My daughter came home from school yesterday and told me she had a craving for pizza. She requested that I make pizza for dinner. Since I only had a marginal plan for dinner, I thought this was a great idea. I quickly got out my Kitchen Aid and made a ball of pizza dough.
While that was rising, I made a quick tomato sauce.
1 can whole tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup wine
2 tsp Italian Seasoning
salt to taste
1 pinch of sugar
For a smooth sauce, put in a blender or food processor. If you like a chunky sauce, crush tomatoes with a spoon or fork. Simmer in a sauce pan.
I made two different pizzas. I have a daughter who does not like sauce. On her pizza, I drizzled olive oil, sprinkled Italian Seasoning, topped with Mozzarella cheese and a frozen broccoli and cauliflower mix. On the second pizza, I layered the sauce, mozzarella cheese and linguica (Portuguese sausage). Both were baked in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
This pizza only took me about 20 minutes of hands on time and only about 1 hour total. I am writing about this because it illustrates why I do not have a menu plan for the month or week. I certainly do not know what my family will want to eat for dinner on any given night and I sometimes have leftovers that I need to deal with on a daily or weekly basis. I decide what we will have for dinner, sometime in the morning or afternoon. By having staples and a full pantry on hand, I can adapt to what I have decided to make for dinner. I also only buy meat when it is on sale, then package and freeze. I change my meals depending upon what I need to use up and what was on sale at the store. My family has found that this flexibility works for us. By having a well stocked pantry I can make quick meals at a great price. This keeps us eating at home instead of the drive-thru and keeps my food bill at a thrifty rate.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
Thrifty Vacation
I have not been able to post anything over the past 2 weeks due to our family vacation. We are used to vacationing in style. My family is fortunate enough to earn a free vacation each year with my business. However, my husband and I decided to take our free vacation alone this year, much to the displeasure of my children.
Since we did not go on a family vacation, we decided to once again, drive to Florida for our spring vacation. This is a budget vacation for us since we have family in Florida. Last year was our first experience driving to Florida and since it worked out well, we felt like trying it again.
This is what we did. The day before we left, I baked cookies, bought water and snacks and made oven baked chicken. All perishable foods were put in a cooler and off we went. The kids made sure they had DVD's to play on their portable players and I made sure I had 2 Harry Potter books and my Hetty Green book for book club. My husband just made sure he was well rested.
Off we went. The first stop at 5:00 am was in Myrtle Beach, SC. We were invited to stay with family at a condo they rented. We re-energized by the pool and on the beach. My kids had fun with their cousins. We decided to stay in for lunch and dinner that day, so we bought sandwich meats and food for dinner. The total cost was around $25. Lunch and dinner out would have been much more.
We were off again the next morning at 11:00 to our next destination, which was my father's house in Florida. We arrived at 11:00 pm which was much later than my father stays up but he made the sacrifice for his darling daughter and gorgeous grandchildren. The next day we visited and saw some sites. We did not go to Disney, since we have been there before and are going for free next year. This was all about seeing my father. We had breakfast and lunch with my father. My kids were very happy because they got to go shopping. Grandpa gave them money to buy something. We took the family out to dinner and paid only about $60 because we hit the early bird special. Those of you who are familiar with Florida know that if you go out to supper before 6:00, you receive a discount.
That night, we left to go to my sister-in-law's house for my kids to be spoiled by their aunt and uncle. They have no kids and adore my kids and the feeling is mutual. We arrived at their house around 11:00 at night. This is where we stayed for the rest of the week. We swam in their pool, went to the ocean, went on site seeing expeditions, shopping (for my kids, of course) and visited with our family. Again, we decided to buy food to cook at their home because we can be as loud as we want and talk at the dinner table without anyone wanting the table.
When it was time to leave, again we packed our cooler with food and other supplies to keep the expense of buying out down to a minimum.
