Give Your Slow Cooker a Chance to Impress You

Day 69.

Do you use a slow cooker?

Do you use a slow cooker for anything other than a hunk of meat and some hardy vegetables?

I love my two slow cookers, and long for two more. I'd like to have one large slow cooker that's company presentable. My two slow cookers are food stained and old, chipped and yellowed with age, but work perfectly. I'd also like to have one of those tiny slow cookers that are perfect for a small side dish or appetizer.

When my husband was in Egypt on his first overseas mission, I mailed him a Lil Dipper, some Velveeta, a can of Rotel, a can opener, a plastic mixing bowl, a spoon, and a brown bag of Mission tortilla chips. It was his favorite care package. See? Slow cookers can bring happiness. :o)

Your slow cooker is a wonderland of cooking capability. You can use it to make almost anything. You can make a main dish: soup, stew, pot roast, of course, pot pie, casserole, beans. You can also use it to make breakfast for you while you sleep, and dessert while you go about your day. Your slow cooker can even be used as a room freshener, to make your house smell lovely.

For now, let's tackle something many people find challenging: dried beans.

I remember when I was 20 years old, and my husband was 21, far too young to have a toddler, but we did. We qualified for WIC back then, and they would allow me to purchase certain food items: ready-to-eat cereal, milk, Juicy Juice, cheese, eggs, and dried beans. I would always give those beans away. I didn't know how to cook them and didn't care to try. Dried beans? Ick! Probably they tasted as bad as dried milk! No, thank you! I'll pass. I told you I was too young.

I don't remember when I decided to give dried beans a chance, but I'm so glad I did. I still use canned beans frequently, because they're so quick. Relatively speaking, canned beans are economical, too, at under $1 per can. However, I can generate three to four cans' worth of beans with one pound of dried beans. Dried pinto beans cost me 99 cents per pound. If I buy them in bulk in the produce department, they cost me even less.

For me, saving money is my full-time job. I can save 66% or more by purchasing dried beans. The energy used to cook them is negligible in the big picture. They're boiled for ten minutes, then slow cooked all day. Slow Cookers are very energy efficient.

If you haven't tried dried beans yet, I encourage you to do so soon. Here's the simplest recipe I know.

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dried pinto beans, sorted and rinsed
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• at serving time only: salt and pepper to taste, optional hot sauce, cheese, taco sauce, or sour cream

How it's Done:

1. Put a kettle of water on to boil.
2. Pick through the beans. Sometimes the machinery used to harvest them also harvests small pebbles. Remove any funny-looking beans that are cracked, broken, shriveled up, or otherwise unappealing. Rinse the good beans in a collander.
3. Put the beans in a pot. When the kettle of water is boiling, pour it over the beans. Bring the beans to a boil on high heat. Boil at a full, rolling boil for ten minutes.
4. Pour beans and boiling water into the crock of a large slow cooker.
5. IF YOU WILL BE GONE ALL DAY, add the onion and garlic now. IF YOU WILL BE HOME, add the onion and garlic in FOUR HOURS. Cover and cook on low all day long. The beans will take from 8 to 10 hours to cook, so get them started first thing in the morning.

I recommend serving your beans with a side of rice. It's said that beans and rice together form a perfect protein. Here's a delicious side dish to go along with your beans and rice:

Slow Cooker Triple Cornbread
(yes, you can bake bread in your slow cooker)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 11 oz can of corn
• 14 3/4 oz can of creamed corn
• 2 Tbsp sour cream
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1/4 cup finely minced onion
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 Tbsp baking powder

How it's Done:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
2. Grease the crock of a large slow cooker.
3. Pour batter into crock. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours, then uncover, turn off the heat, and let it sit for 15 minutes before removing from the crock. You should be able to flip the crock over onto a plate and the whole loaf should slide right out without any trouble.

For more slow cooker recipes, visit Dining with Debbie each Wednesday.

Have You Ever Seen a Lassie Dance This Way and That Way...

Day 68.

~**~My 100th Post!~**~

and only since December 13, 2009!

Reminder: Bring your friends! To celebrate the 100th Day of my blog, I will be hosting a little giveaway. But today is Day 68. So back to the business of eating.

Do you remember the song:

Have you ever seen a lassie, a lassie, a lassie,

 

Ever seen a lassie dance this way and that?

 

Ever seen a lassie, a lassie, a lassie,

 

Ever seen a lassie dance this way and that?

 

'Cause her dance is his dance and his dance is her dance,

 

Ever seen a lassie dance quite like that?

 
...Well, here's a burger that will make you sing. It made me sing.
 

Have you ever had a burger, a burger, a burger,

 

Have you ever had a burger that melts in your mouth?

 

It's yummy for tummies

 

And tasty, so tasty!

 

Have you ever have a burger that melts in your mouth?

 
What? You haven't? Fear not, gentle reader. For that is about to change.
 
Just don't let your doctor read this post.
 
Butter Burgers (Yes, Butter Burgers)
 
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1/4 cup melted butter plus 2 Tbsp additional butter for pan AND 1 tsp butter for each bun
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• sturdy hamburger buns

How it's Done:

1. Combine melted butter, ground beef, bread crumbs, and Worcestershire sauce in a mixing bowl. Form into patties. 
2. Fry in 2 Tbsp butter  until burger raches desired doneness.

