Pennies and Pounds

Another Numbers Meal Planning Template

2010-02-10T20:07:00.000-05:00

I decided in late 2009 that I wanted try out a lighter meal planning template. It's still tightly organized, but now it accommodates only one month's worth of meals. I added a second page to the template with space to write down meal ideas as they come as well as to list old, reliable dinners.

This template is available only in the Apple Numbers format, as it's the only spreadsheet program I use day to day. Excel is great if you are working in an office, doing accounting of some sort. If you have a Mac, though, it's worth checking out the iWork suite, as Numbers is much more useful for building non-business documents.

Please remember that this template, like all my templates on this site, is free only for noncommercial use. Thanks!

Download my Monthly Meal Planning Template for Numbers.

In Case You Missed My Cookbook Follow-Up Comment

2009-12-04T14:02:00.002-05:00

Will you post sample recipes from the recently finished cookbook Grancook's Favorite Recipes?

No problem! My goodness, I was so eager to get the word out after finishing this big project that I forgot to dot my i's and cross my t's.

You can see sample recipes right now at the cookbook project web site, grancook.com. You can also take a little peak inside the cookbook at its purchase page on Lulu, which is at bit.ly/grancook.

Regardless, I will endeavor to post a few sample recipes here as well. In fact, here is one I particularly enjoy myself from page 77. I make it Gladys's preferred way, which is to use shredded cheddar and to leave out the curry powder, plus I always use the cream of chicken soup instead of golden mushroom. It's not like a typical casserole as there's no major starch, just vegetables covered with lean meat and a thick, savory sauce. No starch in the recipe means you can choose your own based on your mood; I serve it with rice or quinoa on the side for soaking up that sauce. Yum! (P.S. It's the recipe pictured on the back of the cookbook, shown above!)

Chicken Broccoli Casserole
From the book "Grancook's Favorite Recipes"

2 16-oz. pkg. frozen broccoli (or fresh)
2 c. cooked chicken or turkey, cut up
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken or golden mushroom soup
1 c. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. curry powder (optional)
6 slices American cheese or 8 oz. shredded cheese Breadcrumbs
Paprika

Cook and drain broccoli. Place the spears in 11-by-7-inch baking dish with tips pointing toward edge. Top with chicken or turkey chunks. Combine soups, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder (optional), and shredded cheese, if using. Pour over the meat. Top with cheese slices, if using. Sprinkle with crumbs and paprika. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 45 minutes, or until bubbly. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Cookbook Project Complete!

2009-12-02T15:48:00.000-05:00

Sorry it's been an eternity since I posted anything, but I wanted to share a link to the big project I've been working on for the past few months:

The big project is finished! We have published the cookbook Grancook's Favorite Recipes today in honor of my husband Scott's grandmother Gladys, who passed away from lung cancer earlier this year. It collects more than 200 recipes from her files, including several dishes famous among friends and family and a huge section devoted to cookies. Proceeds from the book will go to support the Cancer Institute in Lebanon, Indiana, which treated Gladys during her illness.

Please consider supporting the Cancer Institute through purchasing a cookbook if you're interested in having a collection of good old Midwestern-style recipes on your bookshelf! Thanks.

Meals for the Week: Countdown Edition

2009-08-05T03:46:00.001-04:00

We're heading out on August 11 for a long visit with the extended family, so meal planning will go on hiatus for about a month after this post. Good for me, sad for you...

I made meatballs again this past Sunday. Ugh. I just can't seem to nail down a good recipe for Italian-flavored meatballs. I can make a decent meatball that's meatloaf-like and I can make nice dumpling-like soup meatballs, but it's hard to master making the sort you expect with spaghetti.

They should be solid enough to hold their round shape and offer a good bite, but still tender, not chewy. They should taste of lightly of garlic and parmesan, not ketchup.

I'm giving up. I liked those sacks of frozen meatballs I used to buy at Bratislava's Ikea. I'm going that route next time.

