Food Revolution

We've Moved!

2008-03-05T11:41:00.001-06:00

Due to some technical issues (I can't load Blogger any more without freezing my computer up), I'm moving my blog to:

http://foodrevolution.wordpress.com

Please update your links accordingly. Hope to see you there!

We Interrupt This Broadcast ...

2008-02-17T12:11:00.002-06:00

I apologize for the recent lack of posts. I've been crazy-busy these last couple weeks, and now, I'm afraid, there may be another drought.

You see, Rob and I are off to Alaska (writing presently from our hotel room in Anchorage) for 10 days. I'm not sure how consistently available internet access will be, so to be safe, I'll let you all know now that there may be issues with posting for the next 10 days or so.

However, I'll be sure to post photos and some food-related information as soon/often as I can.

Thanks for your patience!

And the Runner-Up

2008-02-13T09:55:00.002-06:00

Yes, that's right. There was one more entry I just couldn't ignore.

This was a great recipe, easy, and with a delicious flavor. So ...

Pepperoni Pizza Snacks by Clara of iheartfoodforthought

Clara, email me for your prize!

And the Winner Is ...

2008-02-13T09:30:00.002-06:00

After much cooking, tasting, and general over-stuffedness, we at Food Revolution are (finally!) proud to announce the winner of our first monthly "Frugal Foodie Challenge."

And the winner is ...

Sausage Bread with Mozzarella by Jack of Redacted Recipes!!!

While there wasn't a single entry we didn't enjoy, Jack provided a recipe that was delicious, filling, and easily adaptable. He also provided a recipe that was easy to follow and didn't leave out any important steps. This was important because I followed each recipe as much as possible and I think some dishes may have fared better with easier/more in-depth directions.

So, Jack ... now that you've won the inaugural FFC, please contact me to collect your prize!

February Frugal Foodie Challenge!

2008-02-04T14:53:00.001-06:00

It's here - the February edition of the Frugal Foodie Challenge!

This month's featured ingredient is ... APPLES! You may also any direct derivative of apples - apple juice, applesauce, and/or apple cider are fine. Apple-flavored items are not part of the challenge - so no AppleJacks please. (Yes, CB, I'm aiming that at you! HA!)

Deadline: Because of the shortened month and my not being in town for almost two weeks this month, I'm going to extend the entry deadline until 5pm on Friday, February 29th. Enjoy the extra time!

Budget: I'm going to stick with $7 again for this month for two reasons - first, I realize that not everyone lives in as cheap an area of the country as me. Second, the logical food to go with apples is going to be meat - and that's not a cheap item.

You can define a complete meal for yourself ... if you'd normally eat it by itself and its enough - you don't have to add anything!

Leave me a comment if you have any questions!!
So ... on that note ... GO!

More Delays ...

2008-02-04T14:45:00.000-06:00

I feel like an airline stewardess ... I'm sorry to inform you, but FFC January will not be landing as scheduled. Due to overcommitment by the staff, we will be forced to circle at least one more time prior to landing.

Roughly translated into english ... because of my absolutely INSANE work schedule (65+ hours) these last couple of weeks and my agreement with Rob that we should try all 7 recipes, I still don't have a winner because there are two recipes I have yet to make. I apologize for my lame-ness and I promise I'll get you your response as soon as possible.

Confession ... I'm a Slacker (Sort of)

2008-01-31T13:12:00.000-06:00

I have a confession to make. Because of my dedication to the FFC cause, my dedication to making all of the entries before casting judgment (due to Rob's enthusiasm about all the recipes), and my dedication to not getting fired from my two jobs, I'm extending the judging deadline for the FFC. Probably will have the results posted as of Sunday. I hope.

I apologize for any inconvenience ... and I'll have the new contest posted tomorrow, as promised, despite not having any winner for the January contest.

Please stay tuned!!

Tip of the Week: Ingredient Clustering

2008-01-30T11:32:00.000-06:00

When we looked at the Frugal Foodie Challenge entries and tried to choose just three, the head judge (aka Rob) couldn't pick just three - they all looked (and sounded) delicious! So ... we're making all seven entries!

And that brings me to my Tip of the Week. Since I'm cooking SEVEN full meals this week, I needed to buy a lot of ingredients. Thing is, all of the recipes use mozzarella, and some of them repeat on other things. So, I "consolidated" my grocery list - figured out how many of each item (for example, chicken breasts) I needed and purchased accordingly. If I had planned seven meals for the week that had no major ingredients in common, I probably would have spent $100+ dollars on the shopping trip - things like beef, chicken, fish, pork, etc all add up quickly.

However, because I was able to use the same ingredients in several different dishes (i.e. chicken), I spent less because I could buy in larger quantities.

Another great example of this is when I had first started the blog - anyone remember the Neverending Can of Tuna?? (To make a long story short, I made meals for almost 2 weeks out of a 5-pound can of tuna fish). Because I didn't have to shop for multiple protein sources, I saved a TON of money!

The other area in which clustering can save a few dollars is on expensive specialty ingredients. For example, I never use pesto. Until this week, I'd never bought it before. The reason - it's almost $5 in our grocery store and it takes a lot to eat it all. However, if I had three recipes (or even two) that called for pesto, I can split its cost out over several meals and use an expensive ingredient - without spending a ton or wasting food.

Have you ever tried clustering? Does it work for you? Why or why not? Leave me a comment!!

Poll Results: People In Your Household

2008-01-30T11:04:00.000-06:00

Last week I wondered about how much you spend on groceries. THAT purely unscientific poll left me wondering about another question - how many people are you buying groceries for? I mean, if everyone's spending $100 per week on groceries, but buying for 8 people, they are doing WAY better than I am on frugal shopping. Turns out, though ... if you infer that most of the same people (plus a few extra) answered this week's poll that answered last weeks, most people are spending $25-$50 per person per week. Seems logical ... but here are the actual results, based on 32 votes:

Just Myself - 1 vote (3%)
2 People - 19 votes (59%)
3-4 People - 10 votes (31%)
5-6 People - 1 vote (3%)
7+ People - 1 vote (3%) ... More power to you, whoever you are!!

Thanks for answering. Be sure to check out my new poll question for this week - what do you spend most of your grocery budget on?

The Foodie Blogroll

2008-01-28T14:11:00.000-06:00

I'd like to introduce you all to the latest member of the Foodie Blogroll ... ME!

That's right. I've been officially accepted as a member of the blogroll. Which makes me a foodie. (Ha - funny to even think that!) Basically, its just a group of bloggers who all love food and have banded together - because there's strength in numbers, right? Check it out, the full list is now in my sidebar!

Apple-Cranberry-Pecan Baked Brie

2008-01-28T12:41:00.001-06:00

Last week I bought my first "specialty" grocery item - brie. I've never had it and always wanted to try it. First, let me say that I'm not entirely sure this brie was completely ripe. It seemed a little firm. However, it was yummy in its context: baked, with carmelized apples, cranberries, and pecans.

I made this recipe up as I went along ... so I'll do my best to approximate ingredient amounts.

COST: $6.09
Brie - $3.19
Apple - $0.75
Cranberries - $0.50
Butter - $0.50
Pecans - $1.00
Brown Sugar - $0.15
Cinnamon - Negligible
Salt - Negligible

INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup pecan halves (enough to almost cover bottom of skillet)
1 smallish wedge brie - peeled
1 large apple, peeled and diced (I used Braeburn)
1/2 cup cranberries
1 stick butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
Cinnamon to taste
Pinch salt

DIRECTIONS:

Toast pecans over medium heat. When lightly browned, add butter and turn down until just barely simmering. Add brown sugar, apples, cranberries, and spices and saute until apples are slightly cooked - still a little crunchy.

Meanwhile, peel rind off brie and place in bottom of small baking dish. When carmelized mixture is done, pour over brie and place in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with crackers.

New (Old) Cookbook!

2008-01-28T12:20:00.000-06:00

One of my decisions at the beginning of this year was to try and make our meals healthier.

One of the cookbooks I remember, growing up, is my mother's American Dietetic Association Cookbook. It was an old one, and, according to my mother, has gotten "too complicated" of recent years. She bought it to help my (diabetic) grandmother eat healthier. However, all of the recipes in this cookbook are simple, but healthy - not too much sugar, carbs, or fats.

So, after a quick consultation with my mother to get an ISBN for her copy of the cookbook, off to Half.com I went. This is the perfect website for frugal cookbook shoppers - I found a "like-new" copy, price tag and dust jacket still intact for $3.99. How could I resist? So ... I present to you, my new (old) cookbook:

Frugal Foodie Challenge: The Entries!

2008-01-26T10:11:00.000-06:00

Well, the deadline has officially passed. We had a grand total of seven entries this month (more than the 5 I was originally hoping for). Here they are, in no particular order:

Pepperoni Pizza Snacks by Clara of iheartfoodforthought
Chicken Noodle Soup with Cheesy Garlic Bread by Nikki of Crazy Delicious Food
Italian Quesadillas by Beth of Supplicious
Sausage Bread with Mozzarella by Jack of Redacted Recipes
Macaroni and Peach by Mindy of Oh, Mindy!
Chicken Casserole by Chris of Mele Cotte
Tomato Pasta with Chicken, Sausages, and Garlic-Mozzarella by Jenny of I'm Hungry

If I've missed your entry or you know of any others, please let me know! Thanks all for entering ... I'll be starting the judging process tomorrow. Stay tuned!

(And if you should, dear reader, be inclined to try out one of these fantastic, creative recipes, let me know how it turned out by leaving me a comment!)

He Who Dies With The Most Toys ...

2008-01-23T12:41:00.000-06:00

I don't know if this is necessarily a food-related post, but it does relate to being frugal, so I'm going to write about it anyway.

Today I was reading through my usual online forums and websites, getting caught up. A comment on a post about a man who saved money all his life and wound up a "millionaire-next-door" caught my eye. The man apparently was a janitor all his life, but through sound investments and frugal living, ended up donating two million dollars to several schools and colleges. I love stories like that ... if you live quietly, cover your basic needs, and invest wisely, there will be more than enough money for you at the end of your line (so to speak). However, the comment was more than disturbing. A poster who didn't identify himself left the following comment: "I still say that he who dies with the most toys, wins."

I hate to be abrupt, but that one sentence sums up exactly what is wrong with our society. There's nothing wrong with being wealthy, but when you hoard it all for yourself and give nothing back - that speaks of greed. And honestly, he who dies with the most toys ... is still dead. And no one really cares, because that person never bothered to touch others' lives in a positive way.

