Before I sat down to plan this menu I did an inventory check of my fridge and pantry. I made note of what I already have on hand - especially anything that was in danger of going bad or seemed to be becoming a fixture. If you're pinching pennies in the kitchen, food you throw away is money you are wasting. I can't afford to do that. This is also a great time to cull any items that actually are past their prime. I noticed I had some barely touched apricot preserves and aging orange marmalade. You'll see their influence in this week's meals:
29 S - Spaghetti/Salad/Garlic Bread
30 U - In-a-Hurry Curry/Salad/Bread Sticks
31 M - Perfect Potstickers/Carrot 'n' Celery Amandine
1 T - Apricot Salsa Chicken/Rice/Broccoli
2 W - Church Dinner
3 R - Curry Chicken Pot Pie
4 F - Hamburgers/French Fries
5 S - Apricot Kielbasa Slices/Egg Noodles/Broccoli
6 U - L.O. Spaghetti/Salad/Garlic Bread
7 M - Beef Stew
8 T - Mandarin Orange Chicken/Rice/Green Beans
9 W - Church Dinner
10 R - Chicken Patties/Mac & Cheese/Carrot Sticks
11 F - Bruschetta Minute Steaks (Kraft, Sum'06, pg. 57)/Salad
When I go to the grocery store, I turn on my tunnel vision. If I want to buy something, it had better be on my list or it's not going home with me. I don't buy much in bulk and I don't stockpile for the sake of stockpiling. I buy what we need and make sure we eat it. It is tempting to buy extra of things that are on sale, but if that extra goes bad before we eat it - it's not saving us any money.
The recipe for the Bruschetta Minute Steaks is from Kraft's Food & Family magazine, which is free and published quarterly. The best thing about this magazine is that it gives a recipe with options to help customize your dinner (ex. : you could have regular lasagna or Mexican lasagna) - usually they give 4 different plans. You can subscribe with this link - do it! It's FREE!
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Tastes Like Chicken : Crispy Onion Chicken
Let's face it - chicken is the white copy paper of the culinary world. But it's cheap and I don't think I've ever met anyone with a chicken allergy. Plain, unseasoned chicken is not particularly appetizing, fortunately there is so much you can do with chicken that you could eat it almost everyday. In fact, I think I know some people who do!
I like this SUPER EASY recipe.
Crispy Onion Chicken*
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 6oz. can of french fried onion rings (YUM!)
In a shallow bowl, combine first 6 ingredients. Dip chicken in mixture then coat with onions. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes (or til the juices run clear).
That's it! Since I currently have no need for 4 servings of chicken, I halved the recipe and used the leftover onion rings for baked potato toppings as a side dish (oh yeah, I also snacked on a few while I cooked...)
By the way, I have a personal aversion to Worstershire sauce, so I routinely replace it with Dale's Steak Sauce or soy sauce in recipes.
*Taste of Home 2004 Annual Recipes, edited by Jean Steiner. Reiman Media Group, Greendale, WI, 2003. Pg. 81.
I like this SUPER EASY recipe.
Crispy Onion Chicken*
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 6oz. can of french fried onion rings (YUM!)
In a shallow bowl, combine first 6 ingredients. Dip chicken in mixture then coat with onions. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes (or til the juices run clear).
That's it! Since I currently have no need for 4 servings of chicken, I halved the recipe and used the leftover onion rings for baked potato toppings as a side dish (oh yeah, I also snacked on a few while I cooked...)
By the way, I have a personal aversion to Worstershire sauce, so I routinely replace it with Dale's Steak Sauce or soy sauce in recipes.
*Taste of Home 2004 Annual Recipes, edited by Jean Steiner. Reiman Media Group, Greendale, WI, 2003. Pg. 81.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
New Cookbook!
I already have more cookbooks than anyone needs, but I'll gladly make room on my shelf for this one. My parents sent me this cookbook as a souviner from their recent trip to Mansfield, Missouri, home of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home Association. The book is The Laura Ingalls Wilder Country Cookbook and includes many recipes that Laura actually cooked all updated for those of us who don't have a wood burning stove in the kitchen!
For the Little House buff, the cookbook is also full of beautiful photographs from the Mansfield home and various items from Laura's home. Evidentally although she is known worldwide as a popular children's writer, in Mansfield she was known as a great cook. I can't wait to try my hand at her famous gingerbread.