3. Butter buns. Top with desired condiments. Serve.

...and then have some hand-sized chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

Meatless Monday!

Day 67.

Meatless Mondays in our house are upheld this month as an act of contrition toward our bodies for the overly decadent foods we consumed on Southern Cookin' Sunday. To be kind to our overtaxed bodies, laden heavily with butter, salt, cream, and mayonnaise, we're opting for a meatless day today. Won't you join us?

Black Beans and Yellow Rice with an Egg
serves 5

Ingredients:

• 1 package (5 servings size) saffron yellow rice and seasonings mix
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup taco sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 a large onion, diced
• 5 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp butter
• optional for serving: sour cream, shredded cheese, green onions, salsa, and tortillas

How it's Done:

1. Prepare yellow rice according to package directions.
2. While rice is cooking, place beans, taco sauce, galic, and onion in a sauce pan. Simmer while rice cooks.
3. Fry eggs.
4. How to plate this: Make a bed of yellow rice. On top, place some beans. On the beans, put one fried egg. Top with green onions, cheese, and/or salsa. Serve with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and tortillas on the side.

Menu Plan Monday 3/8 to 3/14

It's that time of the week again. It's time to plan the weekly menu. If you don't already do so, I encourage you to start. Menu planning is a great way to save money in the kitchen. Knowing what meals you plan to cook with the ingredients in your house helps prevent the chaotic "What's for dinner?" moments at rush hour. It gives you a game plan on which to base your meals. It keeps you from relying on the drive-through or the pizza delivery man.

Need help coming up with an exciting menu? An easy menu? A frugal menu? Go visit some of the weekly participants of Menu Plan Monday over at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Here's my plan for the week:

Breakfasts this week will include:

 

• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Scones
• English Muffins with Egg & Cheese
• Oatmeal
• Oat Bran Muffins

 

Lunches will be leftovers for adults and purchased lunches for kids.

Dinners:

 

Meatless Monday: Black Beans and Yellow Rice with cornbread

Tuesday: Butter Burgers and Fries

Crock Pot Wednesday: Crock Pot Pinto Beans and Crock Pot Cornbread Casserole

Thursday: Straw and Hay & garlic bread

Cookie Friday: leftovers. Cookie: thin mints

Saturday: Thanksgiving sandwiches

Southern Cookin’ Sunday: Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Cole Slaw, and Biscuits with Sweet Potato Pie

 

Planned Baking:

 

• Wheat Sandwich Bread
• English Muffins
• Soft Pretzels
• A Cake

 See you back here daily for recipes and pictures! Happy Cooking!

Southern Cookin' Sundays #1

Day 66.

 

Today's the first of four Sundays in March that I will use to feature full, traditional Southern cuisine. This is not diet food. In fact, your arteries may narrow a little just reading this entry. But your belly will be very pleased with your culinary selections if you choose to replicate my menu. And your house will smell very nice. It'll smell so nice that you'll wish you could bottle the scent. And you'll open your windows to let in some cool air and your neighbors will smell the yummy scents and you might find yourself with some company this evening.

 

Oh, and by the way: If you make this menu for just your family, you should have leftovers to last several days. Cook once, eat lots.

 

Southern Cookin' Sunday #1

 

On today's menu:

• Barbecue Pork Ribs
• Cole Slaw
• Potato Salad
• Baked Beans
• Hushpuppies (cheated with a mix)
• Peach Pie with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
• Sweet Tea

Invite a few friends to join you for supper. You'll have more than enough.

 

Step-by-Step Directions (individual recipes follow):

 

THE NIGHT BEFORE (I began preparing at 7:00 p.m. and went to bed at 10:00 p.m.):

1. In a bowl, place 4 to 5 cups of shredded cabbage, carrots, and raddicchio.
2. In a separate bowl, combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp vinegar, 1/2 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp celery seed, and 2 Tbsp milk. Whisk well. Pour over cabbage.
3. Stir cabbage to coat completely. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
4. Peel and quarter 3 pounds of Yukon Gold (or other waxy type) Potatoes. Place them in a large pot and cover with cool water.
5. Bring to a boil and continue boiling about 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Don't overcook them or you'll end up with grainy mush.
6. Drain potatoes and move to a large bowl. Let them cool.
7. Meanwhile, cook 1/2 lb bacon to crispy and drain on paper towels. Hard-cook three large eggs and let them cool. Peel and roughly chop the eggs. Crumble the bacon.
8. In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp celery seed, 1 tsp paprika, 2 tsp yellow mustard, 1 Tbsp relish, 1/2 cup finely minced white onion, 1 tsp sea salt, and 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper.
9. Pour dressing over potatoes. Add eggs and potatoes. Toss gently to coat. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
10. Pick through and sort 1 lb dried pinto beans. Place in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Boil at a hard boil for ten full minutes. Transfer beans and water to a large slow cooker. Make sure the water is at least double the depth of the beans. I prefer to play it safe and triple the water. Cover and cook on low overnight (at least 8 hours, but up to 12).
11. In a saucepan, combine 2 cups whipping cream and 1 cup milk, 1 vanilla bean (scraped, seeds added to cream, add pod, too), and 1 cup of sugar. Bring to a slight simmer. Remove from heat and put in an air-tight container. Refrigerate overnight.
12. Take a bath, read a book, watch a movie, or do whatever it is you do to relax. You've worked hard! Your efforts will pay off tomorrow.