As Rob and I work on managing our money, getting out of debt, and perhaps accruing a little for our later use, I can't help but think on that quote and pray that we never end up that hardened. Money is a tool - best used on others.

What do you think? Is the poster right or wrong? Leave me a comment!

POLL Results: Weekly Grocery Budget

2008-01-21T12:56:00.001-06:00

The results are in - 17 people responded to this week's poll. Here's what they said:

$0-$50: 5 people (29%)
$51-$100: 7 people (41%)
$101-$200: 4 people (23%)
Over $200: 1 person (5%)

Be sure to answer my new, corresponding poll: How Many People Do You Buy Groceries For?

Grocery Shopping Tip of the Week: Making a List

2008-01-21T12:10:00.000-06:00

You know that old Christmas song that goes, "He's making a list, he's checking it twice ..."? Well, its not just Santa Claus who needs to make a list. Right up there at the top of my money-saving grocery shopping tips is: MAKE A LIST. And even check it. Twice, if you want!

Why? Well, have you ever gone to the grocery store, bought a whole cart full of stuff, then got home and realized you were still missing the one thing you needed for that pie you were going to make (or whatever)? Or what about going to the grocery store for a couple of onions and a gallon of milk and coming home with $50+ worth of stuff??

Sure, it happens to all of us, the urge to impulse-buy. But for some reason, most of us are WAY more prone to overspend at the grocery store than the mall. Maybe because everything is so (relatively) cheap at the grocery store? Who knows. But admit it, this has happened to you.

My Solution: As simple as it sounds, I recommend just making a list and sticking to it. There are several smaller steps that are part of this process, and that's what I'm going to expand on.

1. Make a menu for the week. I've been "mentally" doing this for a while. For example, this week I work Wednesday through Saturday. So I will make two meals this week - one Monday and one on Tuesday. They will have to last R (via leftovers) for the entire week. Plan out breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and drinks. Don't go overboard, but say you always eat cereal and yogurt for breakfast (like me). You know you'll need those two items, plus any "sides" - enough to make it through the week. Don't forget snacks of some sort - and drinks.

2. Make a list of all the ingredients you KNOW you'll need, and in what quantities. For example, if I'm going to make fajita chicken, I know I need the fajita chicken itself, plus tortillas, salsa, a little cheese, wondra (for the gravy) and potatoes.

3. Next, do an "inventory" of all the stuff you already have. It's always irritating to come home from the store and realize you already have enough of something you just spent money on.

4. Finally, when you get to the store ... STICK TO THE LIST. Don't buy stuff just because they are doing a sample and you like it. Don't buy stuff because it looks good. Don't buy stuff just because its on sale. If its not on the list, DON'T BUY IT.

So there it is ... the Tip of the Week. What do you think? Any other suggestions or strategies I've missed? Leave me a comment and let me know!

REMINDER: Frugal Foodie Challenge - 1 WEEK Left

2008-01-21T11:34:00.000-06:00

Just a quick reminder - I know I've been a little lax on the updates this last week. (I have an excuse ... working FIVE 16-hour days in a row) But, I wanted to remind all of you that the deadline for entry into this month's Frugal Foodie Challenge is fast approaching. So far I have three finished entries, 1 finished entry that I still need a blog address for (Mindy - that's you!), and at least 10 other people who have mentioned that they were interested ... but I haven't yet heard from.

Please, if you're going to participate, I'd love to see what you've got as soon as you get it posted. Email me or leave me a comment here with your blog entry's address!

Apple-Cranberry Strusel Muffins

2008-01-16T14:55:00.000-06:00

So, earlier this week we were grocery shopping and I did something TOTALLY out of character: impulse buying. Well, sort of. I was doing a great job of sticking to my list, but then I came across the grapes, which I was intending to buy for snacking purposes. But they were $4 a pound. Seriously! So, they were a no go. However, they were right next door to this little display of 12oz bags of fresh cranberries. I like cranberry - so I bought a bag.

But then what to do with them? Rob really doesn't love cranberry sauce, and I don't know how to make it anyway. I should bake them into something. But what? A quick search turned up the idea that you can use them as a replacement for some of the apples in any recipe calling for apple. So I made a few alterations to a recipe in one of my favorite "cookbooks" - the Taste of Home Bread Bonanza (which is really just a magazine).

COST: $3.45

Flour - $0.30
Sugar - $0.30
Baking Powder - $0.10
Baking Soda - $0.10
Cinnamon - $0.05
Salt - Neg.
Eggs - $0.20
Sour Cream - $0.50
Butter - $0.40
Apples - $0.75
Cranberries - $0.75

INGREDIENTS:

Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups diced peeled apples (I used a Johnagold - yes, just one - it was huge!)
3/4 cup whole fresh cranberries

Topping:
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold butter

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. (I just put them all into the KitchenAid Mixer)
In another bowl, beat the eggs, sour cream, and butter. (Just rapid whisking)
Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. (Turn the mixer on to STIR, let it mix up the dry ingredients, then pour in the wet ones.)
Pour in diced apples and cranberries, stir in briefly.
Pour into greased muffin tins to 2/3 full.

Preheat oven to 400.

For topping, combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Use pasty blender to cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle a rounded teaspoonfull over each muffin.

Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (you may want to test this before 18 minutes, my oven temp is consistently low and 18 minutes was perfect for me.)

Cool 5 minutes in pans, then transfer to wire racks. Serve warm. Yield - 16 muffins (I actually got 21, but they were VERY randomly sized)

Ravioli Lasagna

2008-01-16T12:05:00.000-06:00

This is a quick and easy meal. Cheap? Not exactly ... it costs quite a bit, but if you figure out the number of servings you get for the money, you do okay. This recipe is one I made up a number of years ago, and then found out that there are lots of other people who do it, as well. But I still claim that this one is MY recipe. This one gets an A for easy and a A- for taste from me. The reason is that I used too much (and too thin) pasta sauce and it ended up not sticking together when it was hot. I had to put it in the fridge overnight before I could take a successful photograph. But, you live and you learn - some recipes just don't do as well with cheap ingredients. Still tasty, just not quite right.

This recipe will make 12 servings. Lots of leftovers. As you can see, its a little pricey, but its cost per serving is relatively low.

COST: $13.82

Raviolis - 2 x $4.99 = $9.98
Pasta Sauce - 2 x $0.85 = $1.70
Mozzarella Cheese - 1 x $1.99 = $1.99
Spices - $0.15

INGREDIENTS:

2 Small or 1 large bag Frozen Ravioli
2 16 oz cans generic spaghetti sauce (you can probably get away with MUCH less sauce than this)
1 bag shredded mozzarella, pizza, or italian cheese
Onion Powder to taste
Garlic Powder to taste
Oregano to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375.
In the bottom of a 13x9 pan, spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce.
Next, place frozen raviolis on pan so that the bottom is completely (or as close as you can come) covered.
Spread a THIN layer of spaghetti sauce over the raviolis (don't make my mistake of adding WAY too much sauce)
Sprinkle cheese over the spaghetti sauce.
Repeat the layers - ravioli, sauce, cheese - until your pan is full or you run out of ravioli. I can usually fit three layers.
Sprinkle spices over top of final layer.
Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes. Let stand on stovetop about 5-10 minutes before serving.

Top 10 Annoying Grocery Shoppers

2008-01-14T11:45:00.000-06:00

Well, here's my first top 10 list. I was never expecting to make one, but last night Rob and I went grocery shopping, and there were SO MANY things to be annoyed at, I couldn't really focus on just one. Of course, there are really more than 10 things to be annoyed at in the grocery store, but I'll just list 10, and if you have more to add (or just want to throw in a "right on!"), please feel free to leave me a comment!

Top 10 - Annoying People You Meet at the Grocery Store

10. The Lazy Susan. I am seriously bothered by people too lazy to walk the extra 50 yards and put a shopping cart in the "cart corral." Seriously - you just spent an hour (or so) wandering aimlessly around the grocery store ... you couldn't take another 50 steps to keep your cart from hitting other people's cars?

9. The Rolling Road Block. Sadly, my parents fall into this category. Typically this is either an entire family or just one very talented individual who walks VERY slowly and somehow manages to take up the entire width of the aisle. This creates a serious backlog of shoppers - and just PRAY they don't stop moving, or a traffic jam will ensue that makes LA look like smooth sailing.

8. The Confused Person. This person either has a list and didn't put it in any logical order, or is just wandering randomly around the store. They will generally make several false starts, turn abruptly, stop suddenly and then glare at you if you bump them with your cart.

7. The Mario Andretti. This person is determined to set a world record in speed-shopping. That generally means they weave dangerously, take blind intersections without even slowing down, and huff and puff impatiently when stuck behind a rolling road block. Generally this is the kind of person who also drives like a maniac. Usually a woman in her 20s or 30s, she would push you out of the way to get the last artichoke on the shelf.

6. The Cheapskate. I will confess to being this person. Sometimes. This is the person who spends 15 minutes deciding which can of tuna is going to save them $0.05. She'll block an entire display while deciding, too. And meet her cousin:

5. The Nutritionist. This person will read the nutrition labels and/or ingredient list on each item she picks up before she puts it in her cart. Apparently this show of healthiness is important whether the item in question is a can of peas or a gallon of ice cream.

4. The Coupon Cutter/Price Watcher. Another friend of the cheapskate (and hopefully NOT the same person), this person will take her monthly grocery shopping to the register and insist on checking the price on every item as it goes across the scanner. "That should be $3.24, not $3.26" They generally will also have a fistful of coupons with them - at least one for every item in the cart, and will still be looking for more in their bottomless pit of a purse when the clerk (40 minutes later) comes up with the final total.

3. The Sampler/Muncher. This is the person who will pick up a box of cookies and a soda and eat the entire thing while shopping. Or worse, this person wanders through the produce aisles, treating the place like one giant free-for-all. A grape here, a banana there, etc. This person will also show up on days when the store is offering free samples and will possibly make the rounds twice.

2. The Line Cutter. This person was always first in line, no matter how many people were actually there ahead of them. Whether its the deli, bakery counter, or the checkout, this person will somehow weasel in ahead of you.

