Beef Stroganoff

This is another recipe from the collection my mother-in-law made for me when I married her oldest son! This is different from my mother's in that it calls for cubes of beef that are browned. The recipe I grew up with uses ground beef.

• 1 pound stewing beef
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 t. salt
• 1/4 t. pepper
• 2 t. dry mustard
• 4 oz. mushrooms
• 3/4 c. water
• 1/2 c. sour cream or plain yogurt
  
• rice or noodles
  

1. Flour meat and brown in heavy pan.
2. Add remaining ingredients (except sour cream and rice) and cook slowly for one hour or more, covered.
3. Add sour cream or yogurt and heat through.
4. Serve over rice or noodles.

Serves 4

Rubber Chicken Re-visit

I've been roasting chickens and making a ton of great leftovers from them (aka rubber chicken), but haven't posted my recipes in a while. So, since someone else has done a terrific job of walking you through the process once again, I'll direct you to her: Cheap, Healthy Good (a very fun food-related blog). Enjoy! The recipes look great and nicely varied.

Seasonal Recipes (Spring)

Fruits and Vegetables in season during the spring:

• lettuces
• greens
• green onions
• asparagus
• peas (English, sugar snap, snow, etc.)
  
• cabbages
• broccoli
• strawberries (late spring)

Personal spring favorites:
Pistachio Cake
Ham-related recipes (from that Easter ham)
Quick Creamed Cabbage
Ontario Greens (offsite link)
Baby Bok Choy with Garlic (offsite link)
Springtime Peas
Oriental Slaw

Tzatziki

This is one of our favorite sauces and is often served with Greek foods. We make several versions of this. This version below is a little thicker because the yogurt is drained to make yogurt cheese. Make it ahead of time because it gets better as it sits (up to a day or two). It's great with Mediterranean Salmon Cakes or with falafel (which I make from a mix).

Recipe from Take-Out Tonight!

• 2 c. yogurt cheese*
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, grated, and squeezed dry
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 t. olive oil
• 1 T. chopped fresh dill (or 1 t. dried)
  
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 1/2 t. salt

*to make 2 cups yogurt cheese, spoon 1 quart plain yogurt into a coffee filter- or a cheesecloth-lined strainer; set over a bowl and let stand in refrigerator 2 hours or overnight. Discard the liquid.

Combine all ingredients; mix well.

Makes about 2 cups

Greek Chicken

This is easy and delicious!

4 to 6 chicken breast halves

3 to 6 garlic cloves

3 lemons

Olive oil

Greek seasonings: oregano, garlic salt, and Greek Seasoning*

*If you don't have Greek seasoning, there are lots of recipes online for it (like this one).

Skin chicken. Slice garlic into thin slivers. Make several slits with the tip of a sharp knife in chicken; insert 1 slice of garlic per slit. Squeeze the juice of 3 lemons in a 13x9-inch baking dish; lay chicken on top. Drizzle oil over chicken, patting to spread oil. Sprinkle chicken with oregano, garlic salt, and Greek seasoning. Marinate chicken at least 3 hours, turning occasionally. Bake at 350 degrees until done. Serve with rice or orzo tossed with feta cheese and drizzled with juices from the pan.

Serves 4-6

Scotch Chicken

This is one of my husband's all-time favorite recipes. He discovered it back in his single days. It's a good in-house date night dinner.

Recipe from The Gourmet Light Cookbook

• 2 boneless chicken breasts, skin on
• 1/8 t. salt
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 T. Scotch
• 1/2 c. chicken broth
• 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 T. cream
• a few gratings nutmeg

1. Place the chicken, skin-side down, in a 10-inch nonstick skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sear it, covered, over high heat 3 minutes. Turn the chicken over, reduce heat to medium, cover, and continue cooking another 3-4 minutes.
2. Remove chicken from skillet to plate. Off the heat, deglaze the skillet with the Scotch. When the liquor quiets down, return to high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to loosen the particles stuck to the bottom. Reduce the liquid until it's just a film.
3. Add the broth and the mushrooms to the skillet, cover, and boil, stirring occasionally until it's reduced to about 3 tablespoons liquid.
4. Remove the skillet from heat, stir, and cool about 1 minute. Stir in cream, season with nutmeg, and pour it over the chicken.

