Beans, Beans...

Beans, beans...
The magical fruit...
The more you eat 'em...
The more your body gets used to 'em... (i.e. less gassiness)

We had a delicious dinner last night of Great Northern Beans with ham and cornbread...  Enough to serve 4 for a total of $3.42.  That's $ .85 cents per delicious serving, folks.  What a winner!

Easy and Inexpensive Entertaining: Fall Chili-Tasting

I have already mentioned how exciting Fall is for me--and though Florida does not provide the right nip in the air, we go about our business celebrating Fall as if the season is in full swing.  Last Friday, the Spartan family hosted a chili dinner with our friends.  We intended to have it outdoors in the crisp night air--but it was a bit warm and the mosquitoes were buzzing...so we compromised by staying in our enclosed patio!

Each family participating was asked to bring a crockpot full of their favorite chili.  I also threw out a few suggestions for toppings and our friends each brought along some add-ons.  In the end, we had a wide variety of chilis and some delicious toppings.  It amazes me that the word "chili" means different things to different people based on region and background.  We had a spicy and meaty chili, one with the addition of corn and jalapenos, a chicken chili and a very plain chili.  (Admittedly the plain one was mine--I always make super-plain chili and this way little Junebug could participate in the eating, too!) 

For the topping bar, we had:

• Tortilla Chips
• Oyster Crackers
• Sour Cream
• Chopped Onion
• Cheese
• Cilantro
• Tabasco sauce and "Slap Ya Mama" Spice blend

I lined the serving tables with brown packing paper for the perfect Fall flair--you can purchase a large roll for $1 at Dollar Tree (I only used about a half a roll).  We used styrofoam cups (again, from Dollar Tree) to eat out of so that each person could try the different types of chili in an untainted vessel.  For the party "supplies" (spoons, cups, packing paper, napkins, dessert plates, etc.) I spent less than $10. 

Chili is a frugal meal--so asking friends to bring chili keeps things inexpensive for everyone and all of our friends really enjoyed the fellowship that came from sharing this meal.

And of course, I have already shared dessert with you--but here's a reminder!

 What kind of chili do you make--lots of beans, no beans, lots of meat, meatless...?? 



And a special thanks to Ray and Laura for bringing the Tums--we passed 'em around at the end!
Spartans, prepare for indigestion!  (That was for you, Ray!)

Raising a foodie

I love food.  It's my hobby, it's my interest, it's my passion.  I love shopping for food, I love cooking food, I love looking at food and reading about food.  One of the things I look forward to most as my daughter grows is cooking with her and sharing my love of food.  I am taking steps now to mold her into a food-lover.  We'll see if it works. 

Elliott had her first sushi this weekend-don't freak out-it was only an avocado roll.  She liked it though--but of course she loves avocado and rice, so, it was no surprise to me.  Elliott has never refused any food I have put in front of her, but her favorite, hands-down, is any sort of fruit.

In keeping with sharing my love of food with my little one, I created a "foodie book" out of an unused small photo album I was given that was gathering dust.  (I have seen similar small albums at the dollar store.)

Here's what you need:


a few old food magazines

small fabric-covered photo album

water-soluble pen

fabric paint

scissors

one 4x6 piece of card stock or photo (for tracing)

Mark your desired title on the front of your photo album with your water-soluble marker (you can use any kind of marker or do it free-hand but the water-soluble craft marker is great if you make mistakes like someone I know, *cough cough*).  I chose "bon appetit" as my title since it's a great phrase and the name of my favorite food magazine.

Go over your marked title in fabric paint and let dry according to instructions on the bottle.

In the meantime, use your 4x6 piece of card stock or photo as a guide to trace and cut out uniform sized pieces of your magazine.  I tried to choose photos where I would only have food pictures--no words.  Choose colorful and visually stimulating pictures.  Slide those clippings into your photo album and voila--a book is born!