And the #1 WORST person to meet in the grocery store:

1. The Bad Parent. Now, I can't complain about all people who bring kids to the grocery store. I know sometimes its necessary and all that. However, I'm talking about people who think the grocery store is their child's personal funland. It usually starts in the parking lot. No hand-holding, just running ahead without watching for cars. Then, in the store, this child is not under control. They are running, pulling things off shelves, wandering off, making messes, screaming, picking things up, and generally being a hazard. And there's no age limit to this child, either. Last night I witnessed a parent allowing their 10-year-old children to wander around the liquor section. Picking up bottles, etc. Yikes! Wait until that child breaks a $100 bottle of wine. And cuts themself. The older kids in this group also generally have "wheelie" shoes. Um ... NOT in the grocery store. The kid loses control and there goes an entire display of glass jars. Please, people ... if you can't control your kid, DON'T subject the rest of us to him. Especially not at the grocery store.

Sooo ... there it is, my first Top 10 list. What do you think? Leave me a comment!!

"Sunday Morning" Pot Roast

2008-01-11T12:27:00.000-06:00

This is one of the easiest meals in my repetoire. Right up there with crockpot fajita chicken. And SO tasty. Rob took the pictures on this meal, and I'm so impressed - you know how hard it is to make pot roast look good?

COST: $12.24
Beef roast - $9.00
Potatoes - $0.50
Carrots - $0.36
Mushrooms - $1.99
Onion - $0.38
Wondra - $0.01

I know, I went WAY over budget on this meal, but keep in mind that this makes about a week's worth of leftovers (this was a GIANT roast). I am excusing myself in this regard.

INGREDIENTS:

3 lb Chuck Roast
4 medium-size potatoes, peeled
4 carrots, peeled and cut in half
1 box button mushrooms, cleaned
1/2 large sweet onion
Wondra

DIRECTIONS:

Put all ingredients into roasting pan. (I usually put the roast on the bottom, surrounded by the potatoes, with the carrots and mushrooms next, then the onion on top of the meat to provide a little flavor). Place in preheated 325 degree oven and allow to cook for about 3 hours.

Remove from oven, remove all ingredients from pan, leaving the pan drippings. Put pan on stovetop and turn heat on high. Whisk in wondra until desired gravy consistency is reached. Serve while still hot. Enjoy!

Tag, You're It.

2008-01-07T12:53:00.001-06:00

Wow. I can't believe I'm doing this. My friend Clara from i heart cuppycakes has tagged me in her blog to do a meme. If it was anyone else, I might've blown it off. But how can you refuse such a nice person? So ... here it is, folks.

What were you doing 10 years ago?
10 years ago I was finishing my senior year of high school, fully convinced that I was MUCH cooler than I actually was.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
Unpacking. Seriously, I had just moved down here to the valley and was still trying to get settled into my new (now previous) apartment.

Five snacks you enjoy:
1. anything baked-goods (cookies, cake, pie, I'm not particular)
2. french fries from McDonalds
3. Sour Cream and Onion Pringles
4. Edamame (hot preferably)
5. Ben & Jerry Chunky Monkey ice cream

Five songs that you know all the lyrics to:
There aren't many I know ALL the lyrics to. But I can sing along with most songs without sounding like a total moron.

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1. Put at least 1/2 my money into mutual funds for retirement (can't count on SS anymore!!)
2. Buy a house. Doesn't have to be huge. Just perfect. :)
3. Take a degree from Johnson & Wales.
4. Start my own bakery.
5. Start on my 100-things.

Five bad habits:
1. Ignoring housework.
2. Cracking my knuckles.
3. Procrastinating. A lot.
4. I'm not as thankful as I could/should be.
5. Interrupting.

Five things you like doing:
1. Spending time with Rob.
2. Baking.
3. Sitting at the beach, watching the waves.
4. Taking a walk.
5. Eating. (Sadly)

Five things you would never wear again:
1. Wedge shoes
2. Tye-dye
3. Poufy bangs
4. Plus-size clothing (Yay, diet!)
5. A perm

Five favorite toys:
1. Cookbooks
2. Smoothie maker
3. dishwasher
4. microwave
5. space bags

I'm not going to tag anyone just yet. I'll be back a little later with a couple of people ... but I need to decide on who. :)

POLL Results

2008-01-07T11:08:00.000-06:00

The results are in for my poll to discover what you, my loyal readers, want from me. And they are, in order from most-wanted to least:

• Grocery Budget Tracker - 7 votes
• More Frequent Updates - 7 votes
• Grocery Shopping Tips - 6 votes
• Product Reviews - 3 votes
• More Recipes - 3 votes
• More Personal Posts - 2 votes
• More Photos - 1 vote
• Newsletter - 1 vote

Not receiving any votes were: Updated design, fewer personal posts, and "Other".

So the people have spoken! A grocery budget tracker is in development. I'm trying to be a bit more active in my posting, and hopefully you've found a few grocery shopping tips in the last week or two. More are coming. I'll also add the occasional product review and try to get a lot more recipes in the works.

Thanks for your input! Keep it coming - see my new poll to the right!

Coupons - Worth The Trouble?

2008-01-07T10:45:00.000-06:00

Okay, I know I'm going to take a lot of flack for this post from the frugal community. I admit that what I have to say here is probably anti-thetical to all that a true frugal-hack would say. But here it is:

Coupons do not save me money.

There, it's out. Here's the deal: I'll use an example from our newspaper yesterday. In one of the coupon inserts there were ads for money off tomatoes, butter, cooking spray, peanut butter, guacamole, yogurt, cottage cheese and almonds. Of course, most of these coupons were for $0.35 or so per item. And these are name-brand items. The problem: In most cases, I can still get a generic for less than the name-brand with the coupon. Sadly.

Of the aforementioned list of items, I have the need (and the space) for 1 thing. I do need cooking spray. And I prefer PAM. And the coupon was for $1.00 off. Could be useful. The problem: When I go the the grocery store with PAM on my list - will I remember to take the coupon with me? And more importantly, will I remember to use it? Coupons are a great money-saver ... for very organized people. Which I am not.

Finally - the cost analysis. If I buy a newspaper for $1.25 so that I can get (and maybe use) a coupon worth $0.35 - who is the idiot consumer?? That would be me.

Yes, there are people (and you read about them all the time on various blogs, online news stories, etc) who have the time, organizational skills, and patience to successfully clip coupons, use them on triple-coupon day at the grocery store, and walk away with $200 worth of groceries for $35.

I am not one of those people. They don't work for me - but I'd love to try them again ... if you have any tips for me on successful coupon-using, please leave me a comment. I'd love to hear from you, and I'll try each method suggested and write a follow-up piece in a month to let you all know how it turned out.

Frugal Foodie Challenge Update

2008-01-04T11:13:00.000-06:00

Just a reminder, we are getting closer to the deadline for the Frugal Foodie Challenge! As of right now, I have only four people who've told me (decisively) that they are entering ... and I'd love to see at least 10 entries! So get the word out - the Frugal Foodie Challenge is the next big thing!!

And if you're not one of those four people who've told me they're entering - email me and let me know your intentions. Thanks!!

Chocolate Snack Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting

2008-01-03T11:07:00.000-06:00

I made this cake as a "birthday cake" for my father. Admittedly, I had already made him a pie, but who am I to refuse such a nice man? I found the recipe in my Betty Crocker Cookbook (Bridal Edition), which is a great cookbook for newlyweds, as a lot of the recipes are easy and don't require much knowledge or fancy ingredients. This cake drew good reviews from everyone who tried it (namely myself, my mom and dad, and Rob), and it was certainly easy enough to make. An excellent choice for a "quick" dessert recipe.

The unusual thing about this recipe is that it does not include a lot of the ingredients you think of as "staples" in cakes - notably EGGS. So if you know anyone with an egg allergy, this is a great choice!

COST: $2.30
Flour - $0.30
Sugar - $0.15
Cocoa - $0.35
Baking Soda - $0.10
Salt - $0.05
Vegetable Oil - $0.25
Vinegar - $0.10
Vanilla - $0.10
Water - FREE
Butter - $0.35
Powdered Sugar - $0.50
Milk - $0.05

INGREDIENTS:
Cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon (I used 1 teaspoon) vanilla
1 cup cold water

Frosting:
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS
Cake:

Heat oven to 350F. Grease bottom and side of 8 inch square pan.

In medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In small bowl, stir oil, vinegar and vanilla until well mixed (this should be vigorous - you are mixing oil and vinegar). Vigorously stir oil mixture and water into flour mixture for 1 minute or until well-blended (small lumps are okay - do not overmix). Immediately pour into pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (mine took 38 minutes). Cool 15 minutes before frosting.

Frosting:
Melt butter (I used a microwave, a small saucepan over medium heat would also work). Add cocoa and mix in. Stir in remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour over cake, then spread with spatula if necessary.

Lemon Meringue Pie - the Right Way!

2008-01-02T11:42:00.000-06:00

If you've been keeping up, you know that my prior lemon-meringue pie did not turn out at all. So here's the recipe that I used when I re-did (successfully) the pie. I will not be publishing cost on this recipe, since technically it was a gift. I will say, though, that it is most definitely an under-$5 pie. (If you don't screw it up on the first attempt!)

INGREDIENTS:
1 pre-made graham cracker pie crust (I used Keebler)
1 2/3 cups sugar
6 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 cup lemon juice (I cheat and use Realemon)
4 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 300. In heavy saucepan, combine 1 1/3 cups sugar and cornstarch. Add lemon juice. In small bowl, beat egg yolks, then add to lemon mixture.

Gradually add boiling water, stirring constantly. Over medium heat, cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens (will happen fast - usually 5 minutes or so!). Remove from heat. Add butter, stir until melted in. Pour into pastry shell.

In small mixer bowl (I used my KA 6qt stand mixer), beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form (use mixer setting 8 or 9 for this). Gradually add remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form.

Spread on top of pie, sealing the edges to the shell. Bake 20-30 minutes until golden brown. Cool and chill before serving (unless you like lemon meringue soup). Refridgerate leftovers.

This is what the pie looks like while baking. Pardon the fuzzy photo - my oven's manufacturer was kind enough to add little dots to the oven window ... I swear they're only there to prevent good photography.

This is what the meringue looked like after baking. I like mine a little less brown than most people - just the peaks should be brown, in my opinion.

Christmas Day

2008-01-02T11:19:00.000-06:00

Our menu this year was varied, but only cost us $25.88 total. The reason? Free food from HEB!! They have these "meal-deals", where if you buy a certain item, all the other items that would typically go with that item as part of a meal are free. This year the item was spiral-sliced ham. We bought a 9.5 lb half-ham for the $25.88 and got everything else for free. Whoo!!