Serves 2

Gyoza (Chinese dumplings, aka "pot stickers")

Gyoza is the word that refers to boiled Chinese dumplings; the steamed versions and the skillet-cooked versions are each called something slightly different. Because my husband ate gyoza in China most often, that's what we call them regardless of how we're cooking them. These are labor intensive the first go round, but provide both the opportunity to fellowship during preparation and the opportunity to freeze an outstanding meal for later consumption! Our recipe makes roughly 60 dumplings, or the amount in the storebought wrapper packages (you can make your own dumpling wrappers, but I always buy them in the grocery store--near the tofu; look for wonton wrappers and the like); you will have leftover filling which is great cooked/browned and then mixed into rice for fried rice (or served as part of Bibimbap). We can polish off 1/3-1/2 a recipe in no time; I freeze the leftovers for a second meal that we cook slightly differently (see below). We don't use a recipe for the filling, really, but sort of "eyeball" it. The one below is a great start.

Recipe based on one from thekitchn

• 2 pounds ground pork
• 4-6 cups or so chopped napa cabbage (maybe half a head? we sort of eyeball it)
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped
• 1 T. or so soy sauce
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced or smashed (about 2 tablespoons) (or much more!)
• 3-inch grated ginger (about 2 teaspoons) (or more!)

1. Mix the pork and chopped cabbage and scallions. Mix in the soy sauce. Add the garlic and ginger and mix well. (It should look like the picture just above)
2. Place a tablespoon on each wrapper. Moisten edges with water and seal up (I usually make little half-circle shapes; technically, the steamed varities are made differently--check out the recipe link above for a picture). You'll have extra filling--we mix it into fried rice.
3. If boiling, drop in boiling water for about 10 minute (test one to be sure it's fully cooked). You'll have to do this in batches because you don't want to crowd the pan too much. Cook the first 10 or so while you're making up the next ones. These will be slightly "slimy," very soft, and slippery.
4. If steaming, lightly spray a flat steamer basket, and steam as many dumplings as will fit in one layer for 10-15 minutes (again, cut into one to check). We now cook all the dumplings this way the first day we make them; this verison is the one that freezes well once cooled--just freeze in a single layer on a cookie sheet and pop into a ziploc bag once solid). These are a little more solid than the first, boiled version. You can pick them up with chopsticks (or fingers) and dip them easily. Mmmmm
5. If cooking in a skillet, generously film the bottom of a skillet with oil and "fry" the dumplings in one layer, flipping only once. The bottoms will get crusty and stick a bit to the skillet bottom (hence, "pot stickers"), but that crusty edge is to die for!!! This is the way we "reheat" our previously frozen, steamed dumplings for a quick meal. Yum yum yum yum....

Our kids love these!!! We serve them with rice, fried or steamed, and sometimes nothing else!

Serve with dipping sauces of choice (teriyaki, soy sauce, etc.). My husband makes one with Chinese vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and something else. You can also search the web for Gyoza dipping sauces or Pot sticker dipping sauces. Enjoy!

Sticky Skins

We first had these at Sticky Fingers (the best BBQ restaurant!!). Anyway, we've recreated them at home lots, using leftover baked potatoes and cooked chicken. It's a very informal creation....

Leftover baked potatoes (I frequently bake a couple of extras when I'm roasting a chicken)
Leftover cooked chicken
BBQ sauce
shredded cheese
sour cream or plain yogurt
bacon bits, optional

Halve potatoes and scoop a fair amount out of the skins, leaving a 1/2-inch thick layer or less. (I feed the potato insides to the kids since they don't like their food mixed or like potato skins). Scoop in some chopped cooked chicken. Top with BBQ sauce. Heat in the oven (something like 350 degrees) until warmed. Sprinkle with cheese and pop back in the oven until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream or plain yogurt and sprinkle with bacon bits. Mmmm...

