A Swell Idea!

I was chatting with Kali yesterday morning about how much I enjoyed the movie Julie & Julia and how I'd like to try something similar. After a few minutes of brainstorming, we came up with a really fun idea which fits right in with the vintage style of my blog here. Whenever the mood strikes me, I'm going to share with you a retro/vintage recipe, but with a little twist. Along with the original, I'm also going to add my own healthy, lower-calorie, mostly-vegetarian spin! I think it'll be fun to revisit some of the dishes our mothers and grandmothers might have served back in the day but also see just much we've changed in the way of healthy eating! I'm really curious, with the growing obesity rate, are we really any healthier than the butter/red meat generation before us? We shall see, won't we?

Since I am an avid cookbook collector this little project won't be difficult for me, all I have to do is head to my cookbook shelf and pull out of one of my vintage favorites!

First up, a dish similar to one that was a regular at my house back in the 70's, Hamburger Pie. The original recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, copyright 1953, 1962.



Please note: I am using the Mastercook recipe program to tally nutritional information then plugging those numbers into the online WW calculator to determine POINTS. While I believe it to be accurate, please feel free to do the math yourself in your own way.


Hamburger Pie

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1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion -- chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
1 pound canned green beans -- drained
1 can condensed tomato soup
5 medium potatoes -- cooked
1/2 cup warm milk
1 egg -- beaten
1/2 cup processed American cheese -- shredded

Lightly brown meat; add onion, cook till just tender. Add seasonings, beans, and soup; pour into a greased 1-1/2 quart casserole. Mash hot potatoes; add milk and egg. Season. Drop in mounds over meat. (If desired, sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded process cheese). Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes. Serves 6

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 426 Calories; 25g Fat (53.2% calories from fat); 20g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 111mg Cholesterol; 911mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 4 Fat. (Approximately 10 WW POINTS)

And now, the redux using the same cooking directions:


"Hamburger" Pie - Redux


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12 ounces Morningstar Meal Starters Grillers Recipe Crumbles
1 medium onion -- chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
1 pound green beans -- cooked and drained
1 can tomato soup, reduced fat, condensed
5 medium potatoes -- cooked
1/2 cup skim milk -- warm
1/4 cup egg beaters® 99% egg substitute
1/2 cup lowfat cheddar cheese -- shredded

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 151 Calories; 1g Fat (6.6% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 29g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 434mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 0 Fat. (Approximately 2 WW POINTS)



The Verdict: Delicious! Since my modern family has never tasted the 1950's recipe, they had nothing to compare it to but thoroughly enjoyed my lighter, healthier version. Along with a salad and some dinner rolls to round out the meal, this retro casserole was a big hit with vegetarians and carnivores alike!

In other news, I wanted to share with you my amazing shopping experience the other day; I went to our local grocery store armed with a stack of coupons and a detailed shopping list, determined to stock my pantry & freezer and save some money in the process. An hour later I emerged with a full shopping cart, pleased as punch at having saved $120.00 in coupons and sale items! Poor Bettie was packed to the brim!



Now, as you can see, not all of those items were pin-up friendly, I did buy some goodies for the kids, but take a peek at my shelves in the freezer!



Pretty impressive, eh? Since I'm working more hours now, I am occasionally relying on these convenience foods for breakfasts and lunches on the go and having them loaded in the freezer in the garage makes packing my lunch box a breeze! (Ooh, I seriously need to defrost that freezer, don't I?)

Ok, I'm off to enjoy my Friday, hope you all day the same! TGIF!

Have a Beauty-Full Day,