Thanks for checking in. I haven't been cooking for the past few nights due to functions and other things interfering with dinner (we ate out 2 of the last 3 nights and picked at leftovers the 3rd night). Tonight I was back in the kitchen and it felt good.
I made London Broil, purchased on markdown and marinated in Ken's Steakhouse Balsamic & Roasted Onion marinade (that I got free during triple coupons). For side dishes I made Mushroom Rice (Lipton/Knorr side dish, also purchased during triple coupons), and steam-in-the-bag Brussels Sprouts. Since I put the meat in the marinade last night, dinner took less than 20 minutes this evening.
Totals:
$3.03 - London Broil
.04 - Lipton/Knorr rice mix (yes, really)
$1.30 - Brussels sprouts (purchased BOGO)
free - marinade
$4.37 for dinner for 3
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Thursday Dinner
I was short on energy and ideas tonight, so I just went with last week's Harris Teeter Meal Deal in its entirety - cheeseburgers, fries and baked beans. So I'll consider my total $5.99 for dinner for 3, even though there's enough of everything but the baked beans to make another meal. (Meal Deal consisted of 2 lbs. ground chuck, 1 8-pack buns, 1 package American cheese slices, 1 package frozen fries, and 1 can baked beans.)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
From the Bakery
Between the computer virus, multiple trips to my friend's house to get it fixed, and my huge yardsale, I neglected my garden a bit. The result was a zucchini that went unnoticed until it was big enough to be used as a deadly weapon. They're really not at their best when they get so big - they get very mealy in the center. So I scooped all the seeds out, cut it into large chunks, and stored it in the fridge to be used bit by bit. Today I finally used up the last of it in 2 loaves of zucchini bread. I've made this particular recipe before and it's yummy. My only change is using about 2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie spice in place of the 3 tsp. ground cinnamon that the recipe calls for. This will be great in the mornings before school (6am is coming darned early, y'all).
Zucchini Bread
Wednesday Dinner
Dinner tonight was smoked sausage with cabbage, sliced tomatoes, and these incredible little individual potatoes au gratin casseroles. I can't take credit for the potatoes - I'm a huge Food Network fan, and this recipe came from the winner of "The Next Food Network Star" competition show.
Here's the recipe - they are to die for:
5-Minute Individual Potato Gratins
Instead of slicing my own potatoes, I used a bag of Simply Potatoes Homestyle Slices that I picked up last time they were on sale. That was more than 2 potatoes worth, so I increased all the ingredients to accommodate 12 muffin-cups worth instead of 8. This really is a no-measure recipe - just layer the potatoes, cheese, salt & pepper in the muffin tins, then pour the cream over. They came out golden-brown and beautiful, and they tasted just as good as they looked.
For the main dish, I just shredded 1/2 a head of cabbage, quartered the sausage, and poured in 1/2 a can of chicken broth in my big covered skillet. I simmered on medium heat for about 20 minutes until the cabbage was tender. Delicious and couldn't be more simple as the sausage flavors the cabbage as it cooks.
I'm overrun with tomatoes again (I picked 9 today, plus at least 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes), so we had sliced tomatoes as a 3rd side dish.
Totals:
.50 - smoked sausage (purchased BOGO + double coupon)
.40 - 1/2 head cabbage
.30 - 1/2 can chicken broth
.75 - bag of Simply Potatoes
.75 - cheese, cream
free - tomatoes
$2.70 for dinner for 3, plus 1 serving of sausage/cabbage and 3 servings of potatoes left
Wednesday Deals - Harris Teeter
It's another good deal week at Harris Teeter.
First off, it's Super Double Coupons week. That means that Harris Teeter will double all coupons with a face value of $1.98 or less. So a $1.50 coupon doubles to $3 off! (Coupons of $1.99 or higher will be redeemed at face value.) Depending on your coupon stash, there's a lot of potential for free or nearly free groceries.
Harris Teeter's weekly meal deal is as follows:
1 package Gwaltney hot dogs
1 8-count package Harris Teeter hot dog buns
10.5 - 11oz. package Frito Lay brand chips
7.25 oz. Harris Teeter macaroni & cheese
2-liter Harris Teeter Soda
All for $3.99. For the meal deal, you must purchase ALL items in one transaction. (I'll probably pass on this particular deal because I only buy all-beef hot dogs.)
eVic special of the week - 1 box Kelloggs Pop Tarts for .77 (limit one)
Buy 2 Get 3 Free
Ken's Steak House brand salad dressings
Breyer's Ice Cream
Pepsi products 12-packs
BOGO
Deer Park bottled water (24 pack)
Hamburger Helper (about .50/box when combined with recent coupons which will double)
Hanover Gold Line frozen veggies
Handi-Foil disposable pans
Hormel Bacon
Lipton 24-count tea bags
Smucker's Grape Jelly
Tony Roma BBQ
Yo-Plus or FiberOne yogurt 4-packs (recent coupons)
Thomas' Bagels
Other deals:
Green Grapes - .88/lb
Pink Lady apples - .99/lb
Split chicken breast - .88/lb
Hormel fully cooked entrees - 2/$10
First off, it's Super Double Coupons week. That means that Harris Teeter will double all coupons with a face value of $1.98 or less. So a $1.50 coupon doubles to $3 off! (Coupons of $1.99 or higher will be redeemed at face value.) Depending on your coupon stash, there's a lot of potential for free or nearly free groceries.
Harris Teeter's weekly meal deal is as follows:
1 package Gwaltney hot dogs
1 8-count package Harris Teeter hot dog buns
10.5 - 11oz. package Frito Lay brand chips
7.25 oz. Harris Teeter macaroni & cheese
2-liter Harris Teeter Soda
All for $3.99. For the meal deal, you must purchase ALL items in one transaction. (I'll probably pass on this particular deal because I only buy all-beef hot dogs.)
eVic special of the week - 1 box Kelloggs Pop Tarts for .77 (limit one)
Buy 2 Get 3 Free
Ken's Steak House brand salad dressings
Breyer's Ice Cream
Pepsi products 12-packs
BOGO
Deer Park bottled water (24 pack)
Hamburger Helper (about .50/box when combined with recent coupons which will double)
Hanover Gold Line frozen veggies
Handi-Foil disposable pans
Hormel Bacon
Lipton 24-count tea bags
Smucker's Grape Jelly
Tony Roma BBQ
Yo-Plus or FiberOne yogurt 4-packs (recent coupons)
Thomas' Bagels
Other deals:
Green Grapes - .88/lb
Pink Lady apples - .99/lb
Split chicken breast - .88/lb
Hormel fully cooked entrees - 2/$10
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
From the Bakery
I haven't mentioned it much here, but I'm also an avid baker. I much prefer homemade baked goods to packaged cookies and cakes - not only for the "yum" factor, but because I control exactly what goes into them.
This afternoon I used up some of those fresh raspberries that were on sale at Lowes Foods this week and made a batch of Raspberry-White Chocolate Muffins. They were very easy, very budget-friendly (thanks to Bisquick and the sale raspberries) and very delish.
Tuesday Dinner
Tonight's dinner was a mix of homemade and ready-made. I cooked Chicken Fried Rice from stratch, and rounded out the meal with ready-made egg rolls.For the fried rice, I cut 2 boneless chicken breasts into cubes and marinated in soy sauce for about an hour. I tossed them in a little cornstarch (my secret) and stir-fried in a little oil until browned and crispy. I removed them from the pan and added 2 eggs, lightly beaten, then cooked until they were scrambled and set. I set these aside with the chicken. I added a bit more oil to the pan and stir-fried 1 chopped onion for about 5 minutes, then added 1 tsp. garlic and cooked another minute. I added 3 cups cold cooked rice (I cooked this morning) and stir-fried everything for about 3 minutes, adding about 3 Tablespoons soy sauce. At the end, I stirred in 1/2 of an 8oz package frozen peas, the chicken and the scrambled egg, and let cook another few minutes or until everything was heated through.
The egg rolls are a brand I've only seen sold at WalMart, in the deli cases up front. $2.50 for a package of 5. I usually get the the shrimp variety, which is low-fat ( 3 grams per egg roll) and delicious.
On Michelle's suggestion (Hi Michelle!), I'm going to start posting photos of my meals when possible. Of course, some things just won't lend themselves to photos, and I'm sure I'll have photos that won't come out well, but I'm going to try and make them a regular part of this blog.
Totals:
$1.50 - chicken (about 12 oz. purchased at HT BOGO sale)
.41 - 1/2 package peas
.20 - rice
.25 - onion
.15 - eggs
$2.50 - egg rolls
$5.01 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us)
Monday, August 24, 2009
Monday Dinner
Tonight I made pizza. The first was very similar to the one I made the other week because it was so awesome the first time - Bacon, Caramelized Onions and Gorgonzola. I made the other pizza Hawaiian, with bacon (didn't have ham), pineapple and cheddar cheese. Instead of homemade crust, I used Pillsbury canned pizza dough because it was so darn cheap at HT last week with BOGO sale + triple coupons.
Totals:
$1.20 - pizza dough
$2.50 - cheeses
.33 - can of tomato sauce (turned into "on the fly" pizza sauce with addition of Italian Seasoning & garlic powder)
.79 - pineapple (whole can - The Kid slurped up the leftovers before they'd even had time to get cold in the fridge)
.75 - bacon, onion
$5.57 for dinner for 3 (leftovers probably won't make it 'til bedtime)
Totals:
$1.20 - pizza dough
$2.50 - cheeses
.33 - can of tomato sauce (turned into "on the fly" pizza sauce with addition of Italian Seasoning & garlic powder)
.79 - pineapple (whole can - The Kid slurped up the leftovers before they'd even had time to get cold in the fridge)
.75 - bacon, onion
$5.57 for dinner for 3 (leftovers probably won't make it 'til bedtime)
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Sunday Dinner
Last week I picked up a package of turkey breast cutlets on markdown for $3.75 (down from $5-something a pound). Tonight I turned them into Turkey Piccata, which I served with thin spaghetti and (frozen, packaged) creamed spinach.
