Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff is one of my husband's favorite meals from his childhood. So, I make this as a special treat just for him!

I've come up with some short cuts to make this easier and cheaper without sacrificing quality or taste.

I used a package of stew meat instead of steak, because once it has cooked on low in the crock pot for 7 hours, it will be tender and falling apart anyway.  I also simplified the ingredient list to just a handful of items...

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs stew meat

1 packet of dry soup mix: beefy onion

1 onion, thinly sliced and coarsely chopped.

6 ounces of cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

Rice or Egg Noodles

Directions:

1. Turn crock pot on high and add 1 cup water and dry soup mix.

2.  Lightly fry stew meat in frying pan in a couple of tablespoons butter or oil until meat is browned.

3.  Add meat to crock pot.

4. Slice onion and add to crock pot.

5. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/8 tsp pepper to crockpot.

6.  Turn crock pot down to low and cook for 7 hours.  

7.  When meat pulls apart when fork is inserted, you are done.  (Prepare rice or noodles.) Turn off crock pot, add cream cheese and stir until blended.

8. Add sour cream and stir until blended.

9. Taste and add salt, if needed.

10. Serve over cooked rice or wide egg noodles.

Easiest Guacamole Ever!!!

Guacamole!!!  

I feel silly calling this is a recipe because it is SO easy.  But, in case you don't know this shortcut...it's time you learned :-)

As indicated in the name: Easiest Guacamole Ever!  It is very simple.

Ingredients:

Avocado(s)

Salsa

Salt

Instructions:

1. Wash avocado and slice in half, remove seed and set aside.

2. With a butter knife, score one side in a tic tac toe pattern.

3. With a spoon, scoop avocado that is pre-sliced into a bowl.

4. Repeat with other side.

5. Add salsa to avocado and stir. (Add as much or little salsa to get the consistency you like.)

6. salt to taste.

Poor Girl Tip:  keep the avocado seed in the bowl of guacamole to keep it from turning brown.

Schlotzsky's Knock Off Sandwich

We looooove Schlotzskys original!  But there is not a Schlotzskys near us, so we make our own from home :-)

It's really simple.  You just use French or sour dough bread and open face the bread on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Add the toppings, minus the lettuce, tomato and mustard. 

Then you heat in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.  You will know it is done when the cheese is melted and the bread is crunchy.

Then add mustard and sliced tomatoes, lettuce and red onions.  I love it with hot sauce!!!

Ingredients:

-hard salami

-Sliced smoked ham

-sliced provalone

-shredded or sliced cheddar

-French or sour dough bread

-chopped black olives 

-tomato, sliced

-lettuce

-red onion

-mustard and hot sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. On a baking sheet: Open sliced bread and top both slices with one of the types of cheese.

3. Put thin layer of olives in cheddar side.

4. Top olives with salami

5. Top provalone with ham.

6. Heat for about 10 minutes in the oven.

7. Add sliced veggies and mustard.

8. Close both sides together, and slice diagonally.

9. Serve with hot sauce!

Acorn Squash!

It's fall and I'm enjoying the changes around me and the new selection at the grocery store.  I picked up an acorn squash.  

I heated the oven to 350F.  I washed and cut and scooped out the seeds.  Then I lined a cookie sheet with foil.  I turned the acorn and sliced apples upside down and poured about half a cup of water in the pan.  I cooked them in the heated oven for 30 minutes.  Pulled them out, flipped them over, added butter, a tiny bit of sugar and cinnamon and a sprinkle of salt on these babies.  Cooked in the oven for another 15-20 minutes and served.  

This is as sweet as pie.

 I like to get a bite with both Apple and acorn in it, just like my Grandpa Charlie taught me :-)

Jello Cake from Scratch!

Im SOOOOO excited to bring you another Poor Girl Original recipe today!

I had some leftover jello and was thinking I could make a cake with it.  Surely I could find a cake recipe online.  No such luck!!! The only recipes I could find called for a boxe cake mix, which I didn't have on hand or the kind where you make a cake and pour jello on the top, which I did not have the patience for.  I wanted near instant satisfaction.

So, I decided to throw some ingredients together, which I had on hand and I am SO happy with the results!  And how fast and easy it was to make!!! And so light and spongy!

Jello Cake from Scratch

Ingredients:

- package of jello, 3 oz.

- 1 cup sugar* (minus package of jello)

- 2 cups flour

- 1 cup water

- 1/2 cup vegetable oil

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1/4 tsp baking powder

- 1/4 tsp baking soda

- 3 eggs

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

1. In large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. (For the 1 cup of sugar: pour the jello packet into the measuring cup and fill the rest with sugar until you reach the 1 cup line.)

2. Make a well in the center and add eggs and oil, mix together eggs and oil in the center.

3. Add water and stir batter until smooth.

4. I rubbed oil on the bottom of two glass pie pans and poured the batter equally among both. 

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. 

Wasn't that easy?  And good enough for a tea party, indeed!