Here's what the pages look like:

This is a quick, simple and cheap craft that your child will really enjoy--and you can customize it to suit your/their interests.  If your interest is cars, make one about cars--indoctrinate your children with what you like as much as you can before they start thinking for themselves...  and yes, I know how wrong that sounds--but we have a short window of time, so let's embrace it! ; ) 

Tea Time Devotional

This summer, a few gals from church and I have been doing a weekly bible study using the book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver.  The book has been a fantastic guide to prioritizing our busy lives in order to make time for your relationship with God.  I must admit, this is a needed study for me because I struggle to set aside time specifically for prayer and bible study, and therefore my relationship with our Lord suffers.

If you're looking for a great book for a study with other women, I would highly recommend this one. 

Every week, in keeping with our old "Martha" selves, I suppose, we have a small lunch together.  This week, we had a potluck tea party.  Now normally I would stress myself out and try to do everything by myself, but I took a less "Martha approach" and asked each lady to bring an item. 

Suzanne brought delicious French Onion Soup made from a Julia Child recipe--the toasty baguette with gruyere put it over the top!  Sharon made gorgeous ham, turkey and avocado sandwiches on whole wheat bread that had been toasted with cheese.  We even had a beautiful summer fruit trifle, made by a talented young woman who wishes to remain unnamed!  : )  My contribution was cranberry-orange scones and devonshire cream, as you know from my previous post.

With each of us making a small contribution, no one had to bear the brunt of the work, time, and expense of hosting an afternoon tea.  And we all got to enjoy delicious food and fantastic company while keeping our minds on "things above".

Homemade Maple Syrup

Last Thursday night, James asked for waffles for dinner.  I'll admit, waffles are not a favorite of mine so they're rarely on the menu--but ask and ye shall receive!  I have never found the "perfect" waffle recipe so I have also lacked motivation in the waffle department knowing that most of my waffles are a disgrace.  I tried a new recipe for Belgian Waffles and have found my winner!

Anyhow, being that we so infrequently consume waffles (and even pancakes, for that matter) I didn't have any syrup on hand.  But I did have maple extract left over from my bout with the Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls--so I did what any mom would do--improvise. 

All you'll need to make a 16 oz. bottle of maple syrup is:

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 tsp maple extract

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, bring water and sugar to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.  Let simmer for one minute and then remove from heat.  Add extracts and stir to combine.  Voila, maple syrup!

To me, this was fantastic syrup and tasted just the same as if I had purchased it.  I normally purchase Log Cabin brand syrup because it's one of the few brands that does not use high fructose corn syrup.  At this point I also feel obligated to say that I am a "food snob" about many things--but not syrup.  I just can't stomach the cost of real maple syrup when I use it so infrequently.

How about a cost analysis?

Log Cabin syrup costs $3.49 for a 24 oz bottle. (roughly $ .14/oz)

My homemade syrup?  $1.18 for a 16 oz. bottle (roughly ($ .07/oz)

Ounce for ounce, my syrup is a better value, offering a 50% savings over the middle-of-the-road "fake" syrup.  Plus, there's the added satisfaction of knowing the ingredients and having created something from scratch! 

A well-stocked freezer

I'm not dead.  I promise.  I just took an unscheduled hiatus from posting due to:

1. 1. A teething baby (finally, at 11 months she's getting some teeth!  And teething is here with a vengeance...)
2. 2. Lots of early mornings (reference teething baby above)
3. 3. Crafting and preparing for a special little girl's first birthday party
4. 4. Lack of motivation and inspiration
5. 5. Laziness.  Yep.  I won't lie.  It takes effort to blog and frankly after my long days of mothering and all that it entails and my evenings of working from home, I just want to sit back and chill and watch some Seinfeld.  Can you blame me?

Anyhow, for a busy girl, a well-stocked freezer can really relieve some stress.  I'm not one of those "once a month" freezer-stocking cooks because I am not crazy about casseroles, but I do enjoy having a few items on hand.  As an added benefit to a well-stocked freezer, manufacturers say that freezers run most efficiently if filled to about 3/4 of their capacity.  Below are some of the ways that my freezer has become my friend!