If you're interested, the recipe I attempted was the one that won the Throwdown episode on meatballs. Clearly this was a recipe scaled down from a commercial kitchen, as all the measurements were by weight.

I'm fine with using my kitchen scale, but I wasn't able to anticipate exactly how much of each ingredient that I usually measure volumetrically that I would need. Turns out that 2 ounces of chopped garlic is more than one full head -- I had to run up to the store for more.

I didn't bother getting the extra half-ounce each of basil and parsley called for, but I don't think that was the reason my meatballs turned out flat and loose compared to the ones I saw on TV. Again -- ugh.

Monday
Meatball subs
Corn on the cob
Tomato salad

Tuesday
Grilled pizzas
Salad

Wednesday
Beef fried rice
Salad

Thursday
Country-fried steaks
Mashed potatoes
Salad

Friday
Grilled sandwiches
Gazpacho

Saturday
Slow-cooked country-style pork ribs with pineapple and ginger
Baked beans
Mac and cheese
Salad

Sunday
Fettucine alfredo
Salad

Monday
Turkey burgers
Baked fries
Salad

Tuesday
Lasagna
Salad

Meals for the Week: Hot, Hot, Hot

2009-07-28T11:27:00.001-04:00

Summer has finally arrived in the Pacific Northwest. It stopped to say hello in May, then abandoned us for two months, only to return with a vengeance now in late July.

We're expecting a week with highs in the 90s, so I am attempting to cut back on heating up the apartment with cooking a bit. I'm planning to use the toaster oven for tonight's dinner, and I cooked our rice in the microwave yesterday. If I can dig up the half-size muffin pan I think I have in the back of the cupboard, I should be able to make tomorrow's meal in the toaster, too.

Monday
Red beans and rice with smoked turkey sausage
Spinach and tomato salad

Tuesday
Overnight French toast casserole with sage sausage
Cantaloupe and cherries

Wednesday
Corndog muffins with smoked turkey sausage
Pea salad
Salad

Thursday
Grilled pizza
Salad

Friday
Sandwiches
Chips
Salad

Saturday
Bulgogi
Spicy green beans
Jasmine rice

Sunday
Spaghetti with meatballs and hot Italian sausage
Salad

Meals for the Week: Restarting the Week

2009-07-21T16:30:00.001-04:00

Our meals got all shifted around all through last week, and we didn't end up sticking much to our schedule. Thus, this week's meals are largely what I'd planned for last week's meals! Since I didn't post meals for last week, it doesn't make much difference in the end.

Monday
Shells and meatballs with tomato sauce
Garlic bread
Spinach salad

Tuesday
Grilled kielbasa
Potato salad
Spinach salad

Wednesday
Beans and cornbread
Salad

Thursday
Turkey bake
Salad

Friday
Beef and bean tacos
Tortilla chips and salsa

Saturday
Pesto pasta with tomatoes and chicken
Rolls
Salad
(Merry Christmas in July!)

Sunday
Huevos rancheros

Picky Eaters? Tips on How to Introduce Vegetables

2009-07-10T15:41:00.000-04:00

New on Associated Content:

I didn't always like vegetables. Sure, I ate kid favorites like french fries and corn on the cob, and I even enjoyed green peas and baked beans. But boy, was I picky about the rest.

I'd eat baked potatoes, but only if I could leave behind the skin. I liked tomatoes one year, then decided they were too squishy the next. I loved salad, if by salad you meant cucumbers topped with cheese, bacon bits, and chow mein noodles.

I wouldn't touch mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, cabbage, and shall I go on, or do you get the point? If it wasn't bread, cheese, or meat, odds are I wasn't interested.

When I grew into adulthood and moved out on my own, I decided it was time to let childhood prejudices go. It was embarrassing to ask my mom if she's eat the broccoli off my plate if I ordered the apricot chicken when I was in my 20s.

Still, while I'd shaken off my aversion to veggies like lettuce and celery years before, taking on the broccoli monster still sounded daunting. George H.W. Bush still hated broccoli in his old age, so who said I would be any different?

