Thanksgiving Week

Day One: Monday
Today I have made sugar cookie dough, chocolate sugar cookie dough, nutter butter truffles, and half the oreo truffles ... the other half are ready to be dipped in white chocolate, but I'm not melting the white chocolate yet. so in the refrigerator it all goes :)
I am currently struggling with making chocolate shells, I've never done it before, so i think i'm going to be buying alot more chocolate, the first set was not so successful, however i did it (it just doesn't look so hot) so I will be melting them down again, and trying again. Wish me luck!

I'm gonna take a break and relax - then its time to get to cleaning! Stay tuned...
I'll post the recipes for the cookies and truffles later.

Won Tons

So I got wonton wrappers for super cheap at a really cool grocery store I had never been to before Saturday. It is called Blue Goose Market in Saint Charles. The rest of the day Saturday I spent looking up ways to fill the wonton wrappers.  I was making pork chops for dinner so  I decided while the pork chops were baking, I would cut up the 3 extra pork chops into a tiny dice and marinate them in a sort of teriyaki sauce.
So i chopped up some garlic and fresh ginger. added it to some soy sauce, honey and rice vinegar. I threw in a chopped green onion and tasted it... totally missing something. BROWN SUGAR! so added a few spoonfuls of brown sugar and it was perfect. I put the marinade and pork in ziplock baggy and put it in the fridge for Sunday.  Sunday I just filled the wontons (which by the way I made 25 of the pork ones...) and fried them up - It was DELICIOUS! I fried up 2 wonton wrappers in the shape of a bow cause fried wontons are delicious all on their own. And i made a taste test for us... 3 wontons filled with spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese. when those came out of the oil i sprinkled some romano cheese on them - YUM-O!
Now I have 30 wonton wrappers left and I'm trying to come up with some other ideas... I think i will try to baked up some dessert type ones... banana and cream cheese? mmm Maybe an apple and caramel? Any ideas? These wrappers were so inexpensive I'm thinking it will be a monthly staple!
Til later...

November

I haven't done a whole lot of grocery shopping in a while... but this month I decided it would be silly to pass up all the great deals I was seeing and so now we have a stocked freezer and I'm slowly nipping away at my list of things I need to prepare a "Thanksgiving" meal. I've officially run out of room in my freezer. Its packed. Probably more than is recommended! unless we eat a substantial amount of food in the next week or two, I will be buying a turkey last minute and letting it hang in the fridge to defrost... maybe that is the way to go anyway... I mean is there really a possibility of running into the problem of not being able to get a turkey? More likely they'll be cheaper the closer we get to the day right?? right?!

so my shopping this week for the month included:
Cermak's=
5lb bag of potatoes $0.99, 3lb bag of onions $0.59, 2-25ft aluminum foil $0.99ea, 2 -whole chickens (approx 7lbs total) $3.29, approx 8lbs of chicken breasts ($1.39/lb) $10.67, approx 3lbs pork chops ($0.99/lb) $3.13, 2 racks of spare ribs approx 3lbs each ($0.99/lb) $5.58, top sirloin steaks approx 2lbs ($1.99/lb) $4.12 = TOTAL $31.01

ALDI=
chicken nuggets (32oz) $3.99, 3 biscuits $1.14, 2 5lb bags of flour $2.78, 1 5lb bag of sugar $2.22, 2 silicone baking mats $11.98, 2 Red sugar sprinkles $1.58, 3 baking spices (nutmeg, pumkpin pie spice, allspice) $2.97 = TOTAL $27.84

Caputo's=
pizza bread $1.99, 5 frozen banquet meals ($0.99ea) $4.95, 2 Frozen French cut green beans $2, 3 Frozen Corn $3, 1 gal milk $1.99, 1 OJ $2.79, 32 oz chicken stock $1.99, 3lb boneless pork roast $4.26, 4 new york strip steaks ($2.99/lb) $9.54, 1 white onion $0.36, 1 sweet potato $0.39, 1 green onion $0.40, 3 heads of garlic $0.74, 1 red onion $0.48, 3 tomatoes $0.74, 2 bunches of broccoli $0.70, 2 orange peppers $0.62, 2 red peppers $0.48, 3 large artichokes $1, 1 eggplant $1.50, 3 bananas $0.44, 1 red cabbage $2.02, 1 loaf of wonder white bread $0.99, 1 pkg potato gnocchi $0.99 = TOTAL $45.14

I also hit up Meijer, and of course I'm missing my receipt. But I spent $65 there on pop, dog food, baby food, fabric softener and a bunch of miscellaneous crap i didnt NEED, jello, cake mix, oreos and nutter butters for truffles I'm making,  etc. (I saved $21 does that count for anything?)
Overall I feel good about spending $169... this is enough food for a month plus some, and a lot of things I needed for Thanksgiving. I don't think I'll be doing any major grocery shopping until January so that isn't bad at all!

Last night, I made myself red cabbage, after long battles with myself on which recipe to go with I made a decision:
1/2 stick butter
1 med onion sliced
1 head cabbage (a lil less really), shredded
1 unpeeled apple sliced
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
salt and pepper

Personally I think it could have used a lil more vinegar, but it turned out delicious and it is sooo much! I'm gonna be eating it all week! I may just turn into a red cabbage!
We also had the NY strip steaks (well 2 of them) for dinner, mostly because they weren't frozen, and well, uh, they would not fit in the freezer in the package! I cooked them, uhhhhh, welllllll - you see I haven't cooked steak in a very long time, and i had no idea how long to cook them, and I looked it up online and of course I was impatient at not finding any help at all, i wasn't going to break out the stupid meat thermometer for a steak- so i went with 5 min on each side because there is nothing worse than a over cooked steak! Mine was a lil thinner and was cooked PERFECTLY! Mike's was a lil thicker and was still mooing a little in the center... don't get me wrong that is how i prefer to eat my meat so in reality it was probably cooked perfectly but i felt bad since I never thought of that to be Mike's favorite temp of meat, I offered to trade OF COURSE, but he really seemed to enjoy the meat still mooing... at least it was warmed through!
Ok I'm done rambling for now, but I may actually post more this month since I have real food to make real recipes!

a month...

It has been a month since I posted anything. I haven't really shopped or planned in a couple months. I haven't really even tried any new recipes. I've been very lazy, but I'm starting to get back into planning, etc. Last night I made burgers, but not just any burgers. Stuffed hamburgers.
Ground Beef, seasoned with salt and pepper made into 8 equal patties. patty + a slice of mozzarella, a slice of tomato, a slice of mozzarella again, and top it off with another patty. seal it up really good and season the outside of the burger with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. cook approximately 5 min on each side (makes 4). it was a quick cheap and yummy meal. we had some store bought onion rings with it.

I ordered a box of food from angel food ministries this month - a trial if you will. I pick it up on Saturday. For us, one of their boxes will probably stretch about 2 - 2 1/2 weeks. for $30 that isn't bad. after we decide if we like it, we'll see about ordering it again in November... possibly two boxes. The pick up date for the month is so late i should be calling it December, 'cause that is when we will be eating it, but for now I will try not to confuse myself or anyone else.

Two weeks ago I made a "fake" chocolate pie. chocolate pudding in a jiffy pie shell with cookies n cream... uh well cream, on top. Last week I made cinnamon rolls. They didn't turn out great, but still good. (of course I made some sans cinnamon for you know who...) This week I made a box chocolate cake with homemade raspberry syrup on it/in it (I had to do something with the raspberries we picked!). Its good but sticky, but good. It will be breakfast for me for the week.
Yesterday I also made homemade applesauce, mostly to give to Keira, but I will definitely be enjoying it too. I still have a ton of apples and need to find something to do with them before they go bad. I would try my hand at an apple pie, but i would be the only one eating it, and a.) i don't want to more of a cow than I already am, and b.) it would end up going bad before I could consume it all, that is of course, assuming I don't eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dessert with dinner. (Don't put me past it... I've done crazier things)

That's all for now as Keira is trying to help me type!