• Every time I make lasagna, I make two (or three).  Any basic lasagna recipe can be frozen and stored for a night that mom doesn't want to cook!  Just prepare the lasagna according to your recipe and when you get to the "bake" part, ignore that instruction and cover it with plastic wrap and foil and pop it in the freezer.  It's not much more effort to make an extra lasagna if you're already making one.  I usually pop mine in the oven while it's still frozen and add an hour to the suggested cook time--it works like a charm.  Make a salad and dinner's done!  (Remember to remove the plastic wrap before baking!)

• When whole chickens go on sale, I purchase several and roast them all at one time.  This saves energy used to heat the oven when you do it all at once.  Once your chickens are cooked and cooled, pick the meat and chop it and bag it into portions to be used later (I usually place about 2 cups in a Ziploc bag, label it, and lay it flat in the freezer).  This is great to have on hand if you like to make casseroles, soups, quesadillas, burritos, etc.

• Don't throw those chicken bones away from your roasted chickens!  Make some chicken stock and freeze it in quart sized portions.  If you like to use small amounts for pan sauces and gravies, then place some of your delicious homemade stock in ice cube trays and freeze, then pop those guys into a plastic bag once they've frozen.  Perfect!

• Soups!  I LOVE soups and thanks to my husband getting me the perfect Christmas gift--a HUGE stock pot--I am able to make large batches of soup.  I portion the cooled soup into 2 servings per gallon-sized freezer bag, label, lay flat and freeze.  (The best way to see what your portion size is is to fill one of the bowls you typically use for soup at home to the desired level, and then pour each serving into the bag.  That works better for me than measuring a perfect 32 oz. or the like.)  When you lay the bags flat, they freeze rapidly, store very easily, and thaw quickly.  Most Sundays after church we come home and have soup for lunch.  I simply take a flat bag out on Saturday night and thaw in the fridge.  If you forget to do that, which NEVER happens to me (cough,cough), you can let the soup rest in a casserole dish full of water for a few minutes, until you can get it out of the bag and onto the stove successfully.

• Baby food.  I have made all of Elliott's baby food thus far--basically all sorts of purees and blended veggies, and then I pop them in ice cube trays, flash freeze, and place into larger bags.  Frugal, very little effort, delicious, and healthy since we avoid the food additives and preservatives found in commercial jarred foods.

• Quiche.  We eat quiche frequently, and contrary to popular belief, quiche can be a manly food!  Once you prepare a quiche (including the baking), you can freeze it for another meal.  Just thaw overnight in the fridge and pop in the oven for 30 minutes on 350 to heat it through.

There are other foods, too, but I need to save some material for later, right?  And I'll share some recipes for my favorite soups and quiche! 

Any other suggestions for making the most of your freezer?  Leave a comment!

Muffuletta Sandwiches

Tired of food posts yet? 

Before we get down to business I want to share a photo of my little helper with you.  Whenever I cook, this is where and how my little Brian stands--not because he's waiting for food to drop but because he just genuinely likes to be close to me if possible.  Sweet, right?  Let's just hope I never drop a knife or a pot of boiling water--it's something I fear.  This view is what I see when I am standing in my kitchen and looking down:

Precious, right?

...Back on track...  Tonight we enjoyed Muffuletta Sandwiches with veggies and dip and pineapple.  (Yes, I realize that cole slaw was on the menu, but would you believe that I forgot the main ingredient--cabbage--when I went grocery shopping?  Today I frantically checked my receipt thinking "Surely I left a bag at the grocery store."  Nope.  Just plain ol' didn't get it.  Bummer.)

