Friday Night Light - Vegetarian Lentil Soup

Okay, so I blew it. This recipe requires a couple things we didn't get, and one staple you may not have. We need a handful of spinach leaves (probably about 25 cents worth), a can of tomatoes (about 70 cents) and 2 bay leaves (a jar of leaves at the 99cent store is...99cents). Any of these can be omitted and the soup will still be good. We did buy fresh tomatoes this week, so you can just peel a couple of those, chop them up and throw them in the pot in place of the canned tomatoes. Like most recipes, this one can be tweatked in all kinds of ways.

Vegetarian Lentil Soup

3 T oil (olive oil works really well, but canola or veggie will do)

1 medium onion, chopped

3  carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 tsp garlic powder)

1 T italian seasoning, rubbed

2 bay leaves

1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes (or 2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped)

1 lb bag dry lentils, washed and sorted (look carefully for small stones that may sneak in)

8 C water

1/2 C spinach leaves, sliced (or 1 C frozen spinach, thawed and drained)

2 T vinegar or lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste (I start out with 1/2 tsp each)

Heat the oil in a stock pot. Add the onion, celery and carrots. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occassionally. Add the garlic (only if using fresh) and bay leaves. Cook another 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients (add the garlic powder now if using), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour. Add spinach leaves and cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve hot with quick dinner rolls or corn bread.

TIPS: If you're not trying to be vegetarian, or you like a little meat with your soup, try adding diced smoked sausage, or brown some italian sausage and add. Also, substitute chicken stock for half of the water. These just add a little more flavor and texture if you're used to eating meaty meals.

TO PEEL TOMATOES: Fill a sauce pan 3/4 full with water. Bring water to a boil. Drop in tomatoes, one at a time, and allow to cook for about 10 seconds. Remove from the water and drop into a bowl of ice water. The peel will separate from the tomato and can be easily pulled off with a paring knife. If you're having problems peeling, place back in the water for 5-10 more seconds. Just be careful not to cook the tomato too much or the flesh will become mushy.

Thursday is curry day

Thing about curry is, you like it or you don't. There are many different types of curry powders available: red or yellow, Middle Eastern or Indian or Chinese or Thai. I prefer the Chinese yellow curry powders, and in general I try to buy them at an Asian market because that's where you'll get the largest variety and best quality. You can most likely buy a packet mix for curry in the Asian aisle of your local market, but why do that when you can just buy the curry powder and add some of your own ingredients?

Our curry today is pretty simple to make. Just chicken, onions and peas, served in a sauce made of chicken broth and curry powder. Served over rice, it makes an excellent meal. You can add whatever you like to it. Thinly sliced carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, and even chunks of potato go well in the dish. Coconut milk in place of the regular milk adds another depth of flavor. Try whatever sounds good to you.

Curry Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 C frozen green peas, thawed
1 1/2 C chicken broth
1/2 C milk
1 T curry powder (more if you like it spicy)
1 rounded T corn starch dissolved in 2 T water
1 T butter
2T olive oil

Cut the chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes. Heat 1 T of the oil in a non-stick wok or frying pan. Add the chicken and sauten until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the pan and place in a dish, cover with foil. Add the 2nd T oil to the wok followed by the onions. Cook until almost translucent. Add the peas and saute for about 1 minute. Add the cooked chicken back to the pan. Stir in the chicken broth. Sprinkle the curry powder and stir until dissolved. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir constantly. When sauce thickens, add the 1 T butter (this will make the sauce rich and shiny). Salt and pepper to taste.

This is a little bit spicy. If you prefer less spice, go with only 1/2 T curry powder. You can always taste for spice and add more as you are preparing the dish.

Serve immediately over rice.

Serves 3-4

Wednesday is hump day - so let's do easy...

An easy, easy beef and veggie soup recipe to move toward the end of the week. We love soup, so the change in weather is great for us. We're going to use those beef shanks you bought (if you followed the list) and hopefully you found ones with lots of meat. If not, it's still a good flavor for a veggie soup. Those bones and marrow in the shank create a great tasting broth.

