MENU PLAN AUGUST 2009

I'm just going to fill this in as I go.

Sat. 1: pizza

Sun. 2: sloppy joes, corn on the cob

Mon. 3: Hawaiian Chicken, rice

Tues. 4: ravioli with meatballs

Wed. 5: pot roast

Thurs. 6: takeout

Fri. 7: Tilapia with tomatoes and wine

Sat. 8: diner

Sun. 9: picnic with friends.

Mon. 10: Lemon Mushroom Herb Chicken

Tues. 11: Pork paprikas

Wed. 12: Tandoori Chicken, hash-brown casserole

Thurs. 13: spaghetti

Fri. 14: Rainbow Stir-fry

Sat. 15: Sausage & Pepper sandwiches

Sun. 16: leftovers

Mon. 17: spaghetti

Tues. 18: Beef Paysanne with noodles

Wed. 19: Leftovers

Thurs. 20: Chicken Swiss melt with rice

Fri. 21: lobster rolls

Sat. 22: family party (I don't have to cook!)

Sun. 23: Barb's Italian Chicken with pasta, green salad

Mon. 24: Sandwiches at BIL's

Tues. 25: Chicken Parmesan

Wed. 26: Sandwiches at MIL's

Thurs. 27: Sandwiches at BIL's

Fri. 28: Roast chicken, spinach, baked potatoes

Sat. 29: Barbecued chicken, Crab fries, broccoli

Sun. 30: Chicken Fajita Soup

Mon. 31: Pork chops in lemon juice and herb marinade, salt potatoes, vegetables

Tilapia with White Wine and Tomatoes

If you have an abundance of tomatoes, try them in this tilapia dish! You can substitute chopped grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or plum tomatoes as long as you have about a cup of chopped tomato.

TILAPIA WITH WHITE WINE AND TOMATOES

olive oil for the pan
6 tilapia fillets
1 Jersey tomato, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper
6 basil leaves, sliced in thin strips
3 sprigs fresh oregano
1/2 cup white wine
butter
6 sprigs fresh Italian parsley

Preheat oven to 400. Brush the bottom of a casserole dish with olive oil. Place fish into the casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomato and onion, then season with basil and oregano. Dot with butter. Pour wine over all. Cover and bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley before serving.

A Contest!

If you'd like a chance to win the church cookbook I picked up on vacation, just pop over to my SFO Mom blog and find out how to enter. Bonus entries are also available! Contest ends Friday, August 7 at NOON Eastern.

(I disabled comments on this post. If you want to enter the contest, you have to follow the link above. Thanks!)

Vacation!

It's been so long since I've posted here, it looks like my vacation was a lot longer. I have no idea what we ate for dinner in July. From the looks of things, nothing exciting!

We took a cruise to eastern Canada last week. So I didn't have to cook on vacation, but I sure did get to eat. Here are some of the fabulous meals I enjoyed.

MONDAY: shrimp cocktail, pan-seared tilapia with green pea fondue, vichy carrots, mac & cheese, creme brulee for dessert

TUESDAY: shrimp cocktail, lobster tail and broiled shrimp, mashed Yukon Gold potatoes, roasted broccoli

WEDNESDAY LUNCH: grilled mahi mahi with pico de gallo, cornbread, shredded carrots with raspberry vinaigrette

WEDNESDAY: shrimp cocktail, rack of lamb, carrot and turnip puree, lime sherbet for dessert

THURSDAY: chicken noodle soup, vegetarian lasagna, apple pie for dessert

FRIDAY: crab cake, fried jumbo shrimp with panko crust, curly fries, cappuccino pie for dessert

Rainbow Stir Fry

From a Michele Urvater cookbook, The Monday to Friday Cookbook. This is one of the first cookbooks we had when we got married and the recipes give a lot of variations--kind of like what Rachael Ray does. Using this cookbook gave me confidence in the kitchen. This dish is really delicious and very fresh-tasting.

I don't make this recipe exactly as the author wrote it, so here is what I did:

RAINBOW STIR FRY (4 servings)
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 bell peppers, cut in chunks (get different colors if possible, it makes the dish look prettier!)
1/2 cup frozen peas (don't need to thaw)
1 small-to-medium onion, chopped
1 tbl minced garlic
2 tbl lemon juice
salt
olive oil for the pan

Heat the oil in the pan and stir-fry the peppers, peas and onion for about 4 minutes. Add garlic and lemon juice and cook 2 more minutes. Add shrimp, stir-frying until the shrimp is cooked. Salt to taste and serve over rice.

This recipe cooks quickly, so start the rice before you put anything in the pan! If you have it all chopped ahead of time, you're probably looking at about 10 minutes total cook time.

Next time I make this I will need to enlarge the recipe: 1 1/2 lb. shrimp, 3 peppers and 1 medium onion. A little more garlic and lemon as well.

NOTE: Instead of frozen peas, snow pea pods are great in this recipe. About a cup of washed, trimmed fresh snow pea pods are all you need.

Leftover Magic!

I'm not "anti-leftovers" but I do think that disguising them is the way to go. When we eat leftovers, they are rarely in the same form as the original meal.

Here are some recipes I use when I have leftovers.

Mashed potato cakes
Fried rice and Frugal Leftover Fried Rice
Quesadillas

BEEF
Fajitas
Beef paysanne
Enchiladas. This is a great way to use up leftover pot roast or roast beef--pour some canned enchilada sauce into a casserole dish, mix some sauce with shredded cooked beef, chopped onions and cheese, roll up enchiladas, and top with more sauce and cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
Beef Burgundy Stroganoff
Chili (great way to use up cooked hamburgers!)

CHICKEN (or TURKEY)
Turkey stock
Fajitas
Turkey or chicken paprikas
Cousin Sharon's Chicken & Biscuit Stew
Chicken & Dumplings
Chicken Fajita Soup
Grandpa's Dark Meat Chicken
Pot Pie
Chicken Chili Blanco
Chicken & Noodle Casserole
Chicken Divan
Scarborough Fair Chicken Soup (I made stock with the turkey carcass, so this would be a great way to use it!)
Crescent Casserole
Lo Mein (also works with pork, and--BONUS--uses up the leftover spaghetti!)

PORK
Pulled pork sandwiches (also works with chicken)

Breezie's Legendary Clam Chowder

This is some good soup! Great meatless meal, if you leave out the bacon, but it might just be too indulgent for Lent. The original recipe is from a church cookbook from the St. Francis Chapel & City Ministry in Providence, RI. My brother (Breezie) gave me a few hints on tweaking the recipe and I added a touch of my own as well. So this is how I made it. Next time, I'll probably leave out the bacon.

1/4 lb. bacon (4 or 5 slices), diced
6 ribs celery, cut thin
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
2 TBL butter
1 qt chicken stock
black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp thyme
5 or 6 potatoes, diced (I didn't peel them before dicing, just washed them well)
3 cans (6.5 oz each) minced clams, drained, juice reserved
1 package Louis Kemp "crab," sliced
1 stick butter
6 TBL flour
1 qt milk
3 TBL cornstarch
1/4 cup ice water

Dice and blanch bacon in 2 cups boiling water for about 2 minutes.

Saute celery & onions in 2 TBL butter for 10 minutes over medium heat. Don't allow to brown.