Muffuletta sandwiches are a New Orleans specialty, and man are they good!  (Learn the history of this delicious sandwich here if you're interested.) Mine are by no means authentic, but really it's just the olive salad that I crave when I want a Muffuletta sandwich.  Most of the recipes I have read online use a lot of ingredients and make enough of the olive mixture to make a gazillion sandwiches, but since I want to keep it simple and I really only need enough for a few sandwiches, here's how I make mine:

Muffuletta Olive Salad
1/2 cup green olives (stuffed with pimiento)
1/2 cup Italian Mix Giardiniera (If you don't know what this is, check it out here)
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T olive oil

Pulse all ingredients in food processor until they're small even chunks.  This makes about 1 cup, or enough for about 4 sandwiches. 

Spread this mix on a buttered ciabatta roll with meats and cheeses of your preference, then press on panini press or George Foreman grill and presto (pun intended), you're done!  Yum!

Here's what our dinner looked like:

In our house, sandwiches are a perfectly acceptable dinner as long as they're more special than the average cold cut.   In fact, we really enjoy pressed sandwiches for dinner.  What about you?

Veggie fried rice

My husband swears he doesn't like rice.  Just doesn't.  Weird, right?  What's not to like about rice?  But the man LOVES it when I make fried rice.  (This is also the man who doesn't eat onions but eats onion rings, so go figure!)  It's a simple dish to make and has a short ingredient list that most of us probably already have in the house. 

Vegetable Fried Rice

For 4 servings, you will need:
3 cups of cold/leftover rice *please see note below
4 T butter
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup diced celery
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup soy sauce or Tamari

Melt 2 T butter in a non-stick skillet and add carrots and celery.  Cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.

Add frozen corn and peas, continue to cook for a minute or two. 

Add rice and gently mix all ingredients together until well-blended, keeping over medium-low heat.  Add soy sauce and continue to gently toss the rice to allow the soy sauce to color all of the rice. 

Add 2 T butter and stir until melted. 

Tonight I served this with some sauteed salmon, simply seasoned with salt and pepper.  (How's that for alliteration?)

Here's our dinner:

And how about a cost analysis for the fried rice?

Rice - $ .56
4 carrots - $ . 20
3 stalks celery - $ .25
1 cup corn - $ .33
1 cup peas - $ .33
4 T butter - $ .24
1/4 cup tamari - $ .48

$2.39 for the whole recipe, or $ .60 per serving! 

I purchased 4 frozen salmon fillets for $3.99, so each is only a dollar, bringing the cost per serving to $1.60.  You can't beat a price like that! 

*About the rice-- 3 cups is typically the yield if you start with one cup of dry rice.  You can use any type of rice you like--long grain, brown, etc.  I use Jasmine rice when I make this meal because I love the taste and texture of it.  In fact, it's the only white rice I like to use.  Cold rice is important for this recipe because if you use freshly made/warm rice, it is still pretty glutinous and can lead to sticky/gummy fried rice (yuck!) so this recipe is a great way to use leftover rice.

Enjoy!

Weeknight Dinner Menu

It's Monday so today I planned out our weeknight meals and grocery shopped.  I used some coupons at Publix and spent $16 and saved $25!  $16 for $41 worth of groceries is pretty awesome, especially when you consider the fact that in this trip I purchased vitamins and milk and a few other "non-coupon" items.  Anyone else have any bargains to share?

Here's what we'll be having for dinner this week:

Monday: Chicken with mushroom pan sauce over egg noodles and roasted carrots
Tuesday: Salmon with fried rice and steamed edamame
Wednesday: Muffaletta sandwiches, cole slaw, pineapple
Thursday: Corned beef, potatoes and cabbage
Friday: Date night!  We're going out while the little one stays with Yaya and Poppy.

I hope to post instructions for each of these meals this week as the week goes on!  But for tonight, here are the instructions (and a cost analysis) for Monday night's meal!