Beef and Veggie Soup

2 beef shanks (with lots of meat attached)
2 large carrots
1 medium onion
2 celery stalks
1 can tomatoes (italian style)
1 can beans (any type)
1 box (32oz) beef broth
1T oil or butter
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup rice or pasta (optional)

Heat the oil or butter in a chili pot (or my lovely dutch oven).  Sear the beef shanks on both sides, about 2 minutes on each side. While they are searing, chop the veggies into good sized chunks (whatever size you like). Once the shanks are browned on both sides, add the remaining ingredients except the beans and pasta or rice. Bring to a boil, reduce head and simmerfor 30 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer and additional 20 minutes. Remove the meat from the pot, cut the meat from the bones and discard the bones. Dice the meat into bite sized chunks and add back to the pot. Heat an additional 3-5 minutes. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

Serve piping hot with crackers, rolls or cornbread. Serves 6.

TIP: If you've added too much salt, peel a potato, cut it into quarters and throw it in the pot. Allow to cook for 5-10 minutes, then discard the potato chunks. The potato will absorb the excess salt.

For Tuesday? Homemade Mac-n-cheese

Tonight we're going to have our first vegetarian meal. Not vegan by any means, but meatless. Homemade mac and cheese isn't as easy as the box variety, but it's way more flavorful and filling and it only takes about 30 minutes (more if you like it baked). You can use any variety of pasta, from traditional elbow to rotini to gemelli to fusili. They all work well, but I do prefer the spiral types, like gemelli or rotini, because their ridges hold more of the creamy, cheesy sauce. You can use any combination of cheeses. I like to use a combo of Cheddar, Swiss and Gruyere, but at $8 for half a pound, gruyere is not in the frugal vocabulary, so cheddar and swiss will have to do for our purposes. And all cheddar is good, too.

Unfortunately I've never really found a good way to reheat the leftovers and make them taste as good as fresh, but if you're using this as the main part of your meal instead of a side, you don't really need to worry about that.

This recipe makes enough for 4-6 healthy-sized main courses or 6-8 large sides.Serve with steamed broccoli or any veggie or salad.

Macaroni and Cheese (adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

4 cups dried pasta
1 whole egg, beaten
4 T butter or oil
4 T flour
2-1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons mustard powder or 1 T prepared mustard (the mustard powder is best for this if you have it)
4 cups grated cheese (mixture of cheddar and swiss)
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (or more to taste) 

Cook the pasta to a firm al dente (meaning, not quite ready to eat, still very firm when you bite into it). Drain and set aside. Be sure you salt the water you cook your pasta in with a good 2-3 teaspoons of salt. It does make a difference in the taste of the pasta. Just be sure you dissolve it in the water, because if it settles in the bottom of the pan it can cause pits in the metal.

In a large pot (I use my beloved Lodge enameled Dutch Oven), heat the butter/oil and sprinkle in the flour. Whisk together over medium heat until light brown (this is your roux for the sauce). Should take about 4-5 minutes, maybe a little more depending on your stove's definition of medium. Pour in the milk, add the mustard powder (or mustard), and whisk together until smooth. Cook  until very thick (5-10 minutes). Reduce heat to low.

Temper the egg with 1/2 cup sauce (meaning, slowly whisk the sauce into the beaten egg, which will warm up the egg and avoid scrambling it when you add it to the rest of your sauce). Pour the egg mixture into the sauce, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Stir until smooth. Add the cheese (s) and stir until completely melted.

Add the salt and pepper, or more to taste. Pour in the drained pasta and stir until well combined.
Serve immediately or pour the mixture into a buttered casserole, top with extra cheese, and bake for at 350 degrees until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbling.

Menu for Monday? PIZZA!

I think I've found the best pizza dough recipe. It's pretty easy to do, takes only 30 minutes to rise (although I like to give it an hour if I have time), and takes only 12 minutes or so to bake. It's best if you have a pizza stone and some cornmeal to dist it with, but if you don't, a cookie sheet and a little flour will do. We bought some pepperoni, bell pepper and onion to top with. If you like red sauce, you'll need some spaghetti sauce or make up a little tomato sauce and italian seasoning. But I like to just drizzle with a little olive oil.