Go read the rest! It's delicious.

This article moves away from cooking tips and more into general ideas about disguising vegetables or making them more accessible to the skittish. The point about cutting them very small is the best in my opinion. It's way easier to handle a little bite than a big one because you're not stuck chewing it for a long time in case you don't really like it right away.

Interested in seeing everything I've published on Associated Content? Visit my profile page for the full list.

Cooking Tips to Help Picky Eaters Learn to Love Vegetables

2009-07-09T18:09:00.000-04:00

New over on Associated Content:

When you hear vegetables, do you think "Yuck!"?

Do you have a child (or, heaven forbid, spouse) whose veggies always seem to end up in the dog's dish?

Do you put white potatoes next to your chicken and biscuits and call it dinner?

Then these tips are for you. Welcome to the wonderful world of vegetables.

Food neophobia, or the fear of new foods, shouldn't be dismissed as mere pickiness. Studies suggest the condition may be genetic, an impulse born into children to help them survive by being unwilling to try that pretty but poisonous berry growing on the random bush. Kids who turn up their noses at new foods aren't doing so just to annoy you; they're responding to primal instincts.

Nevertheless, you shouldn't resign yourself to a couple decades of hot dogs and chicken fingers. We need to teach kids (and adults who never outgrew childhood tastes) to enjoy nutritious foods to set them on the healthy path in life. It takes persistence and patience, but you can persuade a person to try new foods. Just remember, it can take many attempts before a hesitant bite turns to a favorite treat. Keep at it!

Go check it out! I'd appreciate it.

I published two articles recently on ways to make vegetables more appealing. It's hard for me to recall now what it was like to recoil at the sight of almost all veggies on my plate, but I do remember perfectly well all the tricks I played on myself to get over my vegetable (and other food) fears.

Some of my suggestions may seem counterintuitive (as in, what's the point of getting someone to eat a healthy veggie if it's prepared so unhealthily?), but the point is to offer the medicine with a spoonful of sugar the first few times to make it less scary. Once you know you can eat deep-fried green beans without gagging, you'll be more likely to give them a chance plain.

Interested in seeing everything I've published on Associated Content? Visit my profile page for the full list.

Get Started with Easy Meal Planning to Save Time and Money

2009-07-08T18:06:00.001-04:00

New over on Associated Content:

If a tight budget is starting to squeeze your food spending, it may be time to consider a strategy that can save you money and help you maintain a healthy diet: meal planning.

Meal planning is as simple as working out at the beginning of the week what you will serve for dinner each night for the rest of the week. You can then use your plans to formulate a grocery list, helping ensure you buy only what you need when you shop. Plus, if you know what you're planning to cook and have the supplies for the meals on hand, you'll avoid unhealthy takeout.

Please go have a look! It's a basic primer on meal planning, great if you haven't tried it yet or are looking for a simpler approach.

Interested in seeing everything I've published on Associated Content? Visit my profile page for the full list.

Strategies for Eating Out at Restaurants Without Wrecking Your Healthy Diet

2009-07-07T02:58:00.001-04:00

I've published a new original article for Associated Content. Here's a snippet to whet your appetite:

Every month or so, my high school dismissed students early to allow teachers time for professional development. At 12:30 p.m., students would pour out the doors, pile into the car of whoever could drive, and fill up the dining rooms of every casual chain restaurant in a five mile radius, giddy with anticipation of afternoon of social fun.

I'd peruse the menu of our chosen restaurant, my waistline and the eyes of a half-dozen friends on my mind, and carefully select a "healthy" salad for my lunch. Sure, it came topped with fried chicken and with a quarter cup of dressing on the side, but it was a salad -- how bad could it be? I'd keep with my healthy theme for dessert and generously split the enormous slice of chocolate cake with a friend. Keeping it all for myself would seem piggish, but if I ate only half I was virtuous!

Read more: Strategies for Eating Out at Restaurants Without Wrecking Your Healthy Diet

Interested in seeing everything I've published on Associated Content? Visit my profile page for the full list.