Sunday Pork Loin

This is the way my in-laws cook pork roast on Sundays, and it always is a hit! It's moist, flavorful, and is ready when you get home for lunch. Since pork loin is on sale at Kroger this week, this meal might appear on my next menu! Note: this will not work in a gas oven!!

• lemon pepper seasoning
• boneless pork loin roast (3 pounds or up)

Put lemon pepper seasoning ALL over the roast--pat it in, making sure roast is thoroughly covered. Put in a roasting pan and cover.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place meat in and roast for 5 minutes per pound of meat. Do not open the oven door! Just turn the oven off and leave meat in for at least 2 hours. (Trust me on this!)

Figure on 1/3 pound of meat or so per person; leftovers make terrific sandwiches

Sweet and Sour Mashed Sweet Potatoes

This is a nice change from the usual sweet potato dishes. The texture is more similar to mashed potatoes because of the added sour cream.

Recipe from my friend Betsy

• 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
  
• 2 T. Italian dressing
  
• 1/2 c. finely chopped onion
  
• 1/2 c. sour cream
  
• 1 T. brown sugar
  

1. Cook potatoes in water until tender (~10 minutes). Remove and drain.
   
2. Heat dressing in small skillet and cook onions 5 minutes.
   
3. Mash sweet potatoes, onion mixture, sour cream and brown sugar all together.
   
4. Garnish with cinnamon.
   

Serves 4? (didn't write down the servings...)

Aunt Jeanne's Raspberry Salad

This is our aunt's amazing raspberry jello salad recipe. It's a hit with all ages, beautiful to look at, and is made ahead of time! I like to serve salads like this with spicy food or one-pot meals that benefit from an extra little side dish.

2 3-oz. packages red raspberry jello (or 1 6-oz. package)

1 1/2 c. hot water

2 boxes frozen red raspberries (~20 oz.)

1 c. unsweetened applesauce

Dissolve jello in hot water. Add partially thawed berries. Add applesauce. Stir until smooth. Pour into molds (or one big pan--you can cut it into squares later). Chill until set.

Makes 10-12 servings

Potato and Cabbage Soup--in the Microwave!

I'm not sure this is much faster than the stovetop, but it is simple, tasty, and economical. Potatoes, cabbage, and bacon or sausage--perfect for St. Patrick's Day!

Recipe from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook

• 4 slices bacon, in 1-inch pieces
• 1 c. chopped onion
• 2 c. diced potatoes
• 2 c. shredded cabbage
• 1/2 c. chopped scallions
• 2 c. chicken broth
• salt and pepper

Put the bacon and onion in a 3-4 quart microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, cabbage, and scallions, cover, and microwave 5-6 minutes. Add the chicken broth and salt and pepper, re-cover, and microwave on high 4-6 minutes or until hot.

Serves 4

Two-Week March Menu

Per Simple Mom's genius inspiration, I've made a two-week menu for March that I'll just repeat the second half of the month. I've got some ideas for April in mind already, partly due to the sales on beef at Target this month! Here's my menu below, in case you're interested in doing something similar. You'll notice that the main dish is the most scripted; the sides are sometimes vague--whatever I have on hand that week! I've had to move things around some, but I was able to buy my supplies at the beginning of the month and know that we had meals planned.

Week 1:

• Monday: Roast Chicken (whole); Starch*; Green veggie (ended up being broccoli); carrot sticks
• Tuesday: Black Beans with Orange and Sausage (which I burned... and went to Wed's meal); crudite
• Wednesday: Sticky Skins (potatos stuffed with chicken, BBQ sauce, and cheese); steamed veggies (1st week of month we go to church on Wed, so this was a good meal to put in for Tuesday's burned one...)
• Thursday: Chicken Korma, green veggie, rice (make extra for tomorrow night!)
• Friday: Gyoza (Chinese pork dumplings; make extra to freeze for repeat week); Fried Rice; Broccoli Slaw
• Saturday: Stuffed Bread and Crudite
• Sunday: (Lunch) Soup from freezer and sandwiches; (Dinner) Apple Dutch Babies and Bacon

Week 2:

