Recipe: Mini Crust-Free Spinach Quiches

Easy to eat, delicious, and perfectly sized, these mini quiches are great for holiday parties. You won't have to mess with crusts, and they will also be palatable for your gluten-free guests. They are also easy to make ahead, and can be served at room temperature, so you can make them the day before, then just let sit out for 30 minutes before guests arrive, and you'll be free to enjoy the party!

Mini Crust-Free Spinach Quiches
(Makes about 3 dozen mini quiches.)

(Image courtesy of piyato at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)

Ingredients:

1 box (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and water squeezed out
3 strips bacon, diced
1 cup finely diced onion
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded Italian blend cheese
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs, beaten

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare mini muffin tins by spraying with cooking oil.  Be sure to spray the tops of the pans, too.
• In a large skillet, fry bacon until crispy, then remove with slotted spoon to a paper towel covered surface.
• Leave bacon drippings in skillet over medium heat, add the onion and cook until softened.
• Add to the skillet, the spinach, black pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until moisture cooks away.
• Remove from heat and add bacon to skillet, stirring to combine; set aside and allow to cool.
• In a large bowl, put the ricotta, Italian cheese, Parmesan, and the eggs, and stir until combined well.
• Make sure the spinach is cooled, then spoon the mixture into the bowl with the cheese and stir together.
• Fill the muffin cups with this mixture about 2/3 to 3/4 full.  You'll have about 3 dozen mini quiches depending on how full you fill the cups.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until solid and slightly browned and pulling away from the edges.
• Remove and let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes, then tip out onto a cooling rack. If they don't come right out, just take a thin knife and slide it around the cup to release the quiche.
• Serve warm or room temperature.

Holiday Party Budget Busters

Everyone knows there are some things that just blow your holiday budget out of the water. If you know what these things are and plan for them ahead of time, they can be avoided and your budget can remain intact - leaving more money for those important holiday gifts. But the trick is identifying and then stopping these budget busters before they happen. Let's take a look.

Poor Planning

(Image courtesy of Apolonia at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)

When you don't spend enough time planning for your event, you may end up running around at the last minute trying to fill in for things you've forgotten.  If this means more food, it usually means prepared food from a deli or caterer, which means a lot more money spent than originally planned. On the other hand, spending too much time planning can also result in over spending. If you go over and over the menu, you are bound to keep adding more food. If you review the guest list over and over, you'll start second guessing yourself, which usually means adding more people, not removing any. A lack of planning as well as too much planning are both bad for the budget.

Unexpected Guests

When people show up unexpectedly at your party, it's a strain on the budget you set.  Pulling up another chair to the table and filling another plate definitely produces a burden. The best way to keep your guest list accurate is to include an RSVP on the invitation. Of course, there are bound to be a couple guests who forget or ignore the RSVP, so be sure to word your invitation properly so the RSVP is taken seriously.  If you have guests who haven't responded, simply give them a call.  Another issue may be a misunderstanding with the invited guest. Be clear if you intend your guest to bring a guest of his or her own. Your invitation should state EXACTLY who you wish to attend the party.  If there could be any confusion about who is invited, state the obvious.  For instance, if you're throwing a party for grownups only, make sure the invitation states that kids are not invited. Don't leave room for confusion on the invitation.

(Image courtesy of Ron Bird from FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)

Big Dreams

Paging through glossy magazines featuring designer parties is a fun pastime, but not a good basis for your holiday party.  If you start dreaming about throwing a designer-style party, your budget will never catch up. Keep your dreams in check and reasonable when you are planning your party and your budget and bottom line will appreciate your diligence. However, when you're dreaming big, you can  grab a couple ideas from those designers.  Choose some unique decorations or recipes and include them in your budget version of the fancy party.  You can add a lot of flare with just a few touches from that big dream.

Shopping Fail

Once your party is planned, you'll need to shop for food, decorations, gifts, and whatever you may need.  Heading to the store without doing some research first will result in spending way more money than you need to, or intend to.  Paying full price for any or all of the items you need will put a serious dent in your budget, and is so unnecessary.  With all the coupons and sales this time of year, there's no reason to over pay.  Go online and check the deals for your local area.  Shop early so you have enough time to shop around.  Waiting for the last minute will surely result in making hasty choices and spending way beyond your budget.

Hosting a holiday party can be fun and festive without breaking the budget, but only if you avoid these pitfalls.  Simple errors like these can create a stressful situation instead of a delightful holiday celebration. Now that you know what to avoid, go ahead and plan that perfect holiday party!

And be sure to check back later this week, as we'll  be sharing some budget-friendly but delicious holiday recipes over the next couple of weeks.

Recipe: Holiday Sprinkled Snickerdoodles

We don't do a lot of desserts here, but once in a while it's okay to indulge, and our philosophy is, it's better to indulge in something home-made, when you know what's in it. Snickerdoodles are always a favorite at holiday parties, and with this simple recipe you can be sure to please even the pickiest co-worker palate at your office Christmas party.

Holiday Sprinkled Snickerdoodles
(Makes about 2 dozen.)

