Shop and Save and an easy, inexpensive Seafood Bisque/Chowder/Soup

It's that time of year; here are some books and newspaper columns I enjoy for ideas to save:

The Scavenger's Manifesto; great book. You can google her site for ideas, and she is also in the NPR archives.

Mary Englebeit, her syndicated newspaper column and her magazine, books, and publications. The paper dolls alone are worth it.

Etsy.com; everything for crafters and vintage artists. Great clothes and jewelry.

Story of Stuff.com; very interesting, but I could do with out the political ragging, which was unfair and one-sided. Our soon-to-be president did quote them during one of the debates, but did not credit them.

The Everyday Cheapskate syndicated column.

Martha Stewart evertyhing, including simple YouTube searches under Christmas Decorations and Halloween Decorations. Also, all her magazines, old and new, shoes, Tweets, etc., give great ideas. I love the Craft Encyclopedia. Some ideas are pricey, but you get tons of ideas and there are recipes and patterns.

Raverly.com for knitting and crochet ideas and patterns.

And now, a quick soup recipe.

Seafood Chowder or bisque

1 can Healthy Request Maryland Crab

1 can Healthy Request Southwestern Chicken

About 1/4 cup jarred, canned, homemade spaghetti source, marinara works better

About 1/4 c rue; for bisque, a thick rue, for soupy chowder, a medium rue

Fresh or dried basil

1 c. fish stock, or canned broth or bouillon.

Rue:

1 -2 TBSP butter
1/2TBSP cake flower

Nonfat milk or cream, or milk to consistency.

Whisk butter and flower together, take off heat to blend. Whisk in Milk. After other ingredients are combined but before the seafood is added, stir rue into soup.

Before this, combine cans of soup and sauce. You can add about 1/8 sherry or cooking white. Add stock. Cook and stir well, bring to boiling then simmer.

Add rue, and stir very well, bring to boil again and reduce. Add seafood; I used frozen seafood mix that I thawed, but you can use crab, lobster meat, fresh or frozen fish, and you can add more vegetables of your choice and/or potatoes.

I let it all simmer about five minutes till seafood cooked.

Great with sour cream, crackers, bread for dipping. The Southwestern Vegetable was a Happy Accident, but it made the soup delicious. Chiles or jalepenos could be added to give it more spice and hot flavor.