• Monday: Baked Chicken Leg Quarters, Sweet Potatoes, green veggies, bread
• Tuesday: Baked Lentils with Cheese (1/2 recipe); salad or crudite; cornbread from freezer
• Wednesday: Chicken Fajitas (w/leftover chicken from week 1 or marinated batch in freezer), Refried Beans, green veggie?
• Thursday: Gumbo and Rice, green veg (froze half of gumbo for repeat week)
• Friday: Ravioli with tomato sauce; salad or crudite; jello salad
• Saturday: Pizza
• Sunday: (lunch) soup from freezer and sandwiches; (dinner) omelets and muffins

Tarragon Cream Chicken

Fresh tarragon is one of our favorite flavors, especially with chicken. I think this recipe may have come from the Southern Living Quick and Easy cookbook, but can't remember!

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. white pepper
• 3 T. butter
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 1 c. whipping cream
• 1/3 c. minced green onion
• 2 T. chopped fresh tarragon
• 1/2 t. minced garlic
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/4 t. white pepper

1. Flatten chicken to 1/4-inch thickness.
2. Combine 1/2 t. salt and pepper; sprinkle over chicken.
3. Melt butter in large non-stick skillet (or cast iron) over medium heat. Add chicken. Cook 5 minutes on each side, or until done. Remove from skillet and keep warm.
4. Add lemon juice to skillet and cook over high heat 30 seconds, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet.
5. Add cream and next 5 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, 4 minutes or until slightly thickened. Pour over chicken.

Makes 4 servings

Apricot Chicken

This is from my mother-in-law.

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 8-oz. Russian dressing
• 1 10-oz. jar apricot jam
• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• 1 c. water

Place chicken in shallow baking and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

Serves 8

Fastest and Easiest Baked Chicken

A great basic recipe to have on hand for a easy weeknight dinner (or even company!). This is from my mother-in-law.

• chicken pieces
• vegetable or olive oil
• garlic powder
• salt and pepper
• Worcestershire sauce

Rub each piece of chicken with oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour 2-3 T. Worcestershire sauce over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, covered.

Company Chicken Casserole

This is my mother-in-law's recipe for a great chicken and rice casserole. It's easy and works well for company or a Pot Luck dinner.

• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 3/4 c. milk
• 1 box Uncle Ben's long grain wild rice
• 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
• some slivered almonds

1. Combine soups and milk. Reserve 1 cup and spread remainder in a greased 9x13-inch pan.
2. Add rice.
3. Press chicken into rice mixture and spread reserved soup mixture on top.
4. Sprinkle cheese and almonds on top.
5. Bake, covered, at 275 degrees for 2 1/2 hours.\

Serves 6-8

Mother-in-Law's Meatloaf

My mother-in-law made a cookbook for me when I married her son; in it, she put all sorts of recipes that she made while my husband was growing up! This is one of those recipes: a classic meatloaf.

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 c. bread crumbs
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 1/2 t. salt
• 1/4 t. pepper
• 4-oz. tomato sauce (1/2 can)*

Combine above, mixing thoroughly. Place in loaf pan.

• 1 1/2 cans of tomato sauce (12 ounces total)*
• 1/4 c. water
• 3 T. brown sugar
• 2 T. vinegar
• 2 T. prepared mustard
• 2 t. Worcestershire sauce

Combine topping ingredients and pour over meatloaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Apple Walnut Chicken Salad

Another light lunch-time option from the South Beach Diet.

5 ounces cooked chicken breast, cut into 1/2"-3/4" cubes

1/2 c. chopped celery

3/4 c. chopped apple

2 ounces chopped walnuts

1 T. raisins

1/3 c. prepared Italian dressing

Bibb lettuce

Mix chicken through raisins together. Toss gently with dressing and serve over lettuce.

Serves 2

Bodacious Bananas

I coined the title for these bananas when my mom first made these for us (a long time ago!). They are a fun side dish or dessert--very kid-friendly. A nice option, too, when you're pretty sure your toddler(s) won't be eating much of the main course.

• bananas, sliced lengthwise in half
• honey
• peanut butter
• pecans--finely chopped

Combine honey and peanut butter (to whatever consistency/combination you prefer). Spread over bananas (you'll have to use your fingers). Top with pecans. Serve on crisp lettuce as a side dish or just plain for dessert!