I have described this because many people just don't think they can afford to go on vacation because they can't spend $400 each for airline tickets, $200 a night for hotel rooms and $200 a day for food. I understand, that is why we choose to take a less expensive approach to our spring vacations. If we did not have family to stay with, we would still have gone to an inexpensive hotel with some type of cooking facilities. The large cost associated with vacationing is sometimes the flight and then the food you need to buy along the way. If you drive to your destination and then cook many of your meals, you can drastically cut the cost of your vacation.
When we went to Disney one year, we bought a large bag of oranges, a loaf of bread, peanut butter and jelly, snacks and water bottles. This cut the cost of lunches and any type of drink out in the park. When traveling to the Bahamas, we packed a cooler with waters and snacks because water by the pool was about $4.00 and snacks were very expensive. This significantly cut down on our expenses.
Plan well before you leave and you can have a great but inexpensive vacation.
Since we did not go on a family vacation, we decided to once again, drive to Florida for our spring vacation. This is a budget vacation for us since we have family in Florida. Last year was our first experience driving to Florida and since it worked out well, we felt like trying it again.
This is what we did. The day before we left, I baked cookies, bought water and snacks and made oven baked chicken. All perishable foods were put in a cooler and off we went. The kids made sure they had DVD's to play on their portable players and I made sure I had 2 Harry Potter books and my Hetty Green book for book club. My husband just made sure he was well rested.
Off we went. The first stop at 5:00 am was in Myrtle Beach, SC. We were invited to stay with family at a condo they rented. We re-energized by the pool and on the beach. My kids had fun with their cousins. We decided to stay in for lunch and dinner that day, so we bought sandwich meats and food for dinner. The total cost was around $25. Lunch and dinner out would have been much more.
We were off again the next morning at 11:00 to our next destination, which was my father's house in Florida. We arrived at 11:00 pm which was much later than my father stays up but he made the sacrifice for his darling daughter and gorgeous grandchildren. The next day we visited and saw some sites. We did not go to Disney, since we have been there before and are going for free next year. This was all about seeing my father. We had breakfast and lunch with my father. My kids were very happy because they got to go shopping. Grandpa gave them money to buy something. We took the family out to dinner and paid only about $60 because we hit the early bird special. Those of you who are familiar with Florida know that if you go out to supper before 6:00, you receive a discount.
That night, we left to go to my sister-in-law's house for my kids to be spoiled by their aunt and uncle. They have no kids and adore my kids and the feeling is mutual. We arrived at their house around 11:00 at night. This is where we stayed for the rest of the week. We swam in their pool, went to the ocean, went on site seeing expeditions, shopping (for my kids, of course) and visited with our family. Again, we decided to buy food to cook at their home because we can be as loud as we want and talk at the dinner table without anyone wanting the table.
When it was time to leave, again we packed our cooler with food and other supplies to keep the expense of buying out down to a minimum.
I have described this because many people just don't think they can afford to go on vacation because they can't spend $400 each for airline tickets, $200 a night for hotel rooms and $200 a day for food. I understand, that is why we choose to take a less expensive approach to our spring vacations. If we did not have family to stay with, we would still have gone to an inexpensive hotel with some type of cooking facilities. The large cost associated with vacationing is sometimes the flight and then the food you need to buy along the way. If you drive to your destination and then cook many of your meals, you can drastically cut the cost of your vacation.
When we went to Disney one year, we bought a large bag of oranges, a loaf of bread, peanut butter and jelly, snacks and water bottles. This cut the cost of lunches and any type of drink out in the park. When traveling to the Bahamas, we packed a cooler with waters and snacks because water by the pool was about $4.00 and snacks were very expensive. This significantly cut down on our expenses.
Plan well before you leave and you can have a great but inexpensive vacation.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
No More Cereal
Breakfast...we all know it is the most important meal of the day. So, why are so many of us relying on sweetened cereal in the morning for our first meal of the day? I know if my family only had cereal in the morning they would be very hungry by 10:00 am. Plus, cereal is very expensive compared to other options.