The day we ate and ate and ate...

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!

Football began, and we had lots of food - the menu:
Shrimp Cocktail
PW's Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
Garlic Lover's Cheese Dip with Tastefully Simple's Beer Bread
Ribs (with Open pit BBQ sauce and a homemade Asian BBQ Sauce)
Cornbread Casserole
Rolls ( I cheated and use Rhodes frozen rolls - they are so good and not very expensive its hard not to cheat... but Emily if you are reading, I would love to have the recipe you used for the french rolls you made when we were over there - mmm they were good)
Nutella Bars
and our wonderful guests brought over the most delicious taco salad I've ever had in my life - I need to get that recipe - pronto!

The recipes:
Garlic Lover's Cheese Dip
4 oz cream cheese
8 oz sharp cheddar shredded
1/2 cup beer
4  slice bacon cooked and crumbled
6 cloves - roasted garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp hot sauce (optional-and I omitted it and it still had quite a kick to it, so I'd only add if you want it to be REALLY spicy)
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 green onions sliced - garnish (optional, I didn't do this extra step since it ended up getting reheated a few times)
Microwave (don't ya love when a recipe calls for you to do everything in the microwave? I do!) 2 cheeses on high for 2 min.  Add beer mix well and heat for another 2 min or until cheese is completely melted. Mix until well blended and add everything in (sans green onions) until well blended...again. Microwave 1 last minute stir well, transfer to serving bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. now i imagine you could just spoon or spread this delicious cheese concoction cold - but i was going more for a dip after all it is called a dip, so after it set in the refrigerator I nuked it for 30 sec and stirred it right before I served it with tortilla chips and beer bread (which might I add Mike made, and he was very proud of it!)

Asian BBQ Sauce
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 honey
1/4 rice vinegar
1/4 tsp pepper (white pepper preferably)
3/4 cup apple juice
Now the recipe I have says to whisk together and slather it onto the ribs during the last 30 min of cooking - this is a vinegar based BBQ sauce vs a tomato based one and I personally like my ribs sweet and sticky and this watered down vs of BBQ sauce wasn't doing it for me so I simmered it until it reduced somewhere a little more than a half (until it coated the spoon) this made for a much better BBQ sauce in my opinion - but to each their own!)

Loaded Cornbread Casserole
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 eggs lightly beaten
2 15 oz cans creamed corn
1 cup shredded cheddar
6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
1 cup french fried onions
PREHEAT to 350 and grease a 9 x 13 pan/dish.
Combine the cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add in the milk butter and eggs, and mix well. Add the corn in and mix to combine and pour into the baking dish.  spread the cheese and bacon on top evenly - with a fork push the cheese and bacon into the batter just submerging it. Sprinkle with the onions and bake for an hour.
Side note: this is pretty delicious right out of the oven, but when reheating it, it loses some of the moisture - a little butter helps with that - plus who doesn't put butter on their cornbread or corn muffins - I do!

Lastly:
Nutella Bars
(the easiest rice krispie treats I have ever made! EVER!)
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup Nutella
6 cups crisp cereal
Cook syrup sugar and nutella, stirring often. Remove from heat and add the cereal, stir/toss well to coat.  Transfer mixture to a greased pan and push down to form an even layer - let cool 30 min and then cut.
**since my one and only 9x13 dish was in use for the cornbread casserole, I used a large cookie sheet - ya know the ones with sides what ever they call 'em, although the treats were a lil thinner they turned out really well. and I think I gained 7000 eating them all :)

That's it - that was my cooking endeavor on Sunday! If anything, you MUST try these nutella bars mmm mmm good!

"It's been awhile..."

Dinner tonight:
Roast Beef, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Cheesy Broccoli and Cauliflower

Recipes:
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
5lbs russet potatoes - peeled and cut into smallish pieces (I quartered the potatoes and then made approx 1/2" slices)
Roasted Garlic (cut off the top off the head of garlic, put it in the center of a square of aluminum foil. drizzle olive oil over it, salt too, and close up the foil. "Roast" 350 for 30-40 min.)
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup half and half
1/4 cup of butter
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
(to make it zesty you can add a lil red pepper flake)

for the potatoes, throw them in a pot, cover with cold water and cook on med-high for 30 min. or until fork tender. drain and add back into hot pot. mash with sour cream, half and half and butter. season with salt and pepper and mash in the roasted garlic (squeeze it out of the paper - its like butter MMMmmm), and give it a good mix. it makes a ton, and we will be eating it for the rest of the week, so its a good thing it is tasty!

Cheesy Broccoli and Cauliflower
1 head of broccoli
1 pkg of cauliflower
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan

I cleaned the broccoli and cauliflower and cut it into bite size piece, put it in a bowl and covered it with a wet paper towel and microwaved it for 4 min.  Meanwhile, I melted the butter, added the flour, once the flour was mixed well into the butter and cooked a bit I added the milk slowly while stirring. then I added the cheddar and stirred until it started to melt and finally added the parmesan. stirred that and removed it from the heat. When the broccoli and cauliflower was done I added it into the pan with the cheese and tossed it a bit. and let it sit there until the roast was done.

Roast Beef:
Bottom Round (2 1/2 lbs)
seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder
cooked at 350 for an hour for a perfect med rare on the ends and rare in the middle - YUM!

I can't wait for leftovers tomorrow :P

Football Season begins...

So I decided since the White Sox depress me, and I don't think they are gonna do anything this year so I've mentally moved on to FOOTBALL!
Dear Bears:
Make this a good year PLEASE. You can save Chicago Sports for me if you do.
Thank you,
Me

So in honor of the Bears and in hopes they will have a great season this year I will make lots of food!
Opening Weekend: September 13th. What's on the menu??
Shrimp Cocktail
Garlic Lover's Cheese Dip
Asian BBQ Ribs
Cornbread Casserole
Nutella Rice Krispie Treats

I'm sure there will be more, but that is what I've decided on as of so far. And every time I think about it I get hungry, and want today to Sept. 13th.  Thank goodness for a 7pm game, plenty of time to cook all day.
I enjoy my relaxing weekends at home cooking, even on Saturdays when I watch Mike make pizza :)

Tonight for Dinner:
My Great Steak and Potato Knock-Off Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
Buns smothered in ranch dressing, chicken breasts shredded cooked in hot sauce, provolone cheese melted over it, topped with shredded lettuce and tomatoes.
That's it for now

new recipe...

Pizza night tonight - as usual - and we tried some new ones...
We had a BBQ chicken, onion, and pineapple pizza (MMMmmm)
& Loaded Baked Potato Pizza - I was so full from the previous pizzas to try this one, but it was made and will be eaten - I felt it was something that must be shared :)

Cutest Dog Competition

How does one screw up rice krispie treats???

I don't know...
I can honestly say I haven't made them since I was a kid, and back then, I didn't make them I "helped".
So I was given this amazing recipe for Carmel Rice Krispie Treats... I have been salivating over this recipe for weeks now.
Last night, I broke down and made them...
1 can condensed milk
1 stick of butter
1 8oz bag of caramels
1 bag of big marshmallows
and 5 cups of rice krispies....

Lets just say they are much stickier than regular rice krispies... and I added 6 cups of rice krispies.... I don't even think that's enough! But delicious anyway... I have no idea how we are going to eat them all they are so sweet... but i had one for breakfast :)

Pizza!

