My Wednesday Pantry- Blowing the Challenge Up

   

     You all knew this was going to happen with DH deciding to shop with me. Yes, the goal to cut our budget in half in February for household, groceries, health and beauty was blown to pieces on Sunday. The strategy was to not shop at all, or only the bar minimum, and eat down our pantry. To be fair, that actually happened prior to February 21st. Also on a good note, we're under budget overall all and restocked for well over a month, or to only shop in March for must haves and loss leaders. I still won't race store to store trying ot find the best deals, this will come by happenstance. All together, unless neither of us stays out of the store the rest of the week, my tally for all the categories was $420, give or take a few cents. I have to give credit to DH though who managed not to throw aimless things in the cart, so we actually have items that will be for meals, a few snacks, and  household/health items for a while. His vices, his 24 count of juices and a mega bag of tortilla chips at Sam's. This weekend was a lot though. $349 was  spent between Saturday and Monday. 

     The really pricey items though will last a while. DHs juice above, will be a good two weeks worth. We stocked up on his multi vitamin gummie and my generic  Clariton, an incredible price of  under $12 for 400 tablets, a years worth. Truth be told, other than those two items and the rotisserie chicken, I can't even remember what all we bought at Sam's that drove the receipt to $143. Cheese, deli meat, a massive pack of boneless, skinless chicken,  and enough Kleenex to blow our noses through summer is what I recall. It was not that many different items, but lots of them. The was broken down and rewrapped into seven bundles, then put in freezer bags to grab one or two bundles at a time. I've gotten three meals from the rotisserie chicken, plus am freezing two portions of  hearty chicken tortellini soup for DH. The whole chicken was right around 3 pounds.

     At Aldi, the damage was even more, stocking up to the tune of $167. Wo spends $167 at Aldi for two people? This is where I got baking, canned vegetables, dry and canned beans, and all kinds of other shelf items. There were the regulars items I was planning to buy as well-mainly fruit and vegetables and fresh items. I was happy to see they had the store crescent rolls in  stock, barely, as I had to pay twice that at Christmas for the various recipes I use them in. The big wins was picking up ground beef, and ground beef  taco and sloppy joes at Kwik Trip, at $1.99 a pound,  buying eight altogether. This truly was a stock up shop weekend. I had to laugh at DH playing Tetris in the pantry, insisting he was going to get it all to fit. I eventually took multiples out, put them in a box, and moved to my office to restock them as used. I do not want to take out half the pantry to find things to make dinner. 

     So of course I wasn't successful at the challenge as I laid it out, but it was a good strategy overall to manage our food budget. We ate down a lot of items from the freezer that very well might have gone to waste. I got more creative with some of our meal combinations in manage sure to use  food on hand. I still spent less than the USDA "thrifty" plan for groceries for a two adult household. My total includes all the non-food and canned food for pup too. I'll track in March and see if I can duplicate February. 

I have a quick recipe for you though, one I used the rotisserie chicken to make. 

Chicken and Biscuit Bake-  3-4 servings

Filling:

1 cup steamed carrots

3 medium potatoes, precooked (I used microwave then let them cool) then cut in smaller cubes/pieces

1 1/2 cups diced chicken

gravy made from about 4 ounces of the  chicken drippings, 3/4 cup water, 1 tsp Better than bullion, 2 TBSP Corn starch.

Biscuit (I made 1/2 recipe from box)

1 1/4 Cup Baking mix (like Bisquick) or make your own recipe

2/3rd cup milk

Mixed all together and poured in a greased  6 cup oblong (  guess 5 by 8 perhaps) baking dish

Drop biscuit dough  on top, 6 similar sized Biscuits.

Bake at 400 for 22-24 minutes. until biscuits are done, and filling is bubbly. 

My Wednesday Pantry-Quick Breads and Muffins

     

     Are these not completely gorgeous? These are my daughters  from scratch blueberry muffins. She uses oat flour, applesauce, and flax seed eggs, maple syrup for sweetness, and a whole lot of blueberry's. I tend do more quick breads than muffins, and admittedly I use cane and brown sugar for my sweetness. Sunday was a delicious oatmeal banana version. I had to make it oatmeal because I was a good 2/3rds cup short of flour, so added a heaping cup of quick oats. Let me tell you, the substitution was good. I too used flax eggs, partially as my daughter was coming over and DH had eaten the last of my eggs. I didn't skimp on  cinnamon and the result was a grainy robust tasty bread. 

I know I've shared time and time again, but my universal muffin/quick bread recipe, tweaked from time to time, is as follows:

• 3/4 cup of sugar (or sweetener of your choice)
• 1/2 cup fat (or apple sauce, or if making bananas, can just add more banana and skip fat)
• 1 3/4 cup flour of choice (or use 3/4 to 2/3rd less and add oatmeal-I always have quick oats so that is what I use
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1-2 tsps. cinnamon (and or add other spices to your taste)
• Fold in any other fruit, nuts chocolate, to get the version you want

     Wet ingredients get creamed together first, then the dry ingredients, mixed together well first to distribute the rising agents, gets stirred in next. If making banana or pumpkin, cream the with the  soft/wet ingredients.  I get 12 muffins or 2-3 small loafs. I love my mini loaf pans for quick breads. 

     Spray or use paper, bake at 350 for about 20 minute for muffins, 33 for  small loaves, inserting a utensil until clean to ensure fully done. 

     I'm a bit boring, but quick breads are a standard bring along for me to gatherings, weekends at the lake, or to go with soup, stew, or hotdish type suppers when I want something more. No one has complained to my face, and generally, I go home empty handed. Wrapped up in cellophane or if you can find cute paper liners, the breads make cute gifts. And I wonder why I've gained 11 pounds working from home! 

