Are you sick of dipping your chicken nuggets in barbecue sauce and sweet & sour sauce?  I have a great very easy to make and very frugal dip you can make almost anywhere.  There are only 2 ingredients and they are Mayonnaise and Mustard.  All you do is mix together 3/4  Mayo and 1/4  Mustard, mix and enjoy!  If you follow the simple formula, you can make as little or as much as you want.   Believe me this dip is very yummy and when do you not have Mayo and Mustard in the fridge?

This recipe is one that my father would make for myself and my brothers when we were kids.  I had actually forgotten about it until a few months ago when I brought chicken nuggets to my Dads for dinner and we had no dip.  He whipped up his easy dip recipe and it brought back memories.  I have to say I have made up for lost time as I have made this dip more than a dozen times since Christmas.

Let me know your comments if you do try this recipe, trust me, you will love it and so will the whole family!

• In the Mood for Pizza
• Get Creative..Frugal Crafting for Kids

If you love pizza, you should try this new recipe I have created using very simple ingredients.  I have put together a great pizza using a recipe from my in laws as well as a touch of my own ideas.  The best part about this pizza, it is fresh, easy to make and very very tasty.  See below for the recipe.

This recipe started out as a tomato, pesto and cheese pizza on a whole wheat Boboli crust, then transformed info a naan crust.  I love naan and I was thinking of some new ways to use it, and I though of pizza.  What is naan you may be wondering, it is a levened oven-baked flatbread and in many countries it is a staple in the diet.  I first found out about naan from my sister in law when she came back from a trip to Ireland.  She said people eat it there all the time. Low and behold, this pizza is fabulous, even ,my kids love it!  You could substitute the pesto with tomato sauce, and or use any toppings you like on the naan as well.  The naan makes for an excellent, soft yet crusty crust that tastes great.

Some tips:

I use Bertoli pesto sauce, you can find this in the fruit and vegetable section of the supermarket.  It would be in a fridge section.  I freeze my pesto and only use what I need each time, this way the pesto will last longer. I have to give credit to my in laws for that great idea!

I sometimes add pepperoni to my pizza for some extra flavor.

If you drizzle some olive oil and basil on top of the pizza it makes for a nice golden cheesy pizza.

Some other great pizza creations to try: Bagel Pizza, English Muffin Pizza and Slice of bread Pizza.  All are made the same as a regular pizza, but with different crusts.

What is naan, find out here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naan

• Frugal Chicken Nugget Dip
• Use your ketchup

I always get excited when I am at the grocery store and I notice Eggnog for sale.  I know that this means the Holidays are upon us and the taste of Eggnog is one to remember.  Do you ever wonder why Eggnog is only sold around Christmas…I do.  I did some reading online and found that Eggnog seems to be a winter beverage and only a few select stores will carry it year round.  The most popular times of year to drink Eggnog of course are Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.

Eggnog is made of: milk (or cream) , sugar, nutmeg, and eggs.  traditional modern Eggnog does not contain raw eggs.  Many people like to make mixed drinks using alcohol and Eggnog.  My husband prefers his eggnog with a splash of milk.  I prefer my Eggnog thick and creamy right out of the jug.

With the Holidays upon us I figured I would share some yummy Eggnog recipes I found while doing some research online. Enjoy!

The “Best” Eggnog (Make your own!)

Recipe from Teenyblessings.wordpress.com

4 beaten egg yolks
2 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream
Ground nutmeg

Mix the egg yolks, milk, and sugar in a large saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture gets slightly sticky. Remove from heat. Submerge pan in sink or bowl of ice water and stir for 2 minutes. If you wish, stir in whipping cream, 2 tablespoons bourbon, 2 tablespoons rum, and vanilla. Chill for at least 4 hours. Sprinkle each glass with nutmeg.

Eggnog Bread Recipe

Recipe from: Egg-nog.info

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 beaten egg
1 3/4 cup canned or dairy egg nog
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 to 3 teaspoon egg nog

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Combine the egg, eggnog and oil; add to the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Stir in the nuts and raisins. Turn into a greased 9×5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 60 to 70 minutes. Cover with foil after 50 minutes if bread browns too quickly. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan; cool on a wire rack. Wrap bread; store overnight. To serve, stir together powdered sugar and enough eggnog to make of drizzling consistency. Drizzle over bread.

Makes one loaf. 16 servings.

Eggnog Cheesecake

Recipe from: Eggnogworld.com

Crust:
1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/4 c Butter, melted

Filling:
1 Env. Unflavored Gelatin
1/4 c Cold Water
8 oz Cream Cheese, Softened
1/4 cup Sugar
1 cup Eggnog
1 cup Whipping Cream, Whipped
1 tsp of vanilla

Directions:
Combine crumbs, sugar, nutmeg and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

Soften gelatin in water; stir over low heat until dissolved. Combine cream cheese and sugar, at medium speed on electric mixer until well blended. Gradually add gelatin and eggnog, mixing until blended. Chill until slightly thickened; fold in whipped cream. Pour over crust; chill until firm and ready to serve.

Garnish with nutmeg if desired.

Eggnog French Toast

Recipe from: Allrecipes.com

2 eggs, beaten slightly
1 1/2 cups eggnog
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
12 slices French bread

Whisk the eggs. eggnog, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together in a mixing bowl until well blended. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish.
Preheat an electric skillet to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly grease the skillet.
Dip one slice of bread at a time into the eggnog mixture, being sure to coat each side of the bread thoroughly.
Place the prepared bread slices into the preheated skillet, and cook, turning once, until golden brown on each side. Place cooked slices on a serving plate and cover with foil to keep warm until all French toast is cooked.

Serve immediately.

• Mini French Toast
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