THE MORNING OF YOUR SOUTHERN COOKIN' DAY:

 (I began at 9:00 a.m., took a break from 10 to 11:00 a.m., and worked hands-on until 2:00 p.m. Then, it was occasional stirring and flipping until another 30 minute bout of hands-on work from 5:30 till 6:00)

1. Drain your beans. Reserve 4 cups of beans for your baked beans. Bag up the rest and freeze them in 2 cup portions for later use. These can be used in any recipe calling for canned beans. 
2. Remove the vanilla bean hull from your custard. Process in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Look for the custard to double in size. Move to an air-tight container and place in the freezer. 
3. Next, it's time to make some peach pie. Roll out two pie crusts. Position one in a 9" deep dish pie plate. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Brush the pie crust with a beaten egg.
4. Place 4 cups of sliced peaches (I used frozen ones) in a collander. Drizzle 1 Tbsp lime juice over the peaches. Let them sit in the collander for about 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon. Mix well. Pour peaches into mixing bowl. Drizzle with 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, then stir to cover with the sugar & flour mixture.
6. Pour the peaches into the pie crust.
7. Dot with 2 Tbsp cut up butter.
8. Cover with the second pie crust. Make vents in the top.
9. Position your pie plate over a large cookie sheet in case of spilling in the oven.
10. Bake 40 to 55 minutes, until golden brown.
11. Let the pie cool a full 2 hours before cutting it. This allows the filling to set. Serve with your homemade vanilla ice cream. But first, on to the sweet tea, then the ribs and beans.
12. Make some sweet tea. It needs time to cool, so make it now. Bring a quart of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add 8 tea bags. Let it stand for 10 minutes.
13. Pour 1 1/2 cups of sugar into a 2 quart pitcher.
14. Remove tea bags from water and throw the tea bags away. Pour the tea into the pitcher and stir until the sugar is all dissolved. Add enough ice to fill the pitcher, stirring to melt most of it. Set it in the fridge until dinner is ready.
15. Prepare the dry rub ingredients for your barbecue ribs. In a ziploc bag, combine 3 Tbsp paprika, 2 tsp each red, black, and white pepper, 2 tsp onion salt, and 2 tsp garlic powder.  Close bag securely and shake to mix ingredients. Rub on both sides of 2 racks of ribs and let them stand for 1/2 an hour.
16. If you want to eat at 6:00 p.m., your ribs need to go in the oven at 1:15 or so. Set the oven to 275 degrees and put your ribs in. Bake 2 hours.
17. Meanwhile, start your barbecue sauce. In a large saucepan, combine 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp chili powder, 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp sea salt, 3 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp black pepper, 4 cloves of garlic, minced, 2 cups of ketchup, 1 1/2 cups white vinegar (I've been known to use rice vinegar with fantastic results), 1/2 cup dry white wine, 2 cups of water, a large onion, diced, 1/3 cup molasses, and 1/4 cup honey. Whisk well, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
18. After the ribs have been cooking for an hour, put together your baked beans. Fry 6 slices of bacon crispy and let them drain on paper towels. When they're cool enough to handle, crumble them. In a mixing bowl, combine bacon, the beans you reserved from earlier in the day, a chopped up onion, 1 clove minced garlic, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup honey, and 1/2 cup molasses. Put them in the oven with the ribs and let them cook for the rest of the time the ribs cook (just over 2 1/4 more hours).
19. When the ribs have cooked 2 hours, flip them over and cook another 2 hours.
20. With 15 minutes left on the ribs, prepare your hushpuppies. I cheated and used a mix that only required water. I wish I'd gone ahead and made them from scratch. Make your balls and set them aside. Preheat your oil to 375 degrees.
21. Now it's time to brush the ribs with barbecue sauce. Pull them out of the oven and coat them with sauce. Put them back in the oven for an additional 20 minutes. Remove the lid from the baked beans and let them continue to cook.

22. Fry the hushpuppies. Drain on paper towels.
23. Your dinner is ready to serve. Go stuff yourself silly.

Here are the individual recipes in case you don't want to make a full, traditional Southern menu.


Oven Barbecued Pork Ribs
makes 2 racks

Ingredients:

• 2 racks (2.5 lb each) pork ribs
• dry rub (recipe follows)
• barbecue sauce (recipe follows)

How it's Done:

1. Rub both sides of the racks of ribs with the dry spice rub.
2. Let stand at room temperature for 1/2 an hour. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
3. Cook 2 hours. Flip racks over. Cook another 2 hours.
4. Brush barbecue sauce on both sides. Cook another 20 minutes.
5. Serve with additional barbecue sauce on the side.