Black Bean Salsa

This is a great Tex Mex dip. If you're planning a large party, try this out because it is quick to throw together and makes a fair amount. Make it the day before.

• 2 (15-oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (or 4 cups cooked beans)
• 1 (16-oz.) can white corn, drained
• 6 T. fresh lime juice
• 4 T. olive oil
• 1 1/2 t. cumin
• 1/2 c. red onion, chopped fine
• 1/4 c. chopped cilantro
• 1 t. salt
• 1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
• chopped jalapenos

Combine all ingredients except tomatoes and jalapeno. Chill overnight. Add tomatoes and jalapenos before serving.

Serving Suggestion: tortilla chips or Fritos

Baked Lentils with Cheese

This recipe is the reason I bought the More-With-Less cookbook; it's one of my husband's all-time favorite meatless dishes (and he likes a lot of meatless entrees). This unassuming list of ingredients turns faintly sweet and savory during the cooking; the sum is much greater than the parts. It's also a great recipe to have on hand for the last few days of the week/month since everything keeps well. Don't let the long ingredient list deter you--you probably have everything on hand (except maybe lentils), and this makes a large casserole so you can have leftovers tomorrow! Don't skimp on the cheese--it forms a terrific "crust" that really makes the dish. This takes a while to bake, so it's a perfect get-it-ready-during-kids'-naptime-and-walk-away dish. This is also a good early table food dish; everything is soft enough for kids without teeth and it's packed with good nutrients.

updated 8/22/13: we mixed in some brown basmati rice for a delicious variation: 1/2 c. rice, 1 c. lentils, 3 cups water (all else is the same). It's a touch more watery, but the kids loved it and it's an easier way to introduce lentils to skeptics. (this is the version in the picture above)

Baked Lentils with Cheese

From More-with-less

• 1 3/4 c. lentils, rinsed
• 2 c. water (can also use chicken stock)
• 1 whole bay leaf
• 2 t. salt
• 1/4 t. pepper
• 1/8 t. marjoram
• 1/8 t. sage
• 1/8 t. thyme
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 c. canned tomatoes (roughly 1 can; I don't drain)
• 2 large carrots, thinly sliced (1/8-inch thick)
• 1/2 c. thinly sliced celery (1 stalk or so)
• 1 green pepper, chopped (optional--sometimes I add red)
• 2 T. finely chopped parsley
• 3 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine lentils through tomatoes in large 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and stir in carrots and celery. Bake, covered, another 40 minutes until vegetables are tender. Stir in green pepper and parsley. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes until cheese melts.

Serves 6-8

Serving Suggestions: fruit and cornbread or sweet potatoes (baked alongside casserole)

Grocery Shopping Strategy

I am so grateful that the Lord has provided a wonderful, stable job for my husband; he earns a wonderful income and, while we set a monthly grocery budget, it's a fairly workable budget as long as I'm conscientious. Currently, we're trying for a monthly budget of $450 (groceries, toiletries, medicine, etc.). This is for 2 adults, 1 preschooler, and 2 toddlers. I realize that some are mananging to feed their families for quite a bit less; on the other hand, some are spending much, much more to feed similar sized families.

I'm not a numbers person (I save that for my genius electrical engineer of a hubby), but thought a break down this month might be interesting. I'll save the per meal cost for people like Erin at $5 Dinners and the super frugal weekly budget for people like Gayle at The Grocery Cart Challenge. If you're interested in couponing, check out my friend Alicia's blog Reformation, Life, Family, Finances.

I shop at three stores every month: Kroger, Pratt's (local produce store), and Sam's. We go to Sam's about every 6 weeks or so and our average there is around $100 for food stuffs, give or take (depends on whether we're out of paper towels, toilet paper, olive oil, sliced American cheese, and chocolate chips all at the same time!). I go to Pratt's weekly. This month, I'm going to try to go to Kroger twice: one big trip at the beginning and one smaller trip later to restock milk type products. I made a menu for 2 weeks (per Simple Mom's inspiration) and then will repeat it for the second half of the month. So, my grocery needs are fairly set at the beginning of the month. I can use the excess funds, if there are any, to stock up on sale items later in the month.