Monday's Menu
Breakfast: pancakes, syrup, juice
Lunch: Meatloaf sandwiches
Dinner: Pizza

Pizza Dough (recipe from http://www.cooks.com/)

4 cups bread or all purpose flour 

1 1/4 cups lukewarm water (105-110 degrees)
1 packet active dry yeast, or 2 1/4 teaspoons

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar, or 1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup milk or 1/4 cup water

Preheat oven 450°F.

In a large bowl, mixe the flour and salt, stir to combine well. Set aside.

Combine the lukewarm water, sugar or honey and yeast. Stir and set aside for 5 minutes. Allow to foam (or proof, this lets you know if your yeast is still active. If it doesn't foam, throw it out and try again, your water probably wasn't quite warm enough or was too hot).

Next, mix the starter (yeast water) and the milk or water with the flour mixture and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir together using a wooden spoon or clean hands.

Knead on a floured board for about 8 minutes or until you get a smooth elastic rubbery dough ball (or use your Kitchenaid and dough hook for the hard work, while you do something like get a salad together).

Set aside in bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil to keep the dough from drying out. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel.

Allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes to an hour. Flatten dough and press out into a circle to fit the pan. Spread it out evenly, don't be afraid to lift underneath to stretch the dough. Sprinkle baking pan with cornmeal or flour. Top with spaghetti sauce or drizzle with olive oil. Add toppings such as mozzarella, pepperoni, veggies, etc.

Bake about 12-14 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning. When the bottom looks browned and the cheese is bubbly, it's ready.

This recipe makes enough for 2 pizzas, so either bake both, or refrigerate the dough to make bread sticks at a later date (like tomorrow, when I tell you how to make breadsticks with the leftover dough, if available).

Sunday's Menu 10-16-11 ...

... and grunt work for the week. I know I've said this before, but doing the grunt work on Sunday, when you may have a little extra time, makes the rest of the week so much easier.

Turkey meatloaf is on the menu for this Sunday. Along with Mashed potatoes and carrots. Everyone has their favorite meatloaf recipe, but I've included mine just in case. I used to use the Lipton's Onion Soup recipe, but this one is fairly easy and has a bit more nutritional value. I'm listing the meatloaf for lunch (a late breakfast and late lunch is our usual Sunday thing), and then we pick at the leftovers at dinnertime.

Sunday

Breakfast: French toast, syrup, fruit
Lunch: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, carrots
Dinner: leftovers and a salad
Dessert: Mixed berries with yogurt


Turkey Meatloaf

2 lb ground turkey
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1/2 bell pepper, finely diced
2/3 C ketchup
2 eggs
3/4 oatmeal
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients (use your hands, they're your best mixers). Shape into a loaf and place in an 5x8 loaf pan that has been coated with cooking spray (it'll help clean-up). Bake 45-60 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 160. Remove from oven. Top with an additional squirt of ketchup, place back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes. Allow to rest 10 minutes before cutting.

This is easy to change up. Sometimes I decrease the ketchup to 1/2 C and add a can of diced Italian style tomatoes, drained. I always keep a jar of freeze dried onions (not the French's fried onions, but actual dehydrated ones) in case I don't have any fresh ones. You can add about 1/4 cup of these instead. I've also added Rotel tomatoes or a can of diced green chiles. I love meatloaf because it's so versatile.

Shopping List for 10/15/11

Okay, here we go. I'm getting closer to the $60, at $64.78, so I'm hoping I didn't forget anything. I'm trying really hard not to, but I'm known by my husband to need to make a trip or two during the week for some little something I forgot at the market. Cross your fingers. I know I didn't put milk and juice on the list, because I don't have it listed for use. If you need that, unfortunately it'll cost a little more. I suggest getting frozen juice concentrate to save money, but I do love my Simply Orange and my Ocean Spray Cran-Grape...

Here we go. We have lots of recipes this week, from smoothies to pizza crust, so hopefully we have something for everyone. Happy shopping!