Dry Rub for Ribs:

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp paprika
• 2 tsp each black, white, and red pepper
• 2 tsp onion salt (or 2 tsp onion powder and 1 tsp sea salt)
• 2 tsp garlic powder

How it's Done:

1. Combine all ingredients in a ziploc bag. Close bag securely and shake to mix. HINT: Double or triple this recipe and store it in your pantry for a quick BBQ rub for any meat!
2. Rub on both sides of ribs.

Barbecue Sauce that'll stop you from buying that bottled junk
Makes 4 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp sea salt
• 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp black pepper
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1 1/2 cups white vinegar (though I prefer rice vinegar for flavor)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups water
• large onion (I recommend vidalia), diced
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup honey

How it's Done:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Use a whisk to blend them well.

2. Bring to a full, rolling boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Can be stored in the refrigerator for later use.

Cole Slaw
Ingredients:

• 4 to 5 cups shredded cabbage (can add carrots and raddicchio for variety -- I save the raddicchio from bagged salad for this purpose)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp celery seed
• 2 Tbsp milk

How it's Done:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, celery seed, and milk.
2. Toss with shredded veggies in a large bowl.
3. Cover and refrigerate several hours, or overnight for best results.

Southern Style Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 lb Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 3 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, rinsed, and chopped
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp celery seed
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp yellow mustard
• 1 Tbsp relish
• 1/2 cup finely minced white onion
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

How it's Done:

1. Peel and quarter potatoes. Place in large pot and cover with cool water. Bring to a boil. Continue boiling 20 minutes. Drain potatoes and set them in a large mixing bowl. Allow them to cool.
2. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over potatoes. Toss gently to combine.
3. Cover tightly and refrigerate several hours or overnight for best taste.

Baked Beans

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cooked pinto beans
• 6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup molasses

How it's Done:

1. Combine all ingredients in a 2 quart casserole.
2. Cover and bake at 275 degrees for 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Peach Pie

Ingredients:

• pastry for a double crust pie
• 1 beaten egg
• 4 cups of sliced peaches (I used two bags of frozen sliced peaches)
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp butter

How it's Done:

1. Roll out the bottom crust and position in a 9" deep dish pie crust.
2. Brush bottom crust with a beaten egg.
3. Partially thaw peaches if frozen. Place in collander and drizzle with lime juice.
4. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Toss with peaches.

5. Pile the peaches high in the crust, mounding in the middle.
6. Drizzle with vanilla extract and dot with butter.
7. Position top crust over filling and pinch seams closed. Vent the crust.
8. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 55 minutes. Watch crust for burning. Cover with aluminum foil if the crust browns too quickly.

Simple Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, pod and all

• 1 cup sugar

How it's Done:

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.
2. Heat to barely a simmer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
3. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.
4. Remove vanilla pod.

5. Process in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.
6. Return to airtight container and freeze until firm, at least two hours.

*You can rinse off the vanilla pod and set it aside to dry. When it's dried and brittle, process it with sugar for a wonderful vanilla sugar.

Sweet Tea
makes 2 quarts

Ingredients:

• 1 quart water
• 8 tea bags
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• enough ice cubs to fill the pitcher

How it's Done:

1. Bring 1 quart water to a boil.
2. Remove from heat and add 8 tea bags.
3. Let tea steep for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, pour 1 1/2 cups sugar into a pitcher.
5. Remove tea bags from water. Pour water into pitcher. Stir until all the sugar is dissolved.
6. Add enough ice cubes to fill the pitcher all the way.
7. Refrigerate.

Redemption

Day 65.

Here's another tip for saving money at the grocery store: Always check for mark-down shelves or carts. The produce department, the bakery, the deli, the meat department, and the grocery department are all good sources of marked-down merchandise. I allow for spontaneous purchases in these areas every month. Sometimes, I find nothing worth buying. Other times, I find a grocery gold mine. This month, I found lettuce, tomatoes, and mushrooms marked down in my produce department. For fourteen ounces of super stuffer mushrooms in perfect condition, I paid 90 cents.

Also, I had some gruyere cheese, half & half, and white wine that needed to be used up. So I made stuffed mushrooms.

And my husband redeemed himself by loving them.

Panko-Gruyere Stuffed Mushrooms
makes about 8 large mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 14 ounces (roughly 8) Super Stuffer mushrooms, cleaned and dried, stems chopped and reserved
• 2 Tbsp salted sweet cream butter plus 1 Tbsp for dotting tops
• 1/4 cup finely minced white onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup half & half or cream
• 1/4 lb. gruyere cheese, in small cubes
• 2 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• extra salt and pepper for mushroom caps
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs

How it's Done:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray 8" square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a saute pan. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Cook and stir until soft anf fragrant.
3. Add wine. When it stops hissing and the steam cloud goes away, stir in the half & half or cream. Cook and stir several minutes at a simmer.
4. Stir in cheese until it is all melted. Remove from heat.
5. Pour hot mixture into a mixing bowl. Add bread crumbs and stir thoroughly.
6. Lightly salt and pepper each mushroom cap, then fill them with the cooked stuffing. Place a dot of butter on each musroom.
7. Bake 20 minutes, until heated through. Serve warm.

