Veggie Pasta: In large frying pan, combine 1/4 cup cooking oil, combine one 16 oz bag frozen mixed veggies, 1/4 tsp garlic salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper, and cook until browned (about 20 minutes). Meanwhile, boil water (add some salt, and a splash of cooking oil to water for better flavor) and add one package of spaghetti noodles. Boil noodles for 8 minutes, drain, and then pour into frying pan with veggies. Stir to combine and serve with Italian or French bread. (For our family of 6, we spent about 30 cents per serving with this recipe.)

Three Ingredient Cookies: Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine 1 egg, 1 cup peanut butter, and 1 cup sugar. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Plop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto a cookie sheet (about walnut-sized dollops). Bake for about 12 minutes, or until brown. Cookies will still be soft when done (until cooled). Eat when cooled, will be very moist inside (YUM!). Variation: For a twist...as cookies come out of the oven, press a Hershey's Kiss into the center.

Chicken Rice Bake: Preheat oven to 375°. In a small glass baking or casserole dish, combine the following: 1 cup water, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 3/4 cup uncooked white rice, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 tsp garlic salt. Mix ingredients well. Place 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast atop the mixture. Cover with lid or tin foil, and bake for 45 minutes. (If water not absorbed, stir and cook 10 minutes longer uncovered.)

Grandma Kostolansky's Pizza Dough: You will need: 1 pckg dry yeast, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tblsp oil, 3 cups flour, 1 cup warm water. Combine warm water and yeast package in large mixing bowl, let it sit for a few minutes. Add all other ingredients to the yeast mixture and stir. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let raise for 20-30 minutes. After done raising, roll flat out onto a floured surface (make it about 2-3 inches larger than the pan you will place it in) and place onto pizza pan or cookie sheet. Press onto pan and fold edges up to form crust. Press inner edge of crust into base of pizza dough to allow adherence. Place your pizza sauce, cheese and toppings on the pizza. Baste the crust with cooking oil, and bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Recipe can be doubled if needed for two pizzas.

Homemade Pizza Sauce: Combine 1 can tomato paste, with 1 can tomato sauce. Add 1/4 tsp garlic salt, 1/2 tsp Italian spices and 1/2 tsp sugar. Stir and place on pizza.

Homemade Chicken Soup: Place 1 whole chicken in the bottom of a large soup pot and add the following ingredients: 2-3 cups sliced carrots, 1 bunch sliced celery, 1 bunch chopped parsley, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1 tblsp chicken base or 2 cubes chicken boullion. Cover ingredients with water, fill up until about 4 inches from top of pan. Cook for about 1-2 hours (until chicken falls off of bone easily.) Remove chicken from soup and let cool, break meat away from bone and tear into small pieces. Add meat back into pan. Serve with corn bread. Variations: Can add 1 cup barley to soup. Can also add dumplings.

Grandma Kostolansky's Dumplings: Combine 1 beaten egg, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup water. Add flour to mixture until consistency of pancake mix. Drop dumplings by spoonfuls into boiling water by pressing them off of spoon with your finger. Drain water and add dumplings to soup.

Texas Chili: In bottom of soup pot, add 1/8 cup cooking oil, and 2 lbs ground beef. Add 1 cup chopped green peppers, 1 cup chopped onion and brown with beef. Add 2 lg cans stewed tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce, 5 16 oz cans pinto beans (drained), 2 tblsp chili powder, 4 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp garlic salt, 4 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, up to 5 tsp hot sauce. Stir together and cook for about 2 hours. Serve with corn bread. (This recipe is great because it makes chili dogs, then chili macaroni which can be frozen for later use if your family is sick of it.) To make chili macaroni, simply add a few cups of leftover chili to a cooked box of elbow macaroni and stir.

Taco Seasoning: Combine 6 tsp chili powder, 4 1/2 tsp cumin, 2 1/2 tsp garlic powder, salt and pepper. Combine all and store in small container. (Buy spices in bulk containers at warehouse stores for the most savings.)

Tartar Sauce: Combine mayonnaise and relish.