To make the Piccata, first I pounded the turkey cutlets thin with the back of a heavy skillet. I seasoned with salt and pepper, then dipped in flour. I dunked them in a mixture of beaten egg and little milk, then back into the flour to coat well. I sauteed them over medium-high heat in a mixture of butter and oil (about 1 Tablespoon of each) until browned and crispy (about 2 minutes per side). Then I removed them from the pan and made the sauce. To the hot pan I added about 1 cup chicken broth and the juice of 1 lemon, then let that boil down for about 3 minutes, scraping up all the little browned bits. When it was reduced by about 1/2, I swirled in a pat of butter and added about 1 teaspoon capers and salt and pepper to taste. To serve, I topped individual servings of pasta with a turkey cutlet, then poured the sauce over.
Totals:
$3.75 - turkey
.50 - pasta
.66 - creamed spinach (BOGO + coupon)
$4.91 for dinner for 3 (with leftovers for 1 more serving)
To make the Piccata, first I pounded the turkey cutlets thin with the back of a heavy skillet. I seasoned with salt and pepper, then dipped in flour. I dunked them in a mixture of beaten egg and little milk, then back into the flour to coat well. I sauteed them over medium-high heat in a mixture of butter and oil (about 1 Tablespoon of each) until browned and crispy (about 2 minutes per side). Then I removed them from the pan and made the sauce. To the hot pan I added about 1 cup chicken broth and the juice of 1 lemon, then let that boil down for about 3 minutes, scraping up all the little browned bits. When it was reduced by about 1/2, I swirled in a pat of butter and added about 1 teaspoon capers and salt and pepper to taste. To serve, I topped individual servings of pasta with a turkey cutlet, then poured the sauce over.
Totals:
$3.75 - turkey
.50 - pasta
.66 - creamed spinach (BOGO + coupon)
$4.91 for dinner for 3 (with leftovers for 1 more serving)
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Harris Teeter's Weekly Meal Deal
I couldn't post on this before because they're not including details of the weekly meal deal in emails - it appears to be in the paper circular only. (I found out about it - and got in on it - when I shopped at HT today.)
This week's deal is a great one. Buy a 2 lb. chub of ground chuck, 1 package of HT brand hamburger buns, 1 can HT brand baked beans, 1 package HT brand American cheese slices, and 1 package HT brand frozen crinkle-cut fries - all for only $5.99! The savings is over $5 if items were purchased separately. To get the special price (which comes off at the end), you must purchase all items in the "meal" in one transaction.
NOTE: My HT was out of the 8oz. packages of cheese, so they were substituting 16oz. packages for the same "deal." That made a great deal even better!
This week's deal is a great one. Buy a 2 lb. chub of ground chuck, 1 package of HT brand hamburger buns, 1 can HT brand baked beans, 1 package HT brand American cheese slices, and 1 package HT brand frozen crinkle-cut fries - all for only $5.99! The savings is over $5 if items were purchased separately. To get the special price (which comes off at the end), you must purchase all items in the "meal" in one transaction.
NOTE: My HT was out of the 8oz. packages of cheese, so they were substituting 16oz. packages for the same "deal." That made a great deal even better!
Saturday Dinner
Tonight we had meatballs in Mr. Yoshida's sauce, white rice, and stir-fried squash, zucchini and onions (Japanese steakhouse style).
I admit that meatballs aren't my favorite, but The Kid adores them. So I pick up a bag or two when they're on sale BOGO, which happens frequently at both Food Lion and Harris Teeter. I've mentioned Mr. Yoshida's Sauce before - it's a thick, sweet, Teriyaki-type sauce sold in huge bottles at Costco. I just heat 1/2 a bag of meatballs in about 1 cup of sauce, then serve over rice. For the veggies, I cut up 1 onion, 1 zucchini and 1 squash into 1" chunks. I stir-fried the onion in about 1 T. oil for about 5 minutes first, then added zucchini, squash, and about 1 T. soy sauce and continued to stir-fry for about 10 more minutes. I drizzled with sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds at the end.
Totals:
$1.75 - meatballs (about $3.50/bag BOGO - used about 1/2 bag)
free - zucchini & squash from garden
.75 - additional ingredients (sauce, rice, onion, etc.)
$2.50 for dinner for 5 (includes sister & brother-in-law)
I admit that meatballs aren't my favorite, but The Kid adores them. So I pick up a bag or two when they're on sale BOGO, which happens frequently at both Food Lion and Harris Teeter. I've mentioned Mr. Yoshida's Sauce before - it's a thick, sweet, Teriyaki-type sauce sold in huge bottles at Costco. I just heat 1/2 a bag of meatballs in about 1 cup of sauce, then serve over rice. For the veggies, I cut up 1 onion, 1 zucchini and 1 squash into 1" chunks. I stir-fried the onion in about 1 T. oil for about 5 minutes first, then added zucchini, squash, and about 1 T. soy sauce and continued to stir-fry for about 10 more minutes. I drizzled with sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds at the end.
Totals:
$1.75 - meatballs (about $3.50/bag BOGO - used about 1/2 bag)
free - zucchini & squash from garden
.75 - additional ingredients (sauce, rice, onion, etc.)
$2.50 for dinner for 5 (includes sister & brother-in-law)
Friday, August 21, 2009
Friday Dinner
First of all, the homemade salsa was a bust.
It tasted great, but was WAY too much work for the final payoff. It had been years since I'd made it, so I'd forgotten a few tips along the way. Most importantly - use BIG tomatoes. There's nothing left of the little ones after skinning and seeding them. That contributed greatly to the "just not worth it" factor for this batch, because all I had was a bunch of medium to small ones. Oh well, at least I used them all up and they won't be sitting on my kitchen counter anymore, staring at me.
Dinner tonight was steak soft tacos. Basically the same as the fajitas I usually make, but without the sauteed onion and pepper. (After all the dicing and chopping I did for salsa this afternoon, I was done.) I took my own advice and marinated and cooked the skirt steak whole and it turned out beautifully - just as tender as the strips, with half the work and mess. I just marinated in Lawry's Tequila-Lime marinade and grilled them on the George Foreman for about 3 minutes. I let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain. Those steak slices were so tender they melted in our mouths. We passed shredded cheese and homemade salsa at the table, and I cooked up a package of Simply Potatoes southwest hash browns on the side.
Totals:
$4 - steak
.75 - tortillas
.75 - hash browns
free - salsa ingredients
$5.50 for dinner for 3
It tasted great, but was WAY too much work for the final payoff. It had been years since I'd made it, so I'd forgotten a few tips along the way. Most importantly - use BIG tomatoes. There's nothing left of the little ones after skinning and seeding them. That contributed greatly to the "just not worth it" factor for this batch, because all I had was a bunch of medium to small ones. Oh well, at least I used them all up and they won't be sitting on my kitchen counter anymore, staring at me.
Dinner tonight was steak soft tacos. Basically the same as the fajitas I usually make, but without the sauteed onion and pepper. (After all the dicing and chopping I did for salsa this afternoon, I was done.) I took my own advice and marinated and cooked the skirt steak whole and it turned out beautifully - just as tender as the strips, with half the work and mess. I just marinated in Lawry's Tequila-Lime marinade and grilled them on the George Foreman for about 3 minutes. I let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain. Those steak slices were so tender they melted in our mouths. We passed shredded cheese and homemade salsa at the table, and I cooked up a package of Simply Potatoes southwest hash browns on the side.
Totals:
$4 - steak
.75 - tortillas
.75 - hash browns
free - salsa ingredients
$5.50 for dinner for 3
Tidbits
- I'm new to the world of blogging, but I'm going to start using tags to make it easier to look up old posts. Nightly dinners with recipes/how to's will be tagged with their main ingredient, such as 'chicken' or 'broccoli.' Other tags should be self-explanatory.
- Pillsbury Ready-to-Bake Cookies Special Edition Cinnibon - forget boring old chocolate chip, this cinnamon-sugar variety is easily the best ready-to-bake cookie I've ever had. Even the non-cookie-lover in my family ate 3 in one sitting. Harris Teeter has them on sale for $2.89 right now and there are online coupons, too: Pillsbury.com (WalMart's every day price is even cheaper, but I don't know if they carry this variety.)
- I've gone from, "When are my tomatoes coming in?" in June to, "What am I going to do with all these damn tomatoes?" in August. So today I'm attempting to make homemade salsa. Will let you know how that turns out.
- My favorite "foodie" magazines are Saveur and Food Network Magazine. Saveur is a wonderful hybrid of travel mag and cooking publication. They take you all over the world to show you the origins of foods and the stories behind them. I've never made a single recipe out of Saveur because almost all of them call for exotic, expensive, hard-to-find ingredients. But golly I love reading and dreaming. Food Network Magazine is the rare cooking magazine in which I almost never find a "bad" recipe - that is, a recipe I wouldn't consider making at home. This is real-life food for real-life people with a minimum of exotic ingredients and complicated techniques. Runners up for good foodie magazines include Martha Stewart's Everyday Food (it gets a little too Martha-ish), and Real Simple (great recipes, but not a foodie mag).
- Finally, let me know you're out there! I'd love to know if you've made one of my dishes and how it turned out, etc. This little project of mine has made a real improvement to my life. I've always loved cooking and saving money, but writing this nightly has brought it into a much tighter focus - and the "accountability" factor has brought new life and new creativity to our meals. So thanks for following me from Craigslist, and thanks for sticking with me so far. I'm really enjoying myself and I hope you are, too.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Thursday Dinner
Tonight was the Open House for The Kid's school. With this in mind, I prepared most of tonight's dinner in advance so we could eat and run.
