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elizabeth_mnFirst of all, we tried the green tomato pickles from the last challenge and I updated that entry in case you are curious.
The Challenge: 9. The Frugal Housewife September 21 - October 4
Throughout history, housewives and housekeepers have kept a close eye on their budgets and found creative ways to pinch pennies while providing delicious and nutritious food. Create a dish that interprets one historically-documented method of frugal cooking.
The Recipe: Beans baked in sour cream from the 1939 book Appetizing Meals at Lower Cost. I think "lower cost" says it all, don't you? But my other argument for frugality is the use of beans - a cheaper protein source than meat.
The Date/Year and Region: 1939, Midwestern USA
How Did You Make It: Okay, so I didn't have kidney beans and used white beans instead. They have a milder flavor but I think that's okay. I didn't actually have any sour cream either so I used buttermilk and plain yogurt. But using what you have in the house is frugal, too, right? Right?
Mixed beans and buttermilk/yogurt.
I used some stale bread to make crumbs (also a frugal element!). This is fun to do with a rolling pin and also stress-relieving.
I mixed these with plenty of melted butter and baked for 25 min at 350 F.
Time to Complete: About 30 minutes.
Total Cost: About $3 altogether.
How Successful Was It?: This was delish. I love beans anyway, and creamy sauces, and breadcrumb toppings! I thought the sauce would be runny but it thickened up quite a bit. It was also easy. I will probably make this again.
How Accurate Is It?: I used buttermilk and plain yogurt as a sour cream sub. And different beans of course. It's worth pointing out that modern cultured buttermilk is more like sour cream than "real" buttermilk; instead of a byproduct of the butter-making process, it's manufactured as a fermented milk product.
The Challenge: 9. The Frugal Housewife September 21 - October 4
Throughout history, housewives and housekeepers have kept a close eye on their budgets and found creative ways to pinch pennies while providing delicious and nutritious food. Create a dish that interprets one historically-documented method of frugal cooking.
The Recipe: Beans baked in sour cream from the 1939 book Appetizing Meals at Lower Cost. I think "lower cost" says it all, don't you? But my other argument for frugality is the use of beans - a cheaper protein source than meat.
The Date/Year and Region: 1939, Midwestern USA
How Did You Make It: Okay, so I didn't have kidney beans and used white beans instead. They have a milder flavor but I think that's okay. I didn't actually have any sour cream either so I used buttermilk and plain yogurt. But using what you have in the house is frugal, too, right? Right?
Mixed beans and buttermilk/yogurt.
I used some stale bread to make crumbs (also a frugal element!). This is fun to do with a rolling pin and also stress-relieving.
I mixed these with plenty of melted butter and baked for 25 min at 350 F.
Time to Complete: About 30 minutes.
Total Cost: About $3 altogether.
How Successful Was It?: This was delish. I love beans anyway, and creamy sauces, and breadcrumb toppings! I thought the sauce would be runny but it thickened up quite a bit. It was also easy. I will probably make this again.
How Accurate Is It?: I used buttermilk and plain yogurt as a sour cream sub. And different beans of course. It's worth pointing out that modern cultured buttermilk is more like sour cream than "real" buttermilk; instead of a byproduct of the butter-making process, it's manufactured as a fermented milk product.