Broth: Buy beef and/or chicken base (sold in jars at the grocery store) and dissolve in water. Eliminates the need to buy canned broth.

Gravy: Use meat grease or oil and while cooking over medium heat, add enough flour to mix into a doughy ball. Then add cold water, mixing with whisk until smooth. Continue adding water and whisking until gravy is desired consistency. Flavor with salt, pepper and beef or chicken base. (Dissolved boullion will also work.)

Alfredo Sauce: 1/4 cup butter, 1 cup cream, 2/3 cup parmesan cheese (shredded), salt and pepper. Melt butter and add cream and cheese. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn heat off and stir. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cocktail Sauce: Combine ketchup and horseradish.

Teriyaki Sauce: Combine soy sauce, ginger, garlic powder, and sugar. This makes a great sauce for stir fry. (Add diluted corn starch to mixture—it will thicken as it cooks.)

Psuedo Rice-A-Roni: Heat 4 tblsps of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Break a handful of spaghetti, or angel hair pasta into small two inch pieces. Combine pasta and 2 cups rice in pan. Brown, stirring occassionally. Add 4 cups water, 1 tblsp beef or chicken base (whichever you prefer), garlic, salt and pepper to taste. If you wish to make Spanish rice, add the water, a can of diced tomatoes, and the above recipe for taco seasoning instead.

Sweet & Sour Sauce: In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water, 1 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tblsp vinegar. In a separate container, combine 1 tsp corn starch with 1 tblsp water. Combine corn starch mix with ingredients in sauce pan. Bring all ingredients to a boil. Let cool and serve with eggrolls, or cream cheese puffs.

Stuffing: 6 cups cubed bread (from leftover heels), 1 tblsp parsley, 3 tblsp chicken base, 1/4 cup dried minced onion, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp sage, 1/2 tsp salt. Bake bread cubes @ 350° for 8- 10 minutes. Cool and toss with dry ingredients. Store in a closed container. When ready to cook, combine 2 cups stuffing with 1/4 cup water and 2 tblsp butter. Either bake in oven with bird, microwave partially covered for 5-7 minutes, or cook on stovetop for 15-20 minutes or until all water is absorbed.

Laundry Soap: Ingredients: 1 bar Ivory soap, 1 cup Arm & Hammer washing soda (found in grocery stores by the laundry items). Set aside an old kettle to use solely as your laundry pot. Grate the Ivory soap bar into the kettle (with a cheese grater or paring knife), add enough water to cover the grated soap. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and continue to stir until soap is dissolved. In the bathtub or sink, fill the five-gallon pail with hot water (almost to the top, but leave about three inches unfilled). Add the soap mixture to the bucket, stirring as you add. Add 1 cup washing soda to the bucket, and mix. Pour mixture into one gallon containers (milk or juice jugs work well), leaving room at the top for the soap to expand. Option: You may also add essential oils such as lavender oil to mixture for a stronger scent.

Faux Windex: Using your old Windex or other bottle, fill halfway with water, a quarter full with ammonia, and a quarter full with vinegar. Put the cap on and mix well.

Baby Wipes: Gather two empty cylindrical baby wipe holders (the kind with a lid on the top and an X where the wipes come out). Buy a more expensive brand of paper towel such as Bounty, and cut one roll in half using a serrated knife. Remove the cardboard paper tube from the interior of the roll. Place the half-rolls in the bottoms of the containers. Fill the containers with the following solution: 4 cups water, 1 tblsp shampoo, 1 tblsp hair conditioner, and one tblsp baby oil. Close the container and shake back and forth until paper towels are saturated. (Add more water if needed.) Pull a sheet of paper towel from the center of the roll and push it up through the X in the top of the container. (You can buy the expensive paper towels with a coupon to save extra money!)

Toilet/Tub Cleanser: Use a box of baking soda in place of Comet or other cleaners. You can use it to effectively clean tubs, toilets, and sinks. Also safer for children—with no chemicals to worry about.

Mildew Stain Remover: 1 gal. hot water, 1/2 c. liquid dishwasher detergent, & 1/4 c. bleach. Stir all items together and let item soak. Check every 30 min. till mildew is gone. This recipe will not hurt colored fabric. (Submitted by Kirsten of Texas)

NEVER ENDING CHILI RECIPE

Texas Chili Recipe

3 pounds ground turkey (cheaper than beef!)