Day 8-Fudge!

      I've only recently been a convert to making fudge for Christmas. I have the two ingredient  recipes to thank for this. I knew I was on to something when my mother-in-law, who is a very good dessert and treat maker, contacted me after we brought her some of the peanut butter chocolate last year, to make for her friends. A little fudge goes a long way-it is so rich and decadent, so giving away a little plate with 1/2 to a dozen pieces doesn't feel chintzy. Likely I'll make three batches and use for  neighbor and friend gifts along with their Christmas cards and some to share for get togethers. I still have cellophane bags bought in previous years, but I think I'll stop at the Dollar Tree for reinforcements. I take no credit for any of these recipes, but neither do I know where to give credit as the same things are all over the internet.

Peanut Butter

• 1 jar (18 ounce) peanut butter, chucky or smooth)
• 1 can vanilla frosting

Melt together and pour in a 8 by 8, or 5 by 9 pan, lined with parchment paper, chill to set

Chocolate Peanut Butter (tasted like Reeses)

• 1 jar (18 ounce) peanut butter, chucky or smooth)
• 1 can chocolate or chocolate fudge frosting

Melt together and pour in a 8 by 8, or 5 by 9 pan, lined with parchment paper, chill to set

Fudge: Straight Up

• 3 Cups chocolate chips
• 1 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk

Melt chips, stir until smooth. Pour in SC milk, stir until smooth. Pour in a 8 by 8, or 5 by 9 pan, lined with parchment paper, chill to set

     If I'm feeling fancy, I might use smaller squares, and then reserve 1/3 of the peanut butter and 1/3 of the straight up fudge and make layered. I also think it might be fun to reserve part of the peanut butter and add chocolate chips on top before it sets, or add some shredded coconut to part of the fudge version. It just doesn't get easier. I'm sure there are better versions of fudge out there, but I had no complaints and a few requests for more. Call me lazy. 

My Wednesday Pantry-Vegan Mock and Cheese and Links

      I don't care if you are vegan or not, but this is worth a try if you like and have an abundance of butternut squash from you garden, friends and family gardens, or the farmers market, where my squash came from. I used this recipe for Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, but we taste tested the sauce along the way and found it needs more acid and more mustard to cut the sweetness. The ingredient list was a bit funky as well as no lemon juice was in the list, but the direction then called for lemon juice. I suggest not skipping the lemon juice as it made it fresher. Of course if you use a nut milk or soy milk, it is neither soy or nut free-another quirk in the recipe.  I used a bit more than two cups of squash, plus my squash was particularly sweet so that might have accounted for why we needed to add more acid, but we got there in the end! The nutritional yeast brought a nutty cheesy essence, but don't expect  a true mac and cheese flavor if you are serving to the die hard fans-just call it pasta in creamy butternut squash sauce and divert any different expectations, because this was a tasty dish, but not Mac and cheese. Here's my big pot, in a big ugly photo! The color was actually more pleasant in the bowl, but I don't have a picture of that. 

If you don't want to click the link, here's my speed directions.

• 2 Cups cooked butternut squash
• 1/2 -3/4  dairy free milk product (we used unsweetened almond milk, I started with 1/2c and drizzles in more as it cooked)
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp. garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper
• 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 Table spoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tsps corn starch

     Puree all in a blender or food processor. I did in two batches in just my  mini blender and it worked great without hauling the larger appliance out.  Cook on low heat to get a nice bubbling simmer, adding the rest of the  milk as it heats through and thickens. Taste test and add more of any seasoning to your taste preferences. Mix in 8-10 ounces of cooked pasta of your choice; we used rotini. We had probably 9+ oz., as I used half a box and some fusilli  left in a  bag. 

     For price reference, Trader Joe's Vegan Mac and Cheese was $4.69 for 20 ounces/2 Servings. This probably made twice that. We also found a single portion of  a brand I can't remember in our local grocer that was a sauce packet and precooked noodles and it was nearly $5!  My squash was on the pricey side-$4, but I only used 2/3rds and devoured what was left for lunch on Monday. The nutritional yeast was the other pricey item, and I would guess I used about $1.25 worth of the container I have. The rest of the ingredients were negligible as we had on hand, but let's throw in another $1.25-which is on the high side, plus  $ .50 for pasta, so I'm going to estimate this at under $7. If you have a squash supply, knock  off nearly $4! It was so easy to make too. I didn't have the mental energy to do the nutritional break down, but I'm just going to say it was healthy and made my daughter happy! 

     I'm always on the lookout for a good collection of recipe inspirations to bookmark. I'm sure many of you know and read Mavis at $100 per Month. She just posted a  21 Comfort Food list for fall and winter, with recipe links. Included is a copycat Panera creamy Wild Rice soup. Yum, and will make me a popular mom over Thanksgiving break. Let me know if you try my mock and cheese or any of Mavis's recipes.

My Wednesday Pantry-Hamburger Week

     

      I bought 10 pounds of hamburger, but ended up making 8 pounds into Sloppy Joe's. I didn't get the remaining two pounds froze on Friday-just slipped my mind after I put the remainder in a bag into the refrigerator. I would have separated into two seperate pounds. Instead, I cooked it on Monday, 1/2 as just ground beef, and 1/2 into I think 9 meatballs. I froze the meatballs, but need to do something with the hamburger tonight. I brought home about 2 cups of Sloppy Joe meat-DH had for supper on Monday and I finished for lunch yesterday. We may be getting  a little  hamburgered out. 