Last night I picked a bunch of basil from the garden, then whipped up a quick pesto sauce in the food processor. I used this to clone the pesto pasta salad from Liberty Oak restaurant in downtown Greensboro (which is the best I ever had). This afternoon I marinated some sliced tomatoes and cucumbers in oil & vinegar, and tossed some chicken breasts in Mrs. Dash Garlic-Herb marinade. For dinner, we just threw the chicken on the George Foreman and served it with the cold salads.
Pesto Sauce (all quantities are approximate - I don't measure this)
1 cup basil leaves
1 t. minced garlic
1/4 cup each: olive oil, walnuts, parmesan cheese
Whirl everything together in food processor, along with salt & pepper to taste, until it's all a coarse, grainy paste. Add a little more olive oil if it's too sticky.
For the salad, I cooked a 14 oz. box of Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta spirals, then drained and cooled. (This brand has added calcium and fiber but tastes just like regular "white" pasta.) I tossed the pasta with 1 batch of pesto sauce, 1/2 a large red onion, diced, and 1/2 of a 16oz. package of frozen peas. (No need to cook peas - just toss them in frozen.) This salad is WONDERFUL. (Always make this salad the day before. The flavors - especially the basil - need time to mellow. )
Totals:
$2 - chicken
$1.50 - pasta
$1 - peas & onion
free - basil from garden (usually the most expensive part of pesto sauce)
free - tomatoes from garden
free - cucumbers (I didn't grow these, but a friend did)
.50 - remaining salad ingredients (walnuts, cheese, oil,)
$5 for dinner for 3, with tons of pasta salad left over
Last night I picked a bunch of basil from the garden, then whipped up a quick pesto sauce in the food processor. I used this to clone the pesto pasta salad from Liberty Oak restaurant in downtown Greensboro (which is the best I ever had). This afternoon I marinated some sliced tomatoes and cucumbers in oil & vinegar, and tossed some chicken breasts in Mrs. Dash Garlic-Herb marinade. For dinner, we just threw the chicken on the George Foreman and served it with the cold salads.
Pesto Sauce (all quantities are approximate - I don't measure this)
1 cup basil leaves
1 t. minced garlic
1/4 cup each: olive oil, walnuts, parmesan cheese
Whirl everything together in food processor, along with salt & pepper to taste, until it's all a coarse, grainy paste. Add a little more olive oil if it's too sticky.
For the salad, I cooked a 14 oz. box of Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta spirals, then drained and cooled. (This brand has added calcium and fiber but tastes just like regular "white" pasta.) I tossed the pasta with 1 batch of pesto sauce, 1/2 a large red onion, diced, and 1/2 of a 16oz. package of frozen peas. (No need to cook peas - just toss them in frozen.) This salad is WONDERFUL. (Always make this salad the day before. The flavors - especially the basil - need time to mellow. )
Totals:
$2 - chicken
$1.50 - pasta
$1 - peas & onion
free - basil from garden (usually the most expensive part of pesto sauce)
free - tomatoes from garden
free - cucumbers (I didn't grow these, but a friend did)
.50 - remaining salad ingredients (walnuts, cheese, oil,)
$5 for dinner for 3, with tons of pasta salad left over
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Wednesday Dinner
Dinner tonight was Citrus Shrimp with rice, and Sesame Broccoli. The family licked their plates clean and complained that there wasn't enough food for third helpings, so I'll take that as a sign that everyone liked it.
It's restaurant quality - seriously, it's THAT good.
Citrus Shrimp
1.5 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 t. minced garlic (or about 2 cloves, minced)
1 T. butter
salt & pepper
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Juice and zest of 1 orange
Additional 2 cups orange juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 t. chili powder
hot sauce
1 T. butter
Saute shrimp and garlic in butter over high heat just until shrimp turns pink and opaque. Season with salt & pepper. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.
Using the smallest holes on a grater, grate the zest from 1 lemon and 1 orange. (Colored part only, not the white part.) Squeeze juice from lemon and orange, add additional orange juice. In same pan you cooked the shrimp in, combine orange juice mixture, zest, brown sugar, chili powder and a few dashes of hot sauce. Heat until boiling and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has reduced by 1/2 and is thick and glossy. Remove from heat, stir in 1 Tablespoon butter until melted. Add shrimp and toss to coat in sauce. Serve over hot cooked rice. Serves 4 - 5
Hint: The flavors will concentrate as the sauce reduces, so be careful with the hot sauce. You can always add more at the end of cooking if needed. You want just a little bite to the sauce - you don't want it hot.
Hint: It doesn't take long to grate through the flavorful rind and get down into the bitter white pith. In general, I make no more than 2 "scrubs" across the grater before I turn the fruit to a new spot.
___________
For Sesame Broccoli, cook 1 package steam-in-bag broccoli florets as directed. Drain out liquid and toss in 2 T. soy sauce, a drizzle of sesame oil, and about 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds. You may never make broccoli another way.
Hint: Sesame Oil and other fancy nut and seed oils may seem expensive, but they last forever because you only need a few drops to flavor a dish. Always store in fridge because they'll go rancid at room temperature very quickly.
Hint: To toast sesame seeds, put desired amount into a small skillet or fry pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown with a nutty fragrance. Sesame seeds go from toasted to burnt very quickly, so don't leave them unattended! If you have to leave the kitchen - even for a minute - take the pan off the heat. The whole toasting process will take less than 5 minutes - possibly much less. Like the oil, store sesame seeds in the fridge.
____________________
Totals:
$3 - shrimp (I used only 1 lb. for the 3 of us)
$1.25 - orange and lemon
$1.25 - broccoli
.50 - additional ingredients
$6 for dinner for 3
It's restaurant quality - seriously, it's THAT good.
Citrus Shrimp
1.5 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 t. minced garlic (or about 2 cloves, minced)
1 T. butter
salt & pepper
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Juice and zest of 1 orange
Additional 2 cups orange juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 t. chili powder
hot sauce
1 T. butter
Saute shrimp and garlic in butter over high heat just until shrimp turns pink and opaque. Season with salt & pepper. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.
Using the smallest holes on a grater, grate the zest from 1 lemon and 1 orange. (Colored part only, not the white part.) Squeeze juice from lemon and orange, add additional orange juice. In same pan you cooked the shrimp in, combine orange juice mixture, zest, brown sugar, chili powder and a few dashes of hot sauce. Heat until boiling and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has reduced by 1/2 and is thick and glossy. Remove from heat, stir in 1 Tablespoon butter until melted. Add shrimp and toss to coat in sauce. Serve over hot cooked rice. Serves 4 - 5
Hint: The flavors will concentrate as the sauce reduces, so be careful with the hot sauce. You can always add more at the end of cooking if needed. You want just a little bite to the sauce - you don't want it hot.
Hint: It doesn't take long to grate through the flavorful rind and get down into the bitter white pith. In general, I make no more than 2 "scrubs" across the grater before I turn the fruit to a new spot.
___________
For Sesame Broccoli, cook 1 package steam-in-bag broccoli florets as directed. Drain out liquid and toss in 2 T. soy sauce, a drizzle of sesame oil, and about 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds. You may never make broccoli another way.
Hint: Sesame Oil and other fancy nut and seed oils may seem expensive, but they last forever because you only need a few drops to flavor a dish. Always store in fridge because they'll go rancid at room temperature very quickly.
Hint: To toast sesame seeds, put desired amount into a small skillet or fry pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown with a nutty fragrance. Sesame seeds go from toasted to burnt very quickly, so don't leave them unattended! If you have to leave the kitchen - even for a minute - take the pan off the heat. The whole toasting process will take less than 5 minutes - possibly much less. Like the oil, store sesame seeds in the fridge.
____________________
Totals:
$3 - shrimp (I used only 1 lb. for the 3 of us)
$1.25 - orange and lemon
$1.25 - broccoli
.50 - additional ingredients
$6 for dinner for 3
Wednesday Deals - Lowes Foods
Lowes Foods is also having a pretty good sale week.
This week's best "Instasav" e-offer is 64 oz. Lowes Foods brand apple juice for .68 each, limit 2. There are lots of other good e-offers you can add to your Rewards card, too. Remember, these are like coupons you don't have to clip. Once you sign up for the program, you just look through the offers online, then click to add the ones you want to your account. Then you can print a page of all your offers to remind you of them when you're shopping. You'll automatically get the savings when your Rewards card is scanned at the register.
Other deals:
Lots of 5/$5 specials this week. As always, some are a substantial savings over regular price, like the fresh raspberries. Some are no savings at all, like the 1 lb. bags of white rice. I bought a 2 lb. bag of white rice at WalMart yesterday for $1.32, so this "deal" is actually a money loser. Remember, you can mix and match at this price, so you don't have to buy 5 of the same thing.
London Broil - $1.99/lb
Angel Soft 12 double rolls 2/$10
Sparkle paper towels 8-roll pack 2/$10
B2G3 Free
Oscar Mayer Bologna
BOGO
Doritos
Select Kelloggs Cereals
Curly's pulled pork BBQ
Edy's ice cream
Pepperidge Farm layer cakes
Vintage Seltzer
Frito Lay Snack Packs
Lowes Foods beef jerky
Rondele pub cheese
Bakery cinnamon rolls
This week's best "Instasav" e-offer is 64 oz. Lowes Foods brand apple juice for .68 each, limit 2. There are lots of other good e-offers you can add to your Rewards card, too. Remember, these are like coupons you don't have to clip. Once you sign up for the program, you just look through the offers online, then click to add the ones you want to your account. Then you can print a page of all your offers to remind you of them when you're shopping. You'll automatically get the savings when your Rewards card is scanned at the register.
Other deals:
Lots of 5/$5 specials this week. As always, some are a substantial savings over regular price, like the fresh raspberries. Some are no savings at all, like the 1 lb. bags of white rice. I bought a 2 lb. bag of white rice at WalMart yesterday for $1.32, so this "deal" is actually a money loser. Remember, you can mix and match at this price, so you don't have to buy 5 of the same thing.