2 green bell peppers, chopped

1 large onion, chopped (or use 1/2 cup dried chopped onion)

1 restaurant sized can tomato sauce (warehouse store)

1 restaurant sized can diced tomatoes, drained (warehouse store)

2 bags dried pinto beans

3 tbsp chili powder

5 tsp salt

2 tsp garlic salt

5 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

tabasco sauce to taste

1/8 cup vegetable oil

Use quick soak method for pinto beans (boil and let sit for one hour on stove.) In large stew pot, on medium heat add oil, and ground turkey with green peppers and onion. Cook and stir occasionally until browned. Add beans and all other ingredients and turn heat to low. Simmer for three hours on stove. Serve with salad and corn bread.

Chili Dogs

In a gallon sized freezer bag, freeze enough chili to make chili dogs for your family. Usually about 4-5 cups should do the trick. To make it easier on yourself on meal day, you can also place the following in individual quart sized bags and tape to chili bag: shredded cheese, chopped onions, buns and hot dogs. To serve, thaw bags in refrigerator overnight, and pour chili into sauce pan, heat through. Great with homemade french fries or chips.

Chili Mac

Cook macaroni, rigatoni, or other noodles in water, and mix with 3-4 cups of chili. Freeze in gallon sized freezer bag or foil pan and cover with tin foil. To serve, thaw and place in baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. (If frozen, bake for 1 hour.) Serve with bread and salad.

Tamale Pie

You will need one box of corn bread mix, and either one bag of frozen corn or 2 cans canned corn for this recipe. Optional: fresh cilantro. Mix 4-5 cups chili with corn, and chopped cilantro and place in the bottom of a foil pan. Mix corn bread mixture according to package directions, and pour over the top of the chili. Cover with tin foil and freeze. When ready to serve, uncover and bake frozen at 350 degrees for about one hour or until corn bread is browned. Can also freeze mixture in gallon sized freezer bag, and top with corn bread when ready to cook.

Homemade Bread: (Bread Machine)

Add 3/4 cup warm water, 3 tblsp oil, and 1 egg to bottom of bread machine container, then add 3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tblsp sugar, 1 1/4 tsp salt, and make a hole in the flour to add 2 1/2 tsp yeast (or 1 yeast packet). Bake in the bread machine on Normal setting. If you do not have a bread machine: (food processor method) Add yeast to warm water, let sit for 10 minutes or until foamy. Add water yeast and all other ingredients to your food processor, (with the dough blade). Process for 1 minute, or until mixed and forms dough ball. Remove dough from processor. Roll into oval shaped mass, and place it in a greased bread pan, and let rise for 30- 45 minutes (covered with towel in warm place). Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Baste with egg white on top for a crisper top, and you may sprinkle herbs, poppy seeds, or sesame seeds on top for fun! Also, add oatmeal, sunflower seeds, or wheat germ to recipe just for kicks!

Bulk Spaghetti Sauce:

4 pounds ground turkey sausage ($1.00 per roll at Wal-Mart), 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion, 2 restaurant sized cans tomato puree, 2 restaurant-sized cans diced tomatoes, 2 cups water, 4 tsp minced garlic (4 cloves),4 bay leaves, 2 tblsp sugar, 4 tsp dried basil, 2 tsp dried oregano, 4 tsblp chopped fresh parsley (or dried), 2 tsp salt. In large pot, cook and stir the sausage (cook in the same kettle you will use for the sauce). Add remaining ingredients after fully cooked, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partly cover, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Freeze in gallon sized freezer bags, and use for spaghetti, lasagna, dipping sauce for calzones, and any meals that require spaghetti sauce! SET ASIDE HALF OF A CAN OF PUREE TO MAKE AND FREEZE PIZZA SAUCE....simply add 2 tsp garlic salt, 3 tblsp italian seasoning, 3 tblsp sugar. Add more spices as needed to suit your taste. Freeze flat in gallon-sized freezer bags.