     It goes so far in a house of only two people. (So why are my grocery bills so high?). I'm glad I froze the meat balls-they will either be used for two meals for DH and I, or pulled out for spaghetti when DD2 is home on fall break in three weeks, one of her favorite meals. I will either make goulash  or a rice hotdish of some sort for dinner tonight, which will yield days of leftovers for lunch. I could finally try the burrito bake, a cottage pie, or make a chili as well. Oh the excitement of having so many options and will decide this afternoon. What are you feeling? have I shared how I make my goulash?

Simmer inot 1 pound ground beef, preferably cooked with onions, 1 large can diced or crushed tomatoes with the following (or more or less to taste-I  use at least 50% more of each, except salt):

• 1 TBLS olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp paprika

Once the sauce has melded a good 1- 15 minutes, add 6-8 ounces cooked pasta of choice, I use whatever I have, but like rotini or penne pasta the best. Stir and simmer another 10 minutes. I like this recipe as I generally always have everything and I could make it with sauce, remove a bowl for my daughter, and add hamburger last. 

     I survived through my Tuesday work week, now the rest of the week is busy, but doesn't seem so looming. DD1 texted me early about Trivia. She is free tonight and hasn't played in a while. We do better when she joins us, and I missed last week as well. It seem like a good way to mark the middle of the week. If  you have any  favorite recipes for ground beef, drop a comment-or comment about anything else you'd like. I hope your day goes well. 

My Wednesday Pantry- Lazy Baking and a Little TJ Haul

      My lazy baking this weekend consisted of cutting up 6 apples that were getting too soft to taste good eaten fresh and using up a handful of blueberry's in some  Aldi baking mix (Bisquick) for muffin bread. Hardly stimulating pantry recipe content. 

     But if you are wondering about the  muffin bread-it's basically the biscuit recipe on the box with half the flour and adding as much sugar as you feel you'd like for the sweetness level you prefer. I used 1/3 cup  sugar to 1 1/4 cup flour, and probably about 1/3 cup of milk. Toss the blueberry's in and bake in two mini/small bread pans for 35  minutes, or in a muffin tin for 6 muffins, for probably 20-25 minutes. 

      My apples for the apple crisp were tossed with a couple tsps. of cinnamon and 1/3 cup of sugar, laid in a 6 by 8 glass pan, and topped with a crumble of 1/4 stick butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, and probably 1/2 cup quick cook oats, and another sprinkle of cinnamon. I don't measure really, just form the crumble consistency. I baked mine at 350 for 45 minutes-apples still a bit firm-not mushy, how we like it. We've been nibbling on both the bread and crisp since Sunday

     I know all do not have Trader Joe’s around, but should you find one near you or you near it, it’s worth a fun explore. I seem to go in person only every two to three months, Saturday being my first venture in since mid January. My daughter's work schedule puts her near one generally at least once a month so she'll do requests and pick up for me. The two items above, their Jumbo Cinnamon rolls, which are began, and the Organic Vanilla Yogurt, which is not, are two favorites. Both, along with fruit, are now part of our Christmas morning tradition, well, in the  normal years, when this was plenty for something at home, but have to be at my mother-in-laws for Christmas Dinner. Now, as no one needs to get up early on Christmas morning, this might wain a bit as folks slip in, but the smell of the rolls baking with a big pot of coffee brewing, and me knowing my own family will be together at least for a bit, makes these rolls part of my little tradition. Of course we like them other times in the year as well, and I think these will part of maybe a Mother's Day brunch-not necessarily on Mother's Day.  I think both are around $2.99.

     A couple shelf stable items that find their way in my cart are the Chai Tea Latte mix and the almond granola. In fact, I bought two boxes of the granola on Saturday and DH has almost devoured one already. So many of the other brands, if I can even find in stores, are ridiculously expensive per ounce, and some do not taste half as nice as the TJ version. Pair the granola with vanilla yogurt-my preferred way to eat it. So good. The chai tea is loaded with sugar, so I consider it a treat, but compared to a $6 version in a coffee  shop, when this container for $4.99 will easily get 6-8 large mugs, it's worth the price. DD2 has one at school, I have one at home, and I will eventually keep one in the office as well. For those that see a TJ's on a road trip, these would be nice take home buys to try.

    I usually buy bruschetta, but didn't this time, but did buy some artichoke hearts in olive oil. At my daughters recommendation, I bought the peanut butter which is nothing more than peanuts. I plan to make another batch of the vegan PB, oatmeal, Chocolate Chip cookie dough for the freezer this weekend. Other favorite items we bought, or I wanted to buy this past week are:

• Vegan Mac n Cheese-ignore the vegan part even-it's that delicious. This was a new buy for both DD1 and myself, and will be on the list now.
• Palak Paneer-Heated up and eaten with naan bread, and I am in heaven. Is it authentic? Probably not, but I don't care. It has a good curry spice tot he spinach and the  paneer cheese is a nice texture. Sadly, they were wiped out as seems to happen a lot of the time so I must not be the only one digging on this product.
• Mandarin Orange Chicken-My old standby to have in the freezer for nights I really do not want to cook. This feeds DH, DD2, and myself, with rice and steamed vegetables for 1/3 of the price of take out, and is no more work than ordering take out. 
• Haloumi Cheese-I guess it is seasonal, but I bought the last two times I was there, and  it was no longer in stock. I really don't understand the seasonal part of it. Must be a supplier issue as it says, product of Greece. .Cypus-I double checked. 

     Of course these products or similar might be found other places, and I'd love to know if anyone has any other store brand favorites in  other national grocery store chains. I love trying new things and if we do plan a road trip this fall, I'd love to pop-in and have a look. I in know way have any affiliation to Trader Joe's. I just really like to shop there for fun items I don't find at Aldi or my local store. 

