2010 Food is Good

I'm really excited about what 2010 has in store for our family! We just listed our home for sale, we are debt free as of December and I plan on opening a small business with my mom. Of course, it's food related! More details on that to come when we have it all ironed out. For now, this is what I'm cooking this week.

Monday: Salsa Fish with Sauteed Cabbage
Tuesday: Garlic Chicken 'n Gravy with Mashers and Carrots
Wednesday: Ginger-Apple Pork Chops With Green Beans
Thursday: Southwestern Skill Burgers with Beans and Corn
Friday: Grilled Rib Eyes with Salad

All of the recipes come from Taste of Home Simple & Delicious Cookbook. I was given this as a gift from my husband's family for Christmas. On Monday I used the last of the fish that Jeff caught in September. Otherwise, it's almost all store bought. Sadly, our farmer's market is down to nothing right now.

What are your plans for the new year in terms of food?

Sorry for my Hiatus

I was on a business trip the first week in April. It seemed to throw me for a loop. I am finally feeling back on track this week.

I must share that I put together a fair meal plan for us this week. I am making five dinners, breakfast muffins and some spinach nuggets for my "little nugget". I just could not take Kroger any more. I was discombobulated and not saving THAT much money. So I did the analyzing myself and went back to my neighborhood Hollywood Market. With a little research in the mailed flier and the coupons I have saved up, it paid off. Well, kudos to me, because I saved 36% off my bill this week. I stocked up on things like boneless-skinless chicken breast, prepared broth, and canned tomatoes. Really, I feel that the personal service I get from Hollywood far exceeds most big box chain stores. They all know me by now...poor bastards!

This week's meal plan...in no particular order.

1. Chicken with Roasted Red Peppers and Asparagus - I clipped this recipe and had my mom try it while I was away on business. It got thumbs up all around.
2. Pancetta and Fava Bean Risotto - I can only think of Silence of the Lambs and maybe I'll splurge and get some Chianti.
3. Tonno con Piselli - You do the translation!
4. Grilled Beef with Wasabi and Slaw - I made this a few years ago and it was fab! Can't wait to have the grill ready again.
5. Turkey Club Salad with Avocado Dressing - This is a Rachel Ray recipe....and while I'm way over her, this sounds so yummy, my mouth is watering now.

I'll keep you posted on how each of these goes. Now I have to pick which one to make tonight. Have a great week everyone!

Catch Up

The last few days have been rather manic. I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day! I know tomorrow will be more of a reprieve and I'm looking forward to it. Today I grocery shopped at the dread chain store....Kroger. It was daunting and it took some extra coordination than the local grocery around the corner. But, ultimately, it paid off. I save 28%! Yeah for me. I made our most expensive meal this evening in a long time - Quiche. It was yummy and worth a little splurge. Here's a pictoral recap of a couple meals from last week.

Friday's Stomboli was a huge hit! It cost only $4.59 to make these. Check 'em out...

We had to re-arrange some of our meal plans this past week and I didn't end up making the Mediterranean Packets until last night....another yummy meal we will be enjoying agin! These were a super steal thanks to me catching an error at my local grocery. The artichoke hearts in a can are normally priced around $3.50 and were on sale for $1.50. They rang them at the normal price and they had to pay me $6.00 to make up for it. I guess it pays to check your receipt. I'm now making more of a habit out of it. Total for this meal was $3.29! Here's a quick pic.

More to come later in the week with 3 in 1 Chicken meals!

Today's Dinner

Orange Glazed Chicken with Carrots and Bulgur
from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine --
April 2009

Per my previous post, I am being budget conscious. This meal is supposed to cost $9.90 and serves four. It cost me $7.81. It's very reminiscent of a slow-cooker meal I made last week, but was worth trying. I calculated the cost of each ingredient based on how much I actually used, as did the magazine.



8 Chicken Drumsticks (about 3 pounds total - these are BIG) -- $4.02
Course Salt and Pepper -- $.02
1/2 Cup Orange Marmalade -- $.85
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil -- $.05
4 Medium Carrots, cut into 1" chunks -- $.67
1 Cup Bulgur (I used Couscous...more on that later.) -- $1.53
1 teaspoon Lime Zest, plus 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice -- $.67

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, arrange chicken in a single layer; season with salt and pepper. (I always line my baking sheet when cooking meat; it makes clean up easier.)

Here's the chicken waiting for the oven to come up to temperature.

Roast for 10 minutes. Brush with half the marmalade, and rotate sheet.

Be generous with the marmalade....it goes a long way.

Continue to roast, brushing once more with marmalade, until chicken is browned and cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Now for the side dish - delicious!

2. While chicken is roasting, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown. (Well, I blackened mine a little bit and they still tasted okay!)

Before the carrots were neglected.

Add bulgur and 1 1/2 cups water; bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to low; cook until bulgur is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in lime zest and juice; season with salt and pepper.

Here are the limes awaiting their début.

Serve chicken with bulgur mixture.

Table Ready!

The verdict? Loved by everyone! Including the hungry toddler who threw the couscous everywhere when he was done eating. Clean up was worth every ounce in gold to hear his giggles.

One last note...if you are like me and have couscous in your pantry v. the bulgur. Cook the carrots in the water for 10 to 12 minutes covered and then add the grains. I think it would be closer to the intent of the meal.

Bringing Out the Budget Shopper in Me

I'm being completely cliché and I know it, but in these economic times, I've had to think about ways to save money. When it comes to clothes, furniture and other fun things, I love to bargain hunt. But, when it comes down to food, I spend full price on everything. So when Jeff recently had to take a paycut I started to take a look at how we spend our money. I know we can cut out the typical coffee runs and such - that's easy. But, we want to continue to whittle down what's going out and maximize what's coming in.

My friend Bev recently announced that she saved $88 dollars in one week of grocery shopping. I immediately wanted to know how I, too, could save such a large amount of money on a weekly basis. She sent me to Coupon Mom. There I read about Strategic Shopping and how to maximize the use of coupons. Now this week, I was in a big rush to get to the grocery store. We had been out of town all weekend and came home with a hungry baby and no food - not even milk! So, I skipped the coupons and just used the Strategic Shopping techniques. Guess what! I saved at least $40 -- and in comparison to really spendy weeks, $80!

I'm so excited that I have to share. As I said earlier, I don't want to give up the stuff we love when it comes to food. With the menu I used this week, we don't have to give up taste for cost. I used the April 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazine to develop it.

Monday - Mediterranean Salad with Green Beans and Feta
Today - Orange Glazed Chicken with Carrots and Bulgur
Wednesday - Irish Hand Pies (I know - a day late for St. Patty's...This is from the March issue of Everyday Food. These are pre-made and ready in my freezer. I have plans for the night.)
Thursday - Slow Cooker Beef and Black Bean Chili
Friday - Broccoli, Tomato and Mozzarella Stromboli
Saturday or Sunday - Mediterranean Chicken Packets

Later today I will also show step by step the Orange Glazed Chicken with Carrots and Bulgur as well as the cost break down. Plus reviews from the hubby and baby!