From My Mind to Your Table

Ditch the Box

2011-12-26T10:51:00.001-05:00

When it comes to convenience most people think of boxed meals. They see "just add meat and water" and think it will solve their time crunch. But let's be honest here. It really doesn't take any more time to make those meals yourself, and it's cheaper.

Let's look at a couple of the more popular choices out there and compare them.

Beef Stroganoff is basically noodles, meat, and sauce. The boxed version can end up costing about $15 once you buy 2 boxes so everyone can eat, the milk, and the ground beef. But you can do it yourself by using a bag of egg noodles, a pack of Stroganoff seasoning mix, and a few TBSP of sour cream. Just brown and drain the ground beef while you prepare the noodles, and make the sauce pack according to directions. Combine the sauce, meat, and noodles in a bowl and stir in the sour cream.

You have just made twice the amount of food for about half the cost.And it actually takes less time since you don't have to wait for the noodles to simmer in the pan.

Cheeseburger helper is another easy one. Make a box of mac & cheese while you brown and drain your beef. Combine them in a bowl, and you're done!

You see where I'm going with this. There is not a single boxed meal out there that you can't make yourself for less with the right ingredients. The trick is to look at what's in the box and find the individual items elsewhere in the store. Noodles are noodles and rice is rice. So for these meals the seasoning packets are really your best friends. They're inexpensive and versatile, and can save you a ton of money over time.

Chinese on the Cheap

2011-01-04T19:45:00.003-05:00

One of our favorite cuisines as a family is Chinese, but it can be so expensive! Even if we ditch the take-out or buffet & head to the freezer section we're still looking at well over $30 for dinner by the time we buy all the individual components to the meal. Seriously- have you priced frozen egg rolls lately? And a lot of the pre-packaged "entrees" don't even include rice, so naturally we had to come up with a way to lessen the financial blow & up the health value somewhat.

A favorite for us is stir-fry a la Dee. I was able to buy her a steamer for her birthday this year, so while she soaks the meat with Kung Pao sauce she steams the carrots and broccoli while I make a big pot of rice. (Quick tip- it takes the same amount of time so go ahead and make twice the rice you'll actually need for dinner. You can freeze the rest in baggies for later use in soups & such.) Later a pack of seasoning will help create the fried rice, and some of the onions and peppers from the freezer will round out the other veggies and meat for the stir-fry.

While Dee handles the main course I'm getting to work on the egg rolls. Seriously easy folks. Brown and drain a pound of ground sausage and combine it with a bag of cole slaw mix in a big bowl. (You could also use shredded chicken, shrimp, etc- whatever you like is good.) Put about 2 TBSP diagonally onto an egg roll wrapper, fold according to instructions, and lay on a baking pan sprayed with cooking oil. Brush the egg rolls with olive or vegetable oil, and pop into the pre-heated oven at 400F. Bake about 10- 12 minutes, or until golden brown. That's it!

It is worth mentioning though that this is going to make a lot of egg rolls, so either plan for a gathering or you can look forward to having your own Chinese section in the freezer.

Always Be Prepared!

2011-01-02T19:27:00.001-05:00

Let's face it. We all have days when we wander around the kitchen, opening the cabinets, fridge, and freezer repeatedly wondering what to fix for dinner. I could make this but I'd have to do that first. Browning the beef will take too long for tacos. Yadda, yadda- you know where this is going because you've been there, too.

The best way I've found to overcome this is by always having main ingredients already prepared and ready to pull from the freezer in a moment's notice. I recommend taking one day and using it to get as much done as you can without losing your sanity.

Meats are pretty easy. Just brown up some ground beef and place it in freezer bags- a pound per bag. You can also do this with ground sausage, ground turkey, etc. Also, you can flatten the bags once they're closed which will accomplish 2 things. One, they'll lay flat in the freezer, thus make for easier stacking. And two, it'll thaw faster once removed from the freezer.

Veggies can be prepared for freezing as well. Dice them and lay them out on a baking dish and set it in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer the veggies into freezer bags or other freezer containers. You now have quick, easy go-tos for last minute cooking. An added bonus is that you can also use these ingredients for last minute omelets and fritatas when you have unexpected overnight guests.

For other items that you don't necessarily want to precook, just separate everything into meal size portions and freeze them. For instance, if you know you'll need 3 chicken breasts for a certain recipe, put 3 breasts in a freezer bag so it'll be ready to thaw & prepare. But if you know that a recipe calls for 3 diced, cooked chicken breasts, go ahead and dice and boil them before freezing.

If you can use 1 afternoon a month getting everything ready to use you'll be amazed at all the time you'll save the rest of the month.

Another day, another dollar stretched

2010-12-16T19:22:00.000-05:00

Let's talk about stretching our money. I've found the best way to save money on food is to plan at least 2 meals ahead with every purchase. Seriously, think in terms of leftovers.

Let's start with chicken. We buy large bags of frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breast. Here's a tip- don't skimp here by getting the store brand. It usually has a high fat and gristle content, so just spend the extra & get the good stuff. For us it's Tyson, but you may have a different preference.