COST: $25.88
Honey Baked Ham - $25.88
Canned Peas - FREE with Coupon
Canned Corn - FREE with Coupon
Cranberry Jelly - FREE with coupon
Salad - FREE with coupon
Mashed Potatoes - already in pantry (approx $0.14)
Gravy - made from ham drippings - FREE

The only thing in this photo that we paid for was the ham. And the crackers and dip, but those technically weren't part of the meal. We were just using those as "pre-meal-waiting" munchies.

Cat says, "Merry Christmas!"

A Foodie's New Year Resolutions

2008-01-02T11:10:00.000-06:00

Well, here we are at the start of another new year. Happy 2008 to you all - I hope it is a great year for all of you!

As I sit and review the things which have happened in 2007 - moving (twice!), getting married, starting a new job, pursuing new life avenues - I can't help but wonder if 2008 could possibly top the great year that was 2007. But it can. You know why? Because I will make it so. :)

In that vein, here are my (food and blog related) New Year Resolutions:
• I will make at least seven blog-updates per week. I can't guarantee they'll be one per day, but I will make the effort.
• Every time I go grocery shopping, I'll buy one new food item. Foods like exotic cheeses, ethnic foods, etc. I'll report back to you on each new thing.
• On the same line, I'll try at least 3 totally new recipes per month. At least.
• Finally, I'll make the effort to improve and update the blog to meet and exceed your expectations!

Cat wishes you all a very Happy New Year, too!!

How NOT To Make a Lemon Meringue Pie

2007-12-30T23:41:00.000-06:00

SCENE: Tonight I made a lemon meringue pie for my father to celebrate his birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!) It's his favorite. I mentioned earlier that my mother gave me a handwritten, family-recipe-collection cookbook for Christmas. Well, my mom included "Dad's Favorite Lemon Meringue Pie" recipe. Since it was DAD's birthday and this recipe was for his favorite lemon-meringue pie, I thought it would be the perfect recipe to make.

Mistake #1: I decided that it would be a great idea (since lemon meringue is so time-critical) to make the pie mise en place. So I did a quick review of the ingredients, gathered them, and set about prepping and measuring so that everything would be ready when the time came. NOT a bad idea with lemon meringue. The bad idea entered the picture when I reviewed the recipe, had doubts about it (it didn't have any cream of tartar, only 1 tablespoon of corn starch, etc), and didn't double-check the recipe for accuracy.

Mistake #2: I followed the first set of directions, mixed the water with the sugar, salt and corn starch, and set it above the double boiler to thicken. Stirring constantly. This is not wrong. What was wrong was waiting more than 30 minutes for it to thicken before I started to wonder why nothing was happening. Did I mention I was stirring constantly?

Mistake #3: Trying to rescue the recipe, I took the whole mess off the double boiler and put it directly on the burner to thicken. It did - momentarily - then went back to a soupy, liquid mess. So I kept stirring, although by this time I was REALLY frustrated.

The aforesaid soupy mess. LOL

RESOLUTION: So finally I just said "the heck with it" and put it aside. I went and retrieved another (fool-proof) recipe and started over. But ... the new/improved recipe called for 6 tablespoons of corn starch - not 1. Therein laid the problem all along. More cornstarch and I'd have had an award-winning recipe!! Darn it all - but it all worked out okay.

LESSONS LEARNED:
• Never, never, never ignore your instincts. If a recipe doesn't look right, it probably isn't.
• When a recipe isn't working out in the first 20 minutes or so, don't keep trying. It will only lead to heartache and frustration for all.
• If your recipe has failed, compare it to other recipes for the same item. This will help you not only to learn what the problem was, but also to learn more about how ingredients work - both individually and together.

Frugal Grocery Shopping Tip of the Week

2007-12-29T01:38:00.000-06:00

Here's a new feature I'm adding to the blog. We go grocery shopping every week (or so). Each time I shop I find a new way to save money, so I will highlight my "discoveries" for you when that happens.

This week's idea: use the Price Per Unit (PPU) cost on the shelf tag to your advantage.

Many people go to the grocery store and try to save a few bucks by buying bigger sizes or generic products. Often, this is a good idea, but not always. The easiest way to save money is by calculating the PPU of each item in the category.

For example, we bought tuna this week (for those of you who've been with me since the beginning, this is the first time I've even WANTED to eat tuna in a couple of months.) The selection of tuna available in our local HEB is mind boggling. Honestly, I didn't realize a person needed so many different flavors and varieties of something so simple! But I digress. Between store brands and bigger sizes, you'd think I'd need to buy another 5-lb can, right? Not exactly. When I figured out the PPU of the tuna, the cheapest option turned out to be: Chicken of the Sea. In the small can. No, really. Name brand tuna in a smaller size was cheaper than the giant can of off-brand.

How does one calculate all this? Well, you simply divide the cost in dollars (or your currency of choice) by the (in this case) number of ounces in the can. Or number of eggs in the box, or whatever your "unit" happens to be. However, unless you're my husband, mental math (particularly division) isn't always easy, especially when you're in the middle of the grocery store, blocking the aisle with your cart while you think. No one likes a cart blocker, so what do you do? It's not really practical to carry a calculator through the supermarket (although I bet there are at least a couple of people out there who do.) So ...

Behold the shelf tag!!

This simple little tag shows you how much an item costs, right? Well, see that smaller number on the upper left (your tag's placement may vary)? It's the PPU, calculated out FOR YOU by the grocery store! Now, not all grocery stores do this - but most (including Wal-Mart) generally include this information somewhere on the shelf tag. No mental cartwheels required!

In the tuna example above, the cheapest large can of tuna was PPUed at $0.11 per ounce. Not bad, right? Except the Chicken of the Sea cans I purchased were PPUed at $0.08 per ounce. I not only have smaller packaging - a plus when you're only cooking for two - but I pay less, as well.

So next time you're at the grocery store, remember that a little bit of math (or reading, depending on your grocer) can save you a lot of money!

Contest: Frugal Foodie Challenge!

2007-12-27T13:45:00.000-06:00

That's right, folks, you saw it here first! In my quest for inexpensive yet tasty meals, I've decided to turn the ideas over to the masses.

So here's the lowdown on the first ever Frugal Foodie Challenge!

I challenge you to create an entire meal (not including dessert or beverages) for two people. Each month I will give you a dollar value and a special ingredient, and you are to be as creative as possible.

This month's ingredient is MOZZARELLA CHEESE. You may spend no more than $7.

Deadline for entries is January 25th, 5:00pm EST. The winner will be posted no later than January 31st at 5:00pm EST.

A prize will be given to the person who creates the most creative, tasty, and useable meal within the guidelines! This prize will consist of a "blog button" with the Frugal Foodie logo to display on your blog and a kitchen gadget, still to be determined - but definitely random.

For those of you who desire the rest of the specifics, here are the rules:

• You must create a complete meal for TWO people.
• You can spend NO MORE THAN $7 for both servings.
• You must include the following ingredient: MOZZARELLA CHEESE
• Each meal must be "re-creatable" by me for less than $7.
• Basic pantry staples are not required to be included in cost. Please use good judgment as to what this entails - email me if any questions!
• You may include partial costs for ingredients that must be bought in bulk. i.e. A carton of eggs costs $1.50 but you only used one. You can credit that as $0.12
• Post recipe/instructions/photos on your blog by the deadline. If you don't have a blog, you can still participate, but email me for further directions.
• Email me a link to your blog post for the contest.
• The top 2-3 meals will be re-created and judged based on creativity, taste, ease of "construction" and overall cost.
• Winner will be posted no later than the last day of the month.

If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please email me at foodrevolutionblog@gmail.com or leave me a comment in this post before the judging deadline.

GOOD LUCK - and - GO!

The Future of the Food Revolution!

2007-12-27T08:54:00.000-06:00

Good morning!

As 2008 approaches, it is time, indeed, to make changes and review our lives. Since part of my life is this blog, I think some changes are in order. I'd love it if you kind folks would stop by the poll located in the upper right corner and take a few minutes to vote on what blog changes you'd like to see. I have listed a bunch of options, vote for as many (or as few) as you like. If you have other suggestions, please email me at foodrevolutionblog@gmail.com - yes, I'm creating a new email just for this blog - I'm listening to your suggestions!!

Thanks, and hope to hear from you soon!!

New Cookbooks!

2007-12-27T08:36:00.000-06:00

One of my new features this year on my blog will be, essentially, to profile my cookbook collection and provide a review for each. Hopefully this will be helpful to you.

For Christmas this year, one of the things I mentioned to my family was that I wanted new cookbooks. And I got them! Lots of them, in fact.

The most precious to me is one that my mother has been assembling. It is essentially a 4x6 photo album with handwritten index card recipes. This is a VERY good thing because I can use it in a moveable, changeable way ... and it includes all the recipes I loved as a child and growing up. Family "heirloom" recipes, as it were.

Second, the Blue Ribbon Country Cookbook, by Diane Roupe:

This is a great cookbook, chock-full of easy, tasty recipes. I have yet to try it, but it has some tasty-looking options, and there are a lot of them. The only disappointing thing about this cookbook is that there are no color photographs (which I find to be - usually - VERY appealing in a cookbook).

Finally, the Best of Amish Cooking, by Phyllis Good:

Having grown up in Amish country, eating Amish food, has spoiled me a little. Down here in McAllen, authentic Mexican is available on every street corner ... but authentic Amish food? Not likely to be found - anywhere. So this little cookbook offers a wide selection of Amish-oriented recipes. There are some color pictures, but I really wish there were more. Another thing to be aware of is that Amish recipes don't take shortcuts (no cake mixes or bisquick here). So some of the recipes may be time consuming.

That's all for today, folks. Hope you get a chance to try out one or more of these cookbooks ... if you do, let me know what you think!

Dark Molten Chocolate Cake(s)

2007-12-20T13:36:00.000-06:00

So, yesterday was Rob's birthday. While he wasn't feeling the best, I still wanted to bake him something special. His only request was "chocolate cake". So, I looked around online and located this recipe from the good people at Baker's Chocolate on allrecipes.com.

This cake was DELICIOUS!! And SO easy ... the first baking recipe I've made in a while that I could fully prepare in the time it took the oven to preheat. Rob gave it 512 points out of a possible 100, and I thought it was fantastic, too.

COST: $7.28
Bittersweet Chocolate - $2.49
Butter - $0.65
Powdered Sugar - $0.45
Flour - $0.10
Eggs - $0.60
Raspberries (accent) - $2.99

INGREDIENTS:
6 ounces Baker's Dark Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar
10 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup flour
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease and flour 6 custard cups of souffle dishes (I used Pampered Chef Glass Prep Bowls). Place on baking sheet.