Chicken with Mushroom Pan Sauce over Egg Noodles
For this meal to serve two, you will need:

• 1 chicken breast
• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 3/4 cup chicken broth (homemade, canned, cartons or even bullion cubes--whatever you have!)
• 4 oz. Egg noodles, 1/3 of a standard 12 oz. package, cooked to package directions
• Pantry staples: butter and olive oil, a wee bit of flour, and salt and pepper, of course!
• Optional additions: garlic, diced onion, 1 T heavy cream

Split the chicken breast into two pieces like so:

Why didn't I just use 2 chicken breasts?  Well, neither James or I typically finish a whole chicken breast, and meat serving sizes should be about 3 oz., which is more like half of a chicken breast than a whole.  Better for our waistlines and better for our pocketbook.

Pop some plastic wrap over those bad boys and pound 'em out!  I don't have a meat mallet, so I just use the bottom of my skillet.  It gets the job done.  They should look like this:

Now is the time to season with salt and pepper, and dredge in some flour.  Be sure to shake off the excess flour.

Add 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil to a medium-hot skillet.  Once butter has melted, add chicken breast halves.  Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, then remove and set aside.  (Don't worry if it's not yet fully-cooked).

Add sliced mushrooms to pan and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until they shrink down a bit. (If you're adding the optional garlic and/or onions, now is the time!)

Add 3/4 cup chicken broth to skillet, and be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan for all those little bits of flavor from the chicken.

Add chicken back to skillet and simmer, covered,  for 5-10 minutes or until sauce has thickened a bit.  If you want to add some extra richness, then add 1 T of heavy cream.  Serve over egg noodles.

Roasted Carrots

For 2-3 servings, you will need:

1 lb. carrots, peeled and chopped into 1" chunks

2 T olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400.  On a baking sheet, toss all ingredients together and spread out in pan.  Roast for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice during for even browning.

Yumm!  What a great way to eat carrots--I actually made twice the amount I listed above because these carrots make good leftovers! 

And here's dinner tonight:

Yumm, right?  Are you ready for the best part?

Price breakdown:

1 Organic Hormone/Antibiotic Free Chicken breast - $1.11

8 oz. Mushrooms - $1.29

4 oz. Egg Noodles $ .25  (Sale/coupon at Publix)

1 lb. carrots $ .25 (2 lb. bags of carrots are $ .49 at Aldi this week!  Reg price is $ 1.29/lb at Publix)

3/4 cup chicken broth $ .28 (Sale/coupon last week ended up with 32 oz. cartons for $1.50)

Cost of meal per serving:  $1.59 

Wow.

5 Dollar Dinners

Roasted Tomato-Basil Soup and Mozzarella Paninis

I love grilled cheese and tomato soup--this fabulous pair became one of my favorite meals when my husband and I started dating because it's a specialty of his that he would make for me. Of course, he makes his soup from the Campbell's can and the sandwiches are Kraft singles on Wonder bread, but the love is there just as much as if he had made it all from scratch.

Last week, I made some Roasted Tomato-Basil Soup and Mozzarella Paninis for us and here is how I did it!

Start with:

3lbs roma tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
generous sprinkling of kosher salt and fresh-cracked pepper


In a roasting pan, add all of the above ingredients and toss gently, making sure all of the tomatoes have had contact with the olive oil.


Roast in a preheated 350 degree oven for an hour or so, stirring once or twice.


Once your tomatoes have been removed from the oven, add them to a medium saucepan with 2 cups of chicken broth. (I used some that I made and stored in the freezer, however those boxes of Swanson broth are a great time-saver and taste great.) Simmer for 20 minutes or so, and add one large handful of fresh basil (don't bother chopping). Remove from heat.


Puree until smooth in batches in your blender or food processor and return to saucepan-hold on low heat until ready to serve. It's fine this way, but if you're like me and you need some extra richness, add 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Yum! This makes 3-4 servings.