The first week, my Pratt's bill was $24.98. I ALWAYS hit somewhere in this range and I NEVER calculate while in the store or even always buy the same things. Weird, huh? The reciepts don't list what you have, just the amounts, so I have a hard time knowing exactly what individual items always cost. But here's the gist:

• 10 pounds potatoes ($2)
• 5.5 pounds Cameo apples ($0.99/pound)
• 2 red bell peppers (reduced because they got dropped and split open; $0.79 for two!)
• 2 regular cucumbers
• 2 pounds carrots
• 1 bag celery
• 3 ginormous sweet potatoes
• 8 navel oranges (4/$1)
• 1 3-pound bag onions
• 1 large clump bananas
• 1 "clump" broccoli (3 heads in bag)
• 1 packet Goobers (check out line tax for shopping with kids :) )
• 1 tray pack reduced apples (5 big apples that look just fine)

This will be more than enough produce to last us until the middle of next week, I'm assuming.

Kroger's trip ran like this:

Specific Menu Items

2 organic whole chickens (costly, but I use them for 2 meals plus stock)

3 pounds smoked sausage

2 pounds bacon

1 bag frozen shrimp (20% off)

2 pounds ground pork (on sale for $2.50)

napa cabbage

2 packs broccoli slaw

2 bunches green onions

2 heads garlic

1 jar fancy salsa

2 packs whole wheat tortillas

1 pound black beans

1 pound pinto beans

1 pound frozen peas

2 cans diced tomatoes

Miscellaneous Items (breakfasts, snacks, lunches)

1 pound chick peas

3 dozen large eggs (Eggland's Best--$1 for coupon and Kroger doubling)

14 Dannon yogurts (sale plus coupon)

3 boxes Flips Pretzel Crackers (hubby's favorite; on sale for $2/box!)

Miracle Whip

red wine vinegar

white wine vinegar

flour

4 gallons milk

3 24-oz. containers cottage cheese (on sale!)

2 packs Comforts diapers (on sale plus coupon)

Graham crackers

2 large canisters oats

2 jars lightly salted roasted peanuts

Miscellaneous toiletry/pharmaceutical stuff

kalamata olives (splurge... mmm)

Total before coupons and Kroger deductions: $235.85

Total after coupons and Kroger deductions*: $178.08

*Most of these were the coupons Kroger sends me in the mail.

Conclusion: Less than half of the grocery budget spent the first day/week (but almost half!); I should be buying primarily produce and milk plus a trip to Sam's near the end of the month. I think I'll be in good shape even with some splurges like organic chicken, kalamata olives, and so forth :).

Week 2:

Pratt's only this week: $44.09 (more than usual because I bought herbs and honey)

Breakdown:

• 6 pots of herbs @ $1.99 each
• 1 quart-sized jar sour wood honey (semi-local) @$8.99
• 2 reduced-packs of red peppers (2 peppers per pack) @ $0.99 each
• 1 reduced-pack of cucumbers (~6 or so in pack and all look fine) @ $0.99
• 8 navel oranges @ $2.00 total
• 3 limes @ $1.00 total
• 4 lemons @ $1.00 total
• cabbage @ $0.49/pound
• apples @ $0.99/pound
• 2 bunches green onions @ $0.50 each
• 8-oz. fresh spinach for $1.99
• bananas
• 1 pound carrots for $0.79

(I'm trying to purchase most of my garden stuff on the food budget this year.... so far, so good!)

Trip to Aldi Grand-Opening: $25.00

By End of Week 2 (Half-way through month): $272.15

Left for rest of month: $177.85

Sam's trip still to go as well.... Hmmm...

Turkey Soup

This is the way my mother makes turkey soup with Thanksgiving leftovers. It's a brothy soup full of great turkey flavor and a nice end to the preceeding week's gluttony....