With all our busy schedules, how do we make a good breakfast for our families in record time, without breaking the bank? How do we stop running to Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks for a quick breakfast and coffee? Not only is it full of fat and wasted calories, but also very expensive.
Here are some ideas for breakfast that may help you and your family:
French toast: Made with fresh eggs, milk and whole grain bread or sweet bread (my family loves the sweet bread french toast)
Pancakes: There are so many whole wheat mixes or you can make your own mix the night before and just add the wet ingredients. I make the pancakes from the Betty Crocker Cookbook or the whole grain mix from Bob's Red Mill. I sometimes add flax seed meal into the mix.
Muffins: Mix up the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in separate containers the night before. When you get up in the morning just combine and spoon into muffin pans. These can bake in the oven while you take your morning shower.
Eggs: My kids and husband love an egg in the morning with whole wheat toast. When I make this, the protein in the eggs, keeps them full for the entire morning. If you are particularly ambitious, you can make a breakfast strata with eggs, bread and meat or fruit the night before and just slip it in the oven right when you get up in the morning. There are some great recipes for strata on allrecipes.com.
Smoothies: I make a smoothie every morning for my daughter. I just mix up a banana or a handful of frozen berries with vanilla yogurt and some type of juice or milk.
Instead of stopping at your favorite coffee chain, why not measure the coffee out the night before and simply flip the switch for the coffee pot when you get up in the morning? You will save yourself at least a couple of dollars each day if you buy a thermos to bring your coffee with you to work.
Finally, I have the best muffin recipe in the world. I know, everyone says that! I always had trouble making muffins. They either came out too sweet or not sweet enough. I did a cooking show about 8 years ago and met a chef. I mentioned to him about my trouble with muffin making. He gave me his recipe for the perfect muffins. Every time I make these muffins for an event, many ask for the recipe. Here it is, I hope Henry does not mind:
I make this in the morning and then send the extras in the lunch boxes for a treat. I hope you enjoy these.
With all our busy schedules, how do we make a good breakfast for our families in record time, without breaking the bank? How do we stop running to Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks for a quick breakfast and coffee? Not only is it full of fat and wasted calories, but also very expensive.
Here are some ideas for breakfast that may help you and your family:
French toast: Made with fresh eggs, milk and whole grain bread or sweet bread (my family loves the sweet bread french toast)
Pancakes: There are so many whole wheat mixes or you can make your own mix the night before and just add the wet ingredients. I make the pancakes from the Betty Crocker Cookbook or the whole grain mix from Bob's Red Mill. I sometimes add flax seed meal into the mix.
Muffins: Mix up the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in separate containers the night before. When you get up in the morning just combine and spoon into muffin pans. These can bake in the oven while you take your morning shower.
Eggs: My kids and husband love an egg in the morning with whole wheat toast. When I make this, the protein in the eggs, keeps them full for the entire morning. If you are particularly ambitious, you can make a breakfast strata with eggs, bread and meat or fruit the night before and just slip it in the oven right when you get up in the morning. There are some great recipes for strata on allrecipes.com.
Smoothies: I make a smoothie every morning for my daughter. I just mix up a banana or a handful of frozen berries with vanilla yogurt and some type of juice or milk.
Instead of stopping at your favorite coffee chain, why not measure the coffee out the night before and simply flip the switch for the coffee pot when you get up in the morning? You will save yourself at least a couple of dollars each day if you buy a thermos to bring your coffee with you to work.
