

For a fresh green bean version (about a pound),  remove any stem pieces. Chop green beans in half if they are too long. Blanch beans in boiling water for about 5 minutes (or to the desired tenderness). 

Remove beans and add to the casserole dish. In this case, you can salt to taste, then follow the rest of my directions.

Thanksgiving Stuffing Cupcakes With Cranberry Frosting - Video

Check back for a weekly dose of Thanksgiving recipes all this month -  it's a digital happy hour at the Cheap$kate Chateau!

Hey, if you can put bacon on cupcakes, why not Stuffing Cupcakes with Sausage and Cranberry Frosting? This is the good stuff(ing) -- just ask my skeptical wife, and she has patiently been the recipient of some of my more outlandish culinary creations, like Pita Pizzas topped with Clams and Artichoke Hearts.

This is a fun party appetizer. Too much stuffing for the big bird? Make a few cupcakes with the extra and bring a bowlful to the Christmas table.

Doesn't that look delicious? Stuffing Cupcakes need just a little binder - one egg and 1/4 cup of flour to hold it all together. The frosting is regular canned cranberry sauce heated until soft like jelly.

Make your favorite chicken or turkey gravy for a dipping sauce (I found a jar of turkey gravy at The 99c Only Store), or, more formally, serve each cupcake in a pool of gravy.

You can use your favorite holiday stuffing recipe; I used 99-cent packaged cornbread stuffing mix. And you can add anything to stuffing: from sausage to chestnuts and dried fruit, or saute aromatics like onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and any fresh herbs you have in your garden.

My recipe is adaptable for my vegetarian friends.

What's nice about stuffing as a cupcake is you get more crunchy crust than with typical stuffing from a turkey, and you still get a moist, soft center.

Why have cranberry sauce on the side when you can slather it on the cupcake like jam? As for the gravy, it makes a great dipping sauce.

All my ingredients come cheap this time of year. Bags of stuffing, cranberry sauce, and breakfast sausage are on sale. Your kids may balk at a Stuffing Cupcake, but the adults will like it. Hey, pile on enough cranberry frosting, and the kids may come around. Pull this recipe out for Christmas, too!

How about a behind-the-scenes video? It's actually a lot of fun so just hit the play button and enjoy! (And my dear late wife, Amy, makes an appearance at about 1 minute, 44 seconds.)

Ingredients (about 6 cupcakes)

• 3 cups of stuffing from the package (about 6 oz.) - cornbread or your favorite.
• 1/4 cup of flour - white or wheat
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 4 breakfast sausage links - about 1/4 pound ground sausage - optional
• 1/4 bell pepper chopped
• 1/4 onion chopped
• 1/4 celery stalk chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried or fresh chopped herbs - parsley, sage, oregano, or your favorites
• 8 oz. of cranberry sauce, from the can, for frosting. Whole cranberry sauce works well. 

Directions for Frosting
Heat cranberry sauce in a pot for 5-10 minutes. Break it apart as it heats - it will become like soft jelly. Remove from heat, allow to cool, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Directions for Stuffing Cupcakes
Prepare 3 cups of stuffing according to package directions. Usually, add one cup of hot water to the stuffing in a large bowl. Mix until the stuffing is spongy and soft. 

Sauté 4 sausage links and break them into small slices or chunks. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook until veggies are soft, about 5 minutes. 

Add meat, veggies, and a 1/4 cup of flour to the stuffing. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of milk and one egg. Add it to the stuffing and mix well.

Grease a cupcake pan with butter or oil spray. Scoop in enough dressing to fill each one.

Bake in a 350-degree preheated oven for about 45 minutes. When the cupcakes are done, you may need a knife to cut around the top edge of each cupcake to keep them from tearing when removed.

While cupcakes cook, make your favorite chicken or turkey gravy (it's okay to use packaged or from a can or jar). I have a few gravy recipes, including a delicious mushroom gravy recipe. Just click here.

Top  cupcakes with cranberry frosting, and warm gravy underneath (or, gravy on the side as a dipping sauce.)