As for the paninis, I used some ciabatta bread and spread pesto (I used the kind from the jar--I didn't have enough basil to make my own) on both sides of the bread and layered a few slices of mozzarella and thinly sliced tomato. Butter the outsides of the bread and wrap sandwich in foil, and press. If you have a fancy panini press, good for you--use it! If you're like me and do not own such a magnificent uni-tasker, wipe the dust off the ol' George Foreman Grill and slap that sandwich in the grill and press down hard! Let sandwich press for 5-10 minutes, or until it smells done (I know it's not technical, but you'll know when it's done because it will smell toasty and fabulous!) What a fabulous meal! Here are the results...




Thanks to my friend Suzanne Dickey for teaching me to use my George Foreman grill as a panini press--she's brilliant!

Next Week's Menu

It's the time of the week to start planning for next week's meals. SO much money can be saved by choosing to eat at home and by shopping for the specific meals that you plan.

This week, we'll be enjoying:

Sunday: Belgian Waffles (I'll be using a mix-I won't lie!) and strawberries
Monday: Grilled Chicken & Pinto Bean Burritos & Fresh fruit
Tuesday: Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches & Fresh fruit
Wednesday: Layered Spaghetti Squash with Spaghetti Sauce and Salad
Thursday: Cashew Chicken in lettuce cups with brown rice
Friday: Leftovers, I'm sure!

Monday's burritos don't get much easier; for the two of us, I slice a grilled chicken breast and mix it with some pinto beans, and add the rest of the necessities like lettuce, salsa, cheese and sour cream onto a tortilla and wrap it up. Simple and delicioso! (If you follow my menus, just pop those leftover tortillas in the freezer because we'll be making chicken enchiladas next week!)

The buffalo chicken sandwiches are just a grilled piece of chicken dipped in Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce, sandwiched on a keiser roll with a piece of lettuce and a tablespoon of ranch dressing. It's quick and oh-so-satisfying! (I know, I know, it's awesome when the chicken is fried, but for health reasons the grilling is a better alternative!)

The layered spaghetti squash with spaghetti sauce is something that my mother-in-law makes that I adore. You start by halving a spaghetti squash. Drizzle each half with a little olive oil and liberally sprinkle with salt and pepper, then roast the squash cut sides down (375 for 30-45 minutes or until easily pierced by a knife).
While the squash is roasting, make a batch of your favorite spaghetti sauce. You'll need to yield about 3 cups (one jar of sauce will suffice, and I like to add about 1/2 lb. ground beef).
When the squash has cooled for about 15-20 minutes, use a fork to pull the "spaghetti" strands away from the hard outer skin. Divide into two equal portions.
Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with a non-stick spray. Place half of the squash down in the dish, covering the bottom. Cover with about 1.5 cups of spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella (or get fresh mozzarella and slice it and place the slices all over the sauce.) Top with remaining squash then add another layer of sauce and cheese. Bake (covered) at 375 for 25-30 minutes. What a yummy meal!

I will try to do another cost analysis of a meal this week as I did with last week's pork chop meal. It's important to know how much we are spending/saving in order to make the best financial choices. Analyzing the cost of a meal is an encouraging reason to eat at home and prepare your own food.

Monday Night's Meal in Pics and Dollar Breakdown

If you recall, Monday night's dinner was Center cut pork chops with fruit salsa, Spanish rice and grilled asparagus. I thought it would be interesting to do a cost analysis of this delicious meal for two.

2 Boneless pork chops $2.50 ($1.25 each; I bought a pack of 12 pork chops for about $15)
Strawberries, 1 cup $ .64
1 Mango $. 99
Asparagus $1.32 (This is the cost of 2/3 lb @ $1.99/lb--I reserved the remaining 1/3 lb for another meal)
Mahatma Spanish rice mix, 5 oz. size $ .69

Total cost: $6.14

Cost per meal: $3.07

Can you get a dinner combo at a fast food drive-thru for $3.07? Can you name any restaurant where you can get such a healthy and quality meal for $3.07?



Cooking at home can be delightful if you keep it simple. Bonus: from start to finish, this meal was less than 25 minutes (cough, cough, eat that Rachael Ray)!