Meat/Poultry

Chicken breast, boneless/skinless 1.25 lb @ $3.99/lb  $4.98

Beef shanks 1.15 lb @3.49/lb  $4.51

Ground turkey 2 lb @ 1.40/lb $2.75

Dairy

Sharp cheddar 8 oz $2.50

Swiss 8oz $2.50

Mozzarella 8 oz $2.50

Yogurt, vanilla, 32oz $2.89

Eggs, 18 count, $2.39

Produce

Carrots 1 lb $0.74

Celery $1.47

Onion 2 medium @ 0.94/lb $1.43

Tomatoes Roma 3 medium @ 1.28/lb $0.87

Potatoes 5 lb bag $2.39

Lettuce $1.14/head

Bell pepper, 1, $0.78

Asparagus 1lb @ $1.84/lb

Broccoli crowns 1.94 lb @ 1.25/lb $2.43

bananas, 5 medium, $1.08

Strawberries, 16 oz, $2.50

Raspberries, 8oz, $2.50

Blueberries, 8 oz, $2.99

Other

Pepperoni  $2.50

Bbq sauce $1.88

Frozen peas $1.00

Curry powder $2.50 (small jar, in Asian section)

Lentils (1lb) $1.00

Macaroni or rotini $1.08

Yeast, quick rise, $0.87

Wheat bread, loaf, $1.25

Oatmeal, small box, $1.28

Chicken broth, 32oz, $1.48
Beef broth, 32 oz, $1.48
Small bag all purpose flour $1.28

Total:  $64.78

 

I'm baaaaack!

Spent a lovely few days in sunny Southern California, enjoying the beach, family and a great Tim Burton exhibit at the LA County Museum of Art. Now it's back to business. I'll post the shopping list for next week later on today. This week we're going to have a couple of vegetarian dinners, a nice curry that even the kids like, and, with fall weather getting cooler, a couple of soup recipes that are quick and easy.

Stay tuned for the new list.

K.

Coupon!! -- YoBaby organic yogurt

Just wanted to share this coupon link with you all for yogurt. Every $1 coupon used sends $1 to support a foundation aimed at improving nutrition for orphans, foster and adopted kids worldwide. Near and dear, since my daughter was adopted from Eastern Europe and, although they did the best they could, good nutrition wasn't as important as keeping their little bellies full. They just didn't have the funds for things like fruit and milk.

http://adoptionnutrition.org/yobaby-promotion/

Kim 

It's Friday!

I'll be out of pocket for a few days, so remember the rules when you shop. Look for sales. Look at the top shelves at the meat counter. Buy bulk where you can, but only if you'll eat all of it before it expires, and don't underestimate leftover chicken.

I'll be back in a few days, with a new shopping list next week.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday's Menu

Today is slow cooker day, so I'm sharing my slow cooker country style pork ribs recipe with you. It's really easy. You can use either boneless or bone-in (I prefer these), just make sure they're "country style". Not really sure what that means, other than the fact that they're mostly meat, little bone. There can also be a ton of fat, so if you have extra fatty ones, I recommend boiling them for 10-15 minutes before you place them in the cooker. Laying them on top of sliced onions not only helps prevent them from sticking to the pot, it also adds a lot of flavor to the sauce.

Slow Cooker Pork Ribs

2-3 lbs country style pork ribs

1 medium onion, sliced

1 C ketchup

1/3 C maple syrup (I never have it, so I add a little extra brown sugar, or even 1/4 C pancake syrup)

1/3 C brown sugar

1/3 C red wine vinegar (or whatever type you have on hand)

1 t garlic powder

1  t dry mustard (or 2 T prepared mustard)

1/2 t chili powder

1/2 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

Place the sliced onion on the bottom of the crock. Layer the ribs over the top. Mix remaining ingredients and spoon over the ribs. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until meat is tender. Serve with a tossed salad (or if you really want to do it up right, corn on the cob and baked beans).

This makes a really good sandwich the next day.

Wednesday's Menu 10-5-11

Okay, so today I was going to give you the recipe for my country pork ribs, but time's gotten away from me yet again, and you don't have time to slow cook them. SO, I'm going to move on to Sloppy Joes. Don't buy that canned stuff. It's so easy to do yourself, and you probably have most of the ingredients on hand all the time, so try making it from scratch. Just like homemade taco seasoning instead of the packets, homemade sloppy joe sauce is so much better tasting.