Now for menu. One bag, if used well, can feed a family of 4 for 3 days. And we're talking full meals here. The trick? The meat is an ingredient in the entrees. So the first thing you want to do is thaw the entire bag and boil it. Put 2/3 of it in the fridge or freezer for your next 2 meals, and cube what's left. This is now the base for your favorite stir-fry.

For meal number 2, shred half of what you put away. Add taco or fajita seasoning and have a burrito night. Add refried beans, veggies, and a rice side, and you're all set.

For the third meal, shred the remaining chicken and make chicken salad sandwiches for lunch. Chips on the side, a blanket on the floor, and you've got yourself a picnic!

I'll talk about stretching other meats in different posts, but this should get you going on thinking ahead when you're shopping.

Cornbread Stuffing (or dressing if you prefer it outside of the bird)

2010-11-26T14:31:00.001-05:00

One evening a few years ago I decided to make pork chops for dinner. Dee was at work, and I wanted to have it ready when she got home, so calling her and having her pick up stuffing mix wasn't part of my plan. But I really wanted stuffing to go with dinner.

So as I was tooling around the kitchen getting everything else ready I was thinking about how I could manage the stuffing. And then it occurred to me- what's in cornbread stuffing anyway? Why, cornbread of course! And I had made that the night before so I still had half a pan left. But what else? Some other bread source. I had part of a loaf of bread that was starting to go stale, so I set that beside the cornbread and began rifling through the spice cabinet for whatever else would be appropriate. This is what I came up with.

Cornbread Stuffing

1 pan of cornbread
10 slices bread of your choice, ripped into small pieces
2 cups chicken broth (can also use 2 cans or 1 box)
2 tsp onion flakes
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp ground sage
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine all of the dry ingredients, including the spices, in a large bowl then pour in the broth. Stir until all of the breading is moist.
If you're making dressing, spoon the mixture into a pan and even the top. Cover it with aluminum foil- shiny side down- and bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
If making stuffing, spoon the mixture into the bird and bake as normal. (Note: Please use a meat thermometer and make sure the bird is done according to health and safety standards.)

Good stuffing requires a good base, so here's the recipe for cornbread that I use. This one isn't mine; my former mother-in-law gave it to me. It's been passed down by the women in her family for at least 3 generations, and it's the best, easiest recipe I've run across.

Cornbread

(It's best to make this at least 2 days in advance so it'll have time to dry out. If the cornbread is too moist it can cause the stuffing to be a bit mushy.)

2 cups yellow corn meal
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Before starting, put a tbsp of shortening in your skillet* or pan and place it in the preheated oven at 350F. This will allow the shortening to melt, and the skillet to get hot. When you pour in the batter you should hear it sizzle as the outside begins to cook.

Mix everything together in a large bowl with a wooden spoon and pour it into the heated skillet or pan.* Bake at 350F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

* If you don't already own one, invest in a good cast iron skillet- it's the best thing in the world for making cornbread, and most everything else as well. Be sure to get one without a wooden handle so it can go into the oven without any issues.

Now this is really just a base. You can add anything you like to this from water chestnuts to apples. I've started adding leftover plain couscous to mine, which adds a nice texture. Go crazy & be creative.

The Monumental, All-Important First Post

2010-11-25T19:57:00.004-05:00

Since it's Thanksgiving I thought I'd start this blog off right- with the recipe for my Harvest Pie. We're actually doing our Thanksgiving dinner Sunday, so I haven't made mine yet this year. But I'll post pictures after dinner.

This recipe came about 12 years ago when I was trying to think of a way to celebrate all the food elements of Fall. My ex husband and I had been invited to a holiday pot luck and I wanted to bring something special. So I thought about what fall foods people enjoy, and how they could work together. And after thinking about it for a bit, this is what I came up with.

Harvest Pie

*note: I have never had good luck making a pie crust from scratch, so I buy the 2 pack of refrigerated, already cut out pie crust from the store. If you happen to be one of those folks who makes a stellar pie crust, could you please comment with your recipe and technique?

3 large granny smith apples, cored and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup cranberries, cut in half
1/4 cup raisins
2 oz. chopped walnuts
2 oz. chopped pecans
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground ginger

Combine apples, cranberries, raisins, and nuts in a mixing bowl. Add sugar and spices, and mix thoroughly.

At this point you have two options depending on your pie pan. You can either pour it all into a pie crust in a deep dish pan or pour half into two pie crusts in two shallow pie pans. Either option is fine.

Now comes the fun part. Lay your top crust out on a flat, lightly floured surface, and use your favorite fall themed cookie cutter to cut a couple of leaves from the dough. Set the cut outs aside- you'll need them in a minute.

Place your top crust over the pie and use a fork to crimp down the edges. Take the cutouts, brush one side with a little bit of water, and place them on the pie. Be creative! Presentation is half the fun of great food.

You can now brush the whole thing with a touch of melted butter and pop it into the oven. Bake the pie(s) at 350F for about 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

That's it! All you have to do now is serve it up to your diners and enjoy their reactions.