Microwave chocoalte and butter in large microwaveable bowl on MEDIUM for 2 minutes or until butter is completely melted (my microwave took 3 minutes). Stire with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Add powdered sugar and flour; mix well. Add whole eggs and egg yolks; beat until well blended. Divide batter evenly into prepared custard cups.

Bake 14 to 15 minutes or until cakes are firm around the edges but still soft in the centers. Let stand 1 minute. Run small knife around cakes to loosen. Carefully invert cakes onto dessert dishes. Sprinkle lightly with additional powdered sugar and garnish with raspberries, if desired. Serve immediately.

NOTE: May be refrigerated and reheated easily, but MUST be refrigerated. About 45 seconds in the microwave brings back to temp.

Christmas Cookies

2007-12-19T13:41:00.000-06:00

Okay, so these were my first attempt at Christmas cookies by myself, without mom. If I do say so myself, I did a pretty good job, taste-wise. Looks? Well, lets just say most 6-year-olds do a better job with frosting, but Rob & I had fun ... and that's what matters, right?

Again, I'm going to have to pass on the cost for these cookies and the frosting, because I already had most ingredients on hand. As I have to start buying, I'll be able to start supplying ingredient cost again. :)

These cookies are a recipe from my great-grandmother Heer. All the ingredient amounts are approximations, because she didn't use measuring utensils. Mom says this is close, though, and it is the perfect sugar cookie to frost. A little dense and not too sweet. My dad likes them with apple butter.

GRANDMA HEER'S SUGAR COOKIES:

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups white sugar
1 cup shortening
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
5 cups all-purpose flour (or more if dough is sticky)

DIRECTIONS:
Mix together sugar, shortening, baking powder, and nutmeg. Add eggs. Combine milk and baking soda, then add to mixture. Add flour until dough is not sticky.

Roll out to 1/4 inch thick on floured surface (I just use the kitchen table). Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes.

Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until very lightly brown on edges and/or bottom. Cool on wire racks. Allow to cool completely (I usually leave 24 hours) before frosting. Store in airtight container.

WILTON BUTTERCREAM ICING:

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla (use clear for true white frosting)
4 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons milk
Food Coloring (if desired)

DIRECTIONS:
In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear very dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp paper towel until ready to use. Add food coloring if desired.

Rum Balls

2007-12-03T10:36:00.000-06:00

I think the photo on these says it all, don't you? You should make these. :)

Oh, and isn't my food photography getting better? I found some great tips on taking good food photos here: Shoot first, eat later

Without further ado, here is your recipe ... which gets an A+ from all parties involved. Please note that these should be kept refridgerated and contain high-alcohol-content rum. I am not responsible if you turn your child into a drunk.

COST: $4.70
Butter - $0.50
Powdered Sugar - $0.25
Chocolate Chips - $0.15
Eggs - $0.30
Salt - Neglible
Nilla Wafers - $0.50
Nuts - $1.00
Dark Rum - $1.00
Coconut - $1.00

INGREDIENTS:
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup chocolate chips
2 eggs, beaten
Pinch of salt
1 3/4 cups nilla wafer crumbs (grind in food processor)
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (I used pecans - walnuts, hazelnuts, or cashews would also be yummy)
1/4 cup dark rum
1 1/2 cups (approximately) grated coconut

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the butter, sugar, and chocolate chips. Stir constantly until fully melted and smooth. Slowly whisk in the eggs until fully incorporated.

Remove the pan from the heat, stir in salt, cookie crumbs, nuts, and rum. Allow the pan to cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the chocolate mixture. Chill 6 hours or overnight.

When you are ready to make the rum balls, place the coconut in a medium mixing bowl. Scoop out 1/2 teaspoon of the chocolate mixture and quickly roll between the palms of your hands to form a ball.

Toss the rum ball in the coconut to coat, then place on waxed paper. Repeat with remaining mixture, refridgerating mixture in between batches (I did 12 at a time). Store in the refrigerator. Serve cold or bring to room temperature about 20 minutes before serving.

O, Christmas Tree!

2007-11-30T11:23:00.000-06:00

So ... every year my Christmas tree looks pretty much the same. And that's okay with me, because I like the way it looks.

What you see here is the corner of my living room (complete with ugly 15-year-old carpet ... please ignore that part). In the background, you can see our record collection and part of the entertainment center (which is also decorated for the holidays).

My thing with Christmas is that, unless the decoration holds special meaning, everything has to be one or more of the following colors: Christmas red, Christmas green, white, or silver. As you can see, I've done fairly well at sticking to that (although I do have a couple of ornaments with a little blue on them). I don't know when or why I developed that opinion, I guess it's just a desire to return to a basic Christmas style - no mauve, olive, or purple for me, thanks.

Oh, and Cat likes the Christmas tree, too:

Holy Giant Marshmallows, Batman!

2007-11-28T14:13:00.000-06:00

So, the day after Thanksgiving (aka Black Friday), we decided to skip the overly crowded malls and head for Mexico to shop for a few Christmas presents we knew we wanted. Along with several hundred other similarly-minded folks (oops), we crossed the river armed with a wad of cash and a shopping list. We got just about everything on the list ... plus a few extras, the most notable of which is shown here.

Malvaviscos Marshmallows - $2.10 for 30 at our favorite Mexican tourist/grocery store. See on the package where it says "Super Gigante"? They aren't kidding - these are quite possibly the BIGGEST marshmallows I've ever seen.

What? You say the bag looks "normal"? Well, check out the following photo for verification of size:

Yes, that's TWO marshmallows in an 8-oz low-ball glass. Your typical "short" glass. We were joking about putting one in the microwave to see how big it'd puff up, but that makes me nervous - I might end up cleaning marshmallow off the inside of my microwave!

Here's a photo of 1 marshmallow in a cup of hot chocolate:

Also, these marshmallows are quite possibly the tastiest and freshest I've had in quite a while. The bottom one is vanilla and the top one is strawberry. And they do have flavor. Three cheers for Mexican Marshmallows!!

Thanksgiving ... on a Budget!

2007-11-28T13:00:00.000-06:00

I will have a picture of this year's Thanksgiving feast at my house, but for now I will have to describe it only (Rob took the photos and they're still on his camera.)

We woke up late on Thanksgiving day. Very late. It was really nice to sleep in. Then Rob went outside to build a deck (photos to come ... still in progress), and I commenced making my cinnamon roll coffee cake (photos and recipe below). While that was in the rising stages, I put together the ingredients for a pumpkin pie. It went into the oven as soon as the coffee cake was done.

Next it was prepping the main meal. Our menu for Thanksgiving day (since it was just the two of us) was: Roasted Cornish Game Hens, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Cranberry Sauce, Crescent Rolls, and Pumpkin Pie. All to be served with Sparkling Apple Cider to drink.

Now, how does all that work into my $25 a week budget, you may ask? Well, here it is, broken down:

COST: $20.14
Roasted Cornish Game Hens: 2 for $5
Stuffing: 1 loaf bread - $0.69, 1 cup diced celery - $0.50, 1 stick butter - $.50, 1/2 onion - $0.25. TOTAL - $1.94
Mashed Potatoes: 8 potatoes - $0.50, 1/2 cup milk - $0.50. TOTAL - $1.00
Green Bean Casserole: 2 cans green beans - $1.25, milk - $0.50, Cream of Mushroom soup - $0.99, French's Onions - $2.49 TOTAL - $5.23
Cranberry Sauce: $0.99
Crescent Rolls: $1.49
Pumpkin Pie: Most ingredients already in pantry. $1.50 (approx) in new ingredients
Sparkling Apple Cider: $2.99

And yes, we had plenty of leftovers.

After the meal was served at about 7:00, we rested a bit and then put up our Christmas decorations (another blog post to follow this one). The house looks beautiful and festive, and all's right with the world. I love Christmas. :)

Prize-Winning Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake

2007-11-27T15:36:00.000-06:00

This is (no, really) a prize-winning recipe I made up myself. Okay, I frankensteined it together from about 15 other recipes, but the end result was all me. Please note, this recipe is VERY time-consuming. VERY. I only make it any more for special occasions because it takes about 4.5 hours start to finish and I almost never have that much time in a block.

However, this Thanksgiving, I wanted to do something special for breakfast (that we didn't actually eat until 3 pm), so when we got up on Thanksgiving morning, I started my world-famous coffee cake.

The recipe calls for pecans, which I was out of, so I substituted coconut. However, if you don't like either, you can just as easily leave the "lumps" out or substitute your own (raisins, mini chocolate chips, etc).

On a scale of 1 to 10, this recipe apparently clocked in at an 11 with Rob. (I told you it was good). I loved it too, although the pecans would have made it even better. I'm not including cost on this, because all the ingredients were already in my pantry and I don't recall specific prices on all of it. I'd say around $5 though.

INGREDIENTS:
DOUGH
1 package active dry yeast
3 tablespoons warm water
1/2 cup warm milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (can use up to 3 1/4 cups)
FILLING
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
ICING
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS:
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, butter, eggs, sugar, salt and 1 1/2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, at least 1 hour.

Punch dough downl turn onto floured surface. Roll into 24x8 rectangle. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread over rectangle to within 1/2 inch of long edges. Sprinkle with pecans. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with the long side; pinch seam to seal.

Place roll seam side down on large greased cookie sheet and, using sharp knife, cut completely in half long-ways. Place cut sides up; gently twist two pieces together to form a "rope". Pull ends together and pinch to form a ring.

Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, at least 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to wire rack to cool. Combine icing ingredients; drizzle over coffee cake. Best eaten while still warm, but may be frozen for up to two months.

Gingerbread with Cream Cheese Frosting

2007-11-13T13:39:00.000-06:00

Okay, so the above photo is mostly the cream cheese frosting part. I'll eat a piece today and take a photo of the piece of cake itself for your viewing pleasure.

So, last night about 4:15 I was really jonesing for some gingerbread. Why? I have no idea. But I was. So, I made some gingerbread. This recipe is straight out of the Good Housekeeping cookbook I've had for a few years. My favorite modern cookbook, by far. I've never made a recipe out of this cookbook that was a loser. If you don't already have one, you should buy one. This recipe is on my favorite page of the cookbook, right next to the best carrot cake I've EVER had.