In large soup pot, add bacon, celery & onions to chicken stock. Add clam juice, pepper and thyme. Bring to a heavy simmer. Add potatoes and simmer until the potatoes are cooked but still firm.

Melt the stick of butter and blend with flour. Add this roux to 1 qt. hot milk, off the heat. Stir and return to the burner, stirring until thickened to make a bechamel sauce. Add drained clams and the bechamel to the soup. Stir and simmer 10 minutes.

Make a slurry with the cornstarch and ice water and add to the soup. Bring to a boil and stir until soup thickens. Lower the heat and simmer until ready to serve.

Yield: 4 1/2 quarts of soup.

Thrifty Thursday: Fajitas

This is my husband's favorite "planned-leftover" meal. Next time you grill steak or chicken, make extra and save it for this easy weekday dinner.

Thrifty is planning leftovers AND using a single skillet to cook everything!

And if you're not a fajita fan, skip the vegetables, cook the meat with the sauce and then use some tortillas and cheese to make some delicious quesadillas.

FAJITAS
1 large sweet onion, sliced
2 bell peppers (any color you like), sliced
2 TBL olive oil
1 1/2 cups very thinly sliced leftover grilled steak or chicken
1 TBL black pepper
3 TBL soy sauce
1 TBL minced garlic
1/3 cup salsa

Saute the onion and peppers in a heavy skillet until they are still crispy, but beginning to soften. Remove to a plate. In the same skillet, add the remaining ingredients. Cook until everything is hot and the meat is coated with the sauce. Return vegetables to the skillet and cook 2 minutes more. Serve with warm tortillas.

Visit Thrifty Thursdays for more thrifty tips!

Menu Plan: June 7-27

Oh my goodness, has it been this long?

SUN 7: Grilled London broil, roasted potatoes with Old Bay seasoning, green beans

MON 8: Homemade pizza

TUES 9: Lemon & Garlic chicken drumsticks, broccoli, Stove Top stuffing

WED 10: Tacos. I saw a hint on Family Corner to use tomato juice in place of water when making tacos. Not having any tomato juice on hand, I used a can of tomato sauce and it worked great.

THURS 11: Spaghetti with sausage

FRI 12: Cub Scout picnic

SAT 13: The Big Kids both had parties to attend so we took Little Brother to Chili's

SUN 14: Steak on the grill, orzo with garlic and onions, mixed vegetables

MON 15: Balsamic chicken with onions, linguine aglio olio

TUES 16: takeout

WED 17: Chili

THURS 18: Spaghetti & meatballs

FRI 19: Went to a diner

SAT 20: Spaghetti at Mom & Dad's

SUN 21: Chicken parm at Mom & Pop's

MON 22: Chicken Swiss Melt, rice, mixed vegetables

TUES 23: Breezie's Legendary Clam Chowder, crusty bread, salad

WED 24: Fajitas/quesadillas with leftover steak

THURS 25: Ravioli with meatballs

FRI 26: Flounder

SAT 27: hot dogs, beans

Lemon and Garlic Chicken

Get this recipe at Cook and Count!

Cooking with Alicia & Annie: Light & Fluffy Waffles

These waffles are definitely light and fluffy. They were easy to make, too, and very tasty. We're having these again.

The recipe came from Alicia's Recipes.

2 c. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
3 eggs, separated
1 3/4 c. milk
1/3 c. oil

Instructions
Mix dry ingredients. Combine egg yolks, milk and oil. Add to dry ingredients. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks; fold in. Cook on preheated iron.

On my waffle iron, they took 4 minutes. This recipe made 18 waffles.

This post is an entry in the Cooking with Alicia & Annie blog event.

Lunchtime Tuna Mac

Finding packable lunch dishes that Middle Sister is willing to eat has become a real challenge. I hope I've found a winner with this one.

This was a truly frugal dish--all the vegetables were already in the fridge, left over from other meals. We used up the last of the mayo in the jar, and the pasta was left over from dinner. This way, nothing got wasted.

LUNCHTIME TUNA MAC

1 can chunk light tuna, mixed with 1 TBL mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups cooked pasta (I used mini fusilli)
2 or 3 TBL mayonnaise
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 TBL milk
1 baby carrot, minced
3 bell pepper strips, minced
1 tbl onion, minced (NOT dry minced onion)

Mix it all together and refrigerate overnight. I divided it into 2 lunch portions immediately, so the morning lunchbag packing will be really easy.

Crab Fries

Last night at a minor-league baseball game, I tried Chickie & Pete's Crab Fries for the first time. We ALL liked them (spicy but addictive!) so I knew I needed to figure out a way to do them at home. I found a few recipes on various websites and cobbled together the best ideas from this one and that one. Here's what we'll be trying on Tuesday.

CRAB FRIES
Fast-Food style fries
1 TBL Light Olive Oil
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Oregano, ground
1/2 tsp Basil
1 tsp Salt
1 TBL Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 tsp Pepper, black

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450. Cover baking sheet with foil and brush with olive oil.
Mix all dry ingredients.
Drizzle potatoes with olive oil, sprinkle seasoning over potatoes and mix to coat. (This is going to be messy, I can tell!)
Cook as directed on package.

UPDATE: These were great! I changed up the directions a little and omitted an ingredient. What you see above is what I did and we were all happy with the result.

Menu Plan week of May 31, 2009

HA! I'm back on track and getting this done on SUNDAY!

SUNDAY: Grilled chicken drumsticks, baked potatoes (yam for me) and green salad

MONDAY: Hawaiian Chicken with pineapple, jasmine rice, green beans

TUESDAY: Honey Pork Chops (I'm trying this recipe) with Crab Fries.

WEDNESDAY: Spaghetti. I know, not our usual day. But we need a fast "before the baseball game" dinner.

THURSDAY: Chicken & dumplings, Cracker-Barrel style.

FRIDAY: Baked flounder

SATURDAY: We'll be celebrating our niece's graduation, so no cooking will be done here.

Menu Plan Week of May 24, 2009

SUNDAY: Steak fajitas, macaroni salad, vegetable platter

MONDAY: Pork souvlaki, roasted potatoes & carrots

TUESDAY: Cajun Chicken Strips, tater tots, green beans

WEDNESDAY: Pizza (1 Barbecue Chicken, 1 regular) and salad

THURSDAY: Spaghetti and salad

FRIDAY: Salmon

SATURDAY: Something on the grill, I think....

Menu Plan Week of May 17, 2009

Once again, I'm way behind. I have been writing my plan in my fabulous planner, so I do know what we're eating...

SUNDAY: Mexican steak, rice pilaf, mixed vegetables

MONDAY: Beef paysanne, noodles

TUESDAY: Chicken piccata, red potatoes with butter and parsley

WEDNESDAY: Flips

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Pizza

SATURDAY: burgers, hot dogs, sausage & peppers, macaroni salad, Dr. Pepper Baked Beans, vegetable platter

Home Cookin'

...like MY mom and grandmoms never used to make. You see, we're Yankees.

If you're a Yankee like me who is smitten with the Mitford series by Jan Karon, you might enjoy the Mitford Cookbook, which my mom found today at Borders bookstore, marked down to $3.99! This is a $30 cookbook, folks!