London Broil - $1.99/lb
Angel Soft 12 double rolls 2/$10
Sparkle paper towels 8-roll pack 2/$10
B2G3 Free
Oscar Mayer Bologna
BOGO
Doritos
Select Kelloggs Cereals
Curly's pulled pork BBQ
Edy's ice cream
Pepperidge Farm layer cakes
Vintage Seltzer
Frito Lay Snack Packs
Lowes Foods beef jerky
Rondele pub cheese
Bakery cinnamon rolls
Wednesday Deals - Food Lion
It's just an average sale week at Food Lion. The crab meat and the fully cooked Angus beef patties are tempting to me, but not much else.
Buy More, Save More
Coke product 2-liters are .85 each if you buy 4 (.99 ea. for 3, $1.25 ea. for 2)
BOGO
8 oz. Special Crab Meat
18 oz. fully cooked Angus beef patties
Oscar Mayer bologna
Chiquita sliced apple bites
Doritos
Pet Ice Cream
Alpo Dog Food
Cheerios
Aquarius bottled water
Thomas' English Muffins
Pop Secret Popcorn
Clorox Wipes
Eggo pancakes
Farm Rich bagged frozen snacks
Food Lion also has a lot of items 10/$10 this week. Some are good deals (Ken's Salad dressing in particular), many aren't.
Buy More, Save More
Coke product 2-liters are .85 each if you buy 4 (.99 ea. for 3, $1.25 ea. for 2)
BOGO
8 oz. Special Crab Meat
18 oz. fully cooked Angus beef patties
Oscar Mayer bologna
Chiquita sliced apple bites
Doritos
Pet Ice Cream
Alpo Dog Food
Cheerios
Aquarius bottled water
Thomas' English Muffins
Pop Secret Popcorn
Clorox Wipes
Eggo pancakes
Farm Rich bagged frozen snacks
Food Lion also has a lot of items 10/$10 this week. Some are good deals (Ken's Salad dressing in particular), many aren't.
Free Bacon!
Or at least a $3 off coupon, which translates to free when combined with a sale.
Go to Smithfield.com.
Click "sign up" at the top of the page.
At the end of the process, you'll be rewarded with a printable coupon for $3 off a package of their bacon, good at any store. (If you've never printed coupons from your computer before, you'll be prompted to install a small bit of software. This is totally safe - I've printed coupons online for years.)
Go to Smithfield.com.
Click "sign up" at the top of the page.
At the end of the process, you'll be rewarded with a printable coupon for $3 off a package of their bacon, good at any store. (If you've never printed coupons from your computer before, you'll be prompted to install a small bit of software. This is totally safe - I've printed coupons online for years.)
Wednesday Deals - Harris Teeter
HT is having another really good sale week.
Weekly eVic special: 10-pack of Minute Maid juice boxes for .98
B1G2 Free
2-lb bags of EZ Peel Shrimp (works out to about $4.30/lb. Good but not great.)
1-lb Strawberries
BOGO
Annie's Mac & Cheese
Arm & Hammer: Cat Litter, Dryer Sheets, Laundry Detergent
Bertolli Pasta Sauce
Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks (recent coupons)
Budwiser BBQ or Wing Sauce
Contessa frozen skillet bag dinners
Deer Park bottled water
Raspberries
8 O'Clock Coffee
Emerald Nuts (recent coupons)
Electrasol
Deli Meat & Cheese (8 oz. packages)
Hamburger Helper (recent coupons)
Select Kelloggs Cereals (recent coupons)
Hellmann's mayo
Iced brownies (from bakery dept.)
La Brea baguettes
Mars candy bars
McCormick Taco Seasoning
Mott's Apple Juice
McCain Sweet Potato Fries (possibly other McCain frozen potatoes as well)
Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice
Nature's Own Breads
Perdue Boneless Chicken Breasts
Fresh in-store made Italian Sausage (pork or chicken)
Smithfield whole pork tenderloin
Smucker's Grape Jelly
Wisk laundry detergent
Weekly eVic special: 10-pack of Minute Maid juice boxes for .98
B1G2 Free
2-lb bags of EZ Peel Shrimp (works out to about $4.30/lb. Good but not great.)
1-lb Strawberries
BOGO
Annie's Mac & Cheese
Arm & Hammer: Cat Litter, Dryer Sheets, Laundry Detergent
Bertolli Pasta Sauce
Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks (recent coupons)
Budwiser BBQ or Wing Sauce
Contessa frozen skillet bag dinners
Deer Park bottled water
Raspberries
8 O'Clock Coffee
Emerald Nuts (recent coupons)
Electrasol
Deli Meat & Cheese (8 oz. packages)
Hamburger Helper (recent coupons)
Select Kelloggs Cereals (recent coupons)
Hellmann's mayo
Iced brownies (from bakery dept.)
La Brea baguettes
Mars candy bars
McCormick Taco Seasoning
Mott's Apple Juice
McCain Sweet Potato Fries (possibly other McCain frozen potatoes as well)
Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice
Nature's Own Breads
Perdue Boneless Chicken Breasts
Fresh in-store made Italian Sausage (pork or chicken)
Smithfield whole pork tenderloin
Smucker's Grape Jelly
Wisk laundry detergent
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Tuesday Dinner
Tonight was all about using up items before I had to throw them out - specifically, romaine lettuce, a container of leftover au jus, and an unopened package of roast beef purchased way back when HT had their buy 2, get 3 free deal.
I made Ceasar salad and mini-French Dip sandwiches. I picked up some Asiago cheese bread at WalMart today. It was on the marked-down bakery cart for $1.80 (down from $3). It still felt soft and "springy" so I knew it would be fine if we used it up quickly. I cut thin slices, topped them with roast beef and a little shredded mozzarella, then baked at 350 for 10 minutes. To serve, we just assembled the halves into sandwiches, and dipped in hot au jus. They were awesome! We still have leftover fixins, so I totally know what I'm having for lunch tomorrow.
Totals:
$1.33 - romaine lettuce (Package of 3 "Hearts of Romaine" for $2 at Aldi)
$1.20 - roast beef (sale price brought to $1.80/package - used about 2/3)
.90 - 1/2 loaf cheese bread
.50 - misc. ingredients (cheese, dressing, croutons)
$3.93 for dinner for 3
I made Ceasar salad and mini-French Dip sandwiches. I picked up some Asiago cheese bread at WalMart today. It was on the marked-down bakery cart for $1.80 (down from $3). It still felt soft and "springy" so I knew it would be fine if we used it up quickly. I cut thin slices, topped them with roast beef and a little shredded mozzarella, then baked at 350 for 10 minutes. To serve, we just assembled the halves into sandwiches, and dipped in hot au jus. They were awesome! We still have leftover fixins, so I totally know what I'm having for lunch tomorrow.
Totals:
$1.33 - romaine lettuce (Package of 3 "Hearts of Romaine" for $2 at Aldi)
$1.20 - roast beef (sale price brought to $1.80/package - used about 2/3)
.90 - 1/2 loaf cheese bread
.50 - misc. ingredients (cheese, dressing, croutons)
$3.93 for dinner for 3
I'm Back! + Monday Dinner + Triple Coupon Adventures
The yard sale was a resounding success, but it took a lot out of me. After three 12-hour days in a row setting up, selling, and breaking down, I fell into bed Saturday night and slept like the dead for 13 hours straight.
Sunday night I took everyone (including extended family) out to dinner as a 'thank you' for all their help with the sale.
_________________________________
Monday I was back to cooking, but just barely. I picked up one of those new Wanchai Ferry frozen dinner-in-a-bag kits at Harris Teeter because they were on sale and I had a coupon. The verdict: Very, very tasty (Orange Chicken variety), but when they say it serves 2, they mean it. We were able to stretch to 3 servings by adding extra rice, but it wouldn't have worked if any of us had been really hungry. Way overpriced at $8.99;still someone overpriced at $5.99 on sale; about right at $3.99 with sale + $2 coupon.
Totals:
$3.99 - Wanchai Ferry dinner kit
free - Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (Jasmine Rice variety) - had free product coupon
________________________
Harris Teeter was out of quite a few items which would have been free or nearly free after triple coupons. It's my understanding they were out at the warehouse, too - it appears everyone had the same coupons at once. Oh well, that was to be expected after having to wait until Monday to do my coupon shopping. Still, I made out pretty well.
Price before VIC card was scanned: $102.XX
Price after VIC card was scanned (and sales and BOGO items came off): $74.XX
Price after coupons: $28.XX
Total groceries included several meat markdowns and coupons for $1 or more that didn't triple. So while it wasn't a personal best, I'm still quite pleased.
Sunday night I took everyone (including extended family) out to dinner as a 'thank you' for all their help with the sale.
_________________________________
Monday I was back to cooking, but just barely. I picked up one of those new Wanchai Ferry frozen dinner-in-a-bag kits at Harris Teeter because they were on sale and I had a coupon. The verdict: Very, very tasty (Orange Chicken variety), but when they say it serves 2, they mean it. We were able to stretch to 3 servings by adding extra rice, but it wouldn't have worked if any of us had been really hungry. Way overpriced at $8.99;still someone overpriced at $5.99 on sale; about right at $3.99 with sale + $2 coupon.
Totals:
$3.99 - Wanchai Ferry dinner kit
free - Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (Jasmine Rice variety) - had free product coupon
________________________
Harris Teeter was out of quite a few items which would have been free or nearly free after triple coupons. It's my understanding they were out at the warehouse, too - it appears everyone had the same coupons at once. Oh well, that was to be expected after having to wait until Monday to do my coupon shopping. Still, I made out pretty well.
Price before VIC card was scanned: $102.XX
Price after VIC card was scanned (and sales and BOGO items came off): $74.XX
Price after coupons: $28.XX
Total groceries included several meat markdowns and coupons for $1 or more that didn't triple. So while it wasn't a personal best, I'm still quite pleased.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Back in a few...