All that to say, the gingerbread turned out exactly the way I like it. Moist, flavorful, a little chewy, but not too strongly "ginger-y". Rob loved it and I now have permission to make it whenever I want. :) I'm not going to list individual costs on this recipe because I didn't have to buy anything and I don't recall the original prices on everything. Probably less than $3.00, though, without the frosting.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons groud ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup light molasses
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), cut into 3 pieces
3/4 cup boiling water
1 large egg, lightly beaten

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour (or use Baker's Joy) 9-inch square baking pan.
2. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Stir until blended.
3. In small bowl, combine molasses and butter. Add boiling water and stir until butter melts (you may need to pop this into the microwave to finish the butter melting. My water cooled down pretty fast.) Add molasses mixture and beaten egg to flour mixture. Whisk until smooth.
4. With rubber spatula, scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake gingerbread nutil toothpick insterted in center comes out clean - 45-55 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack. Serve warm.

Note: I frosted this with Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy Cream Cheese frosting. You can make your own or just leave the frosting off all together. It also goes great with lemon curd, poached pears, or just a sprinkle of coarse sugar on top before baking.

Review: Mrs. Smith's Blackberry Cobbler

2007-11-13T13:32:00.000-06:00

So, the other night we were looking for a dessert that I wouldn't have to fix and Rob would want to eat. And we both wanted something warm. One trip to WalMart (and $3.19) later, we were the proud owners of a Mrs. Smith's Blackberry Cobbler. I followed the directions on the box, baked as instructed (and then baked about 5 minutes extra to get the crust a little "brown-er"). After it rested for 1/2 an hour, it was DELICIOUS!!

Rob gave it an A, I gave it an A-. My reason is that I don't normally care for pie crust and there was nothing special about this one. The crust on the cobbler was actually a little too "rubbery" for me. But the filling more than made up for it. It was the perfect combination of sweet and tart and had real berries in it (which is important to me). I could eat the filling all by itself and be perfectly happy.

Either way, it was an easy option, made about 8 servings (smallish, but enough), and didn't break the bank. A good easy dessert option for busy nights!

Crockpot Ribs

2007-11-13T12:48:00.000-06:00

So, we completely failed at following our "menu" last week. It was a good idea, but it doesn't really work for us because of my schedule. So, we're changing it up a bit. I've got my list of 25 meals (or so). I'm going to type it up, put it on the fridge, and we'll just pick 4 or 5 every week until they've all been used. This meal was one I was planning on serving last week. But that didn't happen, so we had it yesterday.

I got the recipe from Jen, one of my friends. I don't think I have a single recipe that is easier or tastes better than this one. On a grading scale, Rob gave this one an A+++++ ... and I loved it too. The meat was fall-off-the-bone tender, the BBQ sauce tasted delicious ... there's nothing I would change about the taste. I think for more than two people (or for the leftovers) I'll probably double the amount of meat next time.

COST: $3.24
Beef Ribs - $3.19 (2.1 lbs @ $2.99/lb)
BBQ Sauce - FREE (someone gifted us with BBQ sauce last year. We are still trying to use it up!)
Brown Sugar - $0.05

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs of beef ribs
1/2 bottle of BBQ sauce (your choice of brands)
1/4 cup of brown sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Place thawed beef ribs in bottom of crockpot. Pour 1/2 bottle of BBQ sauce over ribs. Sprinkle with brown sugar on top. Place lid on crockpot, turn on low for 6-8 hours. Enjoy!!

Baked Fish over Spinach

2007-11-06T10:04:00.000-06:00

This is a recipe from Rob's grandmother. He'd been wanting to try it for a while, and when we made the menus up, it became an option. So I tried it. It was a kind of make-it-up-as-you-go-along dish, but we liked it. It came out just a little too bland, so next time I'll add more ... something.

COST: $3.74
Fish - $2.19
Spinach - $0.95
Cheese - $0.25
White Sauce - $0.10
Biscuits - $0.25

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb frozen white fish - I used ... mystery fish (the meat place doesn't label with type and I forget what it was, originally)
1 10 oz package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
White sauce (either make your own, like I did, or use a "cream of ..." soup)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350.
Layer bottom of shallow casserole dish with thawed, drained spinach. Place frozen fish filets over spinach and top with white sauce (or cream soup). Cover casserole and bake at 350 for approximately 1 hour, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake another 10 minutes. Allow to stand for 10 minutes.

Serve with biscuits (easily baked after fish is out of the oven and is standing).

Grocery Shopping

2007-11-05T09:51:00.000-06:00

Well, to make my $100 budget for the month, that limits R & I to $25 per week, including tax, for groceries. This is not really a lot of money. That's why I was shocked when we bought our groceries for the week yesterday and spent: $16.64

Yes, you read that right. Sixteen dollars and sixty four cents. With the exception of the steak and cod (which we already have in the freezer and didn't need), that buys EVERYTHING we need for an entire week of meals. And we could've probably gotten the steak and cod for under budget, also.

I love a victory like that - it makes me feel really smart. We went to the grocery store with a list. And stuck to it (mostly). We bought, besides the dinner groceries, 2 two-liters of pop and a bag of corn flakes. We also forgot to buy more oatmeal (turns out we're a little short for the week.) So I will send R to the store tonight for oatmeal, and we'll be all set. Amazing!!

Menu for November 5-11

2007-11-05T09:44:00.000-06:00

All right, I've finally given in to the "Menu Creation" urge. Actually, DH & I have created 4 weeks of menus that we can rotate. We'll do all four weeks in a row, then sub out anything we didn't like or don't feel like eating again for a while. Then we'll do the "same" four weeks over again. Not too much repetition in that. So here goes:

Monday: Baked cod over spinach. Serve with broccoli and biscuits.
Tuesday: Tuna salad sandwiches. Serve with peas and corn.
Wednesday: I work. R will eat leftovers of the tuna salad.
Thursday: Meatloaf. Serve with mashed potatoes and creamed corn.
Friday: I work. R will eat leftover meatloaf.
Saturday: I work in the morning, so R will make dinner. Steak. Served with baked potatoes and salad.
Sunday: Crockpot BBQ Ribs (from somebody else's blog). Serve with baked beans, corn on the cob, and homemade bread.

Baked Goods Exchange

2007-10-25T16:13:00.000-05:00

Well, whoever decided to call it a baked GOODs exchange certainly hit it right on the nose. How can you not LOVE getting yummy cookies and new recipes in the mail? I won't share the recipe because I'm not sure if I'm supposed to or not ... but here's what it looked like when I opened the box:

They are Cornchip Cookies - there's oatmeal and coconut in there too. If I had more than two thumbs to wave in the air, they'd all be up. GREAT job, SB!!

Microwave Meatloaf

2007-10-25T15:58:00.000-05:00

I love my job, but I like having the night off even more. So, when Rob decided he wanted meatloaf for dinner, I was all about that. This recipe is one my mom used to make all the time. In fact, I've never eaten an oven-baked meatloaf. Never. I liked it (although the flavor was off a little from mom's), but Rob LOVED it. Hope you like it, too ... enjoy!!

COST: $3.44
Ground Turkey: $2.19
Bread: $0.10
Eggs: $0.20
Onion: $0.10
Mustard/Ketchup: $0.10
Spices: $0.05
Creamed Corn: $0.55
Mashed Potatoes (from box): $0.25

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground meat (I used turkey)
4 slices bread, torn into small pieces
2 eggs
1 slice onion, diced
Mustard to taste
Ketchup to taste (at least 2x the amount of mustard)
Salt & Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients by hand in bowl until moist, but firm. Place into glass loaf pan and cover with wax paper. Bake in microwave on medium-high for 16-17 minutes. Allow to rest 4 minutes prior to serving.

Princess for a Day

2007-10-25T15:45:00.000-05:00

So, Sunday I had a bad day. No details necessary, just trust me on this one. Rob felt bad for me, so on Monday, he declared me "Princess for the Day". This meant that we'd do whatever I felt like doing. After work, he came by and picked me up, then took me to the grocery store to pick out some flowers - mums in a pot and some cut ones, also.

Here's a picture of the cut flowers with my kitchen (sort of) in the background. Please ignore the mess in the corner - we're collecting some stuff to send to Goodwill.

I mentioned that we bought the ingredients for a cheesecake, right? Well, apparently Rob is known around these parts for making a mean cheesecake. But he's never made one for me. This is obviously wrong. Here he is, righting that wrong:

While the cheesecake was cooking, we made our plans to go home for "Christ-Giving" to see our families. When it was done ....

We then went to CiCi's for pizza. Came home, sat outside on the porch in the GORGEOUS weather, sipping hot apple cider and just talking. Overall, the perfect day.

I am so happy to be married to Rob. I consider myself blessed in every way.

The Things I Love

2007-10-19T11:37:00.000-05:00

Well, as you can see, I haven't been doing much cooking this week. Beyond the leftover chicken fajita meat, we've been eating a lot of sandwiches, etc. So, I thought I'd do an update on a couple of my favorite kitchen things.

Kapoosh Universal Cutlery Block

As you can see, this is possibly the most unique knife block I've ever seen - and possibly the most useful. When Rob and I got married, we had to combine two very random knife collections - mine, consisting of a number of Wusthof knives and some cheapo steak knives, and his, consisting of a whole set of cheapo knives, plus two VERY nice Santokus by Anolon. Altogether, we had about 15 knives that we didn't want to part with. Now, honestly, have you ever seen a normal-size knife block that would hold 15 knives? I didn't think so. But this block by Kapoosh - which has no slots at all, but rather nylon/plastic "rods" - will hold that, plus some. It is dishwasher safe, the knives won't dull from hitting the rods (like they would if you accidentally hit a wood block), and you can arrange them however works for you. If I were only allowed to choose one thing to receive for our wedding ... this would have been it. No kidding.

Pampered Chef Bamboo Spoon Set

Oh, wow. These spoons look so simple. And they are. But I love them. As you can see, they come three to a set - 2 round spoons (one with a long handle, one with a shorter handle) and one oval spoon. So far, I've never found a reason to like the oval one. But the ROUND ones??? Oh, I could write a sonnet. They're perfect for mixing or stirring anything in a round container - because of their shape, they fit right into the curve of the bowl. Because they're wood, they won't scratch a non-stick surface, and they go right into the dishwasher. I have 4 round spoons (having given the oval ones to my mother) and wouldn't trade them for anything!

No More Tuna!!

2007-10-17T14:44:00.000-05:00

So, I'm pleased to officially announce that we are out of tuna. I'm hoping we stay that way for at least a month. Our current food du-jour is Fajita Chicken. I'd share the recipe, but there really isn't one - dump a pre-marinated package of fajita chicken from HEB ($7.99 for 4 lbs) into the crock pot. Cook on low for at least 8 hours. Use in every meal until gone. On Sunday (when I made it), I served it with mashed potatoes and the gravy I made from the crock-pot juice.