My Wednesday Pantry-Chipper Chicken

      We'll be eating many chicken  dishes over the next few weeks as that was the protein that was by far the best value. Six  large pieces, each one feeding both of us was in the the package of boneless skinless chicken breasts so I'm looking for a variety of recipes to break up what could be the monotony. I didn't really use a recipe for Sunday night, but made stuffed chicken dish.

     I cut the breast in half length wise to have two decent sized cutlets. I mixed 1/3 cup cottage cheese with garlic, Italian seasoning, and pepper. I seasoned both sides of the cutlets then put 1/2 the cheese on the small side, with a thick slice of mozzarella. I sliced three pieces of deli ham into six and placed on the wider end, then rolled, starting on the narrow end to the wider. I secured with toothpicks, then misted with olive oil, and coated in bread crumbs. These baked in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. DH really enjoyed the chicken, sort of a twist I guess on cordon bleu, served with a change from plan of buttered mashed potatoes and French style green beans, and toast. 

     I'd like to try some homemade  mandarin orange, sweet and sour, or General Sao's chicken. The batter I've seen people use looks based on ingredients, like a pancake batter. I wonder if I just made a very  runny batter if it would work? No harm trying as long as I avoid adding any flavors to the batter. I have sauce from Aldi-though it's called "Asian Sauce', how specific, LOL. I also have Aldi's version of Franks Red Sauce. I thought about doing the pancake batter for Buffalo Cauliflower/fake wings. I of course couldn't use for DD1, but if I found a vegan pancake batter in the future if this works, could give it a try. I like homemade using convenience items-I'm lazy efficient that way. I looked at the cookbook from DS, and yes, many chicken dishes, but a lot were actually for sauces and salsas, which is great, as I can just cook the chicken  in ways I already know how and add/change flavors throughout the rest of the month. 

     Do you ever see Father of The Bride, with Steve Martin? At every corner, throwing the beautiful wedding for his daughter had him confronted by higher and higher costs, while his real issue was mourning  that his daughter truly had grown up. I love this scene where he finally had enough of the wedding planner, the wonderful Martin Short, trying to convince him that the chef Haaank, chicken is blasé for a wedding meal, but Martin was not having it. He wanted the "Chipper Chicken" and was going to have his way on one thing! I think of my dad who had eight daughters and many weddings-some more than one. 

My Wednesday Pantry-When Your Husband Cooks Two Pounds of Spaghetti Edition

 

     Guess what I hunted for since last Thursday? If you guess recipes that use cooked spaghetti, you are winner. If you did not previously read my Fridays post in which I shared that DH cooked a two pound box of spaghetti for the two of us, I'll fill you in that I had to large, each holding slightly more than cups of pasta, containers leftover. Now I like pasta as much, maybe even more, than the next  Giada, but I didn't want to eat it daily for a week. Belinda at Frugal Workshop mentioned in a comment that it could be frozen so, I decided I would make two meals, one to freeze for later, and one we would eat on the weekend. Well, there was even more than that so it actually became three, plus DH ate leftovers on Saturday.

     The first is just my Tuna Hotdsh, of which I've made and shared the recipe for countless times, but I had two cooked chicken tenderloins that needed to be eaten so I used chicken instead of tuna and cream of chicken instead of  mushroom. I just used spaghetti noodles and called it Tetrazzini. I pepped it up with a bit more mayo and milk, much more onion, and some olives. Sauce is just 1 can cream of something soup, 2/3 can of milk, lots of pepper and garlic powder, 1/2 Cup mayonnaise, and 1 cup cheddar cheese. Mix with 8-10 ounces cooked pasta and 1-2 cans tuna (or equivalent chicken like I did this time) depending on your preference. Add a vegetable if you want-sometimes we include peas or mixed vegetables, like the remaining bits I had for this  tetrazzini. Top with bread crumbs and bake for 35-45 minutes at 350. Another twist this time, was I put it in the crock pot on warm before I went to the office Monday, then on high for an hour when I got home. I also skipped bread crumbs. Well, I guess this was a whole different recipe with all the changes, but essentially the same pattern of pasta, protein, cheese, veg, sauce...

It was a nice hearty plate of pasta hotdish.

     Jen G commented that baked spaghetti would  take care of the leftovers, and I agreed, but wanted a twist.   The one for the freezer was found on the trusty Betty Crocker site. Here's the link to Pizza Baked Spaghetti. I was disappointed that I didn't have as much mozzarella as I would have liked, but I added a bit of cheddar and colby and didn't put any cheese on the top for the freezer. I figured we won't eat until next month and I'll buy more mozzarella cheese by the time we bake it. I think this is going to come with us next week to the lake for an easy throw in the oven meal. I'll give you the verdict once it's devoured. 

I forgot to take a picture before I wrapped and froze,
 but here is the BC Spaghetti Pizza Hotdish.

     On Sunday, I had planned on making brunch, but then DH was hungry for cinnamon rolls right away before church. I knew  even with the  dish in the freezer, and the plans for the tetrazzini, I still had more noodles to use. Lunch then was the odd bits from the fridge stirred together and baked including the last chunk of a zucchini, the remainder of a can of tomatoes, 1/2 and onion, the dozen or so pepperoni slices, three small chunks of assorted cheeses, and topped with a few slices of colby cheese. 

     If you are ever in a position of having too much pasta, I guess there should never be fear. Spread out over a few recipes and freezing portions for later, or even the whole dish for later, will help the boredom factor. It felt good not to waste, but it will be a while before I cook any more spaghetti noodles! 

Soup when it is 98 Degree's?