Finally, I have the best muffin recipe in the world. I know, everyone says that! I always had trouble making muffins. They either came out too sweet or not sweet enough. I did a cooking show about 8 years ago and met a chef. I mentioned to him about my trouble with muffin making. He gave me his recipe for the perfect muffins. Every time I make these muffins for an event, many ask for the recipe. Here it is, I hope Henry does not mind:
Henry's Fabulous Muffins
3 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp baking powder
2 whole eggs plus 1 egg yoke
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup of milk
1 tsp - 1 tbsp vanilla extract, to suit
Mix with favorite add-on like chocolate chips, blueberries, carrots, squash, coffee cake top, etc. If you decide to add something wetter, adjust the milk amount. Spoon into a muffin pan lined with paper liners or greased. Bake at 400 until done. This makes about 12 muffins.
I make this in the morning and then send the extras in the lunch boxes for a treat. I hope you enjoy these.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Spring is in the Air
There is a big joke in my house at this time of year. Mom wants to plant a garden. I think all winter long about what I want to put in my garden. I cook a lot, so gardening seems to me to go hand in hand. I dream about plump tomatoes, fresh peppers, small zucchini and beautiful green beans all winter long. I dream of where my beautiful garden will reside in my yard.
I have had my garden in different locations in my yard. In the front was the best place to have the garden but my husband did not like the "look" of my garden in the front. I have had it in the back yard among the flower beds, in a raised bed running along a terrace and last year on a terrace above my pool. No spot has been really great except for the area in the front.
The reason my husband and family joke about my garden is that I like the "idea" of gardening. I love the planning and the planting. That's it. I hate to weed. I even forget to water and harvest.
Right on queue, a few weeks ago, I mentioned where my garden was going this year and that I needed it tilled. My family laughed and said, no way. They had decided that a flower garden was going above the pool because my garden was an "eye soar". I asked my father-in-law if he would till a space for me in my yard. He said, he would plant what I want in his garden. His garden is always beautiful and not full of weeds.
Knowing when I have lost a battle, I decided that I would start a container garden. I will plant tomatoes and peppers in attractive containers and put them in the pool area. Since I spend most of my summer working around the pool (working with my laptop and phone), I will be able to monitor and water my plants and have some sort of harvest. The rest, like zucchini and beans, my father-in-law will plant in his garden and will keep me fed with fresh veggies all season long.
It's a compromise but I think it will work out this year. The spring is always a time of renewed hope.
I have had my garden in different locations in my yard. In the front was the best place to have the garden but my husband did not like the "look" of my garden in the front. I have had it in the back yard among the flower beds, in a raised bed running along a terrace and last year on a terrace above my pool. No spot has been really great except for the area in the front.
The reason my husband and family joke about my garden is that I like the "idea" of gardening. I love the planning and the planting. That's it. I hate to weed. I even forget to water and harvest.
Right on queue, a few weeks ago, I mentioned where my garden was going this year and that I needed it tilled. My family laughed and said, no way. They had decided that a flower garden was going above the pool because my garden was an "eye soar". I asked my father-in-law if he would till a space for me in my yard. He said, he would plant what I want in his garden. His garden is always beautiful and not full of weeds.
Knowing when I have lost a battle, I decided that I would start a container garden. I will plant tomatoes and peppers in attractive containers and put them in the pool area. Since I spend most of my summer working around the pool (working with my laptop and phone), I will be able to monitor and water my plants and have some sort of harvest. The rest, like zucchini and beans, my father-in-law will plant in his garden and will keep me fed with fresh veggies all season long.
It's a compromise but I think it will work out this year. The spring is always a time of renewed hope.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Yesteryear
Yesterday I did a cooking class at the local senior center. I cook once a month for about 20-30 people. The threat of torrential rain kept the numbers to about 20. This is my favorite cooking class of the month. Why? I learn as much or more from my guests as they learn from me.
I met a women who is 90 years old. She has a wonderful attitude and lively eyes. She mentioned that living by herself, she just does not cook like she once did. When cooking for her family of 3 girls, she would cook big roasts on a Saturday and use it all week long. She would also bake 4 loafs of bread on the weekend and that would last for the whole week. She talked about a man she knew who made the best rye bread and she could not get the crust on her bread as crunchy as on his bread. He told her the secret, he baked it on stone tiles in his oven. During the last 15 minutes, he added some water to the oven to create the steam to make perfect crust.