Cookie Friday!

Day 64.

Today, I made a home-made version of Oreo cookies. I found the recipe on the King Arthur Flour website and followed it to the letter. Almost. The kids loved them. I thought they were really good but a little too crunchy for me -- I like my Oreos dunked excessively in milk. The Hubs thought they "tasted weird." It sort of stung. But the kids' enthusiasm healed my wounded ego. The last time he told me something "tasted weird" was early in our marriage. I made something fancy-ish for him, trying to expand my very limited cooking repertoire. I made Swedish meatballs. He looked at me with contempt in his eyes and announced that, "This tastes like..." I can't say. This must remain a family-friendly blog.

I promise, he's a wonderful, laid-back, easy-going, easy-to-please man. He just made a really, really, really bad word choice that one day. And he's not lived it down yet. ;) I will never, ever, ever make Swedish meatballs again. Ever.

I may not ever repeat this recipe, either, but now that I know how to make sandwich cookies, I will definitely be creating some interesting combinations of flavors in the future. One more thing that I can make instead of buy packaged.

I found them really quite simple to make. The only changes I made were as follows:

• I used regular cocoa powder instead of black or Dutch process. I did this because I had regular cocoa powder on hand and I seldom buy ingredients for one use.
• I used butter, not shortening, in the filling. If you're going for the waxy Oreo filling, please use shortening, as the recipe directs. I was going for a close approximation with high-quality ingredients. I prefer butter whenever possible.

How to Save Money on Food (and still eat ridiculously well)

Day 63.

There are plenty of people who eat better than my family and me. However, I think we eat pretty well. We often have steaks. We always have fresh fruits and vegetables. We have dessert at least once a week, including decadent cheesecakes and decorated cookies. We eat fancy, restaurant-style breakfasts like Butter-Pecan Waffles, Banana Bread French Toast, and Orange-Pineapple Pancakes. Our dinner menus include such basic staples as Meatloaf and Soft Tacos, but we frequently dine on fancier meals, like Fettuccine with Toasted Walnut Cream Sauce and Pesto-Stuffed Chicken.

And we eat all of that for under $400 a month.

Let me repeat that. I cook all of our meals (save for the occasional treat when we go out to eat, maybe once a month) and snacks from scratch, using great, fresh ingredients, for under $400 a month. And I don't use coupons. And I don't shop multiple stores.

So how do I do it? Of course, your local economy is going to dictate what you spend, but here are a few hints:

1. Make a plan. Don't go to the store without a plan.
2. I shop monthly. I go back mid-month for a freshen-up trip for more milk, eggs, and a few veggies.
3. Plan your meals around similar ingredients. Take green onions, for example. It's wasteful to buy a bunch of green onions and only use one or two of them. Instead, plan meals for the whole week that will use up those green onions.
4. Buy cheese in blocks, not preshredded. Do you have a food processor? It takes me five minutes to turn 3 pounds of cheddar into about 12 cups of shredded cheese. I pay $4.99 for 3 pounds of cheddar. Twelve ounces of the preshredded stuff costs me $2.99. See the savings?
5. Know a good deal when you see one. Learn your store's sale cycle and prices. Stock up when you see a good deal. For example, peanut butter goes on sale about 4 times per year. I try to buy enough to last my family until the next sale.
6. Store leftovers properly and use them up. Eat them for lunch, or freeze them for another day. But if you don't eat your leftovers, if you throw away your leftovers, you're throwing away money. If you're going to do that, I will send you my address and you can mail me a check instead. ;)
7. Buy seasonally. Pumpkin goes on sale in the fall. Strawberries go on sale in the summer. Corned beef is cheap in March. Hot dogs, hamburger buns, and watermelon are all great buys near Labor Day. Plan your menus accordingly.

There are many little money saving tips that I use. I'll write them as I think of them. All of my tips work together to lower my grocery bill substantially. It is my opinion that having a low grocery budget doesn't mean eating Hamburger Helper and drinking reconstituted powdered milk. I think that having a low grocery budget is fun and challenging, and it is possible to eat decadently and to be able to enjoy cooking on any budget. It's all in the planning.

Chicken Kiev (adapted from Alton Brown's recipe)
serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 stick salted sweet cream butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp dried tarragon
• 1 tsp dried parsley flakes
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper
• 2 1/4 cups panko bread crumbs
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs, beaten with a splash of milk or half & half
• oil for frying

How it's Done:

1. Using your mixer or food processor, combine butter with tarragon, parsley, 1 tsp sea salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
2. Mold into a log and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Place in freezer.

3. Pound chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic to a thickness between 1/8" and 1/4".

4. Cut four sheets of plastic wrap, one for each breast. Position breast in center of plastic.
5. Divide butter log into 4 pieces. Place one piece on each flattened chicken breast. Place 1 tbsp panko bread crumbs on top of butter.