Meals for the Week: Sick in Bed Edition

2009-07-07T02:54:00.001-04:00

Despite being sick, I did plan a full slate of meals this week. Ground beef was on sale, so I'm planning several upcoming meals around it. All this week's meals will be served with salad and bread of some sort for simplicity's sake.

Monday
Pork fried rice with mixed veggies

Tuesday
Tamale pie

Wednesday
Chicken and Rice with Broccoli and Cheddar

Thursday
Cincinnati chili

Friday
Franks and beans

Saturday
Spanish tortilla

Sunday
Crispy Tofu with Sweet Soy-Garlic Sauce

Spiced Banana Smoothie

2009-07-06T16:44:00.001-04:00

I've been sick since Friday (which yes, means I spent the Fourth of July in bed rather than at a fun picnic or fireworks show). My nose and throat have picked up some nasty infection that causes me to go through plenty of tissues and tonsil-numbing spray. I need to sit by a vaporizer all day and take antihistamines to get any sleep. And then when I do finally sleep, I end up awaking sometime in the afternoon wondering where everybody is.

Anyway, I've been knocking off cooking a bit. I had others handle Saturday's turkey franks, and I elected to simply roast last night's Cornish hen so I didn't have to baby-sit it.

My appetite is kind of weird. I'm not particularly hungry most of the day, but when I do want to eat, I want something mild or a mostly. I've eaten toast, a danish, half a cinnamon roll, a popsicle, chicken soup -- a lot of sick-person food.

Today, I blended up a breakfast/lunch intended to soothe my achy throat, which hurts most when I first wake up. This Spiced Banana Smoothie is based on a recipe I found on the PBS show Everyday Food's site. I added some cinnamon for extra flavor and frozen yogurt for protein, calcium, and probiotics. And to make it more like a milkshake...

Spiced Banana Smoothie
Adapted loosely from Everyday Food

The measurements are kind of approximate. I started with 1/2 cup milk but it was too thick, so I added some more. The spices I just shook/grated straight into the blender, but you should aim for more cinnamon than nutmeg. Vanilla might not be bad in this, too.

3/4 c. skim milk
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg
1 frozen peeled banana, broken into chunks
2 scoops (about 1/2 c.) Dreyer's/Edy's Tart Honey frozen yogurt

Blend on high until smooth. Pour into a large glass. Enjoy.

MacGourmet Deluxe on Sale

2009-07-03T15:30:00.001-04:00

My favorite Mac recipe organizer, MacGourmet Deluxe, is on sale today only for $24.95 as today's MacUpdate Promo. The Deluxe version includes the basic organizer plus the very useful nutrition, meal planning, and cookbook-layout modules.

You can read Macworld's review of MacGourmet on their Mac Gems blog. Incidentally, if you're an iPhone/iPod touch user, the review mentions that you can download a companion app for MacGourmet for $5.

Meals for the Week: Clearing the Cupboards

2009-07-01T15:04:00.001-04:00

Sorry I'm a little late this week. I'm going a bit crazy and have lost track of time a bit. Summer kind of throws a wrench in the usual routines.

We're trying to eat down our reserves a bit this week. We've accumulated a few odd cans in the back of the pantry, a lot of extra buns and rolls on the counter, and sad-looking foods in the fridge. I had to do some salad surgery on Monday, tearing my way through the three romaine hearts we had to find the leaves unaffected by shrivel and browning. I salvaged three night's worth of salad for two, which we're eating in quick succession before it can go bad.

Monday
Pulled chicken sandwiches
Corn
Salad

Tuesday
Hamburgers stuffed with reduced-fat cheddar
Roasted potatoes
Salad

Wednesday
Rigatoni with meatballs (can)
Macaroni and cheese (box)
Leftover corn
Salad
(Happy Canada Day!)

Thursday
Spanish tortilla
Bagels
Salad

Friday
Lemon-butter chicken cutlets
Mixed veggies
Potato-leek soup (can)

Saturday
Turkey hot dogs
Chips
Salad
(Happy Fourth of July!)

