WEALTHMISER SUGGESTS WE JUST SKIP CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR AND GET TO THE BUBBLY PART OF THE CALENDAR

I don't know about you but I can't wait to kick 2008 to the curb along with the old tinsel and a dying tree

Setting Up the Champagne Bar

Mrs. Buttons

THANKSGIVING DINNER OF 1929... WHAT DID THEY EAT THAT YEAR?

WealthMiser channels a leaner humbler time.

I ran to the grocer this evening as many did for those recipe overhangs that needed to be added to the larder for tomorrow’s feast. And I was rather dumbstruck by the discernable un-festive atmosphere I encountered. I wondered how it was back in 1929. So I found these recipes that were reflective of the times back then… Take a look. It’s kind of fascinating since we are no way in as bad shape as those poor folks back in 1929…so you see – you DO have something to be thankful for! 

 

So while you’re reading this, I will be off making my sweet potato galette. If I run out of sugar, at least I know I can always get some from Mr. Paulson who made several billion running his hedge fund.

I think everyone in the USA should borrow a cup of sugar from him. And to all the corporate executives responsible for this mess?

Baking Powder Biscuits
Ingredients: 3 cups flour, 3 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 cup shortening, 2/3 cup milk
1. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into mixing bowl.
2. Add shortening; blend.
3. Add milk and mix quickly.
4. Pat out on floured board. Knead and cut out with a cookie cutter.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned.

 

Eggless, Milkless, Butterless Cake
Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar, 2 tbsp. shortening, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. ground allspice, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 cup raisins, 1 1/2 cups water, 1 tsp. baking soda, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking powder
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 9-inch square cake pan.
2. In saucepan over medium-high heat combine: sugar, shortening, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, salt, raisins, and water. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda together. Add to the cooled raisin mixture. Stir until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Ritz Cracker Apple Pie
Ingredients:
Pastry for a two-crust 9-inch pie, 36 Ritz Crackers, coarsely broken (about 1-3/4 cups crumbs), 2 cups sugar, 2 tsp. cream of tartar, 1 grated lemon peel, 2 tbsp. lemon juice, 2 tbsp. butter, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out half of the pastry and place in 9-inch pie plate.

2. Place cracker crumbs in crust; set aside.
3. Mix sugar and cream of tartar in medium saucepan.
4. Stir in 1-3/4 cups water until well blended.
5. Bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer 15 minutes.
6. Add lemon peel and juice; cool. Pour syrup over cracker crumbs.
7. Dot with butter; sprinkle with cinnamon.
8. Roll out remaining pastry; place over pie.
9. Trim; seal and flute edges. Slit top crust to allow steam to escape.
10. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is crisp and golden. Cool completely.

Bless you all… Sharing this day in the company of those you love, you are well-served and well fed body and soul.

The WealthMiser

VANILLA VODKA

A great addition to any coffee or chocolate cocktail.
And for Chocolate Kiev, there is also the almond flavor of the amaretto.

Mug-a-Thug:

1 oz hot cocoa mix
4 oz hot milk
1 oz vanilla vodka
3/4 oz Amaretto
Combine in a mug, stir well.

 

Market Meltdown:
Blend cocoa and sugar in a saucepan. Add water, mix thoroughly (a wire whisk is ideal). Add optional spices. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil about a minute. Remove from heat, add vanilla or liqueur, and serve in mugs.

 

Ingredients:

1/2  cup  Water

1/3  cup  Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1/4  cup  Sugar

3  cups  Milk
Optional --

Dash Of Nutmeg

Dash Of Cinnamon

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

A Splash Of Liqueur

Mrs. Buttons

RECESSION CHOCOLATE CAKE

Trust me - this one has enough seratonin to get you to alpha.

A single serving has enough simple carbs to send you into serious sugar rehab.    1 box of organic chocolate cake mix... 1 14 oz.  bag of Caramels or toffee 3/4 cups trans fat free oleo 1/2 cup skim milk 1 cup chocolate chips 1 cup chopped pecans Mix cake mix according to directions on box. Pour 1/2 batter into greased and floured 9x13 cake pan. Bake 350 for 15 minutes. In a saucepan cook butter, milk, and caramels until melted and smooth. Pour over baked cake, sprinkle with chocolate chips and pecans. Pour remaining cake batter on top of cake and bake 20*25 minutes longer. Get out the floss. You're going to need it.   Serve with a dollop of whipped cream if your portfolio lost more than 30% this year..

Mrs. Buttons

RECIPES FOR THIS WEEK

Treats with a great ROI

Xanax smoothie

Martinis

Bags of Chocolate bars

Mrs. Buttons

YOU'LL NEVER SEE THIS ON THE MENU AT SUBWAY

It sounds like a great sandwich even to a non-meat eater like myself

When I lived in Falls Church VA, I used to frequent a Vietnamese restaurant that served these:

 

Vietnamese Sandwich Recipe
Serves 1

1 portion of a baguette based on how large a sandwich you'd like. Chili garlic mayonnaise to taste (see recipe below). Marinated carrots and daikon radishes to cover one side of the baguette (see recipe below). Cucumber slices to cover the other side of the baguette (optional). Grilled marinated boneless pork chops (see recipe below) or sliced roast pork or canned pork pate. A few fresh cilantro sprigs.