Who doesn't love pizza?
It is so versatile!!!!
Saturday nights are PIZZA NIGHT!
I just realized I have never posted the pizza dough recipe... So I thought I would now before I get started on pizza for this evening (on my brand new pampered chef stone! I wonder how different it will be)

The Recipe:
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (+ more for handling)
1 teaspoon salt
oil

Put warm water in a cup; sprinkle yeast over water and stir in sugar.  Let yeast stand for about 10 minutes or until it begins to bubble.
Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl; pour yeast mixture and mix with a dough hook until a stiff dough is formed.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface; knead for about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic.  Add extra flour as needed to keep from sticking to hands and surface.
Place in a large bowl greased with oil (olive oil, mmmm) turn dough over to coat the other side. Cover with a dish towl; let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.  Dough will double in bulk; punch down and divide in half.  Stretch dough into two separate pizzas.
After topped with all the goodies, bake at 425 for 12-18 minutes :)
ENJOY!
(I'll be topping one of them with Mike's favorite toppings - Diced Tomatoes & Fresh Garlic)
mmmm I'm getting really hungry....

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away...

I actually posted things on here...
Lack of inspiration I guess...
Any who, maybe next month will be better, I'll start anew.
Till then mac and cheese and pasta here I come!

Oh yeah... I went grocery shopping for August... one whole month at only one store (Meijer)... pretty good could have done better if I had made the extra trip to one other store (Caputo's) but I won't complain about $80 for a month of food!!

September, the plan is to build my pantry! I'm excited to go stock up on stuff so I can have more variety in the thing I make!

Oh ooo ooo ooo... One last thing to mention... the Pioneer Woman just launched tastykitchen.com
If you join, search for me and add me as a friend dianahadley (yes very un-original!)
But some really awesome recipes are there... I'd say even better than allrecipes.com... but that's just me =)
Enjoy!!

Recreating Restaurant Dinners: 1

Last night I made a recreation of Mike's favorite dinner from Chili's:
Monterey Chicken
It was pretty darn delicious, and a very close to real knock-off.
The recipe:
4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless and pounded out a little bit (not too thin just so its even)
4 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
3/4 cup shredded jack cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
your favorite BBQ sauce, I used sweet baby ray's original
fresh diced tomatoes and chives or green onions for garnish

1. cook the bacon til crisp. place on a plate with a paper towel, and do whatever you want with the bacon fat. (I saved it and put it in the freezer)
2. salt and pepper both sides of the chicken and cook in the same pan as the bacon.
3. Preheat Oven to 350.
4. put chicken in an oven safe dish and spread 1-2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce on each chicken breast.  Top with bacon and then with the jack and cheddar cheese mixture. Cover with Aluminum Foil. Put in Oven until the cheese is melted.
5. Dice Tomatoes and green onion. When you take the chicken out of the oven and put it on the plate, top it with the tomatoes and green onion (or chives).

I served this with a baked potato and broccoli, cauliflower, carrot in a cheese sauce (green giant frozen veggies)

Chili's price (for 1 serving): $10.29
Homemade Price (for 4 servings): approximately $9
It took less time to make than it would have taken me to call Chili's and go there pick up the food and bring it back... Totally Worth It!!

Making Dinner Your Own

Thursday night I made Spaghetti with Italian Sausage and Stuffed Clams...
sounds sorta fancy, was delicious, looked amazing... Did I do anything from scratch? NO!!!
At around 1pm, I took Rhodes Texas Rolls out of the freezer, sprayed a muffin pan, and threw the rolls in the pan, covered it with a dish towel and set aside.  I also opened a jar of Ragu, put that in a pan with a couple cloves of garlic, a couple tablespoons of fennel seed, and some italian seasoning. Put that on low, stirred and walked away.
That took less than 10 min of my time, and in about an hour the whole place smelled like I was cooking the sauce from scratch!
Know what I did next?!

Played with Keira until Mike got home - he came home early because we were expecting a very important guest - a great friend of his back from Iraq.

"30 Minute Meals Style" I finished cooking dinner.

I preheated the oven to 450. Filled a pot of water and put it on high to get it boiling. Stirred the sauce. And then I started to clean some Iceberg lettuce and a tomato for a salad.  When the oven was preheated, I took the stuffed clams out of the freezer, place them on a sheet pan and in they went.  I took out my fake italian sausage (it was really italian style hot and spicy smoked sausage). I grilled them up on a grill pan. took 3 of them and cut them up into piece and through them in the sauce. The others went on the platter, then I finished up the salad, and then dropped the heat in the oven to 350 about 15min into cooking.  5 minutes later I put the rolls in the oven. I salted the boiling water and added the pasta. I finished setting the table, and made my garlic butter - 2 tablespoons of butter melted in the microwave, and a few shakes of garlic powder.  After 10 minutes, I drained the spaghetti, reserved a ladle of the starchy water and added it to my sauce, and put the spaghetti back in the pan.  I took out the rolls, and brushed them with the garlic butter, and put them back in the oven. I stirred the sauce one last time and added some to the pasta to get it coated. I then took out the clams and rolls.  Put the rolls in a bowl with a dish towel to keep them warm.  Added all the spaghetti to my platter, and put a couple stuffed clams on the platter as well.
It was good - as good as opening a whole bunch of packages could be in my opinion. It looked good - It looked like I went through a lot of work when in reality I was in the kitchen for less than 45 minutes TOTAL.
It made a ton of food. So of course I put it in individual containers so Mike could take it to work for lunch.
No I would not ordinarily post something like this because there is no recipe, but this is the sole reason right here:
He brought it for lunch and a co-worker asked him "Wow, where'd you go for dinner last night?"
REALLY??? My out of the box fake meal looked like it came from a restaurant!?!
I am feeling proud and thought I'd share :)

Left -Over Eggroll wrappers...

+ String Cheese = Mozzarella Sticks!
Thank you Guy Fieri for this gem of an idea!
I made this, and I'm not a very skilled fryer so the oil was too hot, and the mozzarella sticks a lil darker than i'd like and the chesse not as ooey gooey as it was on his show - but I'd totally make them again! They were still delicious - and I think everyone should make them!
check out the recipe here!
I made 6 (without the salami) and I cut the string cheese in half - so I only used 3 of those.
I used 1 egg with a splash of milk, and just eyed the bread crumbs - I didn't have panko - but they were still crunchy!
I hope you all try this and enjoy - Its yummy :)

July Grocery Shopping

So I will be giving you a glance at my shopping yesterday.  I went way over what I wanted to spend for the month. I gave myself a budget of $150 and came in just under $200 - the good news: most of it was on stuff for the house, not on food. So technically I can in WAY under my budget of $150 for food! :)

So First: Jewel
WOW that's all I can say! I'm sorry I didn't post this yesterday so whoever might actually read this thing could take advantage of the deals - maybe some of them are still going on... and I really hope so because I felt so good after leaving this store!
I split my order in two...
My first order was Ice Cream!
a box of Lemonade Fruit Bars $3
a box of Strawberry Fruit Bars $3
2 boxes of Nestle Drumsticks $5
Total $11
Received a $4 coupon off my next purchase... to be used right now on:

10 -12pks of Coke Products = $20
4 Hillshire Farms Sausages = FREE
(minus peelie coupons on the Coke $2 off when you buy 2! yep I got 10 pks of Coke and 4 Sausages for $10!!!)
1 Honey Maid Graham Crackers =$2.50
1 Jet Puffed Marshmallows = $1.00
1 Hershey's 6pk = FREE
(minus $1.00 coupon when you buy the 3 above =$2.50 for those 3 items!)
4 packets of McCormick Marinades =$0.50/ea
(minus 4 - $0.50 coupons = FREE)
1 Weber Grill N'Orleans Cajun Seasoning = $1.67
(minus $0.50 coupon =$1.17)
2 Smokey Bones BBQ sauces = $2.00
TOTAL $16.09 (-$4 coupon!)
----------------
JEWEL TOTAL $23

NEXT: Target
1 lb. Strawberries $1.99
(minus $1 target coup. =$0.99)
1 Homel Thick cut Bacon = $2.79
4 lbs Ground Beef ($1.79/lb) = $7.16
EDY's French Vanilla Ice Cream =$2.33
(minus $1 target coup. = $1.33)
1 Quaker Chewy Bars = $2.04
TOTAL $16