The actual title is Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook & Kitchen Reader. It's got recipes (4 for cornbread alone!) and little excerpts from books. The recipes are organized by which Mitford novel mentions them, and there's a handy index in the back if you want to find your recipes some other way.

This is a reader's cookbook, not just a book of formulas. There are tips, stories of Karon's own family traditions, and more.

I'll be savoring this one.

Honey Mustard Chicken

Get the recipe with nutrition information at Cook and Count!

German Style Chicken

This German Style Chicken recipe was a lot like a pot pie. My big kids liked it a lot.

The recipe calls for a 2-qt dish but it was REALLY full and hard to serve without making a big mess. I will use a 9X13 next time I make this.

I added 2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables so I could have a one-pot meal. I also left off the Parmesan cheese topping, though next time I might add the cheese in with the sauce.

Here's the recipe with my changes:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cup chicken broth
1-1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 oz egg noodles, cooked & drained (I used mini bow ties)
3 cup chicken; cooked & diced
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Melt butter in large saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly stir 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in broth and milk. Reduce heat, simmering until thick, about 10 minutes. Blend in lemon juice and seasonings. Combine cooked noodles, vegetables and half the sauce, tossing gently to blend. Place in the bottom of a buttered 9X13 casserole. Top with chicken and remaining sauce. Bake until bubbling and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Menu Plan Week of May 10, 2009

SUNDAY: burgers and hot dogs at my in-laws'

MONDAY: Dr. Pepper Roast Pork, alfredo noodles, vegetables

TUESDAY: German Style Chicken

WEDNESDAY: Pulled pork sandwiches (using the leftovers from Monday)

THURSDAY: Pot roast, noodles, gravy, vegetables

FRIDAY: Spaghetti

SATURDAY: Honey Mustard Chicken, roasted potatoes & sweet potatoes, vegetables

Buttermilk Baked Chicken and Baked Potato Wedges

Two great tastes that go great together! And they bake at the same temperature (for the same time, if you use BIG pieces of chicken) so it makes dinner prep really easy.

Both these recipes came from Alicia's Recipes. I'm copying them below and in the case of the chicken, including the changes I made.

Buttermilk Baked Chicken
vegetable oil for baking sheet
1 1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
salt and pepper
4 pounds chicken parts, rinsed and patted dry

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F. Generously rub a baking sheet with oil. In a large bowl, stir together the buttermilk, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the buttermilk mixture, turning to coat evenly. Working with one piece at a time, remove chicken from liquid, letting excess drip back into bowl; dredge in the bread crumb mixture, turning to coat evenly. Place coated chicken pieces on prepared baking sheet. Bake until chicken is golden brown, about 35 to 50 minutes (depending on the size of the pieces). Leave enough space between the chicken pieces so that they crisp evenly all the way around. Serves 8.

Baked Potato Wedges
3-4 med. potatoes
2-3 tbsp. melted butter
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
4 dashes parsley
Salt and pepper

Instructions
Scrub potatoes. Do not peel. Cut each potato lengthwise in quarters. Stir together melted butter, garlic powder and parsley. Arrange potatoes skin side down on a shallow baking pan. Brush seasoned butter over cut surfaces of potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for about 1 hour or until golden brown and tender when pierced.

Menu Plan for May 3 through 9, 2009

SUNDAY:

MONDAY: Chicken Parmesan Bake and Italian Bread

TUESDAY: Buttermilk Baked Chicken and Baked Potato Wedges with mixed vegetables (entering the Alicia and Annie recipe contest!)

WEDNESDAY: "Homemade hamburger helper" with corn

THURSDAY: Spaghetti and meatballs

FRIDAY: Um, something meatless!

SATURDAY: Another First Communion party

Menu Plan for Last Week, April 26 - May 2

SUNDAY: Barbecued chicken on the grill, pasta salad

MONDAY: tacos (used canned tomato sauce instead of water in the tacos. It really tasted good!)

TUESDAY: Hawaiian chicken, rice, vegetables

WEDNESDAY: spaghetti

THURSDAY: Chicken Enchilada Soup

FRIDAY: Sports banquet at the kids' school

SATURDAY: we attended a First Communion party

Pushing It?

This afternoon I stopped at Dunkin' Donuts for the 50-cent iced coffee they were offering today (one per customer, please.)

While I was waiting for my coffee and the "new" Cinnamon Twist pastry I couldn't resist (it was REALLY GOOD too) a young man came in and asked the other server for two fifty-cent iced coffees. He was kind of bouncing up and down while he asked, which I thought was a little odd.

The server informed him politely that the offer was one per customer, and then it got a little nasty. The young man rudely told the server that he had been in several other Dunkin' Donuts today and ordered two coffees in each place with no problem. Then he said, "Fine. I'll just get one, go outside, come back in and get the other one."

I think the guy needs to switch to decaf. Clearly he has had at least 4 iced coffees already today if he's been in more than one other store today. He was bouncing up and down and getting a little aggressive.

And I think it's kind of unfair of him to expect more than one of the deal. If my daughter had wanted a coffee too, I'd have made her come into the store and get her own. But maybe that's just me. So what do you think? Is it rude to ask for more than one of a "one per customer" deal when there's only one customer? I think there's frugal, and then there's crossing a line.

Breakfast Strata

10 slices stale bread, cubed
10 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup cooked ham, cubed
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon minced onion
paprika

Grease 9X13X2 glass baking dish. Cube half the cheese and shred the rest. Place bread, cubed cheese, meat and any vegetables into dish. Beat eggs, milk, seasoning. Pour over top of bread mixture.
Top with shredded cheese. Sprinkle with paprika. Refrigerate overnight.
Remove one hour before baking, and allow to come to room temperature.
Bake 45 minutes at 375. It will puff up! Allow to stand 8 to 10 minutes before serving.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
**ANY COMBINATION of meats and vegetables may be used. However, if you use sausage in the strata, it tends to turn out greasy.

Recipe source: My friend Kathy

Menu Plan for Easter week and April 19-25

Yeah, I'm super late, so this will contain 2 weeks at a time.

EASTER SUNDAY: ham dinner at my brother-in-law's

EASTER MONDAY: Chicken parmesan bake (I made this one up as I went along and we really liked it. Except for Little Brother, who is in an anti-casserole phase. It had BETTER be a phase.)

TUESDAY: Boiled ham, cabbage, and homemade mac & cheese

WEDNESDAY: Dinner at my parents' house (pork roast, turkey london broil, noodles & gravy, vegetables)

THURSDAY: Pizza

FRIDAY: Spaghetti

SATURDAY: we were invited to our friends' house for grilled roast beef, sour cream & onion mashed potatoes, broccoli with homemade cheese sauce and caramelized carrots

SUNDAY: we went to Chili's

MONDAY: Ham & cheese strata

TUESDAY: Chicken piccata, rice, mixed vegetables

WEDNESDAY: I'm leaning toward Taco Skillet but that could change...it's Prom night for Big Brother so he won't be eating, and we're all running in different directions.