I am simmering vegetables on the stove to make a batch of corn and potato chowder.  At 8:30 this morning it was already  hot and humid and is expected, temp and heat index, to make it feel like 98 degree.  Why in the world am I making soup? Several ears of leftover sweet corn, and a supply of potatoes, carrots, and celery nearing their end is my inspiration. Also, it is September in Minnesota, and while today it is hot and humid, by weeks end, we could have a reverse forecast and be looking for an extra sweater. My freezer will have a couple ready made meals and I am happy for that. I am also pleased that this will be a help towards limiting eating out as soup is a fan favorite of my family. I am also pleased that I am using up items that easily could end up in the garbage. This is still a battle I am not winning, but still giving it a good fight. 

My two ears of corn.

I tried Googling a recipe for it, but have you noticed lately how difficult it is to actually get to a recipe when you do a search?  Multiple screen loads, requests for my Facebook  log in or to create an account, sifting through yet more articles, and I gave up.  I really don't need a recipe-I've been whipping up batches of soup for decades, so will do what I always do, improvise with what I have on hand.  

My veggies are sauteing in butter.

Once the veggies are soft, I added two cups of chicken broth, triple strong made with a three to one ration of  chicken bouillon, simmer another 10 minutes, then stirred in three potatoes, diced up, and simmered until soft, but not mushy.  By now, my soup is getting quite thick, so I'm adding four cups of whole milk, more salt and pepper to taste, and the kernels from my two large ears of corn, cooked earlier in the week when our eyes for sweet corn were bigger than our stomachs. I'll simmer it all, taste testing to see if it needs anything more of anything. Delish.

Here is the finished product.  While too hot for soup, I still had to  taste test it and I proclaim it tasty. DD#1 had a couple bites as well.  This was just a small sauce bowl, but you can imagine  a nice big bowl with some crusty bread. I hope it thaws well-I've never frozen milk or cream based soups, but if t gets to thick, I can add a bit more milk or makeshift broth.  What about you?  How are you starting the seasonal transitions with your menu?  

Little Bundles of Yum-With an Update

Rather than linking, I'm posting the same post as I did on Thursday from my writing blog.  I am excited to share that I have found the recipe, or a version close enough, and with my memory of what wasn't in them and am adding to the bottom of the story.  I love when something from my childhood is able to resurface. Now, I need to plan an appropriate time to make these so I don't make and eat them all myself.  I don"t know if these will be a fan favorite with my household.  If DS were here, he would probably down a half dozen. Without further ado, as previously posted in Sam and Writing, Little Bundles of Yum.

Growing up, food did not have the significance of a lifestyle as it does today.  People weren't described as foodies.  Food nourished the body, was offered to guests, and on holidays, was eaten in too large a quantities. In  stable financial times, breakfast was cold cereal, toast, or a big pot of oatmeal.  We mostly ate school lunches, or brought a simple sandwich and fruit.  Suppers were meat, potato, vegetable and white bread. Leaner times,we ate a lot more hot dishes and soups.  I should explain hot dish for those not in the Midwest.  Hot dish, not to be called casserole, was a noodle or rice base, a protein, often hamburger, leftover chicken or canned tuna, a  can or jar of something to bind it, and maybe cheese or bread crumbs on top. That was about as foodie as meals came.

However, there was one food, served very rarely, that I absolutely adored.  I don't believe I have eaten one in twenty plus years, probably since the last time my mom made them before they moved into town.  She called them Corned Beef Burgers.  These were not a burger at all, but rather a kind of meat salad, put on little hamburger buns, wrapped in tin foil, and heated in the oven. I think one of my sisters knows how to make them, but they are an acquired taste, and because I only remember these being made in large quantities, the recipe probably makes more than she could find current day eaters to consume.  Really these are nothing more than canned corned beef, flaky and gelatinous, mixed with salt, pepper, relish, and a jar of Cheez Whiz.  I really typed Cheeze Whiz as a recipe ingredient. 

Oh how I loved the steam coming out of the little bundle when I opened the foil on my burger. The scent of the beef blended with the cheese msde my mouth would water. Corned beef burgers were associated with informal family and friend gatherings. Once cold and winter set in, it was less frequent that people would get together, but when I saw these being made, I knew the house was going to be full. A large pot of soup was also made to serve with the sandwiches and later years when mom got a bit more creative, a toned down chili, more of a hamburger, bean, and tomato soup.  That is part of the appeal for me.  These were a Saturday night food, made if my parents were having people over for cards.  My sisters on the sides of me in age didn't like them, so when we were each offered one as a treat before we were banished out of the room, I got one of theirs as well.  They were happy with potato chips we also were allowed. 

My brother used to say he thought my mom was a good cook until he grew up and moved out and learned there was a thing called spice in the world. It is true that my mom was a no nonsense, basic, really quite bland cook. She would have had no time with the plethora of shows on the Food Network. In her later years, she got more adventurous with what she ate out of the house, and appreciated other peoples expanded menus, but personally stuck to her staples.  Those little sandwiches though are locked in my head and in my memories, and no one since has been able to replicate the full package of the Corned Beef Burger experience. 

Corned Beef Burgers
2 cans corned beef (square 6-7 oz. size)
16 oz jar Cheez Whiz
1/2 Cup mayonaise
1 cup sweet pickle relish
Salt, pepper
small hamburger buns, or dollar buns

Mix all ingredient together into a spread.
Put spread on buns, a couple tablespoons or so on each
Wrap individually in tin foil
Heat in a 350 degree oven 15-20 minutes, watching that they don't over brown

I really don't now how many this will make-I'm guess at least a dozen.  My mom had them just loaded in the oven, so she probably doubled or maybe tripled when she made them. If anyone tries, please let me know how they turned out and what your family's reaction was to them. I bet these could also be done with a grill, perhaps the top rack, or on a very low heat, but turning over frequently. I read the bundles will freeze well, so you could make up, and only bake what you need perhaps in a toaster oven.

