Frugal Hostess Contest Entries Thread

[ConnieJ6]

Easy Cookie Cake

1 Cake Mix of your choice($1.00 on sale)
1 egg
1 cup of water

Mix ingredients together. Will be hard to mix. Place in greased cake pan and spread out as best as you can. Use the temperature on the box but only cook for 10-15 min depending on wattage of your oven.

Let cool and cut into pieces. Frost pieces with frosting of your choice if you want.

[araefinn]

Chocolate chip cookie dough brownies.

I did not make up this recipe but it is a good one!! I get asked to make it all the time. No one believes me as to how easy this is.

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 1 hour 55 min
Makes: 48 brownies
For one pan of these, it probably costs $4. I always have the oil, eggs and butter on hand. And I stock up on brownie mixes and cookie mixes when they are on sale plus use coupons. Plus you can always buy generic brands of mixes.


1 box brownie mix-family size (with chocolate syrup pouch)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
2 eggs
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) chocolate chip cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 container chocolate frosting (**I do not usually do the frosting, it is almost too much chocolate with the frosting**)

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray, or grease with shortening. Make brownie mix as directed on box, using oil, water and 2 eggs. Spread in pan.
2. Make cookie mix as directed on pouch, using butter and 1 egg. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls evenly onto brownie batter; press down lightly.
3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool on cooling rack 30 minutes. Frost with frosting. For brownies, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows.

[araefinn]

Meatballs in sauce

One bag of frozen meatballs
1 bottle chili sauce or BBQ sauce-generic
1 small bottle of grape jelly-generic
Add meatballs to CP. Add entire bottle of chili sauce or BBQ sauce. Add two heaping spoonfuls of jelly. Heat on low until everything is hot. Taste sauce. Add more jelly to get it to your liking.

Meatballs-generic $4
Chili sauce/BBQ sauce $2
Jelly $2

Servings: I think each bag comes with about three dozen meatballs

OR

One bag of frozen meatballs
One large can each of Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Chicken soup
pepper, garlic powder

Add meatballs and soups into CP. Season with pepper and garlic powder. Cover and cook on low until heated all the way thru.

Meatballs $4 (about three dozen)
Soups $1.50 each (generic)
pepper and garlic powder-always have on hand

[Susannah]

Simple Salsa
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, reserving the juice --highly recommended: San Marzano
• 1 small red onion, roughly chopped
• 1 Serrano chile
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves (opt)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

To make salsa, pulse all the ingredients, except the tomato juice, in a food processor. Add the reserved tomato juice if the salsa is too thick. Drizzle salsa with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and set aside, allowing the flavors to marry.

Time: 15 min, tops
Total cost: not more than $5
Fresh Salsa: priceless!

[Susannah]

AMARETTO PUNCH
1 lg. can pineapple juice
1 lg. can orange juice concentrate
1 orange juice can of water
1 c. sugar
1 c. water
2 to 2 1/2 c. Amaretto
1 jar cherries, cut

Mix pineapple juice, orange juice and water in large container. Make a simple syrup by bringing 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a boil. Combine with first mixture. Add Amaretto and cherries. Freeze: I use a gallon ice cream bucket. You can use gallon zip lock bag. Makes approx one gallon.

Scoop out with ice cream scoop to fill glass and top with 7up or Squirt.

Total for batch: $12 + the cost of soda
Prep time: 15 min + 48 hrs to freeze

[justnkate]

My husband and I throw a wine-tasting party each year! This ends up being very "frugal" because we put on the invitation for everyone to bring a bottle of their favorite wine to share, so that we open it and share small "tastes" throughout the night. It is great to taste all different kinds of wines from different people. People tell a story about the wine or why they picked it and we try a selection of types of wines throughout the night.

Prep time: about an hour to make and address envelopes to invite everyone, but this is done about a month in advance, so that people can make it. This is our 8th annual event and people ask about it and look forward to it every year!
budget: we spend about $40-$50 dollars on a few bottles of good wine ourselves, but this is fairly frugal, since this is for an "open house" for at least 50 people (neighbors, friends, family). we usually do appetizers and I will try to "shop" from my pantry before the party to see what I can make with what we have. (So if I have a box of crackers, we're having crackers/cheese...whatever chips or pretzels I have stored are what I serve. Most people bring desserts, so i don't make any.
Measurement: we buy small plastic cups or wine glasses and pour and serve throughout the night..each person probably gets about a tablespoon or even a sip to taste a new type of wine
We VOTE at the end of the night for the most popular wine that most people enjoy!

We also save the corks from every party and an aunt and uncle gave us a kit to make a bulletin board out of the corks!

[kimmymay03]

Peanut Clusters
Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 2 Min
Ready In: 12 Min

Ingredients:
1 lbs. Almond Bark $2.00
1 lbs. Spanish Peanuts $1.00
1-12 oz. Hershey Bar $2.00
(You can problely get them cheaper on sale or if you have coupons.)

Directions:
Melt bark and chocolate in microwave, microwave at high for 1 to 2 minutes or until melted mixture is smooth. Add peanuts, & drop by teaspoon fulls onto wax paper. Allow to cool & harden, & store in a air tight container. You can also freeze them for later, and if you are having to bake for a bigger group you can always double the recipe.

"My mom made these with my brother & me for Thanksgiving & Christmas when we were kids. Now I am making them with my son for the Holidays!"