THURSDAY: spaghetti

FRIDAY: homemade calzones with marinara sauce for dipping

SATURDAY: Mexican steak

Chicken Parmesan Bake

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch chunks
1 TBL olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 LB pasta, cooked and drained
2 cups marinara sauce (reserve 1/2 cup)
1 cup mozzarella, shredded (reserve 1/2 cup)
2 tsp Italian seasoning (or 1 tsp each basil and oregano)

Season chicken chunks with onion and garlic powder and saute in olive oil until brown on both sides.
Mix cooked pasta with chicken, 1 1/2 cups sauce, and 1/2 cup cheese in greased casserole dish.
Top with remaining sauce, then cheese and Italian seasoning.
Bake, covered, at 350 for 20 minutes, removing the lid for the last 5 minutes.
MAKE-AHEAD: Stop at the baking step. Bake 45 minutes from refrigerated.

Macaroni and Cheese

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups milk
3 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 Tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 lb pasta, cooked

In a sauce pan, melt butter and fry onion until soft. Add in flour and whisk until throughly blended. Add in the milk slowly, whisking as it is added. When the mixture bubbles and thickens slightly, remove from heat. Stir in 2 cups Cheddar, the Parmesan, mustard, and salt and pepper. Add Tabasco if desired. Stir until cheese is melted and then fold into the drained pasta. Top with remaining 1 cup Cheddar. Pour into a greased 9X13 pan. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

CMP Brownies!

These are absolutely awesome. A CMP is a chocolate-marshmallow-peanut ice cream sundae that was a local favorite in Scranton, where I went to college.

Get the recipe, photos and nutrition facts at Cook and Count!

Taste Test! Aunt Trudy's Fillo Pocket Sandwiches

I received an invitation to sample Aunt Trudy's Fillo Pocket Sandwiches, which are kind of like an upscale, organic, vegan Hot Pocket.

I tasted the Organic Mexicali Vegetable and 3-Bean Veggie Chili flavors. The pockets could be microwaved in the special packaging OR oven-baked. I chose to bake them rather than microwave. After baking according to directions (about 30 minutes), the pockets were still a little mushy in the middle but the filling was hot throughout.

I liked the fillo crust, and the vegetables inside tasted fresh. I preferred the Mexicali Vegetable to the 3-Bean Veggie Chili.

Here's their press release:

Aunt Trudy's Fillo Pocket Sandwiches Chosen by Good Housekeeping
Wins Two Spots on "100 Healthiest Convenience Foods" List for 2009

Dumont, NJ , March 24, 2009 - After 9 months of taste-testing and analyzing over 1,000 products, Good Housekeeping uncovered the top "100 Healthiest Convenience Foods", helping its 26 million readers live better lifestyles. Taking not one, but TWO of the coveted spots on the list is Aunt Trudy's, by The Fillo Factory, with a pair of their most popular Fillo Pocket Sandwich selections.

Aunt Trudy's Roasted Vegetable Fillo Pocket Sandwich, 240 calories, offers an array of organic veggies delicately wrapped in a light, flaky crust. The 3 Bean Veggie Chili Fillo Pocket Sandwich, 260 calories, is full of zest and a vegan favorite.

Made in the U.S. from premium organic ingredients, the gourmet meals are
microwavable and ready to eat in under ten minutes. Loaded with flavor, it's easy to
forget these tasty treats are so healthy; trans fat free and containing no preservatives. The suggested retail price is $2.89. Visit Aunt Trudy's for retail store availability.

The intense process of narrowing down the top choices started with Good Housekeeping
Research Institute nutritionists searching supermarket shelves and food trade shows for potential candidates. Next, ingredients were analyzed and labels inspected for vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Finally, dozens of volunteers, ages 5 to 85, taste tested each product.

"It's an honor to be selected by such a well respected publication," stated Ron Rexroth, CEO of The Fillo Factory. "Aunt Trudy's will continue to create products that Good Housekeeping's readers will enjoy for years to come."

I saw these mentioned in a back issue of Good Housekeeping. Some of the available flavors intrigued me, like the spinach and feta one. I love spanakopita and think that with the fresh ingredients used in these sandwiches, it would have to be good. If I happen to find this product in my local supermarket, I will try the spinach and feta flavor.

Granma's Rolls

2 ¼ cup milk
2 tbl sugar
1 tbl vegetable shortening (Crisco) NOT butter flavor
2 tsp salt
5 to 6 cups flour
1 tbl yeast (if you get it in packets, 1 packet)

Heat first 4 ingredients until melted. Allow to cool until it is "baby-bottle warm." Stir in yeast and flour. Rise dough until double. Shape into rolls. Place on heavy floured pan. Rise until double. Bake 12 to 15 min at 350.

Rising hint: Put the dough in the microwave. DO NOT TURN IT ON. Leave it 1 hour or so. No drafts! It works great.

Menu Plan April 5 - April 11

SUNDAY: Turkey Gyros

MONDAY: Barb's Italian Chicken over mini penne

TUESDAY: Pork roast with honey-mustard glaze, roasted potatoes

WEDNESDAY: Tilapia, rice, vegetables (we never ate that tilapia last week!)

THURSDAY: Spaghetti (what else?)

FRIDAY: Our church hosts a "soup and bread dinner" after Good Friday liturgy.

SATURDAY: Undecided on that one just now!

Barb's Italian Chicken

This is a great busy-day dinner. You can start it ahead of time and turn it off if you have to do a Mom's Taxi run in the middle of dinner prep. Just leave the lid on, and turn it back on to simmer when you return. (I wouldn't leave this or anything with meat in it for more than 15 minutes, in the interest of food safety.)

Barb's Italian Chicken

3/4 pound boneless-skinless chicken breast, in 1-inch chunks
1 TBL olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 TBL minced garlic
1/4 cup red wine
1 28-oz can plum tomatoes (or diced if you prefer), with the juice
1 tsp EACH basil and oregano
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of crushed red pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add chicken and cook 2 minutes per side. Pour in wine and allow to cook down. Add remaining ingredients, turn down to simmer, and cover. Cook 30 to 45 minutes to let the flavors mingle. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Three for Three!

I don't usually put my family through 3 new recipes in a row like this, but I was just in the mood to try some new things this weekend.

On Friday, I veered off last week's menu plan and made Tami's Pizza Rollups, using my homemade sauce and Barbara's pizza crust recipe.

Saturday, we tried 20-Clove-of-Garlic Chicken. It smelled delicious and tasted good too.

And tonight I made Turkey Gyros. Fabulous!

Turkey Gyros

This is my take on a Rachael Ray recipe. That link is to the original. My recipe is below. With enough pitas, this would have been enough to feed 8 people. I wound up freezing the extra meat.

For the meat:
* 1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed
* 1 pound ground turkey
* 1 tablespoon grill seasoning
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 1 tablespoon coriander
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 2 pinches ground cinnamon
* 1/2 cup feta crumbles
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the sauce:
* 1 cup Greek yogurt
* 1 small clove garlic, grated
* 1/2 tsp cumin
* 1/4 cucumber, peeled and grated
* 1 lemon, juiced (1 to 2 tbl lemon juice)

And the rest:
* a handful of grape tomatoes, halved
* 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
* 8 pita breads

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place turkey in a bowl. Add grill seasoning, cumin, chili powder, coriander, oregano, cinnamon and feta crumbles. Wring the spinach dry in a paper towel and add to meat. Mix the meat and form a long 3-inch roll on a baking sheet. Coat with extra-virgin olive oil and bake 30 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to verify doneness.