• 1 turkey carcass
  
• 3 onions, minced
  
• 2-3 stalks celery, minced
  
• 1/2 clove garlic, minced
  
• 2 t. salt
  
• 1/2-3/4 t. pepper
  
• flour
  
• milk
  
• rice, uncooked
  

Cover carcass with water and boil several hours until meat easily falls off bone. Strain, pick meat off bones, and return to liquid.

Saute onions, celery, and garlic in some butter. Add, along with remaining ingredients, to soup. Make a cup of thin white sauce and add to soup (melt a bit of butter, add some flour and milk and stir). Boil until it's done!

Grandmother's Vegetable Soup

As with all wonderful recipes of my grandmother's, this is merely a guideline.... If you don't have some terrific leftovers stashed in your freezer that you can add to this, it will be basic vegetable soup. However, if you have some yummy chili leftovers, spaghetti sauce leftovers, beef gravy, cooked vegetables with basic seasoning (read: bacon grease, salt, pepper, sugar), etc. then this soup will be amazing. Peas, butterbeans, green beans, corn, etc. all work well; avoid cruciferous veggies like broccoli and cabbage and strong tasting veggies like mushrooms green peppers unless you want the soup to taste like them.

• 1 soup bone, preferably with meat
• gallon of water
• salt and pepper
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1 whole onion, chopped
• 3-4 ribs celery, chopped
• 3-4 carrots, chopped
• 1/2 can okra
• 1/4 t. basil
• pinch thyme (1/4 t.)
• 2 rounded T. dried parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 potato OR spaghetti OR egg noodles OR rice
• leftovers

I have no directions down for this soup! Just the ingredients.... General soup making tips: browning veggies (onion, carrots, celery) will enhance taste. Bring ingredients to a boil and then simmer until flavors meld. Add starches and cooked leftovers at the end.

Wassail

Have this ready in your crock pot or simmering on your stovetop at your next cold weather party or gathering. It's wonderful and very "seasonal." Recipe is from my friend Rachel.

• 1 c. fresh orange juice
  
• 4 sticks cinnamon
  
• 1 whole allspice
  
• 4 cloves
  
• 8 1/2 cups apple cider or juice
  
• 2 1/8 cups dark rum*
  
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice*
  

*May substitute pineapple juice for these two ingredients.

Bring all ingredients to a boil, then quickly turn heat off and let steep for 4 hours. Serve hot (reheat before serving or keep warm in a crock pot turned to "low" setting while steeping).

Makes more than a half gallon

Sparkling Punch

Delicious and refreshing!

1 (6-oz.) can frozen lemonade, thawed

1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 (10-oz.) package frozen strawberries, thawed, undrained

3 quarts Ginger Ale, chilled

Combine all ingredients except Ginger Ale in blender. Blend at high speed 3o seconds or until smooth. Just before serving, stir in Ginger Ale.

Makes 4 quarts

Chex Winter Party Mix

This is the recipe my mom's used for years, and it's classic party fare. Enjoy! It'll be making frequent appearances as appetizer/snack fare during our holidays.

• 1/2 c. butter
• 1 1/2 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/4 t. seasoned salt
• 2 c. wheat chex
• 2 c. corn chex
• 2 c. rice chex
• bagel chips
• pretzel sticks
• mixed nuts (just 1 can)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Heat butter in 13x9x2-inch baking pan in oven until melted. Remove. Stir in seasoned salt and Worcestershire sauce. Add Chex and nuts. Mix until all pieces are coated. Heat in oven 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes. Spread on absorbent paper to cool.

Makes about 9 cups

Easily doubles, provided you have a big bowl to mix it in and store it in (I'm using my Thatsa Bowl from Carrie's Tupperware connections!).

Oatmeal Pancake

This is dense and filling--I like it spread with honey.

From South Beach Diet

1/2 c. old-fashioned oatmeal

1/3 c. low-fat cottage cheese

4 egg whites (I use 2 whole eggs)

1 t. vanilla

1/4 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

Process everything in a blender until smooth. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add the batter and cook over medium heat until both sides are lightly browned.

I eat mine with honey on top!