LASTLY: Meijer (my trouble store haha)
2 Jiffy Corn Muffins $.94
2 Biscuits $1.12
1 Bunch O Parsley $0.79
1 Green Onion $0.50 (I didn't really need green onion BUT I saw on the next food network star a tip that said if you put the whites in a glass of water the greens will regenerate and you never have to buy green onions again... so I though hmmm I'll give that a shot!)
1 can diced tomatoes $1.05
1 head of Lettuce $1.29
2 Cream Cheese $2.50
1 Milk $1.98
2 Lemons $1.00
1 String Cheese $3.89
6 lbs of Chicken Breasts $11.92
20 packets of Kool-Aid $2.00
1 5pk of Mac & Cheese FREE
(with purch of Kool-aid!)
1 Can Tomatoe Sauce $0.62
3 Barilla Whole Wheat Pasta's $0.79/ea $2.37
2 lbs Tomatoes on the vine $1.90
2 Hamburger Buns $2.00
1 Hamburger Buns $1.00
1 Loaf of Bread $1.00
3 jars of Ragu $4.50
(minus 2 coups totaling $1.60 = $2.90)
5 Rhodes Warm N Serve Rolls 2/$4 -$10
(minus 5 $1 coups totaling $5 = $5.00)
2 lbs LOL Butter $5.00
1 Simply Orange $3.00
3 Chunk Cheese $4.50
TOTAL $59
--------------
GRAND TOTAL $98!!!
(for 36 meals... that ain't half bad!)

July Menu: Eat Out Of The Pantry Month

This month I have no real plan of attack.  I planned and shopped for 4 weeks.  But there is no true menu you to follow, just ideas of what I will make...

• Left-over stuffed shells in the freezer with Italian Sausage
• Sloppy Joes with Fries (x2+lunch)
  
• Ham Steak with scalloped potatoes, broccoli in cheese, and rolls
• Monterey Chicken with salad
• Beef Chop Suey with rice (x2+lunch)
  
• Chili (x2+lunch)
  
• Lemon Chicken Schnitzel (+lunch)
  
• Chicken and Dumplings (x2+lunch)
  
• Pasta with Stuffed Clams
• Hamburgers (x3)
• Grilled Cheese (x2-3)
• Popcorn Shrimp with Corn and Fries
• Shrimp Scampi Pasta (+lunch)
  
• Jambalaya with Cornbread (x2+lunch)
  
• Pasta (x2+lunch)
  
• Meatloaf (x2+lunch)
  
• Cajun Chicken Pasta (+lunch)
  
• Mac & Cheese (+lunch)
  
• Hot & Spicy Italian Sausage Sandwiches (x4)
  
• Polish Sausage Sandwiches (x4)
• Tacos (x2)
  

planned for 28 days - should have enough for for 36 days... w00t!
Still have to do my shopping list for my Pampered Chef party on July 21st...
But the menu sneak peek:
1.) Jalapeno Popper Dip
2.) Smoky BBQ Chicken Sandwiches and BBQ Sauce
3.) Apple Berry Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

This Week: Pork

On Monday (because I forgot to take my pork loin out of the freezer Saturday for Sunday FAIL) I made a new recipe that I found on FoodTV.com from Robin Miller (and changed a few things because I didn't have everything). It was alright for a crockpot dish - I tend to not care for crockpot dishes because they all seem to have that same stew-like flavors... But Tuesday and Wednesday (because it was that good on Tuesday) I made a recreation of our dinner on Monday and boy was it GOOD! So First here is the Monday recipe:

Crockpot Sage & Parmesan Crusted Pork Loin

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds diced red potatoes
1 cup chopped onion (I used frozen from a bag because I had no onions, DOH!)
1 cup chopped celery (I chopped this earlier in the month and froze it - worked well)
1 cup chopped carrots (Same as above here)
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (I used a 14.5 oz can)
1/2 cup sherry (No sherry here, so I used left-over red wine I had from my Chicken Cacciatore)
1 (2-pound) pork loin (I used a 4 pound pork loin because we are eating it all week here)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dried sage (I only have rubbed sage - don't know what the difference is but it worked)
1 tablespoon salt-free garlic and herb seasoning (I don't have this & didn't measure the parsley and garlic powder that I used - just enough to season the whole thing)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS:
Place potatoes, onion, celery, and carrots in bottom of slow-cooker. Pour in chicken
broth and sherry. Season pork all over with salt and black pepper, sage and
garlic and herb seasoning. Place pork on top of vegetables and top with
Parmesan, pressing the cheese into the meat. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8
hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.

When I cut into this in the crockpot is was falling apart and I just scooped up the veggies on the plate and that was that.  But Tuesday and the pork refrigerated, it was much easier to cut into 1/2" slices.

I sliced up 2- 1/2" slices and seasoned them with salt and pepper on both sides.  I put them in a pan on high - but I use a electric stove so cooking sometimes is a challenge (no oil or butter or anything) for a couple minutes on one side, flip them over let them go a couple min on the other side, turn it down to low, add the BBQ sauce of your choice and put a lid on the pan.  Meanwhile, I took the potatoes that were in the crockpot with the pork and put them in a bowl, threw some garlic powder on it, and put it in the microwave for 1 min.  When it came out of the microwave I smashed them down with a fork and added American cheese singles broken up to it. Stirred and back in the microwave for 30 sec. and then stirred again. I was completely out of cheese and that is all I had, I imagine cheddar would be better, but it was soooo goood!  I also made (frozen) corn in butter and stove-top pork stuffing to round out the meal.

Wednesday I added Parmesan cheese to the potatoes, per Mike's request, and boy did that make a difference! If you make these potatoes with cheddar I would still advise to add some Parmesan. mmm mmm goood!

I think tonight I am going to make sweet and sour pork from the rest of the pork that is left - It is just under half left... not bad for 3 dinners and 2 lunches! GO PORK! :-)

The pancake recipe

So this is officially the first recipe I have actually written out (with the exception of my cajun chicken pasta)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 tbsp baking powder
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs, separated
2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp melted butter


Directions:

Mix together buttermilk**, egg yolks, vanilla and sugar. Sift the flour and baking powder into the wet ingredients. Stir together until well mixed. Then add the melted butter and stir. Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until you reach stiff peaks. While your pan or griddle is heating up, Fold the egg whites into the batter. Butter your pan or griddle, add a ladle of batter and wait until you see bubbles all over before you flip.*** Repeat until your batter is gone.*

*Keep your pancakes warm while you finish the batter. Preheat the oven to 250. Place pancakes on an ungreased baking sheet in a single layer and cover lightly with aluminum foil and put in the oven until you are ready to serve.

**Don't have buttermilk? You can use regular milk, but if you have 5 minutes and lemon juice or white vinegar you can make your own. Take your measuring cup and add 2 1/2 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar and add milk to that up to the 2 1/2 cup mark and let sit for 5 minutes.


***If you want to add blueberries, chocolate chips, pecans, walnuts, etc. to the pancakes, do so after you have ladled the batter onto the griddle, but before you flip. You can control how much you want in each pancake, how well its dispersed AND you prevent it from burning.

MY taste

Just something I want to get off my chest.

There are things I like to eat, and things I do not like to eat. I don't appreciate when people tell me I would like something, when I simply know I would not. I try not to say I don't like something unless I've tried it. BUT if I don't like the ingredients (that I have tried before) in a recipe I'm pretty sure I won't like the dish, its that simple.