I'm having a massive yard sale this weekend, so I'm going to be too busy and/or too tired to cook for the next few nights.
I should be back in the kitchen by Sunday or Monday - hopefully with a lot of hard-earned money!
Peace.
I should be back in the kitchen by Sunday or Monday - hopefully with a lot of hard-earned money!
Peace.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Wednesday Dinner
I wasn't pleased with tonight's dinner. I tried 2 new-to-me items and both turned out to be a bust, unfortunately.
The first were fresh-made salmon burgers from the HT seafood department. I found 2 packages on markdown a few weeks ago, so I picked them up and froze them. The first package had 2 "Bacon & Onion" patties, and the 2nd package contained 1 "Asian Sesame" patty. The Kid chose the Asian Sesame flavor, so the adults were left with the 2 Bacon & Onion burgers.
The Kid definitely got the better deal. I tried a bite of the Asian Sesame and it was much, much tastier than mine. In fact, I couldn't taste any bacon or onion flavors at all - it tasted like just plain salmon to me. Plus, all the patties were too thick and "bulky." I've had pre-made frozen salmon burgers before and like them quite well, but they have all been considerably thinner than these were. So even thought the Asian Sesame burger was reasonably tasty, I wouldn't buy it again due to the "meatball" factor.
The second not-so-great item were frozen Garlic Fries from Trader Joe's. We'd tried their Chipotle Fries before and liked them very much. We decided to give these a try thinking they'd be a similar product. They weren't. Instead of a creamy sauce like the chipotle variety, these came with a packet of "garlic sauce" that was little more than minced raw garlic and parsley in oil. Heck, if I'd wanted raw garlic on my fries, I could have done that myself without buying anything special. These were overwhelmingly garlicky and just not very good. So I'll put this item on the list of stuff to never buy again from Trader Joe's - it's a small list, but it's there. (It also includes honey-flavored Greek yogurt, Chili-Lime chicken burgers, and Tomato Chutney.)
Oh well, if my dinners can't serve as a great example, they can serve as a terrible warning. (grin)
Totals:
$2.49 - garlic fries
.75 - buns
$3.97 - salmon burgers
$7.21 total for dinner for 3 (this is the part that really hurts - I could have made dinner that was twice as good for 1/2 the cost)
The first were fresh-made salmon burgers from the HT seafood department. I found 2 packages on markdown a few weeks ago, so I picked them up and froze them. The first package had 2 "Bacon & Onion" patties, and the 2nd package contained 1 "Asian Sesame" patty. The Kid chose the Asian Sesame flavor, so the adults were left with the 2 Bacon & Onion burgers.
The Kid definitely got the better deal. I tried a bite of the Asian Sesame and it was much, much tastier than mine. In fact, I couldn't taste any bacon or onion flavors at all - it tasted like just plain salmon to me. Plus, all the patties were too thick and "bulky." I've had pre-made frozen salmon burgers before and like them quite well, but they have all been considerably thinner than these were. So even thought the Asian Sesame burger was reasonably tasty, I wouldn't buy it again due to the "meatball" factor.
The second not-so-great item were frozen Garlic Fries from Trader Joe's. We'd tried their Chipotle Fries before and liked them very much. We decided to give these a try thinking they'd be a similar product. They weren't. Instead of a creamy sauce like the chipotle variety, these came with a packet of "garlic sauce" that was little more than minced raw garlic and parsley in oil. Heck, if I'd wanted raw garlic on my fries, I could have done that myself without buying anything special. These were overwhelmingly garlicky and just not very good. So I'll put this item on the list of stuff to never buy again from Trader Joe's - it's a small list, but it's there. (It also includes honey-flavored Greek yogurt, Chili-Lime chicken burgers, and Tomato Chutney.)
Oh well, if my dinners can't serve as a great example, they can serve as a terrible warning. (grin)
Totals:
$2.49 - garlic fries
.75 - buns
$3.97 - salmon burgers
$7.21 total for dinner for 3 (this is the part that really hurts - I could have made dinner that was twice as good for 1/2 the cost)
Wednesday Deals - Lowes Foods
I don't see anything to entice me to Lowes Foods this week, either. Maybe you will...
Lowes Foods potato chips - B2G3
Breyers yogurt - 3/.99
Select varieties Kraft cheese - buy 3, save $3 at register
BOGO
Cantaloupe
Monster muffins
Lowes Foods cooking oil
Breyers ice cream
Mott's apple juice
select varieties Gorton's frozen fish fillets, sticks & tenders
Ball Park franks
Shadybrook Farms whole marinated turkey tenderloins
Oscar Mayer bologna
Steak-ums sandwich steaks
Tennesee Pride sausage biscuits
Sorrento string cheese
Kozy Shack pudding
Aunt Jemima pancakes
Del Monte canned vegetables
Nature's Pride whole wheat bread
Nestle candy bars
bakery yeast rolls
Don't forget to sign up for InstaSav to link coupons directly to your Rewards card. This week's best deal is 16 oz. packages of Lowes Foods pasta for .48/ea, limit 3.
Lowes Foods potato chips - B2G3
Breyers yogurt - 3/.99
Select varieties Kraft cheese - buy 3, save $3 at register
BOGO
Cantaloupe
Monster muffins
Lowes Foods cooking oil
Breyers ice cream
Mott's apple juice
select varieties Gorton's frozen fish fillets, sticks & tenders
Ball Park franks
Shadybrook Farms whole marinated turkey tenderloins
Oscar Mayer bologna
Steak-ums sandwich steaks
Tennesee Pride sausage biscuits
Sorrento string cheese
Kozy Shack pudding
Aunt Jemima pancakes
Del Monte canned vegetables
Nature's Pride whole wheat bread
Nestle candy bars
bakery yeast rolls
Don't forget to sign up for InstaSav to link coupons directly to your Rewards card. This week's best deal is 16 oz. packages of Lowes Foods pasta for .48/ea, limit 3.
Wednesday Deals - Food Lion
No deals to really impress me at Food Lion this week, but you may find something you need...
Hamburger Helper - $1/ea
Select varieties Kelloggs cereals - $1.99/ea
Folger's Coffee (large can) - $6.99/ea
Kraft American Cheese - buy more, save more - 1/$1.99, 2/$3, 3/$4, or 4/$5
Tilapia fillets - $2.99/lb
BOGO
Chips Ahoy cookies
Select varieties General Mills cereals
Zip Loc sandwich bags
Ball Park franks
Smithfield bacon
Corned beef or Pastrami (in the deli) - buy 1 lb, get 1 free
Aunt Jemima pancakes or French toast
Becon Light Flounder, Salmon or Tilapia fillets
Steak-Um burgers
Hamburger Helper - $1/ea
Select varieties Kelloggs cereals - $1.99/ea
Folger's Coffee (large can) - $6.99/ea
Kraft American Cheese - buy more, save more - 1/$1.99, 2/$3, 3/$4, or 4/$5
Tilapia fillets - $2.99/lb
BOGO
Chips Ahoy cookies
Select varieties General Mills cereals
Zip Loc sandwich bags
Ball Park franks
Smithfield bacon
Corned beef or Pastrami (in the deli) - buy 1 lb, get 1 free
Aunt Jemima pancakes or French toast
Becon Light Flounder, Salmon or Tilapia fillets
Steak-Um burgers
Wednesday Deals - Harris Teeter
Harris Teeter definitely has the best deals going this week. For starters, triple coupons are back! From today through Tuesday the 18th, Harris Teeter will triple all coupons with a face value of 99 cents or less. So if you have a .75 cent coupon, it will triple to $2.25 off! This is a great way to get items for free or just pennies. (Coupons for $1 and up will be redeemed at face value.)
Harris Teeter is also trying out a new circular format. It looks different, and it has some added features, too. One new feature is a special for eVic members every week. (eVic means you've linked your VIC card number online and have signed up to get weekly emails.) This week's special is a 2-lb chub of ground chuck for only $1.99! Definitely the best deal of the week! (Limit 1 per VIC household - additional chubs are $4.99 each.)
Another new feature is their "meal of the week." It's a set of items at an advertised price. You have to buy all the items to get the deal, but the savings is pretty nice. This week for $4.99 you get 1 dozen HT large eggs, 1 64oz jug HT OJ, 1 12oz package Gwaltney bacon, and 1 6-count package HT Engish muffins. The savings is $2.51 over buying the items individually. Not bad!
Other deals:
Pepsi fridge-mate 12 packs are BOGO for $5.99, but if you buy any 2, you'll get a free Diet Pepsi 12-pack. That comes out to $2 per 12-pack, and it doesn't get any cheaper than that!
Chicken leg quarters - .47/lb
Red or green grapes - .99/lb
Milk - $2.47/gal
EZ peel white shrimp or tilapia fillets - $3.99/lb
Angel Soft 12-pack double rolls - $4.98
Lunchables (small variety - no drink), $1 ea
Kraft shredded cheese - $1.79 ea
Buy 15 select General Mills products, get $5 off instantly at register. Eligible products shown in circular, and include many cereals, cookie and brownie mixes, Progresso soups, and many more. Could be a potential goldmine when combined with triple coupons - I'll have to look over my coupons carefully for this.
BOGO
Blue Bunny Ice Cream
Deer Park 24 pk water
Doritos
Crystal Light
Veg-All steam-in-bag veggies
Mama Lucia meatballs
Breyers Ice Cream sandwiches
Blue Bunny Champ sundae cones
Pepperidge Farm cakes
Kozy Shack rice pudding
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
Hefty: Party cups, One Zip Bags, Cinch Sac kitchen garbage bags
Zip Loc: Containers, Sandwich bags
Saran Wrap
Pillsbury canned doughs: Grands biscuits, dinner breads, crescent rolls
Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers w/ sauce (steam-in-the-bag veggies)
Pepperidge Farm breads
Buy 2, Get 3 Free
Totinos Pizza Rolls
_______________
As always, there's lots more deals featured in the circular, but this is what jumped out at me.