Sunday
Barbecue Cornish hen
Baked beans
Muffins
Salad

Superfoods Save Your Healthy Day

2009-07-01T14:54:00.001-04:00

Superfoods Save Your Healthy Day: "The July/August 2009 issue of Health magazine features a list of nine superfoods for women that provide alternatives to common nutrient-rich foods like blueberries and broccoli. Check out these options:

1. Kiwifruit: Instead of oranges, try these fruits also packed with vitamin C.

2. Mushrooms: If your attitude toward broccoli is similar to the first President Bush’s, you can get nutritious phytochemicals from this meaty vegetable instead."

(Via Well Fed Network.)

I enjoyed that article in Health, as you don't hear sky-high praises for a lot of the foods mentioned all that often. That's not to imply they're unhealthy, just that they're neglected.

Incidentally, the article also mentioned three "superfood" spices:

1. Cayenne pepper: This seasoning not only adds a spicy kick to your food but also can help with an overactive bladder and increase your metabolism.

2. Cinnamon: This one I've heard about a lot in relation to diabetes. Apparently, it helps insulin work better, which keeps your blood sugar more stable. I've also heard it's good for helping you lose weight by suppressing appetite or something; I'm guessing that's related.

3. Turmeric: I've read before that this yellow spice is an anti-inflammatory, and Health confirms that it may fight inflammatory bowel disease and keep away pancreatic cancer. I like to add it to creamed corn to make the whole dish shockingly yellow.

America’s Test Kitchen Seeks Your Questions

2009-06-29T15:59:00.001-04:00

America’s Test Kitchen Seeks Your Questions: "Fans of America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country, listen up: The staff of Cook's Illustrated's television franchises wants to hear from you.

The shows already feature questions from viewers sent in via mail or email, as well as the occasional visit by a local 'neighbor' on Cook's Country. Now, though, the shows are asking fans to call in their questions to a toll-free number, with the possibility of being featured on an upcoming episode."

(Via Edible TV.)

I watch all the shows put out by the Cook's Illustrated folks regularly, but I just don't ever have a question come up that I would think of sending in to them. As far as I'm concerned, there's no mystery in food that can't be solved through referring to my cookbooks or asking Google.

Of course, that probably misses the point these days. I'm guessing that really, no one honestly feels the need to ask a TV show or magazine a question that won't be answered for weeks. They just want the little thrill of getting their name out there to the world.

But even knowing that, I can't formulate any decent questions to submit. Good luck if you're more query-happy than I am.

Meals for the Week: Post Office A-Go-Go

2009-06-23T00:50:00.001-04:00

I've been going to the post office every day for the past week or two due to the pull of a small, steady trickle of book sales via Half.com. My cookbook collection has been pared, and I've finally let go of some old textbooks from college that I had to admit I'll never read again. When we move again, maybe we'll have a box or two less than we might otherwise have to carry.

As far as cookbooks go, I've found there are only a few I use with regularity. For baking, I rely on King Arthur Flour's series of books and the America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book. For meals, I turn to other books from the editors of Cook's Illustrated, as well as The Joy of Cooking. Sometimes I refer to How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, too.

But my celebrity chef books? My random, often bargain, cookbooks? They mostly gather dust.

Incidentally, Giada De Laurentiis's cookbook Everyday Italian has retained its value very well on the secondary market. Rachael Ray and Emeril Lagasse books are lucky to sell for 75 cents. Interpret that as you will.

Monday
Hot dogs
Baked beans
Coleslaw

Tuesday
Special anniversary dinner

Wednesday
Risotto with chicken and thyme
Salad

Thursday
Burritos
Tortilla chips and salsa
Slaw

Friday
Loaded baked potatoes
Biscuits
Salad

Saturday
Shells and spinach in cheese sauce
Salad

Sunday
Barbecue pulled chicken sandwiches
Corn
Baked beans
Salad

Thirst-Quenching Tips for Summer

2009-06-19T19:04:00.001-04:00

An original article I wrote for the site Associated Content is now available for perusing. Check it out if you're interested suggestions on how to stay hydrated throughout the summer: Avoid Dehydration This Summer with Thirst-Quenching Tips

Here's a small preview:

After college, I moved from the temperate climes of Chicago, Illinois, where summer is more remarkable for its short duration than its intensity, to the heat sink known as Las Vegas, Nevada. Never before in my life had I stepped outside and suddenly understood how a chicken in a convection oven feels.