I've run into this a few times. I've been invited to peoples homes where they may serve something I don't like, and if I can avoid eating it I do, if I can't I choke it down... Its not their fault I don't like it! (and to anyone who may read this and be offended, this is from years ago not recently)

I like to give Mike a hard time because of the long list of things he will not eat. And I've tried to make him eat stuff I've made even though he doesn't like it because I hate waste or I just won't make something I like because I know he won't like it. But truthfully I have quite a long list of things I won't eat either (its just not as unusual as his list)

For example... I don't like mushrooms - its not the flavor, in most things that isn't my problem - its the texture. I cook with mushrooms to give things really good flavor, but then pick out the mushrooms because the feeling in my mouth makes me gag. Taste isn't as much my problem with things - texture and smell is what gets to me. Beans are one thing I have NEVER liked. From lima beans, kidney beans, refried beans to chick peas, and in any formation (ie, hummus). I've tried them all and just don't like them, I even specifically make chili, split it, and add beans to one half for Mike, and leave the other half plain for me. Its just how I am. An example of smells that make me sick - curry... I can smell it a mile away and it makes me gag. After living in an apartment and smelling that in the hallway for months, I just can't take the smell. Another thing... Cinnamon - Mike hates it, I love it in desserts, but I can't eat it in savory dishes, I've tried thinking I like it why wouldn't I like it in this - well I don't- It makes things taste weird to me :(

I am a bit of a super taster - I can taste the alcohol in things normal people can't. So there are things I don't eat, or surround my self with because I just don't enjoy it. period.

Just felt the need to get that out there so you all know I'm not just saying I don't like something - there is a reason behind it all.

The Stuffed Shells...

INGREDIENTS:

1 (12 ounce) package jumbo pasta shells

2 eggs, beaten

1 (32 ounce) container ricotta cheese

1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

8 ounces grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1 tablespoon dried parsley

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1-2 28oz jars of pasta sauce (or make it homemade)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

In a large bowl, mix eggs, ricotta, half the mozzarella, half the Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper until well combined. Stuff cooked shells with ricotta mixture and place in a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a medium bowl, stir together pasta sauce, mushrooms and reserved mozzarella and Parmesan. Pour over stuffed shells.

Bake in preheated oven 45 to 60 minutes, until edges are bubbly and shells are slightly set.

Fail

I have neglected this thing... mostly because I haven't made anything really noteworthy. This month I have been recreating meals by cooking one big meal, and using the left-overs in new ways. It has been successful, however I have still had left-overs that ended up getting thrown away... Even when I try not to waste there is still waste :(

I did manage to remember to freeze the ham. There was soooo much. It was maybe an 8 lb ham, supposedly servings for 10, but I made 5 meals for the two of us, breakfast a couple days and still have half of what I started with!

I did make my Stuffed Shells... had to. The ricotta was about to pass its sell by date. This recipe makes enough for 3 meals. I'll post it soon. Hopefully.

I am having a Pampered Chef Cooking Show here in July, and am trying to save my pennies to go out for a nice anniversary "linner" So my July shopping will be limited. I have made my menu and list and think I can buy everything I need including miscellaneous stuff (Keira's stuff aside) for under $150 for the month! AND I'm only shopping at Jewel and Aldi (ok ok and probably Target too) - trying to save gas!!

Keira has begun solids. We have only tried rice cereal and carrots so far, but not bad for her only being 4 1/2 mos old. I will be picking up oatmeal for her, and trying out some jarred baby food to see what she likes before I go forward with my making of the baby food since I hate waste so much. I had carrots in the fridge and made that for her for the heck of it, since she's not a huge fan of the rice cereal. She doesn't seem to be much of a fan of carrots either, but she's getting the hang of eating. I'm thinking applesauce or sweet potatoes will be next.

Shopping aside, have I ever mentioned how much I love freecycle??! Cause I do, I really do. Not only have I gotten tons of unopened formula through freecycle. But DIAPERS! I love finding the post of someone who bought diapers in bulk and their baby grew out of them and have a ton left! YAY for me. I'm picking up almost 2 full packages of Huggies and Pampers Size 3 dipes tomorrow. Thank You Freecyclers!

OK I'll stop rambling - I will post my stuffed shells recipe soon, and my July menu/grocery list too. AND I made up my own pancake recipe after much pancake research, and they were freakin' delicious, so I'll post that recipe too.

A Whole Week

Wow, busy-ness and sick make me a dull girl...

So last week I made a whole chicken, and then made meals all week from the chicken... AND still had left-overs (that need to be thrown away yet)

This week = HAM!

I made a 8lb spiral ham yesterday that I got for under $9!
We just had some box scalloped potatoes and some Green Giant Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Carrot in Cheese sauce frozen thing, and a salad with it yesterday.

Tonight:
Cheddar and Ham Mac and Cheese
(Cheap and Delicious and easily enough for 6+ people... really its a TON of food!)

Ingredients:

2 boxes of Mac and Cheese, prepared
about a cup of frozen peas
between 1 and 2 cups of ham
about a cup of shredded cheddar cheese
between a half a cup and a cup of ritz crackers crushed, with a tbs of butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Prepare the Mac and Cheese as directed. Add the peas and ham, mix and put in a baking dish. Top with cheese and then top with ritz crushed crackers. Bake for 15 minutes.

ENJOY! :)

Proudness

So I ended up spending more money than I wanted to this month, but than I realized... I didn't spend all of it on food! I got some things for Keira, some of the usual household stuff, and something Mike needed... Although I really spent $195, only $141 of it was on food, averaging out about $28/week, $4/day!! Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner accounted for, for 5 whole weeks - and I'll still probably have more food than I know what to do with - since that is always the case...

ah, thanks for letting me get that off my chest!

My other proud moment of yesterday... I made a whole chicken! I don't know why, but those whole birds intimidate me, I made a turkey breast a while back for the first time and was so impressed with how good it turned out for having never done it before, so I tried out the whole chicken.... DELICIOUS! I'm so happy that I've conquered a fear, and it turned about awesomely moist and delicious!
Now to use the left-overs for the rest of the week... I'm making myself some chicken salad for lunch today YAY!

Oh Grocery Shopping how I love you; Let me count the ways...

Here's the shopping list for the June menu...

The plan of attack - Caputo's first (per usual as I always do the furthest store first), Meijer second, and Dominick's and/or Jewel Last - my reasoning: I jot down what is on sale at Dominick's and Jewel that I need from my list, and if for some reason Caputo's and Meijer has it for the same price or cheaper I'm making one less stop (and 9 times out of 10 Meijer has everything regularly priced way cheaper than Dominick's and Jewel!!)

Caputo's (the one stop produce shop, haha)
[a side note: I almost never am kicking myself from buying all my produce at Caputo's... They are almost always cheaper and better than any other store - unless you shop at a local fresh market (essentially the same thing)]

2-3 Romaine Lettuce ($0.39/lb)
5-6 Beefsteak Tomatoes ($0.39/lb)
1 Cherry Tomatoes ($0.99/pint)
1-2 Cucumber
3 Med. Onions
2-3 Green Peppers ($0.49/lb)
1 Bag of Carrots
1 Bag of Baby Carrots ($1.29)
1 Bunch Parsley ($0.65)
1 Head of Garlic ($0.10)
1 Bunch of Celery ($0.50)
2 lbs. Red Potatoes
2 Jalapenos ($0.59/lb)
2 Mexican Style Shredded Cheese ($0.99/ea)
1 Shredded Mozzarella ($0.99/ea)
4 Slices of Provolone from the Deli
4 Jars of Rinaldi Pasta Sauce ($1.29/ea)
4 Pasta
1 Dozen Eggs ($0.59)
1 Whole Chicken (5lbs - $0.89/lb)
1 Spiral Half Ham (9-10lbs - $1.19/lb)