So many of my generation (forty something) do not know how to cook. They have learned to drive-thru, go to the supermarket pre-made section, or open a package for dinner. We have lost the art of preparing a nourishing meal for our families. So many think of cooking as a chore instead of a family building activity.
However, I do see a change happening. My cooking classes are getting larger. People are looking for a way to get back to a simpler time and save some money. That is one of the reasons I started this blog...to help. I hope you find some information to help you get dinner on the table for you and your family.
By the way, I made a pork and pineapple stir fry over rice at my cooking class. Take a boneless pork roast and cut it into strips. Saute in vegetable oil until no longer pink. Add red onions cut into strips and a package of frozen California Style Vegetables or Sugar Snap Peas. Meanwhile, make a sauce of soy sauce, rice vinegar and apricot preserves with a little corn starch. Add to skillet. Heat until the sauce thickens. Serve over rice. My guests loved it! When I make this at home, I add a handful of cashew nuts. I hope you enjoy this with your family.
I met a women who is 90 years old. She has a wonderful attitude and lively eyes. She mentioned that living by herself, she just does not cook like she once did. When cooking for her family of 3 girls, she would cook big roasts on a Saturday and use it all week long. She would also bake 4 loafs of bread on the weekend and that would last for the whole week. She talked about a man she knew who made the best rye bread and she could not get the crust on her bread as crunchy as on his bread. He told her the secret, he baked it on stone tiles in his oven. During the last 15 minutes, he added some water to the oven to create the steam to make perfect crust.
So many of my generation (forty something) do not know how to cook. They have learned to drive-thru, go to the supermarket pre-made section, or open a package for dinner. We have lost the art of preparing a nourishing meal for our families. So many think of cooking as a chore instead of a family building activity.
However, I do see a change happening. My cooking classes are getting larger. People are looking for a way to get back to a simpler time and save some money. That is one of the reasons I started this blog...to help. I hope you find some information to help you get dinner on the table for you and your family.
By the way, I made a pork and pineapple stir fry over rice at my cooking class. Take a boneless pork roast and cut it into strips. Saute in vegetable oil until no longer pink. Add red onions cut into strips and a package of frozen California Style Vegetables or Sugar Snap Peas. Meanwhile, make a sauce of soy sauce, rice vinegar and apricot preserves with a little corn starch. Add to skillet. Heat until the sauce thickens. Serve over rice. My guests loved it! When I make this at home, I add a handful of cashew nuts. I hope you enjoy this with your family.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Can I have that recipe?
I have done many cooking classes in my career. During each cooking class, I mention many quick and easy recipes my guests can make using everyday ingredients. These recipes are fast, easy and very economical. Many use up leftovers from a roast chicken or a roast. While my guests always have access to the recipes that I make at the class, the recipes which are just mentioned during my presentation are just "in my head". One such recipe is detailed below.
I often roast a large chicken for dinner once a week. I normally choose the largest chicken I can find. My Nonnie always said to buy the largest chicken because the bones of the chickens are all the same size. As you go up in weight, each pound is actual meat. I routinely have leftover chicken after we eat the roasted chicken.
One of my family's favorite meals from leftover chicken is a BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizza. Shred the chicken. Mix in your favorite BBQ sauce and shredded cheddar cheese. If you like onions or peppers, chop and add to the mixture. Spread mixture on an open french bread and top with shredded cheddar cheese. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake at 400 until browned and bubbly. Serve with a salad.
See if your family likes this as much as mine does and use up your leftovers for a nice simple, fast meal.
I often roast a large chicken for dinner once a week. I normally choose the largest chicken I can find. My Nonnie always said to buy the largest chicken because the bones of the chickens are all the same size. As you go up in weight, each pound is actual meat. I routinely have leftover chicken after we eat the roasted chicken.