Happy bargain hunting!
Harris Teeter is also trying out a new circular format. It looks different, and it has some added features, too. One new feature is a special for eVic members every week. (eVic means you've linked your VIC card number online and have signed up to get weekly emails.) This week's special is a 2-lb chub of ground chuck for only $1.99! Definitely the best deal of the week! (Limit 1 per VIC household - additional chubs are $4.99 each.)
Another new feature is their "meal of the week." It's a set of items at an advertised price. You have to buy all the items to get the deal, but the savings is pretty nice. This week for $4.99 you get 1 dozen HT large eggs, 1 64oz jug HT OJ, 1 12oz package Gwaltney bacon, and 1 6-count package HT Engish muffins. The savings is $2.51 over buying the items individually. Not bad!
Other deals:
Pepsi fridge-mate 12 packs are BOGO for $5.99, but if you buy any 2, you'll get a free Diet Pepsi 12-pack. That comes out to $2 per 12-pack, and it doesn't get any cheaper than that!
Chicken leg quarters - .47/lb
Red or green grapes - .99/lb
Milk - $2.47/gal
EZ peel white shrimp or tilapia fillets - $3.99/lb
Angel Soft 12-pack double rolls - $4.98
Lunchables (small variety - no drink), $1 ea
Kraft shredded cheese - $1.79 ea
Buy 15 select General Mills products, get $5 off instantly at register. Eligible products shown in circular, and include many cereals, cookie and brownie mixes, Progresso soups, and many more. Could be a potential goldmine when combined with triple coupons - I'll have to look over my coupons carefully for this.
BOGO
Blue Bunny Ice Cream
Deer Park 24 pk water
Doritos
Crystal Light
Veg-All steam-in-bag veggies
Mama Lucia meatballs
Breyers Ice Cream sandwiches
Blue Bunny Champ sundae cones
Pepperidge Farm cakes
Kozy Shack rice pudding
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
Hefty: Party cups, One Zip Bags, Cinch Sac kitchen garbage bags
Zip Loc: Containers, Sandwich bags
Saran Wrap
Pillsbury canned doughs: Grands biscuits, dinner breads, crescent rolls
Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers w/ sauce (steam-in-the-bag veggies)
Pepperidge Farm breads
Buy 2, Get 3 Free
Totinos Pizza Rolls
_______________
As always, there's lots more deals featured in the circular, but this is what jumped out at me.
Happy bargain hunting!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Tuesday Dinner
I cooked a very early dinner tonight because I got tired of everyone traipsing in and out of the kitchen all afternoon, making snacks and messes. (I'm not pointing fingers because I was just as guilty as anyone else.)
I made Steak Fajitas, which were delicious, although a little more labor-intensive than I wanted. I ran across several packages of skirt steak on markdown at Harris Teeter the other week. I bought them all after talking to the butcher about preparation. The secret to preparing skirt steak is to cut it against the grain (cut with the grain is shoe-leather), and to cook it quick over high heat.
With this in mind, I cut it thinly against the grain while still partially frozen. Then I tossed it in Lawry's Tequila-Lime marinade and let sit for about 1 hour. I heated about a tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet until very hot, then pan-fried the strips of meat in small batches until just browned. It came out absolutely delicious and melt-in-your-mouth tender.
The only problem was the mess. I had to keep the pan very hot to prevent the meat from stewing (and getting tough), so it spattered everywhere. The problem was compounded by having to do it over and over again with small batches, also to keep the pan hot. So my stove, counters and shirt are all covered in grease. Next time, I think I'll cut down on the labor and the mess by marinating the steak whole, grilling it on the George Foreman, and thinly slicing after cooking and resting.
Along with the meat, I sliced up and sauteed 2 mild jalapenos from the garden along with 1 onion. These were passed at the table along with a diced tomato, also from the garden, and shredded cheese. A package of Simply Potatoes Southwest Hashbrowns rounded out the meal.
Totals:
$3.34 - skirt steak
.70 - tortillas
.50 - onion, cheese, marinade
.75 - hash browns
free - jalapenos, tomato
$5.29 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us)
I made Steak Fajitas, which were delicious, although a little more labor-intensive than I wanted. I ran across several packages of skirt steak on markdown at Harris Teeter the other week. I bought them all after talking to the butcher about preparation. The secret to preparing skirt steak is to cut it against the grain (cut with the grain is shoe-leather), and to cook it quick over high heat.
With this in mind, I cut it thinly against the grain while still partially frozen. Then I tossed it in Lawry's Tequila-Lime marinade and let sit for about 1 hour. I heated about a tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet until very hot, then pan-fried the strips of meat in small batches until just browned. It came out absolutely delicious and melt-in-your-mouth tender.
The only problem was the mess. I had to keep the pan very hot to prevent the meat from stewing (and getting tough), so it spattered everywhere. The problem was compounded by having to do it over and over again with small batches, also to keep the pan hot. So my stove, counters and shirt are all covered in grease. Next time, I think I'll cut down on the labor and the mess by marinating the steak whole, grilling it on the George Foreman, and thinly slicing after cooking and resting.
Along with the meat, I sliced up and sauteed 2 mild jalapenos from the garden along with 1 onion. These were passed at the table along with a diced tomato, also from the garden, and shredded cheese. A package of Simply Potatoes Southwest Hashbrowns rounded out the meal.
Totals:
$3.34 - skirt steak
.70 - tortillas
.50 - onion, cheese, marinade
.75 - hash browns
free - jalapenos, tomato
$5.29 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us)
First Watermelon!
We harvested our first watermelon - the small "personal size" variety called "Sugar Baby." Being our first garden, let alone our first watermelon, we were all a little nervous and unsure if it was ripe. However, it turned out perfect - red, juicy and delicious. It was just so pretty I had to share.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Monday Dinner
I was out of town for the weekend, visiting an old friend and getting a little more post-virus restoration work done on my computer. (It's about 80% back to its old self.) As a bonus, I got to stop by Trader Joe's in Chapel Hill on the drive back. As is my habit at Trader Joe's, I pick up a few old favorites and try a few "new to me" items.
Dinner tonight was one of the old favorites - BBQ Teriyakki Chicken. It's quick and effortless, which is just what I needed after driving, unloading the car, and then taking care of the garden in this ghastly heat. (It was in desperate need of both harvesting and watering.) Along with the chicken, I made white rice and a steamable bag of broccoli florets. As I've said before, these steam-in-the-bag veggies are improved immensely with a little doctoring at the end of cooking. I tossed in about 1 T. soy sauce and a drop or two of sesame oil. I would also have added some toasted sesame seeds if I hadn't been to tired/lazy to toast some tonight.
Totals:
$4.99 - BBQ Teriyakki Chicken
$1.25 - broccoli florets
.25 - white rice
$5.49 for dinner for 3, with leftovers for a large snack or small meal. (The Kid will probably snag the plate before bed.)
Dinner tonight was one of the old favorites - BBQ Teriyakki Chicken. It's quick and effortless, which is just what I needed after driving, unloading the car, and then taking care of the garden in this ghastly heat. (It was in desperate need of both harvesting and watering.) Along with the chicken, I made white rice and a steamable bag of broccoli florets. As I've said before, these steam-in-the-bag veggies are improved immensely with a little doctoring at the end of cooking. I tossed in about 1 T. soy sauce and a drop or two of sesame oil. I would also have added some toasted sesame seeds if I hadn't been to tired/lazy to toast some tonight.
Totals:
$4.99 - BBQ Teriyakki Chicken
$1.25 - broccoli florets
.25 - white rice
$5.49 for dinner for 3, with leftovers for a large snack or small meal. (The Kid will probably snag the plate before bed.)
Friday, August 7, 2009
Friday Dinner
I made French Dip sandwiches with the leftover roast. Since this is a tough cut of meat to begin with, I knew it would only get tougher with re-heating. So I served the thinly sliced roast at room-temperature, and relied on heated rolls and heated au jus for dipping to warm things up.
On the side I served Simply Potatoes Southwest Hash Browns and sliced tomatoes from the garden.
Totals:
free - tomatoes
free - roast (already accounted for in last night's meal)
$1.25 - rolls
.75 - hash browns
.60 - au jus gravy mix
$2.60 for dinner for 3
On the side I served Simply Potatoes Southwest Hash Browns and sliced tomatoes from the garden.
Totals:
free - tomatoes
free - roast (already accounted for in last night's meal)
$1.25 - rolls
.75 - hash browns
.60 - au jus gravy mix
$2.60 for dinner for 3
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Thursday Dinner
Tonight I cooked one of those Eye of Round roasts that Lowes Foods had on sale last week. This is the method I used and it came out great - medium-rare and reasonably tender, given what a tough cut this is.
High Temperature Eye of Round Roast
I sliced it thin and served it with gravy (from a packet) and horseradish. I also made rice and Japanese-style sauteed squash and zucchini with onion.
My sister ate with us and everyone remarked that it felt more like a Sunday dinner than an ordinary Thursday night.
Totals:
$5.48 - roast
.50 - gravy packet
.25 - rice
.25 - onion
free - squash and zucchini from garden
$6.48 for dinner for 4, with lots of leftover everything
High Temperature Eye of Round Roast
I sliced it thin and served it with gravy (from a packet) and horseradish. I also made rice and Japanese-style sauteed squash and zucchini with onion.
My sister ate with us and everyone remarked that it felt more like a Sunday dinner than an ordinary Thursday night.
Totals:
$5.48 - roast
.50 - gravy packet
.25 - rice
.25 - onion
free - squash and zucchini from garden
$6.48 for dinner for 4, with lots of leftover everything
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Wednesday Dinner
Tonight I put together a nice salad with romaine lettuce, roasted cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomato glazed chicken, gorgonzola cheese crumbles, and everyone's dressing of choice. On the side, I served a loaf of bread fresh from the bread machine.