Meijer
2 O.J.
2 Pepsi
1 Wheat Bread ($0.89)
1 Rolls (6)
1 Hamburger Buns ($0.99)
1 Pork Tenderloin (3lbs - $1.59/lb)
1 Italian Sausage ($2.75)
1 Frozen Chopped Green Peppers
1 Frozen Chopped Onions
2-3 Frozen Cheesy Broccoli
2 Frozen Corn
1 Frozen Peas
1-2 Frozen Rhodes Rolls
1 Package of Eggroll Wrappers
1 Jar Roasted Garlic Alfredo
1 Thick N Chunky Salsa
1 Small bottle of Red Wine
1 Small can sliced mushrooms
1 20 oz can pineapple chunks
1 can enchilada sauce
1 8 oz can Tomato Sauce
1 Asian Dressing/Marinade
1 Asian Noodles
1 Cheese Singles ($1.75)
1 32 oz container of Ricotta
2 Large Flour Tortillas
2 Biscuit or Crescent Rolls
5 Pack of Mac and Cheese
1 Scalloped Potatoes

Dominick's
1 Milk ($1.69)
1 Bottom Round (3lbs - $2.99/lb)

June Menu

I'm trying something new this month... I don't know if this will end up being less expensive or not, but I noticed something at the beginning of last month... Lots of left-overs, lots of waste... Although I always plan on left-overs for lunch, it seemed we weren't very conscious of eating them until it was gone. Well, no more waste! I am going to attempt to do things the "Robin Miller" way. Make a meal on Sunday or Monday, and make the left-overs into different meals all week!

Approximate Plan:
WEEK 1
Sunday: Roasted Chicken
Monday: Shrimp Scampi Pasta
Tuesday: Chicken Tortilla Soup
Wednesday:Chicken Cacciatore
Thursday: Chicken and Corn Quesadillas
Friday: Hot Dog/Hamburger/Grilled Cheese??
Saturday: Pizza or Mac and Cheese??
WEEK 2
Sunday: Bottom Round Roast Beef
Monday: Cajun Chicken Pasta
Tuesday: Salad w/ Thinly sliced beef
Wednesday: Roast Beef Sandwiches
Thursday: Open-faced Pot Roast Sandwich
Friday: Hot Dog/Hamburger/Grilled Cheese??
Saturday: Philly Cheese Steak Eggrolls (courtesy of Guy)
WEEK 3
Sunday: Spiral Ham
Monday: Pasta Marinara
Tuesday: Jambalaya
Wednesday: Chef's Salad
Thursday: Ham Steaks
Friday: Hot Dog/Hamburger/Grilled Cheese??
Saturday: Ham and Cheddar Mac & Cheese
WEEK 4 (thank you Laura!)
Sunday: Crockpot Mexican Chicken - Tacos
Monday: Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage
Tuesday: Chicken Empanadas
Wednesday: Chicken Enchiladas
Thursday: Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes
Friday: Hot Dog/Hamburger/Grilled Cheese??
Saturday: Chicken Quesadillas
WEEK 5
Sunday: Crockpot Parmesan-Sage Crusted Pork Tenderloin
Monday: Left-Over Stuffed Shells
Tuesday: Garlicky Sweet and Sour Pork w/ Fried Rice
Wednesday: BBQ Pork Rounds
Thursday: Mac and Cheese
Friday: Grilled Cheese
Saturday: Pizza

Memorial Day Recipes

I didn't take any pictures this time because I was feeling overwhelmed and stressed trying to just get it done, lots of housework awaits...
But I wanted to share these 2 recipes, both of which are amazing and worth trying!

1st Recipe for BBQ #1:
CHEESECAKE
For the record... My entire life this was the only cheesecake I ever ate, and assumed I loved cheesecake... not the case, I really only love this cheesecake - that's how amazing it is :) (I've only found one other cheesecake that I even like)
Its a lot of work but, oh, so worth it:

Crust:

INGREDIENTS:

1-1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted

DIRECTIONS:

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Mix all ingredients until well blended.

PRESS firmly onto bottom and up side of spring form pan.

BAKE 8 min. or until lightly browned; cool completely.

Filling:

INGREDIENTS:

4 – 8oz. Pkg. Cream Cheese (softened)

½ Lemon (squeezed)

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 cup Sugar

4 eggs

Topping:

1 – 16oz. Pkg. Sour Cream

¼ cup Sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Filling: PREHEAT 350° W/ PAN OF WATER IN OVEN

Cream all ingredients together, adding 1 egg at a time. Fill spring form pan with filling, and smooth out the top. Bake in oven for 50-55 minutes. Let Set (approximately 10 minutes).

Topping: Cream ingredients together. Add topping to cheesecake after it has set. Spread just shy of the edges. Place bake in oven for 5 additional minutes.

Tips: Wait for it to completely cool before refrigerating or attempting to remove the side of the pan. When refrigerating, cover with plastic wrap, but leave an opening to keep away condensation...

ok i couldn't help myself.... here's the final product:

2nd Recipe for BBQ #2:

Pizza Dip (I doubled this recipe)

INGREDIENTS:
1 (8-oz.) container soft cream cheese with chives and onions

1/2 cup chunky pizza sauce

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/3 cup finely chopped pepperoni

2 oz. (1/2 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese

2 oz. (1/2 cup) shredded Cheddar cheese

(I added some Jack cheese too...yum! I love me my cheese!)

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 350°F. In ungreased 9-inch pie pan or 1 to 1 1/2-quart baking dish, layer all ingredients in order listed.
Bake at 350°F. for 10 to 15 minutes or until dip is hot and cheese is melted.

Serve warm with bagel crisps, bagel chips, pita chips, crackers or tortilla chips work too.

Why should you shop at Caputo's?

Besides the fact the Caputo's is an awesome place to get fresh produce and deli foods on the cheap, and yummy pastas, breads... okay everything there is pretty awesome and mostly inexpensive....

They are having a $100,000 Giveaway!!
Two ways to play... sign up for the Caputo's newsletter online @ caputomarkets.com and every week you will be emailed an authorization code, you click on the link, enter the code, and play the match game. You can one of many different prizes, but I have won a $5 GC and a coupon for $0.55 off a La Bella Romana product! ... also everytime you shop you will receive a scratch off card where you can win prizes instantly and get a code to play online too!

Some deals this week at Caputo's:
Centrella Hamburger/Hot Dog Buns: $0.59/ea
Ground Sirloin, Round or Chuck (family pack): $1.99/lb
Romaine Lettuce 3pk: $0.99
Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce: $0.99
Dutch Farms Butter: $1.99
Minute Maid Lemonade: $0.99
Prairie Farms Milk (Gallon): $1.99
Kellogg's Cereal: 5/$10 (if you printed $1 off coupons from coupons.com that's some pretty cheap cereal!)
SuperPretzels/SoftStix: 2/$4
Cucumbers: 4/$1
Zucchini: $0.39/lb
Green Onions: 5/$1
Broccoli Crowns: $0.59/lb
Plum Tomatoes: $0.49/lb
Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, and Blueberries: $1.69/ea

So Sign up for the Caputo's Newsletter and enjoy!....and if you win $100,000 don't forget who told you ;)

Picky Eaters

So I like to think I'll try anything once, but sometimes I just won't/can't do it. And the list of things I will not eat keeps growing and growing. Add that to a hubby that has a very narrow list of things he'll eat and its really hard to come up with new and interesting things to eat that are inexpensive and delicious!
Here's the shortlist of things that won't cross our pallet... Any recipe ideas are MUCH appreciated!
mushrooms
crumbly cheeses (blue, feta)
yogurt
beans (any type - including chick peas and refried beans-blech!)
-hummus in included in that too
capers
cilantro (at least in large quantities)
anchovies
Caesar dressing

There is probably so much more, but you can never think of it until its in a recipe!
So.... suggestions please!

Cookies...

So I always struggled with what to do with my over ripe bananas... I mean banana bread is delicious but I like options... So I'm open to new ideas, but this is one of my favorites!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies (Softies)
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 ripe banana
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
walnuts optional but I think make them delicious!