For the Little House buff, the cookbook is also full of beautiful photographs from the Mansfield home and various items from Laura's home. Evidentally although she is known worldwide as a popular children's writer, in Mansfield she was known as a great cook. I can't wait to try my hand at her famous gingerbread.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
July 15-28, 2006
You might notice that some of these dinners are also on my last meal plan, we ended up eating alternate choices or having more left overs than I expected. I push meals ahead all the time. This week is heavy on condiments I may or may not have on hand. Because I pinched and used a good part of last time's budget on meat, I can restock some of the other ingredients and still stay within the budget.
15 S - Crispy Onion Chicken/Baked Potatoes/Green Beans
16 U - Pizza (Digiorno)/Carrot Sticks
17 M - Spicy BBQ Chicken/Broccoli/Corn
18 T - Meat Loaf for Three (PIE 38)/Tater Tots/Carrot Sticks
19 W - Church Dinner
20 R - Grilled Chicken Leg Quarters/Broccoli/Carrot Sticks
21 F - Sweetheart Steak/Baked Potatoes/Green Beans
22 S - Super Duper Chili/Corn Muffins, Salad
23 U - Chili Dogs/Salad
24 M - Hot Chicken Salad/Broccoli/Carrot Sticks
25 T - Pork Chops with Corn Bread Stuffing (BC 260)/Salad/Broccoli
26 W - Church Dinner
27 R - Sweetheart Chicken (using sauce from 21 F)/Salad/Baked Potatoes
28 F - Chicken Patties/Maccaroni & Cheese/Carrot Sticks
You don't have to spend outrageous amounts of money to have good dinners at home. Just be willing to put in a little time in food preparation. Unprocessed foods are cheap! I rarely spend more than 1/2 hour in food preparation (I don't count the time stuff bakes). I save time by freezing meats in the amounts I will use them.
15 S - Crispy Onion Chicken/Baked Potatoes/Green Beans
16 U - Pizza (Digiorno)/Carrot Sticks
17 M - Spicy BBQ Chicken/Broccoli/Corn
18 T - Meat Loaf for Three (PIE 38)/Tater Tots/Carrot Sticks
19 W - Church Dinner
20 R - Grilled Chicken Leg Quarters/Broccoli/Carrot Sticks
21 F - Sweetheart Steak/Baked Potatoes/Green Beans
22 S - Super Duper Chili/Corn Muffins, Salad
23 U - Chili Dogs/Salad
24 M - Hot Chicken Salad/Broccoli/Carrot Sticks
25 T - Pork Chops with Corn Bread Stuffing (BC 260)/Salad/Broccoli
26 W - Church Dinner
27 R - Sweetheart Chicken (using sauce from 21 F)/Salad/Baked Potatoes
28 F - Chicken Patties/Maccaroni & Cheese/Carrot Sticks
You don't have to spend outrageous amounts of money to have good dinners at home. Just be willing to put in a little time in food preparation. Unprocessed foods are cheap! I rarely spend more than 1/2 hour in food preparation (I don't count the time stuff bakes). I save time by freezing meats in the amounts I will use them.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
In the Cookie Jar : Snickerdoodles
Not unlike most Americans, I have a sweet tooth. But when it strikes, I usually can't jump into the car and head for the ice cream shop. Instead I head to the kitchen to assess what I have in my pantry and thumb through my cookbooks to see what yummy treat I can create. Although I usually gravitate towards chocolate, I like these soft cookies because I always have all the ingredients on hand. Plus they make my house smell wonderful.
Snickerdoodles are similar to sugar cookies, but the cookie is rolled in cinnamon and sugar before being baked. The result is that as the cookie spreads out the cinnamon makes a crackly brown and white surface. The smell is strongly cinnamon and the outside is crunchy, but inside the cookie is incredibly soft. You can substitue the butter for margarine and save some fat, but you'll sacrifice the smooth butter taste. Like most cookie recipes, this one makes 4-5 dozen, so if you don't have a houseful of guests or kids, you can easily half the recipe or freeze half of the dough for another sweet tooth attack.
Snickerdoodles*
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1. Heat oven to 400 deg. In large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups sugar and butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; blend well. Add flour, cream of tartar, baking powder, salt; mix well.
2. In small bowl, combing 2 tbsp sugar with cinnamon. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8-10 minutes, Immediately remove to cooling racks.
I used a 1 inch spring loaded scoop and it made perfectly sized balls. Also I recommend chilling your baking sheet (with dough on it) in the freezer for a couple of minutes to keep the dough from spreading too much in the oven.