Paradise on 12 Grains

Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough,
A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse - and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness -
And Wilderness is Paradise now.
- Omar Khayyam

Ahh, the things we can give ourselves that lend to such simple enjoyment. I had a hectic day today.  It was good, but several curves thrown in. An impromptu meeting with the big big boss, a gnarly tangle to help a school get out of, and my exit ramp closed for the duration of the summer kept me hopping and improvising throughout the day.  To top it off, DD#1 left some equipment she needs for work in her old room after coming home for the weekend.  I met her between her home an ours, saving her 80 minutes round trip, but adding 20 to my end of day.  With stomach growling, I was like an ostrich with my head in the sand, avoiding the Taco Bell, Wendy's, and Chipotle I passed on my detour and made it home without spending money we don't need to spend on food I don't need to eat. 

However, my will power didn't make the rumbling go away, and by7:00, I was getting quite famished, with DD#2 expected to arrive home any minute, probably famished as well.  Even though it was hot out weather wise, the thought of a boring sandwich or a quick salad  didn't appeal to my taste buds.  I decided to combine the two. The result was phenomenal.

On 12 grain bread, I lightly buttered 4 slices of bread and put butter side down on a cookie sheet I heated up in the broiler.  I topped two slices with cheddar, garlic powder, and sliced marinated artichoke hearts.  On the other two slices went mozzarella, more garlic powder, and baby spinach leaves, piled high.  I took a little of the marinade form the artichokes and dribbled over the spinach, and popped the lot under the broiler for about six minutes.  Folded on top of each other, and cut ins squares, to make them easier to handle, I prepared for bite one.  The veggies and cheese oozed together in my mouth taking me to a happy place. DD#2 bit in and proclaimed, "OMG, Mom. This is so good." 

I should have taken a picture of my process, but quite frankly, I didn't think it would be anything to write about.  "Sam, I hate to break it to you,", you may be thinking, "it really isn't."  Seriously though, it was that good.  I would dare to put it up against any pub or cafe grilled cheese, and at a price because of my bargain ingredient so less than $1.00 a sandwich, I want to write about it.  I don't have a vendetta against the fast food industry, but sometimes when I am hungry, and stressed, or rushed, I think I need to turn to a quick drive through window to feed myself and my family.  In the same time it would have taken, at this time of day, to pull through the drive in, pay, and get back on the road, would have been no less, and probably more, than my prep time took.  I've shared before that I like to use things like onion spread, or other spreads to uplift the humble grilled cheeses.  This was a bit beyond and now my mind is already prepping a sandwich line for the full bounty of late summer.

How about you?  What have you discovered my luck, or with intentional invention in the kitchen? I'll leave you with DD's 1/2 eaten sandwich to gaze upon. 

Not Much Simpler than a Potato

My simplicity aspirations are in high gear this week. When it comes to simple, wholesome, tasty food, anything potato related comes to my mind. The fact that they are frugal and if you are careful with all the extra's, a satisfying accompaniment or the feature of a decent meal. While typing this, I have about three pounds baking in the microwave. I'm not sure what all these will be used for, but having a few cold potatoes already cooked, helps me make improvised meals on the fly. One of our favorite is to saute onions in a bit of butter until soft. I then add sliced, cold, cooked potatoes and cook until they are crispy and golden.  A dash of garlic, Italian season, pinch of salt and pepper and I am a happy person. Of course potatoes are calorie dense, but serve with a heaping helping of vegetables, and a lean protein such as chicken, and the overall calories are mitigated. I like to use real butter-not spreads, and think a little richness goes much farther than a fake substitute. Other things I've used the cooked potatoes for include a sort of crust for a quiche, rather more like an egg bake, or sliced thin with some cheese and put inside an omelette. I like to wrap them with some deli  meat and a bit of cheeses into a tortilla and make sort of a burrito. With grilling season here, it is nice to even just keep them already cooked, but heat them through  on the grill, while the meat is cooking.

DH is the main grocery shopper, and there never was a two for one he could resist. Potatoes are often part of that deal. We are supposed to have another day of cold, rainy weather today, and one again on Tuesday. A big batch of potato cheese or vegetable soup might be called for before I give a rest to my soup creations for the season. I then should turn my hand to making potato salad. If you have a good creamy potato salad recipe, I'd love to have it. So many I've had are very dry and bland, but I love the deli potato salad at the local grocery store deli counter. I haven't found the recipe they use yet, but I am looking.

We have some serious belt tightening to do around the house and in the family.  I mentioned our $4,800 ding-well, actually it is a shared ding with DS, but as he is barely covering his own bills, the burden for the short term will fall on us. DD#2 has decided her violin is her new passion, even more so learning that the honors strings students in the high school have the opportunity to go to Spain during spring break next year. We also have a trip to Washington DC planned in the fall, and an Alaska-Canada-Seattle land and sea cruise planned for summer 2016. We will all do our part and throw extra money saved, earned, or gifted, towards all these expenses.  I was determined, and still am, to not let taking a new job with less cash flow, change our priorities for travel, social, and family support. The grocery budget seems to be a place so many people have tackled to reduce debt or put funds towards something more fulfilling than take out  and convenience food. I will be planning and looking for ways to stretch that budget, and looking at new ways to serve potatoes seems a pain free way to help the cause. Repeat the mantra with me; "potatoes are my friend."