Sloppy Joes

1 pound ground beef (I use 80/20 like most burger joints, but you can use lean)

1/4 C finely diced onion

1/4 C finely diced green bell pepper (or 1 can diced chili peppers)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder (optional)

2 tsp prepared yellow mustard (or if you don't have it, vinegar)

3/4 cup ketchup

1 1/2 T brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt (or more to taste)

1/8 tsp ground black pepper (or more to taste)

Brown the ground beef with the onion and bell pepper. Drain. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes or until thickened. Serve over slices of bread or on hamburger buns. Makes 4-5 servings. Goes great with a side salad, corn or raw veggies. We sometimes have ours with fresh guacamole and chips.

Tuesday's Menu - lasagna

It's lasagna night! You can use the recipe on the box of noodles, or the recipe below. Either way, this can be made a day ahead, or it can be made a week or two ahead and frozen until you get ready to make it. Regardless of whether you're making it fresh or making it ahead, DON'T COOK THE NOODLES! It's not necessary to cook them, and it makes it harder and more time consuming to put the dish together. Just pull the noodles out of the box and layer them.

Later on, I'll share an easy recipe for making your own lasagna noodles, but for now let's used the pre-made boxed kind. I'm also using jarred pasta sauce instead of making my own because it was cheap at the store this week ($1.88 a jar for Prego) and I don't have a ton of time today to throw everything together. If you have a bit of hamburger for the sauce (half pound or so), or some frozen spinach (a cup or so, drained) for the cheese filling, add it in. If not, just have a cheese lasagna.

Lasagna

1 28-32 oz jar pasta sauce
2 C cottage cheese
1 15oz container low fat ricotta
8 oz shredded mozzarella (reserve 1/2 cup for top of lasagna)
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1 T vegetable oil or butter
2 eggs
1 16 oz pkg lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (of course leave this step until read to baket if you're making ahead). Saute the mushrooms and onions until caramelazed (medium to dark brown). Mix with the pasta sauce and set aside. Blend together cheeses and eggs (add thawed spinach at this point if using).

Layering: Pour about 1/2 C sauce onto bottom of 13 x 9 inch baking pan (I spray the pan with cooking spray). Tilt the pan to coat with the sauce. Add a layer of noodles, about 5. If needed, break noodle into pieces to fill in empty spots. Don't worry if the pan isn't entirely covered. Add half the cheese, followed by 1/3 of the sauce. Add another layer of noodles, cheese, sauce. Then noodles and finishing with sauce. Make sure the top layer of noodles is completely covered with sauce to keep them from drying out. At this point, you can put the covered lasagna in the fridge overnight or freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake 45 minutes. Top with reserved 1/2 cup cheese and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Monday's Menu 10-3-11

Oy, sorry I'm late getting this post ready. Okay, here we go. Beef with broccoli is a favorite here in our house. Takes a littel prep time, but it's worth the effort. I par boil the broccoli just slightly so it's not quite as crunchy at the end, but if you like crunchy, then you can skip that step.

Traditional stir fry calls for more ingredients that we have on our shopping list, so I've put (optional) next to anything that can be left out if you either don't have it or don't want to make another stop to get it. Garlic cloves are fairly cheap, and they'll add a little depth to the stir fry if you have the time to get them. You can also add a coin sized slice of peeled fresh ginger (also cheap) for additional flavor. Oyster sauce is a little more expensive, but the flavor is rich and I use it all the time, even just to drizzle across asparagus. You can find it in the Asian section of your market, or if you're lucky enough to have an Asian market nearby, you can find it there at a much lower cost.

Beef Stir Fry

1 tablespoon vinegar (rice vinegar if available)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3/4 pound lean beef, thinly sliced, cross grain

1 pound fresh broccoli, broken into florets

1 carrot, thinly sliced diagonally

2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced (optional)
2 T oil
3 cups cooked rice (brown or white)

Sauce:

2 tablespoons oyster sauce (optional)

2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon water

Thickener:

1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Mix the first 5 ingredients together in a shallow dish. Add the beef and toss together. Marinate while preparing the other ingredients. Par boil the broccoli florets for about 2 minutes. Drain. Add the 2 T oil to a heated skillet or wok. Add the beef and stir fry until just done, about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate, and add the veggies. Stir fry until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the beef back to the pan and veggies. Mix together the sauce ingredients (increasing soy sauce and water by 1 T each if not using oyster sauce). Stir together. Made a well in the center and add the cornstarch and water mixture. Continue to stir fry until sauce is thickened.