6. Using the plastic wrap to assist, tightly roll chicken, tucking in ends, fully encasing butter and crumbs. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

7. Set three pie plates on your counter. In the first, beat your eggs and milk. In the second, pour 2 cups of panko bread crumbs. In the last, pour your flour combined with garlic powder.
8. Heat oil over medium heat. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x11" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
9. Remove plastic wrap from chicken. One at a time, dip chicken first in egg, then in flour. Coat well, being sure to coat the cracks.
10. Dip the chicken in the egg again. Next, coat with panko crumbs. Repeat until all breasts are dipped.

11. Fry in hot oil 3 minutes per side. Don't crowd the pan.
12. Remove chicken to prepared baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

13. Let chicken stand 5 minutes before serving.

Hands-Free Cooking

Day 62.

It's soccer practice day. Have you ever seen a bunch of 5 & 6 year-olds playing soccer? It's really amusing, because all they do is run in a big herd around the field, trying to get a kick in. They all have a blast, learn a few skills, and get some physical activity in the process.

I love using my slow cooker to free up my Rush Hour time. I call it "Hands-Free Cooking" since my trusty Crock Pots (I have 2) do all the cooking for me. Rush Hour, at my house, is the period of time between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.: It's the time when all the papers come out of the backpacks, dinner is cooking and being served, lunches are being made for the next day, laundry is being sorted and put away, clothes are being ironed and prepared for the next day, money is being doled out for the latest PTO fundraiser, permission slips are being signed, pets are being fed... Get the idea? I know many of you have your own Rush Hours. What do you do to streamline things at your house? Here are a few hints from me:

1. Unpack lunch boxes, clean them out, and make them right away. 4:00 comes and I'm wiping out the boxes and packing lunches. It only takes 5 minutes and it's done. I like being able to check things off my To Do List.
2. Have a Landing Pad. Backpacks go there. Fill out all forms, dole out money, pack backpacks, et cetera at that one spot and no place else. This cuts down on lost forms and misplaced folders.
3. Have a Touch it Once policy. Don't put things off. When you touch that permission slip, sign it and put it away. Don't take the stack of papers from the backpack and set them aside to review later. If you've touched them, deal with them right away. This is another way to avoid losing things.
4. And finally, rely on your slow cooker. Especially on days when your children have activities.

Slow Cooker Meatloaf and Slow Cooker Twice-Baked Potatoes Casserole
serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

for Slow Cooker Meatloaf:

• 1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 box stuffing mix for pork
• 1/2 cup minced white onion
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup water

for  Slow Cooker Twice-Baked Potatoes Casserole:

• 8 medium baking potatoes, baked, cooled, then peeled
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup half & half (milk will do, too -- I had to use up some half & half)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 green onions, chopped

How it's Done:

for Slow Cooker Meatloaf:

1. Spray your crock with non-stick cooking spray. Although this won't prevent all sticking, it will aid in cleanup quite a bit.
2. In a large mixing bowl, place all ingredients except for 1/4 cup of ketchup. Mash it all together with your fingers, making sure all the ingredients are well combined.
3. Press the meat mixture into a large slow cooker's crock.
4. Cover with remaining ketchup.
5. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
6. Let meatloaf stand 10 to 20 minutes before cutting.

for Slow Cooker Twice-Baked Potatoes Casserole:

1. Spray your crock with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Cut cooked, peeled potatoes into chunks, and place in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add sour cream, half & half, salt, pepper, and butter.
4. Mash with a potato masher.
5. Layer in a 2 quart slow cooker in this order: half of the mashed potatoes, half of the cheese, half of the bacon, half of the green onions. Repeat layers: the remainging mashed potatoes, cheese, bacon, and green onions.
6. Cover and cook on low for at least 4 hours, or on high for 2 hours. I'm cooking mine on low all day. It will be fine on low.

For more slow cooker meal ideas, visit Dining with Debbie.

Groceries for March

I feel really good about my household spending for the month of March. I made two trips to the grocery store. One more trip mid-month for roughly $60 will see us through the month. Here's what I bought, with my totals at the bottom:

• marshmallow fluff
• sodas for Husband and I at checkstand
• graham cracker pie crust
• 2 large cans of yams
• Tang drink mix. I couldn't resist.
• gallon of pickles (I need to be making my own!)
• can of creamed corn
• ground cinnamon
• rolled oats
• 3 cans of diced tomatoes
• 2 cans of navy beans
• spaghetti
• rice
• apple juice
• peanut butter
• penne pasta
• 2 cans of corn
• 2 cans of black beans
• 5# unbleached flour
• corn syrup
• peanut oil
• fresh tomatoes
• 2 packages of tortillas
• yellow rice
• peppermint extract
• huge bag of chocolate chips
• dried pinto beans
• Fuze drinks
• cake mix!
• 2 cans of evaporated milk
• 2 bags of dried figs
• pecans
• a can of refried beans
• fettuccine
• unsweetened cocoa powder
• granulated sugar
• diet Coke (weakness!)
• taco sauce
• bouillon granules
• RockStar energy drinks for Husband
• pumpkin
• white corn meal
• a roll of paper towels
• skim milk
• large carton of vanilla yogurt
• sour cream
• 6 pounds of sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 pounds salted sweet cream butter
• 2 - 18 packs of large eggs
• whipping cream
• American cheese
• cream cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• frozen peaches (2 bags)
• buttermilk
• frozen raspberries
• frozen stir-fry vegetables
• ice cream
• popsicles
• pork sausage
• Italian sausage
• bacon
• pita pockets
• pumpernickel bread
• hamburger buns
• buttermilk bread
• stuffing mix
• hushpuppy mix
• 5 pounds lean ground beef
• ground pork
• steaks
• babyback ribs
• yellow potatoes
• red potatoes
• green onions
• lettuce
• cabbage
• onions