Hopefully, this chicken will last us until Saturday, when we'll begin our new food of the week - RICE! Stay tuned for lots of recipes involving rice and its various combinations.

Keeping My Eyes on the Prize

2007-10-12T13:26:00.000-05:00

I thought with all of this budgeting and saving and eating of tuna that it would be a good idea to share WHY I'm putting myself through this ... (and no, its not for love of tuna.) Here are some links for the town we're hoping to move to and a couple of photos of the view from the house we're hoping to (someday) purchase!

Petersburg, Alaska:

The official city website: http://www.ci.petersburg.ak.us/
The Chamber of Commerce website: http://www.petersburg.org/

Another tourist information website: http://www.petersburgalaska.com/

This is where Petersburg is located ... see the blue circle? We're in there.

The House:

This is the view from our would-be deck!

This is the view from our living room ... are you drooling yet?

Pasta with Veggies and Tuna in Cream Sauce

2007-10-12T11:39:00.000-05:00

Surprise, surprise ... more tuna! I'm down to only 2 pounds still left, thanks to a lot of tuna salad, some tuna melts, this recipe, and a few cat snacks (I know ...) This recipe was good, but I'd have liked it better without the tuna. We got the veggies as leftovers from dinner with friends of ours a few days ago. Had to use them somehow. This recipe was great and really easy - and it has the added benefit of being a "one-dish" meal. I love those.

COST: $1.40
Egg Noodles: $0.75
Milk: $0.15
Neufchatel: $0.50
Veggies: FREE
Tuna: FREE

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 bag of wide egg noodles (I like Inn Maid)
1/4 cup milk
4 oz (half brick) Neufchatel cheese
Steamed veggies (use the amount you like - I had about 2 cups)
1 can tuna
Salt & Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
In saucepan, boil egg noodles according to package directions. When about 5 minutes of cook time remain, add veggies. When noodles are done, drain veggies and pasta in colander. In same pan as you used for the pasta, heat milk and neufchatel cheese (stirring regularly) over medium heat until neufchatel is completely melted. Add salt and pepper to taste, then stir in tuna. Allow to simmer over low heat until desired consistency is reached. Pour over pasta and veggies in serving dish and toss to coat.

Key Lime Meringue Pie

2007-10-12T10:52:00.000-05:00

I'm proud of my meringue pies ... one of my specialties. Well, some friends of ours gave us a bunch of fresh key limes from their yard, so I decided to try my hand at Key Lime Meringue Pie. It tastes great, Rob gave it an A. I'll probably rate it a B+ because it didn't turn out quite the way I wanted it to. See, if you make a meringue pie when its SUPER humid, the meringue will turn out sticky and the custard part doesn't set up quite right. Oh, well. A drier day (or climate) would've made this an A+ on all counts. This recipe is adapted from my Grandmother's Joy of Cooking cookbook.

COST: $2.44
Key Limes: FREE
Nilla Wafer Pie Crust: $0.99 (had in pantry for a while)
Eggs: $0.35
Sugar: $0.50
Corn Starch: $0.10
Salt: $0.05
Butter: $0.15
Cream of Tartar: $0.25
Vanilla: $0.05

INGREDIENTS (FILLING/SHELL):
Premade Nilla-Wafer Crumb Crust
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 Tblsp corn starch
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup fresh key lime (or lemon) juice
3 well-beaten egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter (melted)
1 1/2 cups boiling water

INGREDIENTS (MERINGUE):
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Prepare pie shell (this generally means to take the plastic top off.) Sift sugar, cornstarch, and salt into a saucepan. Gradually blend in cold water and key lime juice. When smooth, add egg yolks and butter. Stirring constantly, add 1 1/2 cups boiling water, then bring mixture to full boil (I use medium heat). Continue stirring gently until mixture begins to thicken. When thickening occurs (this is unmistakeable), reduce heat to low and allow to simmer slowly 1 minute. Pour into pie shell.

In the meantime, you may want to make the meringue so that its ready when the pie filling is done (because you want to pour it over hot filling to start the eggs cooking). Whip egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and whip until eggs form soft peaks (when you pull the beaters out, peaks should form, but should lean sideways). Beat in sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, then add vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form (peaks should remain upright). Spread over hot filling, being sure to seal to crust. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

My Favorite Things

2007-10-11T15:30:00.000-05:00

You know how Martha Stewart has that "favorite things" section of her website? Well, I'm going to start adding my favorites to my blog here. Why shouldn't I get to draw attention to products that I like and would use/buy again?? So, here goes:

KitchenAid Professional 600-Series Stand Mixer

This stand mixer was a gift from my parents about 3 years ago. I love it beyond all reasonable love. I've never had problems mixing anything - from whipping 1 egg white to my mother's gallette recipe (which involves an ENTIRE 5-lb bag of flour). I love that the bowl is dishwasher safe and that the finish wipes clean easily. If you want your own, you can buy it here:

http://www.kitchenaid.com/catalog/product.jsp?src=Stand+Mixers&cat=310&prod=488

Pampered Chef Tool Turn-About

For those of you who know me well, you know that I LOVE pampered chef. I'd sell it, except that down here you have to be bilingual to be successful. All that being said, I have a slightly older version of this ... mine is white and not the "new and improved" version (which has stronger ball bearings).

I love this tool caddy because it keeps the tools from getting all tangled up in a drawer. I put it right next to the stove, which makes grabbing what I need really easy when I'm cooking. No more stuck-on sauce while I'm hunting for the right spoon!

Oops Cookies

2007-10-10T11:23:00.000-05:00

So, about 2 days ago, I found this recipe for "Poor Man's Candy" - basically a potato, powdered sugar, and some peanut butter. I know, it sounds gross, but I was fascinated and couldn't figure out what it would taste like. So I decided to try it out (after all, potatoes are cheap!).

I bake two small potatoes in the microwave, peel them, mash them up. But they weren't smoothing out like I imagined that they should. So ... I added a little water (NOT in the recipe) and whipped them into smooth-looking mashed potatoes. Then I started adding powdered sugar. This is when I discovered why there wasn't any water in the recipe. Turns out, powdered sugar draws the moisture out of the potatoes so they are "self-moistening". Well, if you've already added water ... you get, essentially, sweet potato soup. The more powdered sugar I added, the soupier the mixture got. Ooops.

Well, obviously, that wasn't going anywhere, so then Rob suggested that we should just make cookies out of the mixture. So I added some flour, a little oil, an egg, some baking soda, and some vanilla. Oh, and about 1/2 a bag of chocolate chips.

I poured the whole mess onto a greased cookie sheet and baked it for 10 minutes at 350.

I got ... chocolate chip cookie bars ... but with the oddest texture you've ever tried! They're almost indescribable in texture. Somewhere between a fried clam and bubble gum. Tasted good, but really wierd to eat. :)

Oh, and incidentally, Rob asked me last night when I'm going to make them again. So they get, overall, a B+ from the both of us. Ooops.

Baked Tuna Rangoon

2007-10-09T11:39:00.000-05:00

No, I didn't mistype. Yes, I really tried making "Tuna Rangoon". I got the recipe idea from a baked crab rangoon recipe on my friend Clara's blog. A little tweaking, a little creativity, and you know, it wasn't too bad! Rob liked it - probably a B+ ranking ... I would eat it again. Maybe a B- from me. But ... a good use of that 4.5 lbs of tuna. Only 4 lbs still to go!!

COST: $1.16
Wonton Wrappers: $0.03 ea x 12 = $0.36
4 oz Neufchatel: $0.50
FF Miracle Whip: approx $0.15
Tuna: Free (gift from "friends")
Onion: approx $0.10
Spices: approx $0.05

INGREDIENTS:
12 Wonton Wrappers
4 oz Neufchatel Cheese, softened
1/4 Cup Fat Free Miracle Whip
1 Can chunk light tuna (drained)
1/8 cup diced onion
Salt & Pepper to taste
Paprika to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. While preheating, spray mini-muffin tin (I used regular size, was a mistake) with Pam. Line each cup with wonton wrapper. Mix together Neufchatel, Miracle Whip, Tuna, Onion, and spices. Fill each wonton wrapper with an equal amount of mixture.

Bake at 350 until filling is golden brown - about 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Milk ... How Much Is Too Much??

2007-10-09T11:27:00.000-05:00

So, as I'm trying to cut back the grocery budget, it occurs to me that we're spending almost a tenth of our grocery budget PER MONTH on milk. With milk at $4.25 a gallon (or MORE), and our consumption rate at 2 gallons per month ... that's almost $10, out of a $100 budget.

That just won't do.

But how do we cut back on milk? Do we start drinking less milk? Do I start skipping it on cereal, in coffee, as an ingredient?

Nope!! I found a solution. Dried milk!! I can buy nonfat milk - the equivalent of about 3 gallons (I think) for less than $2.00! All I have to do is mix in the water and presto - instant milk!

And, using the non-fat powder to make the equivalent of skim milk - I save on calories, but improve on the taste. Powdered dry milk is creamier than skim ... so a little better tasting!

I don't know whether to applaud myself or wonder what kind of an idiot didn't think of this sooner.

Happy 3-Month Anniversary!

2007-10-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

So, yesterday (10-7-07) was our three-month anniversary! I am a firm believer in celebrating every little milestone, so ... we splurged a little bit and spent about 1/2 our weekly food budget on this meal. :) Good thing we have that 5-lb can of tuna to fall back on!

Also, for those of you who are wondering about my kitchen, this photo includes some of it. You are viewing my kitchen table, west kitchen window, pantry door, and one of my canister set. The sunflowers were an anniversary gift from Rob.

So ... our anniversary meal:

COST: $9.26

2 - 1/2 lb ribeye steaks - $4.99

1/2 lb potato salad (premade from HEB) - $1.49

1 can Pillsbury reduced fat biscuits - $1.99

1 can low-sodium carrots - $0.79

DIRECTIONS:

Give thawed steak to Rob to grill. Open can of carrots, pour in bowl, heat in microwave. Pop tab on pre-made potato salad, remove lid, place on table. Preheat oven. Pop open can of biscuits. Arrange on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Put in bowl.

Now, that's MY kind of cooking!! :)

Review: Pillsbury Reduced Fat Cinnamon Rolls with Icing

2007-10-08T10:44:00.000-05:00

COST: $2.99 at HEB

I bought these cinnamon-rolls-in-a-can at HEB a while back. They're reduced fat and only 140 calories per roll, so I figured they'd make a good breakfast sometime when I'm craving a doughnut or whatever. I made them Sunday morning as a "Happy Anniversary" breakfast for Rob.