Serves 1

South Beach Chopped Salad with Tuna

Another great contribution from the South Beach diet! This is basically a chopped vegetable salad with tuna added--a nice change from the mayo-based tuna salads we usually eat. This is a great summertime lunch option. (I don't usually measure--just chop a bunch of stuff up and toss it with the dressing.)

• 1 6-oz. can water-packed tuna, drained
• 1/3 c. chopped cucumber
• 1/3 c. chopped tomato
• 1/3 c. chopped avocado
• 1/3 c. chopped celery
• 1/3 c. chopped radishes
• 1 c. chopped romaine lettuce
• 4 t. olive oil
• 2 T. lime juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 t. pepper

Combine salad ingredients (tuna through lettuce). Mix remaining ingredients together and drizzle over salad.

Serves 1 generously

Cheesy Frittata

This is one of my favorite breakfast meals. It's a terrific way to use up odds and ends of vegetables as well. Frequently, I'll prep the veggies the night before and store, covered, in fridge.

Modified from South Beach Diet book

• 2 t. butter
• 1/2 c. sliced onion
• 1/2 c. sliced red bell pepper
• 1/2 c. sliced zucchini
• 2 small plum tomatoes, diced
• 1 T. chopped fresh basil
• pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 c. cottage cheese
• 1/4 c. evaporated milk
• 1/4 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1. Coat an ovenproof 10-inch skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-low heat until hot. Melt butter in skillet. Add the onion, bell pepper, and zucchini and saute over medium-low heat until the vegetables are lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil, and black pepper to the skillet and stir to combine. Cook until the flavors are blended, 2-3 minutes, and remove from the heat.
2. Preheat the broiler. In a blender, combine the eggs, cottage cheese, and milk and process until smooth. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables. Cover and cook on medium-low heat until the bottom is set and the top is still slightly wet. Transfer the skillet to the broiler and broil until the top is set, 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese and broil until the cheese melts (watch closely!).

2 generous servings!

Karen's Gumbo

My neighbor Karen got this recipe from a friend of hers, but in our house, it's "Karen's Gumbo." My husband and I both like it even though we don't usually like shrimp. It's easy and yummy! (For a chicken and sausage variation straight from Cajun country, check out my friend Bridgette's recipe here.)

• 1 1/4 pounds unpeeled, large fresh shrimp
  
• 1 pound smoked sausage, browned
  
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  
• 1/4 cup flour
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped
  
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
  
• 32 ounces chicken broth
  
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon pepper
  
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper
  
• 4 green onions, chopped
  
• 1-2 teaspoons file powder (optional)
  
• hot cooked rice
  
• crusty bread (like Cuban Bread)
  

1. Peel and devein shrimp; set aside.
   
2. Make roux with oil and flour in Dutch oven over medium heat until dark (about 12 minutes).
   
3. Reduce heat to low; add onion and bell pepper and saute 5 minutes or until tender.
   
4. Add broth gradually, stirring until blended. Stir in garlic, salt, and peppers; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
   
5. Add shrimp and sausage and green onions; cook, covered, 10 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink.
   
6. Remove from heat and stir in file powder if using. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve over rice with crusty bread.
   

Menu Planning: A "Normal" Week

Aaahh... a normal week to menu plan --and we actually followed our menu pretty closely. This being the last week of the month, a month during which I stock-piled cereal, we didn't have much money to work with; we're trying to eat from that pantry/freezer stockpile! 

Sunday: Lunch at friends' house (finishing up their YUMMY Cajun food from the Mardi Gras party the night before); dinner was leftovers from our meals earlier in the weekend

Monday: Falafel from mix, Tzatziki sauce, pitas, Greek salad, sweet potato fries 

Tuesday: Mediterranean Salmon Patties and leftover Tzatziki sauce (Tzat. sauce from different recipe than the one featured on the salmon patties recipe); Speedy Rosemary Green Beans; Barley or Rice

Wednesay: Roast Chicken with New Potatoes; steamed broccoli

Thursday: Breakfast for dinner (omelets and bacon probably)

Friday: Pizza (from Papa John's!)

Saturday: Barley Soup  (I used chicken stock made from Wed's chicken instead of the vegetable stock called for) and Cornbread