Mix yogurt, a grated clove of garlic, cucumber, the juice of 1 lemon and 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Slice and reserve the tomatoes and cucumbers.

Soften pita (wrap in foil and place in oven for a few minutes).

Slice meat loaf into 1/4-inch slices. Spread sauce on pitas and top with 2 slices of meat, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

This tastes JUST like the gyros I used to get at the mall during college. Delicious and filling.

I think that the meat can be mixed ahead and just ready to bake, or even baked ahead and warmed later. The yogurt sauce is best chilled, so definitely make that ahead if possible. If I had the meat baked ahead, this would be a great "Saturday night after church" meal, or a good go-to meal during the week when I need dinner to be quick and easy.

Middle Sister didn't like it but otherwise it got good reviews. Little Brother just ate the meat and had his vegetables on the side. No sauce. That was fine with me.

Menu Plan March 29-April 4

As usual these days, I am oh so late!

SUNDAY: Roast chicken, boiled red potatoes, broccoli

MONDAY: Tacos

TUESDAY: Beef Paysanne, noodles, fresh cucumbers

WEDNESDAY: I have the flu. TheDad was out of town. The kids made boxed mac & cheese, stuffed their faces and cleaned up after. Thanks, kids!

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Baked tilapia, rice, vegetable

SATURDAY: My choir has the 5:00 Mass and since this weekend is Palm Sunday, it's sure to be crowded and longer than usual. I'm trying a new recipe for 20-clove-of-garlic chicken since it's quick prep. On the side, Alfredo noodles (thanks, Knorr mix) and green beans.

Thrifty Thursday: Sesame Seed Buns (bread machine)

For today's Thrifty Thursday (hosted at Amanda's Cookin') I'm contributing my own recipe for sesame seed buns. I tweaked a cookbook recipe and came up with a way to make rolls for sandwiches and dinner rolls, all in one. This way, sandwich rolls are always fresh because I'm only making 2 days' worth--at the most--at a time. The rest of the rolls are made into dinner rolls which we eat that day. No more moldy sandwich rolls by Friday!



Barb’s Sesame Seed Buns

1 cup milk
2 tbl softened butter OR olive oil (I've tried this both ways and they both work)
1 tbl sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 cups bread flour
3 tbl vital gluten
1 tbl yeast

For egg wash:
1 egg
1 tbl sesame seeds (or more)

Use dough cycle. At the end of the cycle, remove from the pan and place on floured board and punch down. Cover with a clean dish towel for 20 minutes.
Divide and roll into balls. Place dough balls on oiled cookie sheet. Cover
with the towel and allow to rise about 1 hour. Beat egg and brush over
rolls. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake 15 minutes at 375. Cool on a wire rack.

This recipe makes 6 sandwich rolls or 12 dinner rolls. Bake time is the same either way.

These rolls have been given the "Big Brother thumbs-up" for lunchbox sandwiches. He thinks he's lucky to get homemade rolls for his lunches. I'm happy to be saving money--supermarket rolls are SO pricey!

Mashed Potato Cakes

I cobbled together a few recipes, a little of this and a little of that, and ended up with something pretty good!!

MASHED POTATO CAKES

3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
1 egg
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (I used a Cheddar-Jack mix)
salt and pepper to taste (about a teaspoon of each)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
oil for the griddle

I used a 2-burner griddle to make this go faster. This recipe made about 15 potato cakes.

Mix potatoes, egg, cheese and seasonings (not bread crumbs) in a large bowl. Form into patties and dredge in the bread crumbs. They don't have to be completely coated. Fry on a heated, oiled griddle until brown on both sides. Keep warm in the oven until all the cakes are done.

Note:  these are even better when you use a good sharp Cheddar. They're not the prettiest side dish in the world, but they're very tasty.

Menu Plan for the week of March 22, 2009

SUNDAY: Grilled chicken, mashed potato cakes, mixed vegetables

MONDAY: Ranch-breaded chicken, corn, mac & cheese

TUESDAY: Maple-mustard pork ribs in the slow cooker (a new recipe. Not so great.)

WEDNESDAY: Chicken enchilada soup, salad (that was some REALLY good soup!)

THURSDAY: Chick-Fil-A (yeah, I got lazy)

FRIDAY: baked tilapia, wild rice, salad

SATURDAY: spaghetti

We have more common sense than magazines think

I was flipping through an old issue of All You magazine and found a recipe for side-dish potatoes that I thought I might try.

I had to love the "kitchen tips" that went along with the recipe, though.

Work in advance. You can make the potatoes through step 2 up to a day ahead (don't preheat the oven). Cover and refrigerate the potatoes. The day of the party, pipe and bake the potatoes, allowing an extra 5 minutes of baking time.

Did they honestly think that they had to warn someone not to preheat the oven if you were preparing this recipe ahead of time? How clueless do they think their readers are?

I can't decide if I should be insulted, or if I should laugh at how clueless the recipe editor was.

Menu Plan: the 2-week-at-a-time version

Here's what we ate for dinner last week.

MON 9: turkey pot pie

TUES 10: tacos

WED 11: turkey chili blanco

THURS 12: spaghetti & meatballs

FRI 13: pizza (takeout)

SAT 14: family reunion at my sister's house; I brought vegetable platters & cole slaw

SUN 15: Spanish Garlic shrimp, rice

MON 16: chicken lo mein (was supposed to be something else, but 2 of Big Brother's friends were still here so I needed something I could expand!)

TUES 17: pot roast, noodles, gravy, vegetables

WED 18: New England Boiled Dinner because I refuse to serve corned beef on St. Patrick's Day just out of spite. It's not an Irish meal!

THURS 19: spaghetti

FRI 20: I want to try this meatless paella

SAT 21: Spaghetti Dinner at our church

"Almost Like Cracker Barrel" Sourdough Bread

My latest effort in sourdough breadmaking is enough like Cracker Barrel's bread that I won't need to buy theirs anymore.

This is a bread machine recipe.

About 8 hours before you want to bake, take your starter out of the refrigerator and toss a pinch of sugar in there, and then stir. Cover loosely. Stir the starter again just before using it.

Put in your bread machine pan:

1/2 cup warm water
1 cup starter
2 1/2 TBL oil (I use light olive oil)
1 tsp salt
2 TBL sugar
3 cups flour

Use the dough cycle. Shape the dough and place in an oiled loaf pan. Allow to rise at least 2 hours.

Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.

Thrifty Thursday: Turkey Stock!

Thrifty Thursday is hosted at Amanda's Cookin' each week!

I made a turkey dinner on Saturday for my younger son's birthday. After I carved the turkey, I let the carcass cool off, then broke it apart. You can do this with your hands once the carcass gets cool. Then I saved it in a covered pot in the refrigerator.

Today I took all of those pieces and put them into the strainer insert for a 12-quart pasta pot (it's like a colander, but cylindrical). I added a bag of "past their prime" baby carrots, a handful of parsley, and some salt and pepper. Then I filled the pot with water and simmered 4 hours.

After that it was easy enough to remove the strainer and I was left with over 8 quarts of fabulous turkey stock. Some of it went into the white chili we had for dinner, and the rest is for the freezer. (We used cubed leftover turkey in that chili instead of chicken. It tasted great.)