Temperatures in Vegas can rise to 110 degrees during the day. Thanks to its location in a desert valley, it can drop a full 30 degrees at night, true, but that's still a roasty-toasty 80. It all comes with a blasting wind that, rather than cooling you, just makes the heat more apparent.

Go read the rest!

Meals for the Week: Hawaiian Vacation

2009-06-15T20:59:00.001-04:00

Well, not a Hawaiian vacation for us. My brother is gone traveling for the week, so it's just the two of us eating dinner most days. Even with reducing the amount of food I make, I'm still ending up with more leftovers than I would have expected. At least I don't have to make a new salad every night.

Monday
Honey mustard chicken cutlets
Potato salad
Salad

Tuesday
Hot dogs
Baked beans
Salad

Wednesday
Pork chops with applesauce
Macaroni and cheese
Salad

Thursday
Chicken wraps
Corn on the cob
Cucumber salad

Friday
Hamburgers
Roasted potatoes
Coleslaw

Saturday
Grilled bone-in chicken
Mixed vegetables
Biscuits
Slaw

Sunday
Spaghetti with sausage sauce
Rolls
Salad

Summer TV Gets Cooking

2009-06-12T03:36:00.001-04:00

Summer TV Gets Cooking: "Here we are in June, with our favorite network series fading into memory as we stare down a summer largely full of reruns and bottom-of-the-barrel reality television. But it doesn’t have to be that way for TV cooking fans: Here’s a list of food-related shows set to premiere this summer that will keep your squawk box simmering through till September.

June Appetizers

Next Food Network Star: The competition is already under way, and at least one competitor has already slunk away in defeat. Will this year’s winner of Food Network’s popular show go on to rival Guy Fieri in popularity, or will we end up with another Amy Finley or Dan and Steve? Or will a runner-up again steal the spotlight, like Adam Gertler? Sundays at 9 p.m. Eastern on Food Network, premiered June 7."

(Via Well Fed Network.)

Incidentally, Food Network doesn't make it simple to discover what's new on their web site. I was going back and forth from a press release to each individual show's web page to determine premiere dates, and I only got Chopped included because I happened to be watching Food Network at the time and saw a promo for the season premiere.

What will I be watching this summer? We don't get IFC, so Food Party isn't going to happen for me. I could watch online, but having come of age in the slow Internet era, I still am prejudiced against Internet video. Truth be told, even with our fast cable connection, it still refuses to start or buffers and skips all lot half the time. I prefer the retro simplicity of the real TV.

I'm looking forward to more episodes of 5 Ingredient Fix. I continue to look out for occasional new episodes of Good Eats (Did you see the parsnips one this week? Now I want to try parsnips.) and America's Test Kitchen.

I'll definitely tune in to see What Would Brian Boitano Make? at least once, if only for the funny title and for curiosity over a figure skater trying to morph into a TV chef. Still, the quirky sense of humor evident in that title is making me think this one will be a Canadian rather than American hit, like The Surreal Gourmet. Too bad if that's the case.

Meals for the Week: Grocery Score

2009-06-09T02:17:00.001-04:00

On Sunday, Scott and I made out like bandits at Albertson's. I'd collected a store coupon good for $5 off a $40 purchase, plus there were more coupons in this past week's store flyer good for doubling manufacturer's coupons. Add in a huge sale on mostly Kraft products combined with Kraft giving away tons of coupons in the past month, and we achieved massive savings.