Total this trip: $222.83

Second trip for more items:

• more Diet Coke
• Gatorade for Husband
• Bottled water for Husband
• deli sliced meats: baloney and ham
• more pita pockets
• Girl Stuff
• Bar Soap
• grapes
• apples
• mushrooms
• tomatoes

Total for this trip: $48.65

Total for both trips: $271.48

With my $60 allowance for a mid-month freshen-up, my March total will be roughly $331.48! Not too shabby!

Spring (fever) is in the Air

Day 61.

I have spring fever. I want the yucky days to go away and the sun to shine and the birds to sing and the flowers to bloom.

I'll eat my words in a couple of months when I'm choking down allergy pills and sweating all day long.

But for now, I crave springtime. So I made these lovely little cupcakes:

Don't mind the blue blotch on the side. My frosting was melting in my humid kitchen. The kids didn't mind. :)

You can make these lovelies, too!

All you need is:

• a batch of your favorite cupcakes
• buttercream frosting (chocolate and vanilla)
• food coloring for roses and grass
• red licorice strings
• decorating tips and bags, and a flower nail

I found the instructions for this edible craft at Family Fun. They used coconut for the grass, but I opted to use green frosting instead. My kids don't like coconut.

Making the basket weave for the bottom of the baskets is time-consuming. You can skip this step and just add a border at the top of the cupcake base if you prefer. And if you don't want to make buttercream roses, you can buy the sugar variety in your baking aisle or craft supply store.

Happy (almost) Spring!

Flower Basket Cupcakes instructions:

1. Remove cupcake liners.
2. Create the basket by doing a basket weave design using chocolate buttercream icing.
3. Make buttercream roses (small ones), using 3 to 4 roses per cupcake.
4. Fill in the gaps with green icing grass.
5. Braid 3 strands of red licorice. Form the basket handle with the licorice braid.

National Peanut Butter Lover's Day

Day 60.

Today is National Peanut Butter Lover's Day! Do you love peanut butter? I do! We always have large jars of peanut butter in our house. It's portable, economical, easy to store, tasty, a good source of protein, child-friendly, and versatile. Plus, it's grown all across America. There's a town nearby me that grows and processes peanuts, and my mother swears it smells like peanut butter all through the town. I haven't experienced that town yet, but I intend to. I wonder if any of the plants offer tours.

Peanuts aren't just made into peanut butter, of course, so one day of celebration just isn't enough. No, sir! March is National Peanut Month! All month long, you should celebrate by making meals and snacks with peanut butter. Yum.

I'll start you off with an unsuspecting recipe.

Stir-Fried Veggies with Peanut Butter Sauce over Pasta
serves 2

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces pasta (I used spaghetti)
• 1 Tbsp oil (sesame oil is wonderful)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed stir-fry vegetables
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup water (use the water your pasta boils in)
• a shake or two of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
• 1 green onion, cut into very thin rings

How it's Done:

1. While pasta boils, heat oil in a skillet. Add vegetables. Cook and stir until crisp-tender. Remove from heat.
2. In a small saucepan, combine water, red pepper, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and peanut butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a whisk, until sauce thickens and is smooth. Add a water a little at a time if the sauce gets too thick.
3. Drain pasta. Toss with vegetables and sauce. Transfer to serving dish and top with green onions.

Menu Plan Monday 3/1 - 3/7

Good Morning, and Happy March 1st! When I was a kid in New England, the notion that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb always held true. I guess it holds true for Georgia, too, because we're expecting nasty weather midweek, but by the end of our ten-day forecast, we'll see upper 60s for highs. I'm looking forward to seeing the trees blossom, the grass turning green again, and starting a small vegetable garden on my patio.

We have no major events happening this week. Soccer practice Monday and Wednesday dictate easy meals, but that's all. I'll be doing some baking this week, as usual, and on Sunday, I'll end the week on a high note. I have a whole Southern cuisine menu planned for every Sunday this month, in honor of my current home.

Here's what's cooking at my house this week. Please come back all week for the recipes (many of which are my own original creations) and pictures. And for more menu inspirations, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Breakfasts:

• Gingersnap Oatmeal
• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Cinnamon Toast and Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits
• other days aren't planned, but will include oatmeal, oat bran, cereal, or eggs

Lunches will be leftovers for adults and packed lunches for kids.