1.  Place the baguette in a preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 5 minutes, or until the outside gets crunchy.

2.  Spread the garlic chili mayonnaise, to taste, over the surface of one or both sides.  Add the marinated vegetables to one side, along with the fresh cilantro sprigs and optional sliced cucumbers.  

3.  If using the pork pate, spread it on the bread.  If using the grilled or roasted pork slices, add them to the sandwich.  Place both sides of bread together with the filling inside and slice in two.

Chili Mayonnaise
For each sandwich, you'll want to use about 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon of chili garlic paste, available in the Asian food section of most grocery stores. If unavailable, make your own with a little crushed garlic and either a drop of cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce.

Marinated Vegetables
1 cup peeled carrots, julienned
1 cup peeled daikon radish, julienned
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar or plain white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

1.      Combine the water, sugar, salt, and vinegar in a small sauce pan and boil approximately 5 minutes. 

2.      Remove from the heat and let cool. 

3.      Add the julienned vegetables to the pot and marinate at least 1 hour. 

4.      Drain the pickled vegetables. 

Marinated Grilled Pork 
8 ounces thinly sliced, raw pork chop, cut from the bone
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon 5-spice powder
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon lime juice

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, except for the pork. 

2. Add the pork and marinate approximately 30 minutes. 

3. Drain off the marinade before cooking.

4. Cook on a grill or in a wok at a relatively high temperature.   

Mrs. Buttons

WE'RE IN THE MONEY...

Tra-la-la-la-la

Here is a recipe for a Danish Gløgg – next time you wanna get sloshed just make this and invite all your recently displaced foreclosed unemployed neighbors – I mean what good is embarrassing yourself with that cheap Chinese lampshade on your head if you don’t have an audience to remind you of this months from now? 

 

Danish Gløgg. From Group Recipes

 

2 cups water

2 tablespoons whole cloves

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

4 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks

Mrs. Buttons

IS THE STOCK MARKET MAKING YOU TURN TO THE COOKING SHERRY?

You need carbs instead.

Comforting serotonin enhancing foods

Try this one… craming carbs

Ingredients
2 Cups Cooked Ziti Pasta –
I Cup Natural Yoghurt
3 Cooked Chicken Breast Fillets, Sliced
Green Olives
8 Plum Tomatoes, Halved
I Cup of Shredded Low Fat Swiss Cheese

Mix in a small bowl.
Serve with pita chips – pita baked in the oven!

Add a cup of raisins which will boost the serotonin…

Zzzzzzzzz

Mrs. Buttons

FRUGAL'S FISH N'CHIPS

A bit of over there, over here.

I normally don’t watch the Food Network as I actually respect my body and what I put in it, but having said that I recently watched that giggly “little” East Hampton dirigible better known as the Barefoot Countessa (–can this woman even find her feet?) make her version of fish and chips which seemed to be more lower east side kosher than Jerrmyn street… But alas, I am not here to vote on her spin but to offer up my version of fish and chips that won’t have you having to buy your clothes off the racks of Goodyear. How does she pop the collar on that thing?

Pre-heat your oven to 400°F. (200°C)

 

CHIPS

• approx 6 potatoes
• salt and pepper
• extra virgin olive oil

Peel the potatoes, chop into rectangular shapes

Brush the chips with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil and place the chips on an oven proof tray and into the oven for 30-50 minutes.

FISH

 

2fresh fillets of cod.

Spray virgin oil to cover. Season to taste.

Wrap the fillets separately in foil and place in an oven proof dish.

Place in the oven and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until cooked in the middle.

Make a cone out of your IBD. Place some parchment paper in the cone...

Place the fish and potatoes in the cone.

Serve with a coleslaw type salad and a white burgundy and a skinny white T.

 

FruGal

GOLD

Served warm

Ah the nip of fall in the air and I am in pursuit of fresh picked apples. I love the golds’ of course as did my Maltese of yore who would come flying into the room at the sound of the crunch…

·         8 apples

·         1 cup all-purpose flour

·         1 cup brown sugar

·         1 tablespoon baking powder

·         1 egg

·         1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

·         1/4 cup brown sugar

·         1 tablespoon butter, melted      

1.    Mix together flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and egg.
(The mixture will look like cornmeal.)

2.    Peel, core, and slice the apples.
Mix together with 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon.
Place apples in a greased 8 inch square pan.
Spread flour mixture over the apples.
Mix together 1 tablespoon cinnamon and 1/4 cup sugar.
Sprinkle over the top of the crisp.
Drizzle with butter or margarine.

3.      Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for one hour.
Serve warm

Mrs. Buttons