Our receipt, which is about three feet long, rang up $107.90 in purchases (with every item except a small watermelon being on sale). After all our coupons, the total dropped to a mere $63.35. Between the sale savings and coupons, we knocked $152.94 off Albertson's regular (albeit inflated -- this is a regular grocery store, after all) prices.

I have more store coupons I can use at Albertson's, so I may visit again next week if I find another compelling sale. In general, I prefer Costco and Fred Meyer as they offer very good everyday prices in addition to good sales. It took me a few days to strategize the big Albertson's trip for taking maximum advantage of loss leaders, and I'm not keen on putting in so much effort regularly.

I am glad to have access to stores that don't play the typical grocer game of jacking up prices on most items while luring you in with a few huge sale items. I do feel envious of my relatives' access to Aldi, though, which hasn't made it to Seattle. The prices are rock-bottom, and it's just like shopping at the little grocery stores we frequented in East-Central European cities (which makes sense, as there are Aldi stores in Austria and Germany).

Monday
Spaghetti with sausage sauce
Garlic rolls
Salad

Tuesday
Barbecue grilled bone-in chicken breasts
Mixed veggies
Salad

Wednesday
Patty melts
Roasted potatoes
Salad

Thursday
Quesadillas
Corn on the cob
Cucumber salad

Friday
Pork chops and applesauce
Rolls
Salad

Saturday
Risotto with chicken
Salad

Sunday
Cincinnati chili
Spaghetti
Salad

Next on Oprah: A Grain of Salt

2009-06-05T16:08:00.001-04:00

Next on Oprah: A Grain of Salt: "The big cover story in this week’s Newsweek is a look at the health information — apparently in most cases, misinformation — propagated by Oprah Winfrey’s signature television talk show:

In January, Oprah Winfrey invited Suzanne Somers on her show to share her unusual secrets to staying young. Each morning, the 62-year-old actress and self-help author rubs a potent estrogen cream into the skin on her arm. . . . According to Somers, the hormones, which are synthesized from plants instead of the usual mare’s urine (disgusting but true), are all natural and, unlike conventional hormones, virtually risk-free (not even close to true, but we’ll get to that in a minute)."

(Via Well Fed Network.)

I don't watch Oprah much myself. I lose interest in daytime television talk shows pretty quickly as they cover lots of topics I'm just not interested in to fill the many, many hours. I have watched the show occasionally, though. It just takes the magical coincidence of me having actually seen a promo for the show during a program I normally watch AND that promo trumpeting a compelling topic.

Dr. Oz is a pretty interesting guest. I've read recaps of his appearances on Oprah's web site for the "embarrassing" medical questions he's answered. It's not always 100 percent in sync with what I've read elsewhere, but it's generally good and interest-grabbing.

While the article and my post to an extent are kind of down on Oprah, I do in fact have a lot of respect for her and what she's achieved. She is generous to charitable causes and she empowers women. Spirituality and alternative treatments are important and often neglected by conventional medicine, too, though Oprah sometimes seems to take them to an extreme.

In truth, I wish Oprah had taken the time to speak to Newsweek for this article. While it raises valid points, it seriously suffers from a lack of counterpoints from Oprah's side. Guests who appeared on her show and gave bogus info or stayed silent while hearing it are allowed to simply give statements that distance themselves from Oprah and sort of pin the blame for their actions on her in the article without any challenge.

Summer’s Here and the Grilling is Fine!

2009-06-02T14:51:00.001-04:00

Summer’s Here and the Grilling is Fine!: "Summer is coming fast, and that fact hasn’t escaped the folks behind the networks’ morning talk shows. Check out some of the tasty outdoor cooking recipes that were shared this past month, most with accompanying video clips so you can see exactly how the cooking’s done."

Click through to the story for all the links to summertime outdoor-eating recipes. Most would be relatively healthy eats, as grilling is generally a low-fat cooking method. Plus, there's a number of cold salads to check out, which are either healthy as-is or can be lightened up with low-fat substitutions.