Dinners:

• Meatless Monday: Bean & Cheese Quesadillas, Spanish Rice, and Refried Beans
• Tuesday: Penne with Italian Sausage and Creamy Tomato Basil sauce
• Crock Pot Wednesday: Crock Pot Meatloaf and Crock Pot Twice Baked Potato Casserole
• Thursday: Chicken Kiev, Rice, and Salad
• Cookie Friday: leftovers for dinner. Cookie of the Week: Faux-Reos
• Saturday: Red Beans and Rice with Sausage, Corn Bread, and Greens
• Southern Cooking Sunday: BBQ Pork Ribs, Potato Salad, Baked Beans, Iced Tea, Hushpuppies, and Peach Pie with Ice Cream

Planned Baking:

• Rose Basket Cupcakes
• Revel Bars
• Doggy Treats :)

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait & What's Going on in March

Day 59.

I'm so excited about what I have planned for the month of March! I was feeling rather organized while I was making out my menu plan and shopping list, so I made lists within the lists. I decided that Sundays in March are going to be Southern Cooking Sundays, where I'll feature full, traditional Southern menus, and that Mondays would be Meatless Mondays (as an act of contrition for the luscious Southern foods consumed on Sunday). I'll continue with slow cooker meals on Wednesdays. And here's my favorite part: Each Friday, I'll be featuring a home-made knock-off of some of our favorite American cookies!

I hope you'll come back every day, and bring your friends, too! :)

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

Ingredients:

• vanilla yogurt
• cereal (I used Post Toasties O's, but granola or any cereal you like will work well here)
• fruit (I used frozen raspberries)
• honey (optional, but adds a nice dimension)

How it's Done:

• Layer yogurt, berries, and cereal in a pretty glass or clear bowl, ending with fruit and cereal. Drizzle honey on top. Serve.

It Feels Like Forever Since We Last Chatted!

Day 58!

Yesterday, I was going to post a delicious pork ribs recipe. After I tidied the house (because my mother and sister were coming today), and after I went grocery shopping, and after I did a bunch of things.

But instead, I felt a jolt of electricity (not real electricity, just felt like a shock) whip through my lower back, then my legs gave out and I hit the floor.

Hard.

And I couldn't get up for, like, 10 minutes. I thought about those little devices that are advertised for the elderly. Help! I've fallen and I can't...

Wait. Yes I can.

So I spent a few minutes wiggling around on the floor and got myself to a chair. I hoisted myself up onto my feet. I was in a lot of pain. I was CRYING.

But I got up. And I shuffled my way, leaning on every available surface, to my bed. I choked down some Advil and layed on my heating pad.

Because as scary as that was, it's happened to me before and I know what to do. I did it all right. And it's getting better. I am almost back to normal.

Today, my family drove to Atlanta to help my sister move out of her apartment. She's moving to Orlando to attend a new college. Thankfully, college kids don't generally own much stuff, and it only took a little while to get her loaded up and head back to my house.

We went thrift shopping (I bought a really cool triangle, which I intend to use to call my darling children to dinner), went and bought College Kid groceries to get her through her first few weeks at her new home, and ate at Carraba's (a side of minestrone and a full-size dessert qualify as dinner, right?).

Then I came home and made this. It's so easy. It's a "pantry snack," meaning that if you keep the ingredients on hand (warning! they're highly processed ingredients!), you can quickly throw together a snack for the teenagers congregating in your kitchen, or the football fans on your sofa, or your girlfriends gabbing around the table.

This is not my recipe. I think it belongs to Velveeta. But a high school friend taught it to me when we were both newlyweds and I was highly impressed. It's still very yummy.

Velveeta-Rotel Dip

Ingredients:

• 2 lb Velveeta
• 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes & green chilis
• 1 Tbsp butter or margarine

How it's Done:

1. Cut up the Velveeta and dump it in a microwaveable bowl. Dump the UNDRAINED Rotel and butter on top.
2. Microwave, uncovered, for 1 minute at a time. Stir at the end of each minute. Continue until cheese is melted.
3. Serve with tortilla chips.

Looks Aren't Everything

Day 56.

It's hard to keep track of the days. I can't believe it's already day 56 of 2010.

 (That's 56 days since you resolved to __________. How're ya doin'?)

My resolution was to share my journey here with you. My resolution was to strive to eliminate most processed foods from my family's diet. It's working. So far, so good. We still stray occasionally to processed foods, and I'm not going to the extreme here (by definition, all food not served whole and raw is processed), but that's okay. Because it's a journey. What's that Miley Cyrus song? It's the climbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb...

Er....sorry, that's the last time I'll channel Miley on this blog. Ever. I swear.

;)

Anyway, here's a yummy recipe that's pretty ugly to behold but it's soooooo yummy for your tummy. You  simply must try it. Go on. You can slum it for the evening.

Hamburger Gravy

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• salt, pepper, and garlic to taste
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 to 3 cups milk, depending on how thick you like the gravy
• toast, biscuits, mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta to serve the gravy on

How it's Done:

1. This is so easy that it's a go-to busy day meal in my house. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the gound beef and onion, cooking until the ground beef is browned. You really ought to use lean so that you don't have to drain it. (But if you don't use lean, drain it once cooked and add the butter AFTER you drain the meat.)
2. Sprinkle with seasonings and flour. Stir until you don't see any white flour. Then, slowly add the milk, stirring constantly, until the gravy is thick.
3. Serve over the starch of your choice.