Comfort Food...with a Twist

My brother once said, "I used to think mom was a really good cook until I grew up and learned there is something called spices." I'll give my mom a lot of credit for putting wholesome, filling, and nutritious meals on the table, but my brother had a point. Salt and pepper was about it for putting a little extra flavor, and we had some pretty bland meals.  One of our favorites back then, and total comfort food, was what she called goulash.  Now those of you of Hungarian descent will be mortified at using that term for what I am going to describe, but that was our family name.  Even after we as kids were grown and out of the house, if it was a Saturday or Sunday afternoon impromptu gathering with kids and cousins, she would cook up a big batch of either Sloppy Joes, or her goulash. 

Basically it was hamburger cooked  loosely with some onion, salt and pepper, a big box of Creamette elbow macaroni, cooked to package directions, and a large can of tomato juice.  She would combine all the ingredients and let it cook until the juice had been cooked down and absorbed around the pasta, creating a kind of sauce.  Leftovers reheated were even better.  Sometimes she would use leftover Sloppy Joe meat that she had kept in the freezer-not enough for a meal on its own,  instead of fresh hamburger.  She was inventive, and didn't let food go to waste. I was craving some of that comfort food, but at this point, my palate needs a little more spice.  So here is my version.

1/2# hamburger cooked with 1 chopped onion, salt, pepper, and plenty of garlic powder
(tonight I had some leftover fresh mushrooms so I sliced them up to cook with the hamburger as well)
Once brown, add a 15 oz. can dice tomatoes, and 1 small can tomato paste. Add generous amounts of more garlic powder, Italian seasoning, more pepper, and a few healthy shakes of  chili powder.
While this is all simmering, cook 1# of elbow macaroni to box directions, drain, then add back to the pot, with the hamburger tomato mixture.  Mom always bought Creamette, but I have whatever was a good deal, though our preference is Barilla. Stir. It is now ready to eat. 

This was not so different than mom's, but it had more spice and more texture because of the dice tomato's instead of juice. Not counting the spices because I get those so dirt cheap I couldn't even estimate what I spent-maybe $ .25 worth  total, this came in under $6.00, and will feed the three of us to stuffed, with leftovers for DH lunch tomorrow, and probably a reheated dinner for my daughter after her confirmation class. It probably could and should go farther, but both DH and DD#2 have high metabolism and are athletic, so burn the carbs.  I reserved about two cups of cooked pasta so the hot dish would be  bit saucier, and I wanted to mix the left over macaroni with some chopped vegetables and a couple hard boiled eggs for a cold pasta salad for  my lunch tomorrow, making a $ .50 lunch.

Have you perked up or refreshed any family favorites from your childhood?  What meals stir up those comforting memories?  Chime in, and feel free to link to a favorite recipe or two.

My Advent Challenge changed from what I intended this morning.  I had a bag with some great tween age virtually brand new clothes to drop off at Family Services, along with some assorted jewelry.  We were running late out the door, and there it sat.  However, I was able to improvise, and  decided to give back to  my co-workers and put a fresh box of cinnamon tea in the break room this afternoon for a little pick me up.  I'll need to refresh my desk drawer supply, but it has been a cold week already.  A new dusting of snow will mean half of everyone in Minnesota will forget how to drive again, making for a long commute home for some of us.  I hope someone warmed themselves before getting on the road. It's all about comfort for me today. 

Broccoli salad, Roasted Yams and Carrots, Taco Dip

The following three dishes were my contributions, along with plenty of wine, to the Thanksgiving feasts.

Broccoli Salad
five cups (roughly two heads) of raw broccoli florets
1 cup raisins
1 cup sunflower seeds
6-8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup Mayonnaise or salad dressing
2 Tbls sugar
2 Tbls cider vinegar

Mix sugar and vinegar until dissolved, stir in the mayonnaise until smooth and creamy. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, reserving 1/3 of the bacon crumbles.  Pour dressing over the salad and stir with rubber scraper, to ensure each  floret has dressing, nd t distribute raisins, sunflower seeds, and bacon bits.  Pour n serving bowl, top with remaining bacon.

Roasted Yams and Carrots
Wash and scrub 4 medium size yams, and 5-6 large carrots.  Peel if you prefer.  Slice the yams in pieces bout the size of an adult thumb.  Do same with carrots, though try and get pieces about a third thinner than the yam pieces. Put veggies in a bowl and generously shake with cinnamon-I estimate I used probably 3 Tbls.  Sprinkle about 1/2 to 1 tsp. salt, and same with pepper, but use more pepper to taste if you like.  Stir in bowl to get seasoning over all vegetables.  coat all vegetables with Olive oil, or a light vegetable oil-your preference, (I use Olive oil for almost all cooking) Spread out vegetables in a single layer on a large baking sheet.  Bake in over for 30 minutes.  after 30 minutes, stir, and check for softening-they should be getting soft, but not mushy at this stage.  If still hard, keep baking and check in 5 minute intervals.  Once soft, but still with firmness, stir, and then sprinkle brown sugar over the single layer.  Roast for another 10 minutes to let the sugar caramelize.  Pour in serving bowl, scraping the good flavored glaze over the top.  If you like a nuttier taste, you can put under the broiler for a coup minutes, which will brown up and even crisp the sugars, but watch carefully. 

Taco Dip-embarrassingly easy
1 brick 8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup Salsa or picante-chunkier the better, hotness to your preference
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese cheddar or Monterey jack or Colby
1-2 cups shredded lettuce
10-12 black olives sliced
diced small tomato

Combine cream cheese and salsa until blended but chunky texture.  Spread on a large plate or platter.  spread 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese over the cream cheese mixture.  Top with the Lettuce, spread across the base, followed by the rest of the cheese, and then the black olives and tomatoes on top.  chill at least an hour for the base to firm up.  Serve with tortilla chips.   I often omit the tomato in the winter if the tomato's are expensive and not good quality, but personally would never leave off the olives!