The yellow cherry tomatoes came from my garden. I tossed them in about 1 T. olive oil, sprinkled with salt (I used garlic salt) and pepper, and roasted on a baking sheet at 400 for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. It's amazing how much it concentrates the flavor - it also really brings out their natural sweetness.
I also sauteed up some cubed boneless chicken breasts in Kraft Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette. I love using this technique because the dressing cooks down to a thick, syrupy glaze on the chicken. The trick is to keep cooking until all the liquid in the pan is gone, the chicken is browned and the dressing is just coating the chicken.
Totals:
.66 - 1 head of romaine (bag of 3 for $2 at Aldi)
$1.33 - chicken (Buy 1, get 2 free at Harris Teeter)
.50 - ingredients for bread
.25 - cheese, salad dressing
free - tomatoes
$2.74 for dinner for 3
Over 1/2 loaf of bread left over, plus plenty of chicken and roasted tomatoes for more salads
The yellow cherry tomatoes came from my garden. I tossed them in about 1 T. olive oil, sprinkled with salt (I used garlic salt) and pepper, and roasted on a baking sheet at 400 for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. It's amazing how much it concentrates the flavor - it also really brings out their natural sweetness.
I also sauteed up some cubed boneless chicken breasts in Kraft Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette. I love using this technique because the dressing cooks down to a thick, syrupy glaze on the chicken. The trick is to keep cooking until all the liquid in the pan is gone, the chicken is browned and the dressing is just coating the chicken.
Totals:
.66 - 1 head of romaine (bag of 3 for $2 at Aldi)
$1.33 - chicken (Buy 1, get 2 free at Harris Teeter)
.50 - ingredients for bread
.25 - cheese, salad dressing
free - tomatoes
$2.74 for dinner for 3
Over 1/2 loaf of bread left over, plus plenty of chicken and roasted tomatoes for more salads
Wednesday Deals
I've looked over all 3 chain ads and am not seeing any deals that impress me.
Lowes Foods
BOGO
Edy's and Blue Bunny Ice Cream
Del Monte canned vegetables
Nabisco Snack Packs
Klondike Bars
Pillsbury biscuits or pizza crust
Krystal Farms chunk cheese
Instasav members can get up to 4 1lb packages of Cabot butter for .97 each (best deal of the week)
Buy a Duke's mayo for $2.99, get a free loaf of Lowes Foods bread
Buy 3 select Quaker, Lays or Diet Pepsi products, get a free 2 liter Diet Pepsi
They are also having a 5/$20 "sale" on select meat and entree items. You must buy 5 to get the $4 each price. Most items in this "sale" aren't a good deal (in my opinion). The only one I'd take advantage of is the Hormel fully cooked entrees, which usually cost in the $5.99 - $6.99 range. But I wouldn't want 5 of them.
Food Lion
BOGO
Lance Crackers (8-packs)
Breyers Ice Cream
Orville Redenbacher popcorn
Cheez Doodles
Deli turkey (per lb.)
Aunt Jemima frozen pancakes or french toast
Ore Ida frozen potatoes
Butterball Deep Fried Turkey (lunch meat)
Ball Park Franks
2.5 lb. bag frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts (but Harris Teeter has better price)
.79/lb - whole pork picnics
Harris Teeter
eVic members can get 1 loaf of HT brand bread at .47
2.5 lb. bag frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
Harris Teeter Naturals brand ice cream bars or quarts
Keebler Chips Deluxe
Kelloggs Smart Start cereal
Klondike Bars
La Brea Rosemary Olive Oil bread rounds
Nestle Pure Life flavored water 6-packs
Northland Cranberry Juice
Ocean Spray Drinks
Old Orchard Apple Blends
Goldfish Crackers
Skippy Peanut Butter
Tetley Tea Bags
Thomas' English Muffins
Purina Puppy or Dog Chow
Tidy Cats Litter
Fresh Step Cat Litter
Lowes Foods
BOGO
Edy's and Blue Bunny Ice Cream
Del Monte canned vegetables
Nabisco Snack Packs
Klondike Bars
Pillsbury biscuits or pizza crust
Krystal Farms chunk cheese
Instasav members can get up to 4 1lb packages of Cabot butter for .97 each (best deal of the week)
Buy a Duke's mayo for $2.99, get a free loaf of Lowes Foods bread
Buy 3 select Quaker, Lays or Diet Pepsi products, get a free 2 liter Diet Pepsi
They are also having a 5/$20 "sale" on select meat and entree items. You must buy 5 to get the $4 each price. Most items in this "sale" aren't a good deal (in my opinion). The only one I'd take advantage of is the Hormel fully cooked entrees, which usually cost in the $5.99 - $6.99 range. But I wouldn't want 5 of them.
Food Lion
BOGO
Lance Crackers (8-packs)
Breyers Ice Cream
Orville Redenbacher popcorn
Cheez Doodles
Deli turkey (per lb.)
Aunt Jemima frozen pancakes or french toast
Ore Ida frozen potatoes
Butterball Deep Fried Turkey (lunch meat)
Ball Park Franks
2.5 lb. bag frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts (but Harris Teeter has better price)
.79/lb - whole pork picnics
Harris Teeter
eVic members can get 1 loaf of HT brand bread at .47
2.5 lb. bag frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
Harris Teeter Naturals brand ice cream bars or quarts
Keebler Chips Deluxe
Kelloggs Smart Start cereal
Klondike Bars
La Brea Rosemary Olive Oil bread rounds
Nestle Pure Life flavored water 6-packs
Northland Cranberry Juice
Ocean Spray Drinks
Old Orchard Apple Blends
Goldfish Crackers
Skippy Peanut Butter
Tetley Tea Bags
Thomas' English Muffins
Purina Puppy or Dog Chow
Tidy Cats Litter
Fresh Step Cat Litter
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Tuesday Dinner
Tonight I made homemade pizza. I tried a new recipe for crust from my bread machine. The verdict: better than Pillsbury pizza dough from a can, and definitely better than the kind from a mix. About the same, taste-wise, as frozen bread dough or those pre-baked Mama Mia crusts. So the real benefit here was cost - ingredients for 2 crusts cost me less than $1.
After stretching the dough into oiled pans, I pre-baked them at 400 for 10 minutes, then I brushed them with a little olive oil.
I made one Pizza Margharita. First I spread a little minced garlic over the crust. Then I topped with fresh tomatoes from my garden, sliced thin and seeded so the whole thing wouldn't be too wet and sloppy. I added salt and pepper, than 1/2 of an 8oz package of shredded mozzarella. After baking for 15 minutes at 400, I added fresh minced parsley and fresh chiffonades of basil, both from my garden. I then baked an extra 3 - 5 minutes.
I topped the second pizza with spinach, carmelized onions, bacon, and gorgonzola cheese. First, I topped the crust with about 2 cups fresh spinach leaves. Then I spread my carmelized onions over that, and sprinkled with 3 sliced of diced, cooked bacon. I topped with the other 1/2 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese and also baked it with the one above (400, 15 mins). I sprinkled a few tablespoons of gorgonzola cheese crumbles over the top, and put it back in the oven for an extra 3 - 5 minutes.
Both pizzas were delicious - the spinach/onion/bacon/gorgonzola one being slightly more awesome than the tomato/basil one.
Totals:
$1 - pizza crust ingredients
$2 - mozzarella cheese
$1 - bacon, onion, gorgonzola
free - spinach (the last of what my sister brought us), tomatoes and fresh herbs from garden
$4 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us), plus leftover pizza that almost certainly won't last 'til morning
Note: My sister doesn't like blue cheese, but she loved the pizza with gorgonzola anyway. The trick is using it as an accent, and cooking it until it melts in with the other ingredients. This way, it just added a layer of salty tanginess to the flavor without being overpoweringly "blue-cheesy."
After stretching the dough into oiled pans, I pre-baked them at 400 for 10 minutes, then I brushed them with a little olive oil.
I made one Pizza Margharita. First I spread a little minced garlic over the crust. Then I topped with fresh tomatoes from my garden, sliced thin and seeded so the whole thing wouldn't be too wet and sloppy. I added salt and pepper, than 1/2 of an 8oz package of shredded mozzarella. After baking for 15 minutes at 400, I added fresh minced parsley and fresh chiffonades of basil, both from my garden. I then baked an extra 3 - 5 minutes.
I topped the second pizza with spinach, carmelized onions, bacon, and gorgonzola cheese. First, I topped the crust with about 2 cups fresh spinach leaves. Then I spread my carmelized onions over that, and sprinkled with 3 sliced of diced, cooked bacon. I topped with the other 1/2 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese and also baked it with the one above (400, 15 mins). I sprinkled a few tablespoons of gorgonzola cheese crumbles over the top, and put it back in the oven for an extra 3 - 5 minutes.
Both pizzas were delicious - the spinach/onion/bacon/gorgonzola one being slightly more awesome than the tomato/basil one.
Totals:
$1 - pizza crust ingredients
$2 - mozzarella cheese
$1 - bacon, onion, gorgonzola
free - spinach (the last of what my sister brought us), tomatoes and fresh herbs from garden
$4 for dinner for 4 (sister joined us), plus leftover pizza that almost certainly won't last 'til morning
Note: My sister doesn't like blue cheese, but she loved the pizza with gorgonzola anyway. The trick is using it as an accent, and cooking it until it melts in with the other ingredients. This way, it just added a layer of salty tanginess to the flavor without being overpoweringly "blue-cheesy."
Monday, August 3, 2009
Monday Dinner
Tonight I tried something totally and completely new - not just a new recipe, but a flavor profile that is way outside my realm of experience and comfort zone. I made Indian food. It comes with a story. :)
I recently made a cake that called for 1/2 cup coconut milk. I didn't want to throw out the rest of the can, but I didn't want to make the exact same cake again either.