Preheat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheets or use parchment paper. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt on to a piece of wax paper (to make it easier to add it to the wet ingredients when its time)
In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream together the butter and brown sugar. Beat in the banana and egg, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until well blended. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Crockpot Thursday: Chicken & Dumplings

I missed posting my crockpot recipe yesterday! So here it is:

Chicken and Dumplings
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts =$2 @ Meijer
2 tbsp butter
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup = $0.50 @ Walgreens
1 onion, finely diced = (had on hand)
2 pkgs refrigerated biscuit dough, each biscuit cut in half =$1 @ Meijer
Optional: peas and carrots = (peas = on hand), carrots = $0.35 @ Caputo's
I just threw in about 1/3 of a bag of frozen peas, and 1/4 of a bag of baby carrots cut in half

Place chicken, butter, soup, onion and some water to cover (I didn't add any water this time because the soup covered the chicken, and the chicken was frozen so I know it gave off a little water as it thawed)
Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8 hours, and 1 hour before serving add the veggies and biscuits (I don't like my carrots mushy so I put them in an hour

TOTAL COST (Serves 5-6) = $4!!!!

mmmm Meat Sauce...

I could easily make my spaghetti sauce or "gravy" (haha) from scratch, but boy is that toooooo much work for a week day (maybe one Sunday I'll make it and post the recipe) but today I'm just using jar sauce and doctorin' it up!

I think the key to a good MEAT sauce is some sort of meat on the bone - that is where the flavor is! So I normally buy the cheapest pork I can find on the bone...
Of course this time I bought way more than I needed so my costs are going to be way off (but this will make a ton)

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce and Tomato, Cucumber, Mozzarella Salad

Meijer: Western Ribs - $4.51
Meijer: 1/2 lb ground pork - $1.92
Caputo's: 1/2 lb ground turkey - $1.35
2 jars of your favorite pasta sauce - I'm using Rinaldi that i had in the cabinet which I think I got at Jewel B1G1F ($1.50/ea)
1 box pasta (on hand)

you can use any spices you like in your sauce, I use garlic, fennel seed, italian seasoning, and oregano.


First I coat the pan with olive oil and throw 2 sliced garlic cloves in. Then salt and pepper the western ribs, and brown them in the pan. Once It is browned I add the ground meat and cook it through, and add the rest of the spices. Then throw in the two jars of sauce

and put the heat on low (and cook it ALL DAY!) okay I realize all day is vague and impossible, but I started it at 1pm for 6pm dinner... The western ribs should fall apart.

If you choose to make meat balls (which I didn't today), I always put them in the sauce for the last 30 minutes, it gives both the meatballs and the sauce tons of flavor, and the meatballs will be soooo moist. (a couple other yummy things to put in the sauce to make it tasty: italian sausage or braciole)

I'm only making 1lb of pasta, for dinner tonight and lunch leftovers for a couple days, but there will be soooo much sauce left - be prepared to freeze some for next time.

I also made a "salad" to go with the pasta...
2 tomatoes (Caputo's : $0.60)
1/2 cucumber (had on hand)
mozzarella ($1)
1 basil leaf (Caputo's: bunch = $1.49)
olive oil (on hand)
salt (on hand)
Romano (on hand)

I slice everything up and layer it around a bowl, salt the tomatoes, and top with olive oil and the basil leaf cut into ribbons. Let it marinade as long as possible - Top with Romano or Parmesan right before serving...
Total cost (Serves 4-6 with sauce left over for another 4 servings): UNDER $15

My Coupon Database - Post A

I went through a pile of coupons that I set aside because I have no use for them, or won't get around to using the coupon before it expires, I still have a ton of coupons to cut out and go through but here is the beginning of the list...

I really hate to see them go to waste, so please let me know if you can use any of these!! Thanks! Family and Friends: let me know what you'd like, others please contact me so you can send me a SASE **Please do not post your address in the comments**, THANKS!!!

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=rFY0wPS200xdHlgIaaebuQg

Sharing Coupons!

Anyone have coupons they aren't using? Need Coupons? I was hoping to start up a coupon trade! I have tons that I definitely will not be using... (a lot of make-up, hair dye, medicines, some food, etc) I will make a list another time, but I just wanted to see who is interested! Please leave a comment if you are - THANKS!

Super Easy Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork

Sorry no pictures this time... I was hungry and gobbled it up before the camera could come out!

Strack & Van Til: Pork Loin Roast (approx. 3lbs) = $4.25
Meijer: Wheat Hamburger Buns = $1.79

Stuff On Hand: salt & pepper, 1/2 can of coke or pepsi, your favorite BBQ sauce

Season the Pork Roast with salt & pepper and cook in crockpot w/ 1 1/2 cups of water on high for 6 hours, or low for 8 hours. Take it out of the crockpot & pull the pork with two forks, and remove any bones if there are any in your roast. Dump out all the water & fat out of the crockpot and put the pulled pork back in. Add 1/2 can of pop, and as much of your BBQ sauce as you'd like (I used Open Pit Original & started with 1/4-1/2 cup, then added a little more right before serving) Cook on High for an additional hour with the pop & BBQ sauce.

Serve on Hamburger Buns with chips or fries! mmm mmm delicious!

Total cost (Serves about 6, maybe more) = UNDER $7!!!!

COST!

Thank You Laura for your suggestion on including the cost of each meal! That is brilliant! :)

I will include the cost with the recipes from now on, but to back track:

Tuesday: Lemon Chicken Schnitzel W/ Spaetzle
First, the Spaetzle was made from ingredients I think everyone just has laying around the house, and I didn't actually purchase anything to make it so I don't have a cost on that... but it is certainly under $1 to make.

Lemon Chicken Schnitzel:
Caputo's: Lemon = $0.25
Meijer: Chicken = $2
The rest of the ingredients I had on hand! so I will estimate it is under $1 in eggs, flour, and bread crumbs.
Cermak's: Roma Grape Tomatoes = $0.50 for a package (I used about half)
Approximate Meal Total (Serving 2) = UNDER $5!!!!!


Wednesday: Stuffed Pork Chops w/ Oven Roasted Veggies
On hand: Stove Top Pork Stuffing (I think I picked this up on sale for $1)
Applesauce (I picked up this at Target a while back with a Target coupon and a manufacturer's coupon and got a 6 pk for $0.14!)
Rhodes Wheat Texas Rolls $2.99 - $.75 coupon: good for 4 - 6 meals!

Stuffed Pork Chops (2 Servings)
Meijer: 4 thin cut pork chops = $3

Oven Roasted Veggies (4-6 servings)
Meijer: 2 Vidalia Onions = $0.59
Caputo's: 2 Turnips = $0.74
1 Garlic = $0.11
2 Sweet Potatoes = $0.39
1/2 bag Baby Carrots = $0.65
2 Potatoes = $0.30
Cermak's: 1/2 package Roma Grape Tomatoes = $0.25

On Hand: 1 Red Pepper, spices and olive oil = under $1

Approximate Meal Total (Serving 2) = UNDER $9 (lots of left-over veggies)

Stuffed Pork Chops and Oven Roasted Veggies

Stuffed Pork Chops

Okay, Okay... I admit its a weeknight, and unless its Thanksgiving, you won't see me making stuffing from scratch! So this is my "Semi-homemade" meal, with the use of Stove Top Stuffing :)

You should use Thick Cut Pork Chops, and butterfly them to stuff them, but again, I'm cheap, and Thin Cut Pork Chops were less expensive, so I am going to use them and secure two together with toothpicks! Season the chops on both sides with a little salt and fresh cracked pepper. I then pan-fried each chop (2 min on each side and then took a sheet pan, covered in aluminum foil, and sprayed with butter... Then place one Thin Cut pork chop down, put a tablespoon or so of stuffing in the center and put another pork chop on top. Secure along one side with tooth picks, repeat as necessary, and bake in a 350 oven for 15 - 20 minutes.