Serve immediately over rice.

It's National Frugal Day!!

So, it's officially Frugal Day! So, here are a few websites for coupons, along with a recipe for a frugal dessert using fruit leftover from last week. A tip for saving extra when you purchase things... If you have a store coupon for an item, go online and check to see if there's also a manufacturer's coupon. Most stores will allow you to use both, and you can save extra money when shopping for anything from toys to food items.

Also, if you have a smart phone, there are tons of coupon apps out there, Coupon Sherpa, Grocery Pal and Grocery IQ, just to name a few. Many stores have their own coupon apps as well, with the coupons bar coded so you can just show them the coupon on  your phone and they can scan them at checkout.

So, happy shopping! And happy eating the following Apple Galette. It's the easiest apple pie you'll ever make. If you want to make it even easier, buy a ready made pie crust, the kind in a roll, not in an aluminum pie plate. That's what I do, because I stink at making pie crust. Here's a photo. Unfortunately, I didn't get to photograph it before my family dug in, and this was all that's left. About a third of the pie. I think they liked it, though.

Apple Galette

For the pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 T sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/2 cup chilled butter, cut into pieces (one stick)
3 tablespoons ice water (or more, depending on your weather)

Mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Cut the butter in with a fork, or just dig your hands into it, crumbling the butter and flour up into tiny beads. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time (it really needs to be cold), and mix in with your hands until a soft dough begins to form. When you can make a ball with the dough, flatten it into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for at least a half hour. It's really important the butter and water be ice cold when making the dough, and try to prepare it as quickly as possible. You'll have a flakier dough this way.

The filling:
3 small apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt
1/4 C water
1 T corn starch dissolved in 2 T water

Mix the first 4 ingredients together and allow to sit while the dough chills. Juices will be extracted from the apples. Pour into a saucepan, add 1/4 C water, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook until very thick. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out the dough into a large circle, about 13-15 inches (or unroll your pre-made crust). It doesn't have to be beautiful, just kind of round. Place on a cookie sheet, pizza sheet or pizza stone. Spoon the apple mixture in the center, leaving about 3-4 inches all around the edge. Fold the edges toward the center, pinching any open edges together to hold in the juices. You should have an opening at the top of about 4 inches in diameter. Beat an egg with 2 T water. Brush on the pastry. Bake for around 30 minutes or until the crust is gold brown. Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with a glaze made of powdered sugar mixed with enough water or milk to make a thin paste. Eat! Great warm or cold, with our without ice cream.

Coupon Websites:

http://www.coupons.com/

http://www.thefrugalshopper.com/

http://www.couponmom.com/

Menu for Sunday, October 2, 2011

Okay, here we go. Today I'm dragging out the crockpot and making some carnitas. It's so easy it's ridiculous. If you don't have a slow cooker, you can cook this on the back burner in a stock pot or stew pot at very low heat for about 2 hours. But the slow cooker works best for this recipe. And you can turn it on and forget it for about 6 hours, which is my kind of cooking.

A word about avocados... If you don't know how to pick them at the market, here's a couple of hints. Look for darker color. If they're bright olive green, they probably aren't read. Then grab one. Press gently with your thumb. If it feels slightly soft, not mushy, it's ready. If it give really easily, don't buy it. It's going to have brown spots. If it's hard as a rock, you can go ahead and buy it, but be prepared not to use it for several days. So, if you decide to make this recipe on, say, Thursday instead of Sunday, go ahead and buy the hard avocado and it'll probably be just right by then.