OK...that's a lie. The cake was so awesome I did SO want to make it all over again, the minute the last piece was gone. (Which happened less than 24 hours after we first cut into it, if that tells you anything.) But I didn't think it was such a great idea, health-wise. Because although I believe any food has a place in our diet in moderation, there was no "moderation" used with the first cake, and I knew there wouldn't be with the second one, either. We'd gobble it all up in 24 hours again. OK for every once in awhile, but not for twice in the same week. So I went on the hunt for a recipe using coconut milk.
It wasn't easy. The search I did for "coconut milk" as a ingredient brought up lots of recipes that used "coconut" something or other (flakes, cream of, extract, etc.) and some form of milk (whole, skim, evaporated, etc.), but very few that used actual "coconut milk." Of the few I found, they were all flavor profiles I'm completely unfamiliar with - Indian, Thai, Caribbean, etc. And most of them required me to buy a whole bunch of other ingredients I didn't have and/or wasn't familiar with.
Then I found this recipe:
Curried Coconut Chicken
It was simple, it didn't require anything I didn't already have on hand, and it got rave reviews. So that's what we had tonight.
I usually never follow recipes exactly - I always make small changes to suit my tastes, time and ingredients. But since this flavor profile was so unfamiliar, I decided to follow it to the letter. The verdict: very good. The entire family (sister included) thoroughly enjoyed it, and were surprised at how mild it tasted, given how strong it smelled. I don't know if I'd give it the raves that other cooks have given it, but I'll definitely make it again.
Totals:
$1.39 - coconut milk
$2.66 - chicken
.50 - diced tomatoes
.33 - tomato sauce
.20 - onion, rice
$5.08 for dinner for 4, with enough leftovers for 1 more serving
*****
Now, here's the recipe for the cake that started the whole shebang. Words cannot describe. You must try this for yourself.
*******
Banana Tres Leches Cake
1 box white cake mix (I used Supermoist French Vanilla)
1 1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup mashed bananas (2 medium)
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup (from 14oz can) coconut milk
1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream
Cool Whip
Toasted Coconut
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of 9x13" baking pan.
In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and bananas on low speed of electric mixer for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl often. Pour into greased pan.
Bake 30 - 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about one hour.
Combine sweetened condensed milk, cream of coconut, and cream. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the top of cooled cake. Pour milk mixture evenly over cake. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 12 hours - 24 hours is even better.
Remove plastic wrap and frost completely with Cool Whip. Top with toasted coconut. Cut into squares to serve. Serve cold.
I recently made a cake that called for 1/2 cup coconut milk. I didn't want to throw out the rest of the can, but I didn't want to make the exact same cake again either.
OK...that's a lie. The cake was so awesome I did SO want to make it all over again, the minute the last piece was gone. (Which happened less than 24 hours after we first cut into it, if that tells you anything.) But I didn't think it was such a great idea, health-wise. Because although I believe any food has a place in our diet in moderation, there was no "moderation" used with the first cake, and I knew there wouldn't be with the second one, either. We'd gobble it all up in 24 hours again. OK for every once in awhile, but not for twice in the same week. So I went on the hunt for a recipe using coconut milk.
It wasn't easy. The search I did for "coconut milk" as a ingredient brought up lots of recipes that used "coconut" something or other (flakes, cream of, extract, etc.) and some form of milk (whole, skim, evaporated, etc.), but very few that used actual "coconut milk." Of the few I found, they were all flavor profiles I'm completely unfamiliar with - Indian, Thai, Caribbean, etc. And most of them required me to buy a whole bunch of other ingredients I didn't have and/or wasn't familiar with.
Then I found this recipe:
Curried Coconut Chicken
It was simple, it didn't require anything I didn't already have on hand, and it got rave reviews. So that's what we had tonight.
I usually never follow recipes exactly - I always make small changes to suit my tastes, time and ingredients. But since this flavor profile was so unfamiliar, I decided to follow it to the letter. The verdict: very good. The entire family (sister included) thoroughly enjoyed it, and were surprised at how mild it tasted, given how strong it smelled. I don't know if I'd give it the raves that other cooks have given it, but I'll definitely make it again.
Totals:
$1.39 - coconut milk
$2.66 - chicken
.50 - diced tomatoes
.33 - tomato sauce
.20 - onion, rice
$5.08 for dinner for 4, with enough leftovers for 1 more serving
*****
Now, here's the recipe for the cake that started the whole shebang. Words cannot describe. You must try this for yourself.
*******
Banana Tres Leches Cake
1 box white cake mix (I used Supermoist French Vanilla)
1 1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup mashed bananas (2 medium)
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup (from 14oz can) coconut milk
1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream
Cool Whip
Toasted Coconut
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of 9x13" baking pan.
In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and bananas on low speed of electric mixer for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl often. Pour into greased pan.
Bake 30 - 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about one hour.
Combine sweetened condensed milk, cream of coconut, and cream. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the top of cooled cake. Pour milk mixture evenly over cake. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 12 hours - 24 hours is even better.
Remove plastic wrap and frost completely with Cool Whip. Top with toasted coconut. Cut into squares to serve. Serve cold.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Sunday Dinner
Tonight I made The Kid's favorite - breakfast for dinner. After getting such a good deal on blueberries at Harris Teeter ($1.25/pt), I made blueberry pancakes. I made them with Hungry Jack pancake mix - also a great deal at .29/box after triple coupons a few months back. (I stockpiled several boxes at that price.) On the side we had bacon (2/$2 at Food Lion the other week), and orange juice.
Totals:
$1.25 - blueberries
.10 - pancake mix
$1 - bacon (1/2 a $2 package)
$2.35 for dinner for 3
Totals:
$1.25 - blueberries
.10 - pancake mix
$1 - bacon (1/2 a $2 package)
$2.35 for dinner for 3
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Saturday Dinner
The Kid is back from camp with a laundry bag full of damp, filthy clothes - sunburned, bug-bitten, and talking non-stop about what a great week it was. As for me, I'm back in a cooking mood because my baby is home safe and sound.
Tonight I made "Loosemeat" sandwiches, just like the ones "Roseanne" made in her restaurant. I looked at a lot of recipes online before deciding on this one - from the comments, it seemed the most authentic. (Apparently a lot of folks were raised on these.) Here's the recipe as I found it - I'll note my changes afterward. (It came from Recipezaar.com, so the links embedded in the recipe are theirs, not mine. Too much of a headache to take them out.)
Blue Mill Tavern Loosemeat Sandwich
I used ground chuck, so I didn't add extra fat. After following recipe exactly, I found the meat mixture too bland for my tastes. I added another Tablespoon each of mustard, sugar and vinegar. That was better but something was still missing, so I added about 2 T. Worchestershire sauce. (Other loosemeat recipes I found used Worchestershire sauce, so I didn't just pull that out of the blue.) That was what it needed. I thought the sandwiches were tasty but nothing special. The rest of the family loved them, further proving that taste is subjective. The Kid pronounced them awesome and inhaled THREE of them. Also, we didn't add any mustard or pickles to the sandwiches - just the meat mixture on warmed buns.
With the loosemeat sandiches I served sliced tomatoes from the garden (I almost have too many to know what to do with), and Simply Potatoes hashbrowns.
Totals:
$1.59 - ground chuck (purchased on sale at Food Lion)
$1.25 - buns (5 out of 8/$2)
.75 - hashbrowns
free - tomatoes
$3.59 for dinner for 3, with enough meat mixture left over for another sandwich for lunch tomorrow (if The Kid lets it last that long)
Tonight I made "Loosemeat" sandwiches, just like the ones "Roseanne" made in her restaurant. I looked at a lot of recipes online before deciding on this one - from the comments, it seemed the most authentic. (Apparently a lot of folks were raised on these.) Here's the recipe as I found it - I'll note my changes afterward. (It came from Recipezaar.com, so the links embedded in the recipe are theirs, not mine. Too much of a headache to take them out.)
Blue Mill Tavern Loosemeat Sandwich
30 min | 10 min prep
SERVES 4 -5
- 1 lb of real good ground chuck or ground beef round or ground sirloin
- 1 tablespoon fat like lard or Crisco (if meat is round or sirloin)
- 2 teaspoons salt, just enough to lightly cover bottom of your skillet
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- water, to cover
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Get out a cast iron skillet-they are the best for loosemeats-or other kind if you have no iron skillet.
- Melt fat over medium heat and lightly salt bottom of skillet.
- Break ground beef up in skillet and start crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon-this is very important-the meat must end up being cooked up into small crumbles.
- Add chopped onion while browning meat.
- Keep working with the back of spoon to break up meat.
- When meat is browned, drain off any fat and return meat to skillet.
- Add mustard, vinegar, sugar, and just enough water to barely cover meat in the pan.
- Cook, at a simmer, till water is all cooked out-between 15-20 minutes.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Heat your hamburger buns-they're traditionally steamed for loosemeats-I like mine toasted lightly-do it the way you like it.
- When buns are warm, put yellow mustard on them and add some dill pickle slices-I put on lots!
I used ground chuck, so I didn't add extra fat. After following recipe exactly, I found the meat mixture too bland for my tastes. I added another Tablespoon each of mustard, sugar and vinegar. That was better but something was still missing, so I added about 2 T. Worchestershire sauce. (Other loosemeat recipes I found used Worchestershire sauce, so I didn't just pull that out of the blue.) That was what it needed. I thought the sandwiches were tasty but nothing special. The rest of the family loved them, further proving that taste is subjective. The Kid pronounced them awesome and inhaled THREE of them. Also, we didn't add any mustard or pickles to the sandwiches - just the meat mixture on warmed buns.
With the loosemeat sandiches I served sliced tomatoes from the garden (I almost have too many to know what to do with), and Simply Potatoes hashbrowns.
Totals:
$1.59 - ground chuck (purchased on sale at Food Lion)
$1.25 - buns (5 out of 8/$2)
.75 - hashbrowns
free - tomatoes
$3.59 for dinner for 3, with enough meat mixture left over for another sandwich for lunch tomorrow (if The Kid lets it last that long)
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