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-1 Timothy 6:8

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Notes About a Few Ingredients

1.  Whenever milk is called for, the recipe was tested with reconstituted non-fat dry milk.  If you use whole milk instead your results will be a little richer, but will pretty much turn out the same way.

2.  Margarine is used almost exclusively in these recipes.  Only one or two recipes call for real butter, and then it's expressly stated in the recipe.  Margarine is 50¢ a pound and butter is $3 a pound, so let your pocket book be your guide.  If you prefer, butter may be used instead of margarine in all of the recipes with good results.

In case you're interested in the health benefits and risks of margarine, allow me to share some of my research with you.  It turns out that margarine is not only the least expensive spread, it's also the healthiest.  "But what about trans fats?"  you may be asking.  The chart below should give you some reassurance.

As you can see margarine is much lower in the types of fats that can raise LDL cholesterol levels. Because of this the American Heart Association (also here), the National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute,the American Dietetic Association, and the Mayo Clinic all recommend margarine over butter as part of a healthy diet.  Since it costs only a fraction of the price of butter, it is definitely the best choice for a challenged budget. The FDA puts it this way:

"Although some margarines contain more trans fat than butter, the total of trans and saturated fat (the LDL-C raising fats) is always less than the total for butter. The total for butter is much higher because of all the saturated fat that it contains."  -- Quoted from the FDA.  Click here for the whole page.

If you are still fearful about using margarine, then I recommend you choose one of the trans-fat-free buttery spreads now on the market.  Promise and Smart Balance both make good products. Both of these spreads are less expensive than butter and they are much better for your cholesterol too.

The debate that some people have between margarine and butter is one of a luxurious nature.  If you are wealthy enough have a choice between butter and margarine, then choose the one that is best for you.  Those of us with small budgets will continue to use margarine because it is economical, versatile, tasty, and as the links above prove, still the healthiest choice.

3. Medium sized eggs are the least expensive in my area, so the recipes were all tested with medium sized eggs. You may use large eggs instead with good results.  If you are using extra large or jumbo size eggs then use your best judgment.  Replace one medium egg with one jumbo, because it is hard to cut an egg in half.   Roughly speaking, every 2 jumbo eggs equal 3 medium eggs in volume.  For those trying to watch their cholesterol, replace each egg with 2 egg whites.  They are usually less expensive than commercially available egg substitutes.

4.  You will see Bacon Grease called for in a few of the recipes.  Hillbillies traditionally cook with it for economy's sake.  Essentially, bacon grease is the fat left in the pan after frying bacon.  It is best stored in a clean tin can in the refrigerator. Every time bacon is cooked, pour any leftover grease into the can. It is used mostly for frying and seasoning. Bacon Fat lends a very special flavor to food that is hard to duplicate. If you are avoiding bacon grease for health reasons, then you may replace it with an equal amount of oil or margarine. The flavor will be slightly different, but otherwise, your results will be about the same.

5. Nutritional information is created with MasterCook 7.  It is as accurate as I can make it, but there are no guarantees.  Remember I am not a dietitian and I am fully mortal so there will be a few errors.  Use it at your own risk.

6.  I am not a professional, and this is not a professional website. I have all of the distractions of any active mom and I will make mistakes. I've done my best to eliminate all typo's and broken links, and to make the recipes as reliable as possible.  For best results however, do not expect perfection.

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