One of my family's favorite meals from leftover chicken is a BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizza. Shred the chicken. Mix in your favorite BBQ sauce and shredded cheddar cheese. If you like onions or peppers, chop and add to the mixture. Spread mixture on an open french bread and top with shredded cheddar cheese. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake at 400 until browned and bubbly. Serve with a salad.
See if your family likes this as much as mine does and use up your leftovers for a nice simple, fast meal.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Lose
Well the title says it all. Last night I made a Pork Chop Dinner. My daughter said, "Please don't make this again."
In the morning I took out a package of frozen pork chops and decided I would make those for dinner. It was a very busy day with tennis, softball, Destination Imagination practises and my author day at the library. We finally made it home by 5:00. We normally eat dinner around 6:00. So I had an hour to work magic. Plenty of time!
With no plan in place, other than the pork chops, I viewed the contents of my pantry. I spotted a box of pork flavored stuffing mix which I think I have had for awhile. I remembered a recipe I had cut out of the newspapers along time ago before I had kids that included these ingredients. Working on memory, I spread the stuffing mix on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baker and placed the pork chops on top. I remembered that the recipe had Cream of Mushroom Soup poured on top. I hardly ever buy any of the cream of soups. So on to the stove top to make a cream type sauce. I made a roux with butter and flour; added water, powdered milk and chicken stock crystals. Meanwhile, I discovered a 1/2 used bag of frozen corn in the freezer and sprinkled that on top of the pork. The cream sauce went over the entire baker. I covered it and put it in the oven at 400.
What went wrong. I needed to add some liquid to the stuffing mix. I mistakenly thought the juice from the pork and cream sauce would make it down to the stuffing mix. Mostly it did, but there were some dry spots.
Having said that, we did eat all of it for dinner. Nothing went to waste, but it was not my best. Maybe I should have used the recipe instead of relying on my memory. However, I read cookbooks like others read novels. I don't follow recipes while I am cooking, only while I am baking. Even with baking, I will sometimes substitute ingredients or add a healthier ingredient. I have more successes than failures in the kitchen. But really, who cares if you have a failure! Cooking isn't brain surgery. If you make a mistake, no one dies (usually). So go experiment and have fun!
In the morning I took out a package of frozen pork chops and decided I would make those for dinner. It was a very busy day with tennis, softball, Destination Imagination practises and my author day at the library. We finally made it home by 5:00. We normally eat dinner around 6:00. So I had an hour to work magic. Plenty of time!
With no plan in place, other than the pork chops, I viewed the contents of my pantry. I spotted a box of pork flavored stuffing mix which I think I have had for awhile. I remembered a recipe I had cut out of the newspapers along time ago before I had kids that included these ingredients. Working on memory, I spread the stuffing mix on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baker and placed the pork chops on top. I remembered that the recipe had Cream of Mushroom Soup poured on top. I hardly ever buy any of the cream of soups. So on to the stove top to make a cream type sauce. I made a roux with butter and flour; added water, powdered milk and chicken stock crystals. Meanwhile, I discovered a 1/2 used bag of frozen corn in the freezer and sprinkled that on top of the pork. The cream sauce went over the entire baker. I covered it and put it in the oven at 400.
What went wrong. I needed to add some liquid to the stuffing mix. I mistakenly thought the juice from the pork and cream sauce would make it down to the stuffing mix. Mostly it did, but there were some dry spots.
Having said that, we did eat all of it for dinner. Nothing went to waste, but it was not my best. Maybe I should have used the recipe instead of relying on my memory. However, I read cookbooks like others read novels. I don't follow recipes while I am cooking, only while I am baking. Even with baking, I will sometimes substitute ingredients or add a healthier ingredient. I have more successes than failures in the kitchen. But really, who cares if you have a failure! Cooking isn't brain surgery. If you make a mistake, no one dies (usually). So go experiment and have fun!
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