With the hot weather, I'm surprisingly getting into the idea of grilling. I still don't relish the idea of burnt, charred bits on my food (it tastes like charcoal, yuck), but I like how fast my electric countertop grill cooks food without overheating the apartment.

I'm eying some bone-in chicken breasts to cook via this method. I like bone-in chicken, so that might actually get me to eat more than a couple bites of meat at a meal. The grill is also great for cooking the rare steak and the boys' pork chops.

I might even find a way to move the grill outdoors. Still, considering how quickly it cooks, that might not be necessary.

(Via Well Fed Network.)

Meals for the Week: Stocking Up

2009-06-01T19:09:00.001-04:00

I'm doubling up on a couple meals this week to have extra in the freezer for later this month. I'm thinking I'll make twice as much burrito filling (also good for tacos) and double the chili (also good for hot dogs and eggs).

I have lots of boxed macaroni and cheese from a sale purchase at Costco, and I've been looking for ways to jazz it up. It's a little bland on its own. Hot sauce and mustard add zing; shredded cheese ups the flavor, too. This week, I'm trying to also make it healthier by stirring in frozen chopped spinach and replacing the skim milk and butter with evaporated milk.

By the way, assuming you're not a person who hates white, creamy sauces (you know who you are), you should definitely try fresh corn on the cob slathered with this artichoke sauce. I made it for artichokes initially, but having only prepared two 'chokes, we had a lot left over. Taking a cue from Mexican cuisine, we used it in place of butter on our corn later that week. Yum! Tangy and far superior to just butter and salt. It may be a bit lighter, too, as we use reduced-fat mayo and sour cream.

Monday
Asian-marinated pork chops (held over from last week)
Sesame noodles
Salad

Tuesday
Baked beans and smoked sausage
Mixed veggies
Garlic bread

Wednesday
Scrambled eggs and bacon
Cottage fries
Toasted English muffins
Salad

Thursday
Beef and bean burritos
Corn on the cob with mayo/sour cream/lemon sauce
Salad

Friday
Fried cheese
Potato salad
Salad

Saturday
Cincinnati chili
Spaghetti
Salad

Sunday
Grilled pork chops
Spinach macaroni and cheese
Salad

Come On Over, Cupcake!

2009-05-29T17:36:00.001-04:00

Come On Over, Cupcake!: "A few weeks ago, the local supermarket put boxes of Pillsbury cake mix on sale, enticing shoppers with a price so low that even I, a girl with an avowed distaste for cakes from a box, couldn’t resist. I snapped up three boxes.

Two disappointing cupcake recipes later, I was ready to go in an entirely new direction with the remaining mix, one for devil’s food cake. I recalled a recipe I’d saved from a long-ago Hungry Girl newsletter for Yum Yum Brownie Muffins, a cupcake concoction that billowed high above the paper cup and yet had less than 200 calories."

(Via Well Fed Network.)

I forgot to mention it in the post that was published: Make sure you refrigerate these if you intend to keep them more than a week. They lasted about that long on the countertop here before going dotty. Two cupcakes were lost.

Next time, I'm going to buy either Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines mix to make this recipe. My mom always has sworn by Duncan Hines, so maybe that's the way to go.

If nothing else, Duncan Hines mix should also work for recipes from the Cupcake Doctor book, unlike Pillsbury mix. Pillsbury mix (as well as Betty Crocker mix) has pudding added, and nearly every recipe in that cookbook specifies mixes without pudding. After forging ahead anyway with two recipes, I ended up with cupcakes with custardy middles, sadly sunken despite a lot of extra baking time.

I might use one less egg were I forced to make them again with pudding cake mix, but frankly, I think the author should have specified how to adjust recipes to accommodate the two types of commercial cake mix. Or accept a sponsorship from Duncan Hines, as they're the only "plain" cake mix in the supermarket. It's also the most expensive of the three big brands, so you can see why it makes me bitter.

However, my issues with the Cupcake Doctor are largely irrelevant here (now that you've read the whole rant . . .). I plan to play around with these low-fat cupcakes to try to create variations with different and stronger flavors. I'll keep you posted.