So here's my Thrifty Thursday tip: don't waste poultry bones when you can use them for stock!

Pokemon Cake

For Little Brother's birthday I made a Pokeball cake and cupcakes. These were really easy and required a minimum of decorating skill. That's good, because I was not feeling super-well, so I wasn't up to a big challenge.

You need:
3 cans frosting (one chocolate, 2 white)
2 cake mixes, prepared as directed
1 bag Valentine M&Ms (you need red and white M&Ms. Well, actually only white ones, unless you are using red to put numbers on some of the cakes like I did. You get to eat all the pink ones.) If you don't have white M&Ms, get some little gumdrops and use the white ones. Or white chocolate chips, upside-down, would work too.
Icing bag and frosting tip (I used a #3 tip, I think.)
1/2 bottle red food coloring (not those wimpy little vials that come in packs of 4. A BOTTLE.)

I baked 24 cupcakes, 1 9X13 and 1 "dome" in a small Pyrex dish. The batter for that came out of the 9X13 batch. I'm not the biggest fan of baking spray (usually I use solid shortening and flour for cakes) but I had a free can of Bakers Joy and this stuff was fabulous in the Pyrex.

The 9X13 was frosted in chocolate (Middle Sister did that part) and then I put the "dome" on top of that.

Then I mixed up my red frosting. Note: if tinting an entire can of frosting, use a mixing bowl. Don't try to mix it in the can. My table is still a little pink in spots. I did the whole can because there will be another party soon and this way I wouldn't have to mix colors again. I used half a bottle of red coloring for the whole can. The color WILL get more intense over time; when I finished mixing it, it still looked a bit pinkish. So does my thumb, come to think of it.

Put a little of the chocolate frosting into the icing bag for trimming out the Pokeballs.

ALMOST half of each cupcake, and half the dome, should be red. I left a little semicircle uncovered and then did that part in white. Next time I will do the white part first...live and learn.

Trim it with the chocolate and then top with the white M&M.

Fancy birthday cakes on the cheap. My 7-year-old was thrilled.

Menu Plan for Last Week and a hint of what's coming up

Last week I forgot to do the menu plan. Here's what we ate.

SUNDAY: Red Lobster for my father-in-law's birthday

MONDAY: Pork paprikas.

TUESDAY: Taco mac & cheese. The mac part was great & everyone wants it as a standalone dish. I will post that recipe later.

WEDNESDAY: Chicken and dumplings.

THURSDAY: Hawaiian Chicken with pineapple.

FRIDAY: Cheese ravioli with marinara.

SATURDAY: Turkey dinner, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, Granma's rolls.

What's coming up!

SUNDAY it will just be the kids as we are going to a church dinner for the parish volunteers.

I have a good amount of leftover turkey including the carcass, so there will be turkey soup happening sometime this week--or at least turkey stock.

I need to make a big batch of spaghetti sauce this week. We are completely OUT of spaghetti sauce. (The horror!)

I had an unfortunate, inadvertent freezing-of-the-red-bell-peppers that should have been on the vegetable platter for today's dinner. They're sliced but no good for eating raw or stir-frying. They'll be fine for chili or something else like that. So I need to either figure out a way to cook them in something this week, or just freeze them until I think of what to make with them. Maybe they'll be good in the Crockpot Jambalaya recipe I found on Family Corner.

Unfortunately, cucumbers that have been inadvertently frozen are not good for anything, as far as I can tell. Ick. Ever try to peel a partially-frozen cuke? I don't recommend it.

Thrifty Thursday: March 5

Thrifty Thursday is hosted weekly at Amanda's Cookin'

Today's Thrifty Thursday tip is a turkey tip! Yes, I know it's not Thanksgiving, but my kids all love turkey, and I'll be making one this weekend.

You don't have to buy an expensive turkey to get a moist, juicy bird. Here's an easy way to get great results on the cheap. BUT it takes a little planning ahead, because the bird has to be completely thawed a whole day before you want to roast it.

1. Go to your nearest Big Box Home Improvement Store (orange or blue, doesn't matter) and buy a 5-gallon bucket with a lid. Wash it out.

2. Buy a store-brand frozen turkey. Nothing fancy needed.

3. Defrost the turkey.

4. Wash the turkey inside and out and make sure you remove all the giblets and other miscellaneous-in-a-bag that comes with the turkey.

5. Put the turkey in the 5-gallon bucket with the tips of the legs sticking up.

6. Sprinkle a cup of kosher (coarse) salt all over the turkey.

7. Pour water over the whole thing and keep adding water until the cavity is filled and there's plenty of water on the outside of the turkey too. Add lots of ice cubes, and cover.

8. Let this sit at least 8 hours or up to 24.

9. Remove directly to your roasting pan. Don't wash the turkey again. It was clean before you did the brining part.

10. Roast as usual!

Now if you want to get all complicated, Alton Brown does a brined turkey with lots of spices and stuff. But unless you have all of those in your house already, it's not a thrifty turkey. This way works just as well.

Thrifty Thursday: Mix in the Jar!

Here's a tip I learned on the Food Network show Quick Fix Meals.

When you're making a sauce or dressing, and the jar containing one of the ingredients is nearly empty, use that jar instead of a mixing bowl. Just put all the other ingredients into the jar, close the lid tightly and shake.

This also works if you use jarred soup bases to make broth. When the jar is almost empty, pour a cup of boiling water right into the jar. This way you won't waste a bit!

Thrifty Thursdays is featured at Amanda's Cookin' each week.

Menu Plan February 22 - 28, 2009

SUNDAY: Pork with Spanish rice, corn muffins

MONDAY: Beef paysanne with noodles, broccoli

TUESDAY: Honey mustard chicken, orzo with garlic and onions, mixed vegetables

WEDNESDAY: our traditional Ash Wednesday meal: grilled cheese sandwiches and clam chowder. Yikes, I just discovered that someone has been into the American cheese--I'll have to hit the supermarket tomorrow.

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Baked flounder, Alfredo noodles, green beans

SATURDAY: Takeout for the kids; TheDad and I are going to a Beef & Beer that supports a local charity. In my case, it will be a Beef & Soda!

Go Meatless!

Next week Lent begins, so it's time to start thinking about meatless meals.

I do try to serve a meatless meal on Fridays anyway, but in Lent it's non-negotiable.

The Faith & Family bloggers are compiling some Lenten menus. This roundup is my contribution. With the exception of ONE recipe that I have not yet tried, all of these are tried and true and a regular part of my family's dinner plan. Yes, my kids eat fish. Actually, they love fish. But not all of these are fish recipes, so if fish is not going to be on your table for whatever reason, you can still find plenty of options here.

Pasta with marinara sauce (add shrimp or scallops if you like)

Cheese ravioli with marinara sauce

Cheese-and-salsa quesadillas

Grilled cheese sandwiches with soup (tomato or clam chowder)

"Vegetarian Flips"--like a quesadilla, but add some refried beans and salsa

Baked fish

Teriyaki salmon (Easiest way EVER to make salmon!)

Spanish Garlic Shrimp

Pizza

Veggie calzones (this is a recipe I intend to try soon. You can fill these with just about anything! I'm planning on peppers, onions, cheese and marinara.)