Souper Sunday's

Not the most original title, but I am introducing a regular feature to my blog called Souper Sundays. This will run through the cold months of winter to motivate me to test the waters with some new recipes, or create my own from the pantry, fridge, and freezer.  Today, we have plans with extended family, but a cup of soup in a mug later tonight when we get home, and having some leftovers ready for the week will serve us well for a light and quick meal. 

Today's soup...Tomato Vegetable with Rice

This will be a crock-pot soup, and a semi homemeade, use up ingredients on hand soup.  In no particualr order, throw into you crock pot the following ingredients:
1 can condensed tomato soup
6 cups of water
5 chicken, beef, or vegetarian bouillon cubes
1 large chopped onion (or two small is what I had)
3 large but small cut carrots-about 1+ cups worth
3 large but small cut celery stalks about 1+cups worth
1/2 cup
2 tsp. of pepper
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
extra salt if you think to taste but with the cubes and condensed soup, probably more than anyone needs in a serving.

These were my ratios based on what I had on hand and wanted to use up.  Roughly I do a 1-1 vegetable to water ratio, 1-2 rice to water ratio, and then 1 can soup-1 cup water ratio, so a little less than equal the can. I like to have 1 cube of bouillon per cup of water, but  reserved one less since the canned soup already has so much flavor. That's how I decide on  5 cubes and 6 cups water.  Tweak as it works better for your taste, and thickness of soup preference.

Turn on high if you will be eating in 4-6 hours, or low if you want to just let it cook all day.  That is it, and while somewhat experimental, I can't see why it won't be delicious. You could add meat if you wanted as well, but we often have a grilled cheese or a deli sandwich along with soup, so I don't worry about meat with most soups.  DD#1 is vegetarian so I got accustomed to versioning things, or making one and supplementing meat sides for some meals.  This was simple and cheap, and uses some of the stocked up at dirt cheap prices  tomato soup we have on hand, but never seem to eat as soup. Some day I might put pencil to paper and do a better cost summary than the estimating in my head, but I'll say roughly $3.25 for 6 hearty portions. Some of you like the pureed soup and I think this would lend well to that if you so choose, particularly if you left the rice out.  I wanted a little more sustenance to it. Enjoy!

If some things work out for me in the time department, I'd love to do a post at the end of December, early January compiling links to some of the best  tried and true or experimental soup recipes.  Leave a comment if you think that would be a post that would interest you.  Even better, if you like the idea, and have one to include, leave me the link to the blog post that contains your recipe.  All will be duly credited.

Pepper Mystery Solved



You may recall, a week ago I received a beautiful selection of assorted veggies from a coworkers family garden.  I was not quite sure what the narrow peppers were, nor how hot.  My colleague assured me they were sweet.  Not knowing what to do with them all, someone at volleyball suggested I try pepper jelly.  I've made fruit jams plenty of times, but never pepper, but decided I could be up for the challenge.  I could re-gift the peppers back in a jar as well if it turned out.  I bought Sure-Jel for the pectin, and despite a bunch of recipes on-iline, I decided to modify the one in the instructions for hot jalapeno relish.  I followed the directions, almost exactly (tongue in cheek as I rarely follow anything exactly in recipes)  though I think I had more than 4 cups of  cut up peppers, and I think I left the pieces too big.  I'll wait to see what others think.  I like to see the fruit in my jams, so thought the same might be true of peppers. I didn't think until I was done hat I should have taken a few pictures to document this new adventure.  I took a few after shots. I am happy to say only one dud in the seven jars.  That became the tester. 

 

Here are my filled jars in the hot water bath.

 

 

I did take  a picture of the 7 jars cooling.  One was just a wee little thing. 

I didn't shop sale items, but I had sugar, vinegar, and a supply of jars on hand.  I had to buy new lids and rings as I didn't trust the old ones I had left. If I estimated my cost for everything, except jars since they can be reused, I would say $4.50 for the batch.  I recall buying  hot pepper jelly last fall for $3.00 a jar at an orchard.  A kitchen specialty store would probably be at least $5.00, so a frugal project since the peppers were free.

 

But how was the taste.  I opened the tester jar, the one that didn't pop.  A kind of odd thing happened in that the bottom was definitely jelling, but the top, where most of the pepper pieces seemed to rise, seemed watery.  I stirred up the whole jar, and the consistency was better.  This was only about 4 hours after the hot water bath so perhaps it will set more fully once fully cool.  No doubt these were sweet peppers, even the red.  I got no heat at all from the jelly, and was it very sweet.  It was quite flavorful, and I should have had smaller, almost minced, peppers, which might have infused more flavor of pepper.  It is pretty to see the pieces in the jar, so next time I'll maybe mince 2/3, and keep a 1/3 more chunky and visible.  Die hard jam and jelly makers are probably cringing at my deviations. 

So my pepper mystery has been solved. I managed to get all but two banana peppers used for the recipe.  The two I kept out intentionally to try and pickle them like refrigerator pickles.  Both my girls love banana peppers on sandwiches, but I think they have both only had the already sliced and jarred kind.  We'll see how these taste. After the pepper bounty on Monday, I have just a handful of bell peppers now. I've a few onions and tomatoes as well from last week.  We still haven't had fajitas-sounds like a menu plan to me. Any weekend adventures to share?

Last Mondays pepper bounty

The bottom of the basket