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