No cream of tartar? Cream of tartar helps stabilize egg whites and give them a little extra puff. Usually in baked goods the rule is don't leave ingredients out ever ever ever. But, I didn't have any and added a little baking powder instead (about 1/2 tsp.) . I also beat my eggs until they were light and fluffy before adding them to the mix. You can beat them with a fork or use a mixer for about half a minute.
*Pillsbury Complete Cookbook, The Pillsbury Company. Clarkson Potter Publisher, New York, 2000. Pg. 416.
Snickerdoodles are similar to sugar cookies, but the cookie is rolled in cinnamon and sugar before being baked. The result is that as the cookie spreads out the cinnamon makes a crackly brown and white surface. The smell is strongly cinnamon and the outside is crunchy, but inside the cookie is incredibly soft. You can substitue the butter for margarine and save some fat, but you'll sacrifice the smooth butter taste. Like most cookie recipes, this one makes 4-5 dozen, so if you don't have a houseful of guests or kids, you can easily half the recipe or freeze half of the dough for another sweet tooth attack.
Snickerdoodles*
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1. Heat oven to 400 deg. In large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups sugar and butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; blend well. Add flour, cream of tartar, baking powder, salt; mix well.
2. In small bowl, combing 2 tbsp sugar with cinnamon. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8-10 minutes, Immediately remove to cooling racks.
I used a 1 inch spring loaded scoop and it made perfectly sized balls. Also I recommend chilling your baking sheet (with dough on it) in the freezer for a couple of minutes to keep the dough from spreading too much in the oven.
No cream of tartar? Cream of tartar helps stabilize egg whites and give them a little extra puff. Usually in baked goods the rule is don't leave ingredients out ever ever ever. But, I didn't have any and added a little baking powder instead (about 1/2 tsp.) . I also beat my eggs until they were light and fluffy before adding them to the mix. You can beat them with a fork or use a mixer for about half a minute.
*Pillsbury Complete Cookbook, The Pillsbury Company. Clarkson Potter Publisher, New York, 2000. Pg. 416.
Friday, July 07, 2006
July 1 - 14, 2006
S 1 - L.O. Spaghetti/Garlic Bread/Salad
U 2 - L.O. Roast Pork and Rice/Peas/Carrots
M 3 - Mushroom Chicken & Yellow Rice/Green Beans
T 4 - Turkey Soup with Egg Noodles (may vary for holiday)
W 5 - Church Dinner
R 6 - Meat Loaf (PIE 38)/Tater Tots/Carrots
F 7 - Spicy BBQ Chicken (TOH, 6/06 pg.8)/Grilled Corn/Broccoli
S 8 - Lasagna (PIE 38)/Salad
U 9 - L.O. Lasagna/Salad
M 10 - Grilled Chicken Quarters/Broccoli/Carrots
T 11 - Italian Pepper Steak /Egg Noodles
W 12 - Church Dinner
R 13 - Crispy Onion Chicken (TOH 8/03 pg.29)/Baked Potatoes/Green Beans
F 14 - Roast Turkey Legs/Stuffing/Green Beans/Sweet Potatoes
To save money I'm using beef stew meat in the Pepper Steak. Also, our meat comes in a bulk economy order (see my blog about House of Meat)- so I don't get to choose which types of meat I get for all the meals. I plan around what's in the order.
U 2 - L.O. Roast Pork and Rice/Peas/Carrots
M 3 - Mushroom Chicken & Yellow Rice/Green Beans
T 4 - Turkey Soup with Egg Noodles (may vary for holiday)
W 5 - Church Dinner
R 6 - Meat Loaf (PIE 38)/Tater Tots/Carrots
F 7 - Spicy BBQ Chicken (TOH, 6/06 pg.8)/Grilled Corn/Broccoli
S 8 - Lasagna (PIE 38)/Salad
U 9 - L.O. Lasagna/Salad
M 10 - Grilled Chicken Quarters/Broccoli/Carrots
T 11 - Italian Pepper Steak /Egg Noodles
W 12 - Church Dinner
R 13 - Crispy Onion Chicken (TOH 8/03 pg.29)/Baked Potatoes/Green Beans
F 14 - Roast Turkey Legs/Stuffing/Green Beans/Sweet Potatoes
To save money I'm using beef stew meat in the Pepper Steak. Also, our meat comes in a bulk economy order (see my blog about House of Meat)- so I don't get to choose which types of meat I get for all the meals. I plan around what's in the order.
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