Oven Roasted Veggies (courtesy of Caputo's Markets)

Recipe:

2 Tbsp Olive oil (I don't measure this, just coat the pan and drizzle some on
top of the veggies...)
1 lb Rutabagas or Turnips, peeled and cubed
1 lb Onions, coarsely chopped
1/2 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 2 in pieces (I'll be using baby carrots)
1/2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
10 cloves of garlic, unpeeled (I'm just going to cut a whole head of garlic in
half & throw it in)
2 tsp sage
2 tsp rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
(I am adding a red pepper, a couple potatoes and some grape roma tomatoes to this recipe)














Preheat oven at 450. Heat roasting pan in oven for 15 min. Coat the pan with olive oil, and add veggies, garlic and sprinkle with herbs. Drizzle veggies with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Seal tightly with aluminum foil and roast for 30 min. Remove foil and continue to roast for 15 min or until veggies are tender.


Overall - pretty delicious! The pork chops were pretty moist considering how thin they were. And the veggies were good... we have a difference in opinion on what veggies are delicious [I'm not much of a fan of cooked carrots and potatoes (any other way than mashed and fries!) and he is not much of a fan of everything else!]

Other things on the plate:
Rhodes Frozen Wheat Texas Rolls... BEST invention ever! Spray a muffin pan, take the rolls out of the freezer 3 - 5 hours before you need to cook them, let them sit with a kitchen towel over them, and when you ready for dinner, throw 'em in a 350 oven for 13 min :) When they come out of the oven I brush garlic butter on them (2 tbsp of butter with 1 tsp of garlic powder is good for 6 rolls) DELICIOUS!

And yes, that is applesauce you see in the corner... "Pork Chops and Applesauce!"

Jewel May 7th thru May 13th

Some Highlights From Jewel This Week:

Kellogg's Cereal on Sale for $1.79 (select Varieties: So I'm not sure if the ones with coupons apply, but if you're going to be in Jewel I'd check it out!) and you can print coupons @ www.coupons.com for $1 off Corn Pops, Apple Jacks & Mini-Wheats!

General Mills Cereal on Sale for $2.50 (select Varieties: again, I'm not sure if the ones with coupons apply, but check it out!) print coupons @ www.coupons.com for $0.55 off Cherrios, Banana Nut Cherrios, Lucky Charms, and $0.75 off any Kix Cereal - In addition: when you buy 4 GM Cereals you will get a coupon for a FREE gallon of Dean's Milk at checkout.

Ball Park Franks are B1G1F ($4.39 for 1) and there is a $1 off 2 coupon from the 4-26 Red Plum (expires 5-17) (2 packages for $3.39!)

Olivio Buttery Spray is on sale 2/$4 and there is a $1 off coupon from the 4-5 Smart Source (expires 5-31) (1 for $1)

Smart Balance 50/50 Butter Blend is on sale 2/$5 and there is a $1 off coupon from the 4-5 Red Plum (expires 6-30) (1 for $1.50)

Check out the Ultimate Super-Couponer for more deals:
www.jillcataldo.com

A German Meal this evening

Lemon Chicken Schnitzel & Spaetzle

Lemon Chicken Schnitzel:
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
juice of 1/2 lemon or 2 tbsp on lemon juice
concentrate
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme
1 egg
1 tsp water
1/2 cup dry seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350. Place chicken in between two pieces of wax paper, and whack the crap out of it with the flat side of a tenderizer or a bottom of a bottle until the chicken is flattened out. Sprinkle the chicken with the lemon juice and let it sit for at least 10 min... BEWARE! the longer you let it set the more lemony it will be (but this process makes it nearly impossible to cook a piece of dry chicken... it will be moist and delicious every time!)
Make yourself an assembly line... 3 bowls and a lightly greased baking sheet (you can use whatever you have on hand, butter, oil, spray) 1st bowl: mix together the flour, salt, and thyme. 2nd bowl: beat the egg with the water. 3rd bowl: bread crumbs ( if you choose plain and you want to season it yourself I'd add 1 tsp of thyme to whatever your normal seasoning is to tie together the flavors) Then dip the chicken in the flour, then the egg, and finally the breadcrumbs and place it on the baking sheet. Bake 15 min.

Spaetzle:
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil, reduce the heat and maintain a simmer. In a bowl stir all the ingredients together. Use two forks to drop the batter into the water in maybe 1/2 tbsp amounts. Keep it in small batches (1/4 of the batter at a time) When it starts to float to the surface, cover the pan and keep covered until the spaetzle appears to swell and is fluffy. Remove the dumplings and repeat. I use a plate covered with a paper towel to absorb the water, and when all is finished I salted and peppered the spaetzle and finished it off with a little fresh lemon juice...

Most German food is notorious for being rather flavorless. This was my first time making spaetzle and to be honest probably my last... It was quite bland and not really my thing, but that is spaetzle! Then Lemon Chicken Schniztel on the other hand is a staple around here! It is absolutely delicious and a must try :)

I had intended on making a salad to go with this meal, however the hubby is delivering pizzas this evening and I wouldn't have normally gone through the "making dinner process" on a pizza delivery night but I didn't know until I had already started. So I opted for some delicious grape roma tomatoes to give some color to the plate.

Welcome!

So I broke down... Welcome to my blog! I plan on posting menus, grocery lists, super-couponing deals, and recipes... lots and lots of recipes! I am new to the blog world so if anyone has any suggestions of other topics I should include, please, please, please let me know! That is all for now...

May Planned Menu

May - Week One

Sun 3. Mexican Pizza (taco sauce, taco meat, tomatoes, black olives, green onions) & Salad
Mon 4. Cajun Chicken Alfredo Penne & Salad & Wheat Rolls
Tue 5. Lemon Chicken Schnitzel & Spaetzle & Salad
Wed 6. Stuffed Pork Chops & Oven Roasted Veggies & Wheat Rolls
Thur 7. Pulled Pork Sandwiches & Fries
Fri 8. Fish Sticks & Corn on the Cob & Mashed Potatoes
Sat 9. Hamburgers & Fries

May - Week Two

Sun 10. White Pizza (basil, tomatoes, garlic) & Salad (MOTHERS DAY)
Mon 11. Spaghetti & Meat Sauce & Salad & Wheat Rolls
Tue 12. Grilled Chicken & carrots & lemon and garlic broccoli & wheat rolls
Wed 13. Smoked Sausage & Au gratin Potatoes & peas & wheat rolls
Thur 14. Chicken and Dumplings & Peas & Carrots
Fri 15. Shrimp & Grilled Veggies
Sat 16. Hot Dogs

May - Week Three

Sun 17. Frozen Pizza & Salad (HADLEY LUNCHEON)
Mon 18. Gnocchi in Vodka Sauce & Salad & Wheat Rolls
Tue 19. Chicken Piccata & Grilled Veggies & Wheat Rolls
Wed 20. Ham & Corn on the Cob & Green Beans with lemon & Wheat Rolls
Thur 21. Ribs & Corn on the Cob & Mashed Potatoes & Cornbread
Fri 22. Stuffed Clams & Grilled Veggies
Sat 23. Hamburger & Fries

May - Week Four

Sun 24. Frozen Pizza & Salad (MEMORIAL DAY BBQ)
Mon 25. Rotini in Marinara & Salad & Wheat Rolls
Tue 26. Asian Chicken Wings & Rice & Salad & Cornbread
Wed 27. BBQ Pork Chops & Corn on the Cob & Mashed Potatoes & Wheat Rolls
Thur 28. Sauerbraten & Potato Pancakes & Grilled Radicchio and Beet Salad
Fri 29. Popcorn Shrimp OR Pan-seared Scallops & Grilled Veggies
Sat 30. Hot Dogs