Snickerdoodles ready to bake. (Photo credit: wEnDaLicious)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp red sugar sprinkles
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon, divided
2 Tbsp green sugar sprinkles
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup all-natural shortening
1/2 cup organic butter, softened (homemade butter is really easy to make, and much cheaper than buying it, especially organic - we'll feature instructions in a future post soon!)
2 eggs from pastured chickens
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prepare the sprinkles:  Get out 2 shallow bowls. In one put the red sugar sprinkles and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, in the other put the green sugar sprinkles and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Mix the sprinkles and cinnamon together; set aside. 
3. Prepare the dough:  In large bowl, put the sugar, shortening, butter, and eggs and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
5. With electric mixer running on low, slowly add the flour mixture until incorporated and a dough forms.
6. Using a melon baller or teaspoon, shape balls out of the dough, about 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter.
7. Roll the balls of dough through the sugar sprinkle mixtures, some in each, combinations of colors, or as you like.
8. Place the dough balls on an ungreased cookie sheet, keeping about 2 inches between each one.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
10. Remove and let cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute, then remove to a cooling rack.
11. Let cool completely before storing in an air-tight container.

Make Your Holidays Tasty:
   

Keeping the Office Holiday Party Fun & Frugal

'Tis the season...for the office holiday party - a time of fun and food with your co-workers, as well as gift-exchanges, and potluck lunches. Anyone who has a limited budget knows how difficult work parties can be on the wallet. Work parties can include many expenditures; a dish to pass, a gift, a collection for the boss, and maybe a charity.  Now, these things each by itself is not going to destroy your budget, but when they start piling on, it can get steep.  And what if you have more than one party to attend?  You want to be positive and share in the holiday spirit, but you also want to pay the bills and feed the family.  How can you enjoy your holiday office parties and not come off being the company Scrooge?  Here are a few tips.

Sign-up Fast

Pot luck lunch (Photo credit: Bruce A Stockwell)

This is definitely a time when you want to be first in line. Signing up fast for the potluck meal is an advantage when you're on a budget.  Why?  Because you can choose your food item to bring from a wider range of goodies.  You can shop early for the ingredients and maybe snag a few sale prices.  If you wait until the last minute to sign up, you are bound to find yourself in the deli the day of the party paying premium prices for a prepared dish that you could have easily made at home for half the price.

If that happens, your dish not only cost way more than you budgeted, but the presentation looks cheap. It looks like you don't care enough about your fellow workers to give your dish any thought at all. There sits your plastic deli containers right next to those beautifully decorated homemade sugar cookies.  And, the fact is, those sugar cookies cost a fraction of what you brought, but look and taste so much better.  So, get your name on that sign-up sheet the moment it comes out to save yourself the embarrassment and the expense.

Stick with Traditional Food

Holiday potluck parties at work are not the time to try out a new recipe.  Nor is it time to bring your most complicated dish. Stick with traditions that are tried-and-true.  If your coworkers see a 'mystery dish' on the table, something they're not familiar with, they will pass it by.  No one's going to embarrass themselves or others by asking; “What's that?”  If you're serving something with a bunch of complicated sauces, it just gets clumsy figuring out what to put with what. Keep your dish simple, easy to serve, and delicious and everyone will appreciate the effort you made. (Check this blog later this week for some great recipes for holiday potlucks.)

Office holiday party white elephant gift exchange. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Keep the Gift Exchange Simple

As far as a gift exchange goes, keep it simple and inexpensive.  Having complicated gift exchanges where everything is topsy turvy and no one understands the rules is a recipe for disappointment.  Do simple 'take away' games for small gifts that are suitable for everyone.  Put small wrapped gifts together and draw names for each gift.  Don't make the exchange too unusual.  Play games that are familiar to everyone so the party keeps moving smoothly and no one feels left out.  Plan your gift exchange early so you can agree on a dollar limit and everyone will have time to shop.  And remember, it's about the fun, not the gift.  So, keep the dollar limit very low so everyone can enjoy the festivities without worrying about the expense.

Out On the Town

Some work parties are planned out of the office.  These parties can be more entertaining than a simple potluck office party, but they can also be very expensive.  If you are on a limited budget, you may find it difficult to justify splurging on such a party.  This is where being a part of the planning committee will come in handy. 

You will need a strong voice in your workplace, an advocate for you and your fellow coworkers who want to keep the expense down.  If the decision is made to have the party at a restaurant, then be sure to do your research.  These establishments are going to want your party, so they will be willing to deal with you.  Review menu and drink choices, then begin the negotiating.  When it comes to a party outside the office, it's all about getting the right prices.  Stay away from ordering off the menu and having an open bar.  Choose two or three dinner options, negotiate a price with the restaurant, then have a cash bar.  Each person can then enjoy the party within their own budget.

The workplace is no place to throw caution to the wind when it comes to your holiday budget.  You need to watch your wallet just like you do while planning your family holiday celebrations.  When the holidays roll around, jump right in and be a part of the planning so you can ensure your frugal voice is heard.