Saffron risotto with shrimp

Shrimp fried rice

Potato and cheese pierogi


Salmon burgers

Homemade macaroni and cheese

Arroz con habichuelas (great with quesadillas or tomato soup)

Pasta e fagioli (you can make this with vegetable stock instead of chicken broth!)

And there's always the "breakfast for dinner" option. French toast and fresh fruit make a nice change of pace.

Wishing you a blessed Lent!

Menu Plan week of February 15 - 21

On Valentine's Day we ate Chicken Divan, since we went to 5:00 Mass and there was no way I could make a roast.

SUNDAY: Belated Valentine's Day dinner: filet mignon roast, baked potato/yam, green beans.

MONDAY: Italian Veal Stew with linguine.

TUESDAY: Apricot-Glazed Pork Tenderloin, rice, mixed vegetables

WEDNESDAY: Cajun Chicken Strips, hashbrown casserole

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Eat on the road!

SATURDAY: dinner at my uncle's

A Cookbook Contest

The How To Cook Like Your Grandmother blog is hosting a contest! The prize: the ILLUSTRATED edition of the cookbook of the same name.

I have the non-illustrated edition and it's great. Adding pictures is the icing on the cake!

Go here to find out how to enter. Three lucky winners will receive a copy of the cookbook--well worth the purchase price, illustrated or not.

More on the Sourdough

I made some more sourdough bread today. I did divide it into 2 loaves and after about 45 minutes they were already at the top of the bread pans. BUT then my husband wanted to go out to dinner (surprise!) and to leave NOW. So I put some oiled plastic wrap over the bread and slid the pans (carefully!) into the refrigerator and CROSSED MY FINGERS! 2 1/2 hours later, we came back and I took the pans out to warm up a bit while preheating the oven, and then baked as usual.

Did not get to experiment with any egg wash on the crust this time. The refrigeration does not seem to have done any damage to the finished bread.

Menu Plan Week of February 8 - 14

SUNDAY: Spanish rice and pork, peas rustica, Sourdough bread

MONDAY: Roast chicken

TUESDAY: Tacos, refried beans, arroz con habichuelas

WEDNESDAY: Barbara's BBQ Chicken Pizza and probably one "traditional" pizza for those who don't feel like being adventurous

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Salmon burgers and homemade mac & cheese (we didn't have this last week)

SATURDAY: Valentine's Day! Filet mignon roast, baked potato or yam, vegetable, bread

February 2009 Grocery Budget Challenge

My February budget is "under $500."


SPENT:
WEEK OF FEB. 1 - 7
Sam's 17.35
Shop Rite: 129.22
(total out of pocket) 146.57

WEEK OF FEB. 8 - 14
Shop Rite: 101.40

WEEK OF FEB. 15 - 22
Shop Rite & Sam's: 74.60

WEEK OF FEB. 23-28
Shop Rite: 99.10


STORE SAVINGS & COUPONS:
WEEK OF FEB. 1 - 7:
69.88

WEEK OF FEB. 8 - 14
Shop Rite: 46.07

WEEK OF FEB. 15 - 22
Shop Rite: 30.38

WEEK OF FEB. 23-28
Shop Rite: 52.71

BIG Sourdough Bread!

The recipe for the starter AND the bread (mixed in the bread machine!) can be found at Cook and Count.

Moms, Check Your Pantries!

I just had to throw away a brand-new carton of ice cream.

I found it listed on the FDA's peanut-recall list.

That is one BIG list and getting bigger all the time.

Unfortunately, the only advice for the consumer is to throw away the affected product in a safe manner.

However, I will choose to be grateful that my family hadn't opened and eaten this ice cream yet. No one here has gotten sick from eating contaminated peanut products. So I wasted $2 worth of ice cream (I got it on sale!)

I think I got off cheap.

Now please go and check your pantries.

Menu Plan February 1 - 7, 2009

Here's the week's menu! I'm participating over at Menu Plan Monday.

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY: Hoagies

MONDAY: Tandoori Chicken, pickled beets, roasted potatoes

TUESDAY: Taco Skillet, tater tots

WEDNESDAY: Kielbasa with Sauerkraut. That's doctored-up sauerkraut, not the nasty stuff in the can. I'll post the recipe later.

THURSDAY: Spaghetti. OR maybe we'll attend Chick-Fil-A night (it's a school fundraiser.)

FRIDAY: Salmon burgers, homemade macaroni and cheese

SATURDAY: "Pizza, Pins and Pop" church fun event at a local bowling alley. I'm a terrible bowler but this is always a good time.

Grocery & Coupon Challenge January 2009

I'll be posting my grocery expenses and how much I save with coupons (including store sales). Groceries do NOT include greeting cards, school supplies, bird seed, prescription medications, or household items like rubbermaid containers and mops. They DO include all food, dairy, health and beauty items, over-the-counter medications, paper goods, cleaning and laundry supplies, batteries and light bulbs.

Because my husband wants me to FILL MY PANTRY, my food budget this month is about $750. He is worried about food-supply disruptions so he wants me to have as much food put away as possible.

SPENT "out of pocket":
Jan. 2: Shop Rite. $45 (my husband, who shops without coupons and without regard for sales)
Jan. 5: Wegmans. $21.25 (not a bargain place, but there are certain items I can ONLY get here.)
Jan. 6: CVS. $15.99 (and I got back $12.50 in extra care bucks!)
Jan. 7: Shop Rite. $148.81
Jan. 12: Shop Rite $76.97
Jan. 14: Shop Rite $52.04
Jan. 16: Shop Rite $19.73
Jan. 20: Shop Rite $139.28
Jan. 26: Shop Rite $10.98
Jan. 27: Shop Rite $101.52
Jan. 29: Shady Maple $25.00
Jan. 30: Shop Rite $15.25

TOTAL SPENT THIS MONTH: $671.82


SAVED (coupons and store sales):
Jan. 5: Wegmans. $1.00
Jan. 6: CVS. $23.89
Jan. 7: Shop Rite. $85.04
Jan. 12: Shop Rite. $33.19
Jan. 14: Shop Rite. $41.27
Jan. 16: Shop Rite. $18.50
Jan. 20: Shop Rite. $95.10
Jan. 26: Shop Rite. $1.00
Jan. 27: Shop Rite. $47.41
Jan. 30: Shop Rite. $5.45

TOTAL COUPON & STORE SALE SAVINGS: $351.85

Not bad!! That's over $1,000 of food for this month but I spent under $700. My pantry and freezer are full.

Menu Plan January 25-31, 2009

Menu Plan Monday is hosted at the "Organized Junkie" blog!

Here are my plans for dinner this week:

SUNDAY: leftovers

MONDAY: hot roast beef and gravy sandwiches on Italian rolls; tater tots; corn

TUESDAY: Chicken Piccata

WEDNESDAY: tacos

THURSDAY: spaghetti

FRIDAY: Linguine with shrimp marinara, Spanish Country bread, salad.

SATURDAY: Honey Mustard Chicken

Menu Plan January 18-24, 2009

SUNDAY: game-day pizza

MONDAY: takeout

TUESDAY: Pork roast with roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes

WEDNESDAY: Sloppy Joes, tater tots, salad

THURSDAY: spaghetti

FRIDAY: baked flounder

SATURDAY: roast beef & gravy sandwiches on Italian rolls, salad

We never did try that Mexican chicken in the crockpot from last week. I'll hold that over until next week!