It was easy - pop open the can, put each one cinnamon-side-up on an ungreased cookie sheet, bake for 10 minutes at 400. Remove from oven, frost with the included icing, enjoy!

Rob LOVED them ... and so did I. For something "Reduced Fat" - they were delicious and I really couldn't tell that they weren't a bakery cinnamon roll. And all this for less than $.40 per serving! Highly recommended!

Tuna, Tuna, Everywhere!!

2007-10-08T10:39:00.000-05:00

So, as you may have noticed in my previous post, we are now the proud owners of one 5-lb can of tuna from Sam's Club. Believe it or not, it was a "gift" from some friends of ours. (Long story.)

Anyhow, to make a long story short, what does one do with 5 lbs of tuna? I've already made tuna-noodle-casserole with it. Beyond tuna salad and tuna melts, anyone have some genious ideas for what to do with the rest of the can? I still have almost 4.5 lbs left!! I need help.

Oh, and expect LOTS of tuna recipes this week. :)

Mom's Tuna Noodle "Casserole"

2007-10-08T10:24:00.001-05:00

Yes, I know. I forgot to take pictures of the plates when they were pretty and "untouched." So now ... well, you get a photo of my half-eaten dinner. :)

So, anyhow, on Saturday night, I was sick - sore throat, etc - and I wanted a little comfort food. Nothing says comfort like my mom's tuna noodle "casserole". It's not TECHNICALLY a casserole, because you don't bake it. But don't tell her that. :) Anyhow, DH is not a tuna-noodle casserole person ... but he LOVED this! Obviously, I liked it too.

COST: (All costs are approximate on this) $2.10
1/2 an onion: $0.50
Butter: $0.25
Wondra: $0.10
Milk: $0.50
Tuna: $0.25 (portion from a 5-lb Sam's Club can ... more on this later)
Egg Noodles: $0.50

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 an onion, diced
4 tablespoons butter
Enough Wondra to thicken
Approx. 1 cup milk
1 can tuna - light in water, drained
1/2 bag Wide Egg Noodles

Directions:
Put water on to boil for egg noodles. When boiling, add noodles to water, allow to boil until al-dente. Drain.

Meanwhile, in small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and stir until onion is cooked (clear). Thicken butter with enough Wondra to make a paste-like consistency. Add milk, stirring constantly until thoroughly mixed. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in tuna. Add more Wondra if necessary - sauce should be the same consistency as thin gravy when served and will thicken upon standing.

When sauce is right and noodles are drained, mix together in bowl. Serve with bread and butter.

The Budget Gourmet

2007-10-02T16:12:00.000-05:00

So, we're trying to cut back on our grocery costs to save up for our big move to Alaska. This means that I'm going to be baking and cooking more, and we're headed for the "rice & beans" diet. So ... in an effort to be cost-conscious, I'm going to be listing approximate manufacturing costs on each dish that I serve.

You'll also be finding more bread, main dishes, and "food crafts" - like jams & jellies - on the menu. I want to make our grocery budget (for 2 people) less than $100 per month. I can do this. Once I get to under $100, I want to make it $75 per month and see if I can do that. :)

Wish me luck, and if you have any suggestions for "cheap" meals, let me know!!

Review: Marie Callender's Crock Pot Classics - Chicken and Dumplings

2007-10-02T15:10:00.000-05:00

So, we bought this (and another crock pot frozen dinner) at the HEB two weeks ago ... and Rob has been wanting to try it, so tonight, I popped it into the crock pot. The directions were fairly straightforward, if not more complicated than I like my crock-pot recipes to be. (I prefer: "Dump all ingredients into pot. Cook for specified amount of time. Enjoy.")

COST: $7.49 - HEB

THE RESULTS:

The taste? It was good! I'm not sure what I was expecting, really ... maybe a thick, stew-like texture. It came out more like soup (although it thickened up nicely in the fridge), but the taste was very good. Just the right amount of chicken, veggies, and broth. It was a little on the salty side, but that's to be expected with any pre-prepared food. I served it with generic Walmart crescent rolls that I baked on the baking stone.

There was plenty for a second meal, too (and it is now hibernating joyfully in my fridge.)

Overall, we give it two thumbs up!

Monkey Bread

2007-10-01T14:54:00.000-05:00

REVIEW:

Not the monkey bread I remembered. The "caramelized" topping wasn't the right taste for my tastebuds. Honestly, I think I'd like it better if there hadn't been any topping at all involved (although I'm not sure it would've stuck together so well. I'm gonna look for another recipe. DH ... loved it and wants me to make it again.

COST: $2.60

Three cans of buttermilk biscuits - $1.18 total - Walmart

1 Cup Cinnamon-Sugar - approximately $0.50 (ingredients already in pantry)

1 Cup Brown Sugar - approximately $0.50 (already in pantry)

1 Stick Butter - $0.42

INGREDIENTS:
3 cans buttermilk biscuits (I used Pillsbury 50-cal biscuits)
1 cup cinnamon-sugar (1 cup white sugar, 1 tablespoon or more cinnamon)
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter

DIRECTIONS:
Cut biscuits into 4 pieces each. Roll each piece in cinnamon sugar (or put into ziploc bag and shake to coat). Put into bundt or angel food pan. Cook brown sugar and butter until caramelized. Pour over biscuits. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Reese Goodie Cookies

2007-10-01T14:47:00.000-05:00

These are a total favorite from my high school cafeteria. Seriously, they sold them for a quarter apiece and ... they had to limit most kids to FOUR. Otherwise they'd completely run out!

NOTE: These are MUCH better if you use the CHEAPEST peanut butter you can find ... Jif is a bad choice ... if you have an Aldi or Save-a-Lot nearby, use their generic, otherwise, generic grocery store peanut butter works best.

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
1 bag chocolate chips (at LEAST 1 cup ... more depending on how much chocolate you want)

DIRECTIONS:
Beat together butter, brown sugar, powdered sugar, and vanilla until mixed well. Add 1 cup peanut butter and stir until mixed. Pat into a cookie sheet (the kind with edges) and put into fridge to cool.

When cool, top with melted chocolate chips. As chocolate chips are ALMOST hardened, cut into bars. Chill before serving - store in refridgerator.

White Batter Bread

2007-10-01T14:10:00.000-05:00

I've never made a batter bread before this one - so I wasn't sure what to expect. It turned out great, though! Dense and sweet with just the right amount of yeastiness. Rob loved it and I can't wait to make it again! The only catch is that I forgot to spray the tube part of the tube pan with baker's joy before baking and the middle part of the bread stuck a little. Oops. :)

Ingredients:

1 package active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1 cup warm milk

1/2 cup butter or margarine (I used butter) softened

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

3 eggs

5 1/2 - 6 cups all purpose flour

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, butter, sugar, salt, eggs and 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth (I used the paddle attachment to my KA). Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (meaning that it sticks to itself, but is still sticking to the sides of the pan as well). Do not knead. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (1 hour).

Stir the dough down. Spoon into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Cover and let rise until doubled - another hour. Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Mine went 25 minutes exactly. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or cool completely.

Honey Oat Bread

2007-09-27T12:39:00.000-05:00

I made this a few weeks ago for Rob. He loved it, I loved it. It makes a hearty, dense loaf that's perfect with stews and gravies. Or plain. Or warmed up with a little butter. Or ...

Ingredients:
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
2 packages active dry yeast
1 tablespoon salt
2 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 egg
3 (or so) cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine whole wheat flour, oats, yeast, and salt. In a saucepan, heat water, honey, and butter to 120-130 deg. Add to dry ingredients; beat until blended. Beat in egg until smooth. Stir in enough all-purpose flour to form a stiff dough.

Turn onto a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled - about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape into loaves. Place on two greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubles, about 30 minutes.

With a sharp knife, make several shallow x-shaped cuts across top of each loaf. Sprinkle with additional oats if desired. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until browned. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

(I find this works really well if I use my pizza stone instead of cookie sheets)

Chocolate Turtle Cake

2007-09-27T11:44:00.001-05:00

All right, a few more fantastic recipes. I got this one from Linda Ryan - our pastor's wife. It's fantastic, but you may want to employ someone else to unwrap all those caramels. Pain in the butt.

Ingredients:
1 package Betty Crocker SuperMoist devil's food cake miz
1 1/3 c. water
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 bag (14 ounce) caramels
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1 c. pecans, chopped
1 bag (6 ounce) semisweet chocolate chips (or 1 cup)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350. Grease bottom of 13x9 rectangular pan.

Beat cake mix, water, oil, and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl constantly (do not overbeat). Pour half of the batter into pan. Bake 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat caramels and evaporated milk in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until caramels are melted (this takes longer than it sounds). Stir in pecans. Pour caramel mixture over warm cake in pan. Sprinkle with chocolated chips. Spread with remaining cake batter. Bake 30 minutes. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake

2007-09-27T11:30:00.000-05:00

Well, I didn't bake or cook anything yesterday (unless you count a Lean Cuisine frozen pizza as cooking.) LOL. However, to start things off on the right foot, I'm going to post my world-famous, prize-winning Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake. Yes, I really did win first prize in a baking contest with this one.

DOUGH
1 package active dry yeast
3 T. warm water
1/2 c. warm milk
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour (or more, depending on humidity)

FILLING
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 1/2 T. ground cinnamon
3/4 c. pecans, chopped

ICING
3/4 c. confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 T. milk

DIRECTIONS:
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, butter, eggs, sugar, salt, and 1 1/2 c. flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. TUrn onto a lightly floured surface; knewad until smooth and elastic - about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, at least 1 hour.

Punch dough down; turn onto a floured surface. Roll into 24 x 8 rectangle. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Spread over rectangle to within 1/2 inch of long edges. Sprinkle with pecans. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with the long side; pinch seam to seal.

Place roll seam side down on large greased cookie sheet and, using sharp knife, cut completely in half long-ways. Place cut sides up; gently twist two pieces together to form a "rope". Pull ends together andpinch to form a ring.

Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, at least 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to wire rack to cool. Combine icing ingredients; drizzle over coffee cake. Best eaten while still warm, but may be frozen for up to two months.

About my Blog

2007-09-26T09:16:00.000-05:00

Well, I figured I should start my cooking blog somewhere ... so this is my first attempt at learning to cook, as well as my continued attempts to improve my baking. I can't promise to update every day (since I don't cook or bake on a daily basis), but I will update when I have a recipe to pass along!

Email me if you have any questions or need help with a recipe I've posted!