So, here we go with week 2:

Sunday's Menu

Breakfast:  Scrambled eggs, toast, juice
Lunch: We usually breakfast late and snack before an early dinner (cheese, fruit, raw veggies, PBJ, whatever)
Dinner: Carnitas, with corn tortillas, guacamole, sour cream, lettuce and cheese

Carnitas

2-3 lb pork loin roast
1/2 onion, sliced into rings
1 T cumin
1 T garlic powder
1 T salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp dried oregano, rubbed
2 tsp onion powder
3/4 C chicken broth

Place the onion slices on the bottom of the slow cooker. Mix the spices together and rub into the roast. Place the roast on top of the onion rings. Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the pot (don't pour it over the roast). Cook for about 6 hours on low. If cooking on stovetop, cook 2-3 hours or until the roast is tender and shreds with a fork.

Shred and serve with heated tortillas, chopped tomato, onion, shredded cheese, sour cream and guacamole (recipe below).

Guacamole

2 avocados
1/2 large tomato, chopped
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
Juice of 1/2 small lime
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Slice the avocado in half lengthwise, pull out the pit, then scoop the flesh out of the peel. Using a knife or fork, chop the avocado into small chunks (or mash if you prefer). Add remaining ingredients. Stir to combine. The lime juice will keep the avocado from turning brown (oxidizing). To store leftover guac, place plastic wrap down on the surface of the guac, carefully removing all air bubbles. Contact with air will make the dip turn brown on the surface. If it does turn brown, it's still okay, just mix it in.

Shopping List for 10/1/11

Okay, folks... How did you do last week? Anything left over, like a couple chicken quarters? We had some leftover chicken, which we'll be using later in the week for a quick chicken noodle soup. This week I'm not going to post full menus. I think you get the point of having something like french toast, scrambled eggs or cereal for breakfast, leftovers or sandwiches for lunch, etc. This week I'll share some recipes that make great second meals (such as carnitas) and some tried and true favorites that give you some leftovers (such as lasagna) and a couple of easy to throw together desserts and snacks.

Don't forget to look at that top shelf in the meat section. Many times you'll find the discounted meats there that are still good, they just need to move them off the shelves. Normally when I'm making beef broccoli (Monday), I'll buy a steak and freeze it for about 10 minutes, then it's easy to slice thin strips. This week I found steak that was trimmed and already sliced for stir-fry on that top shelf. It was less expensive that the steak, and I don't have to do any work. True, it's shelf date is tomorrow, but that's what  freezer is for. In addition to the beef, I also found boneless country style pork ribs (Wednesday), also discounted for quick sale. You know the rule of "If it's brown, but it down," so avoid the stuff that's gone too far and choose the nice red cuts.

Don't forget to share your own money saving tips in the comments section. Or if you have recipes you'd like to share with the ingredients we're using this week, feel free to share.

So here we go, week #2.

Shopping List

Meat
Beef steak, for stir fry, 3/4 lb  $3.54
Country style boneless pork ribs, 1.48 lb $4.59
Pork loin roast, 2 lb  $6.76
Ground beef, 1 lb 80/20  $2.99

Produce
Broccoli, 2 crowns, 99c per lb  $1.50
mushrooms, sliced,  $1.88
tomato, 3 large, 1.48/lb  $2.65
avocado, 2 medium $1.98
banana, 49c/lb $1.06
2 apples, 1.22/lb $1.33
lettuce, 1 head, $1.14
onion, 2 medium $.94
green onions, $1.12

Dairy
mozzarella, 8 oz, $2.28
cheddar, 8 oz, $2.28
2% cottage cheese, 24 oz, $1.88
riccotta, 15oz, $1.94
sour cream, $0.98
eggs, omega-3 enriched, 1 1/2 doz. $2.38

Other
lasagna noodles, 1 pkg  $1.58
wheat bread, 1 loaf  $1.25
corn tortillas, 18 count $1.02
peaches, canned $1
apple juice, 64 oz, $2.48 (100% juice, no sugar added)
peanut butter, smooth $2.88
jelly $1.82
rice crispy cereal $1.84
marshmallows $1.25
Prego pasta sauce, 2 jars, $3.76
chicken broth, 32 oz, $1.68
ketchup, 32 oz, $1.88
brown sugar, 1 lb box, $1

Total:  $66.66

New Post Coming -- Promise!

Hi there. Just got back from the market, but have to rush out for volleyball and soccer. I've done the shopping, I know what we're having, and I'll have everything posted when I get back from the games. So, hang on. The list is coming soon.

Thanks for your patience.

Kim