Easily Pleased

I stopped at Sam's Club today to buy my industrial-size sack of bread flour, brick-pack of yeast, giant jar of garlic, tub-o-dried minced onion, super-size box of Goldfish (you're never too old for Goldfish) and paper cups for the bathroom.

And as I wandered my way toward the checkout (why is all the food all the way in the back of the store?) I found a display of 5-piece knife sets. Well, actually, 4 knives and one block. But whatever. It looks just like the one in the picture, except it doesn't have that fancy-schmancy doodad with Wolfgang Puck's signature on it.

I figured I'd use them for chopping vegetables, but discovered tonight that a good santoku knife can slice through a roast beef like nobody's business. And woohoo, I only paid $21.32 for the set!

I'm easily pleased. Let the chopping begin.

Menu Plan Jan. 11-17, 2009

SUNDAY: Chili

MONDAY: Pork teriyaki, rice, green beans

TUESDAY: Happy anniversary to us today!! I'm making a special dinner at home; roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy and vegetables. We'll top it off with a romantic dessert with the whole Tiger Cub Scout troop, LOL!

WEDNESDAY: Mexican chicken in the crockpot with noodles.

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Spanish Garlic shrimp over rice

SATURDAY: Homemade mac & cheese, ranch-breaded chicken tenders, vegetables.

Menu Plan Jan 4-10, 2009

Happy New Year!

SUNDAY: Chicken marsala, noodles, vegetable

MONDAY: Roast pork with Hoisin-Molasses sauce, oven-roasted potatoes and vegetable

TUESDAY: Beef paysanne, noodles, vegetable

WEDNESDAY: Chicken & Biscuit Stew, rice

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Maple-Hoisin Glazed Salmon, rice, vegetable

SATURDAY: Oplatek dinner at church. Polish foods of all kinds!

Menu Plan December 29-Jan.3

MON. 29: Barbara's Chicken Paprika

TUES. 30: Open House at a friend's. I brought Pepperoni Bread and Rocky Road candy.

WED. 31: Swiss Chicken Melt

THURS 1: Chicken parm at Mom & Pop's.

FRI 2: Pizza

SAT 3: We ate out!

My Newest Addition to the Cookbook Collection

I just got my copy of How to Cook Like Your Grandmother by Drew Kime. I'm a big fan of Drew's blog because it has clear, no-nonsense instructions, a little humor, a little nostalgia, and great step-by-step photos for each recipe! And the book is just the same, minus the photos. If you're looking for a good cookbook for yourself or to give as a gift, and you don't want the celebrity glitz but instead good home cooking made with real ingredients, this book is an excellent choice. It's even got space for notes after each recipe, so you can jot down your review or any modifications you make. Highly recommended!

Catching Up on the Menu Plan!

Here's what we've BEEN eating:

Mon 15: Balsamic Chicken with Onions

Tues 16: Cheese ravioli with sauce and meatballs

Wed 17: Pot roast, oven-roasted potatoes, vegetables and Amanda's pull-apart rolls

Thurs 18: Hawaiian chicken, rice, green beans

Fri 19: Homemade pizza

Sat 20: Ranch chicken tenders, corn, chicken-flavored noodles

Sun 21: dinner with friends

Mon 22: Spaghetti

Tues 23: Turkey Chili Blanco

Wed 24: Christmas Eve Pierogi Dinner

Thurs 25: Roast filet mignon, baked potatoes/yams, roasted carrots

Fri 26: Dinner with family

Sat 27: Olive Garden

Sun 28: Pork Chops German Style, Mixed vegetables, mac & cheese

Tried and True

Some recipes we've tasted that are definitely "keepers!"

Amanda's Homemade Pull-apart dinner rolls. EASY--there is no "rise after shaping" and the salt on top is yummy. Great with soup.

Barbara's Sweet Tea: yummy!

Barbara's Melt-in-Your-Mouth Braised and Barbecued Chicken. Long title. Great chicken.

Menu Plan December 8-14

It's been a wacky week with doctor appointments and minor surgery. Amazingly we've managed not to resort to takeout through all this, and I haven't been to Shop Rite in more than 10 days. Think they miss me?

MONDAY: Chicken Piccata, Alfredo noodles, green beans

TUESDAY: Pork and Hominy Stew from the December 2008 issue of All You. NOT recommended.

WEDNESDAY: Tandoori Chicken

THURSDAY: Homemade chicken noodle soup from my friend

FRIDAY: Linguine with shrimp and scallop marinara

SATURDAY: Turkey Crescent Casserole

SUNDAY: Mexican Shepherd's Pie

Menu Plan December 1 - 7

Here's what we had over the weekend. NOT what was planned.

SATURDAY...Pizza

SUNDAY...meatball sandwiches and sausage & pepper sandwiches

MENU PLAN FOR THE WEEK:

MONDAY: Turkey Encore Paprikas with noodles

TUESDAY: Sweet & Sour Pork with rice

WEDNESDAY: Chicken Fajita Soup

THURSDAY: Spaghetti and meatballs

FRIDAY: Baked whiting.

SATURDAY: Pepperoni Bread

SUNDAY: Dinner at a friend's house!

Ways to Serve the Leftover Turkey

Yes, I'm late to the Leftover Turkey Party. I'm cooking leftovers tonight and the rest is in the freezer for future dinners. I don't like to O.D. on turkey all at once; then we never want it again! Right now there are 3 more dinners' worth of cooked turkey in the freezer and 1 dinner's worth of stuffing--plus a large container of turkey stock.

Here are some recipes I use with leftover turkey. Any recipe calling for cubed cooked chicken works equally well with cubed cooked turkey.

Turkey Encore Paprikas
Cousin Sharon's Chicken & Biscuit Stew
Chicken & Dumplings
Chicken Fajita Soup
Grandpa's Dark Meat Chicken
Pot Pie
Chicken Chili Blanco
Chicken & Noodle Casserole
Chicken Divan
Scarborough Fair Chicken Soup (I made stock with the turkey carcass, so this would be a great way to use it!)
Crescent Casserole

I also make Chicken Enchiladas using canned enchilada sauce (the red kind), onions, cheese and flour tortillas.

And finally, you can't go wrong (any time of year) with
Thanksgiving-in-a-Bowl
Warm up all your leftovers of the following items, layer in an oven-safe or microwave-safe bowl, and heat it up until the cheese melts.
Turkey (bite size pieces)
Corn
Mashed potatoes
Stuffing
Gravy
Cheddar cheese for topping

The KFC near my house closed, so this is how I satisfy my craving for their famous mashed potato bowl.

Turkey Encore Paprikas

This is a great way to use that leftover turkey without having it seem like you are eating leftover turkey.

2 cups cubed cooked turkey (or chicken)
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes with juice
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tbl minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
1/2 of a 12-oz jar of roasted red peppers, chopped
1 1/2 cups whole baby bella mushrooms (white mushrooms work too but these have great flavor!)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp paprika

I mix all this up in my 6-qt Nesco roaster, turn it on to 250 and let it go for an hour.
If you don't have a roaster, use a nice big skillet with a lid, and simmer it for an hour.
Serve over your favorite pasta (we like bow ties with this dish!)