Lessons learned...

 So I made it through the two weeks without "really" grocery shopping.  And I learned a couple of valuable lessons.

      Lesson 1:  I can not make it two weeks without fresh produce for salad.  Really. Who would have thought? I'm not a bit fan of rabbit food, but take it away from me and what do I crave?  Spinach.   I broke down and purchased baby spinach part way through this two week "lets eat what we have on hand because we are broke" trial.

     Lesson 2: Food I enjoy but have hesitated cooking because I didn't think they would be appreciated -- were HITS!  Therefore, give the family more credit for liking food that is maybe a bit more unusual and healthier.

    Lesson 3: There really can be too much brie.  I love brie, don't splurge on it much because I know it is so bad for me.  But I had some and thought it would be lovely in the bacon spinach quiche.  Hmm.. it didn't set well in the middle -- too much brie!

 So what were the foods I didn't think they would enjoy? Tabbouleh was the first surprise.  I was pretty sure the hubby would eat it and appreciate it, but the 16 year old man child?  He liked it!  The other surprise was the baked runza with broccoli shreds in place of cabbage.

Now what's on tap for this week?  There are a few things we didn't get to last week because there were leftovers to eat.  And, I admit, we did take out hot and sour soup one night because I had a wicked head cold (that is medicine, right?).   So here we go:

Sunday 
Breakfast - 
      I never make breakfast if I can help it (I cook ALL the other meals of the week).  But I think I just counted 10 college kids crashed at various places around the house.  They came down from NAU last night for a concert and knew it was ok to crash here rather than driving back up the hill in the wee hours this morning.  I have a breakfast casserole in the oven and will wake the kids up shortly to feed them and send them on their way before my 1 pm Pampered Chef event.
            Breakfast Casserole
                 Cube 10 slices of bread, beat 16 eggs, add 2 cups of milk, 3 cups of shredded cheddar, two cans of diced chili peppers.  Mix together and season with pepper, salt & cayenne pepper.  I baked in my super large lasagne pan at 350 for 40 minutes.  It looks great and smells wonderful.
  
Lunch - 
     I have a Pampered Chef event today.  I don't really NEED any new product, but was toying with the idea of becoming a consultant, so wanted to see what kind of turn-out I can get for no effort.  Today's event is "chicken three-way"  -- sounds spicy, right? (Reminds me of the cookbook a co-worker gave me for Secret Santa "Fifty Shades of Chicken" - which actually, while written for laughter, does have some good recipes.)
   We will serve Greek Chicken and Orzo today, along with a pumpkin spice cake (recipes are Pampered Chef).  Then we will pre-make to freeze a chicken and black bean wrap and a chicken stir fry.  One of those will go in my freezer for next week and one will be a door prize.  Great idea, right?  I always prep food for later in the week when possible.  How great to WIN a pre-made meal!

Dinner  - Surely you are joking!  I have already cooked two times today for bunches of people!

Monday - Shredded Chicken Cornmeal pie .  This is one of the meals I didn't get to this past week, so will whip it up this evening and have it ready to bake tomorrow after school.

Tuesday - Crock pot terriyaki chicken.  I have class after school until 6, so need something that will be easy for Sawyer to stick in the crock pot when he gets home.  I love using my slow cooker, but find when I am gone for 10 hours a day, things do tend to get over cooked.  This is easy
        3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (frozen ok)
        small amount of chicken broth
        terriyaki sauce (or soy sauce + fresh ginger + brown sugar)
        chopped onion
        garlic
cook, cube chicken, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, add some blanched 
broccoli and serve over rice.

Wednesday - Baked ziti with ground beef.  I love me some pasta!  I will pre-cook the ziti, brown the ground beef with onions, garlic (and more garlic), add tomato sauce (I'm cheating this week and not cooking my own), mix in a 1/2 cup of cream cheeze.  Layer in casserole with shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and bake at 350 until heated through, bubbly, and smelling wonderous. (I bake by smell most of the time.)

Thursday, Friday and Saturday - baked chicken with apples, Indian chicken meatball stew and ???  These are meals that I didn't cook last week.  

Now, how did I do for groceries going forward?  I spent $92. yesterday.  I needed some cleaning items, lettuce for lunchtime salads, eggs and bread.  I picked up the items for the Pampered Chef event and I'm good for at least another week, maybe 10 days!
 

Back to school...

       and back to trying to pinch pennies!

School has been in full swing here in Arizona for a month -- I can't believe it has been that long.   I THINK I am back in the groove.  Lessons were planned before I left school on Friday.  Papers are graded but a few still need to be entered in the on-line grade book.  Now I can start to think about food and meal planning again.

Of course this is also necessary because I spent all day Thursday (no school for Fall break) at the car repair shop, followed by a trip to the tire store.  I am now officially BROKE.

So I had Sawyer (who is now 16 and starting to enjoy cooking) help me create a list of all the food in the house.  Usually I run to the grocery store every weekend.  But with his help, I have just spent time determining TWO WEEKS of meals WITHOUT one trip to the grocery store.  OOPS - I know I had staples in the pantry and food in the freezer, but I was able to get fairly creative and came up with some good meals (not mac & cheese one time!)

So here is what I came up with:
  

Saturday – 9/7/13

     Dinner – Kale and BBQ chicken salad (see my earlier post about the 

                   kale salad.) For this one I did not use the dried cranberries as the 

                   chicken (leftover) had a very lightly sweetened BBQ sauce. 

Sunday – 9/8/13

      Lunch – chili con carne.  I browned ground beef, added drained &

                  rinsed kidney & black beans, diced tomatoes, roasted Hatch chiles, 

                  roasted corn, onions & garlic with a mix of cumin, chili powder, 

                  chipotle.  I made this last weekend and froze it.  It was perfect to

                  football.

      Dinner – stir fry ginger beef with shredded broccoli and bamboo    

                 shoots on brown rice. When I buy a package of beef (tri-tip or 

                 round or what ever is on sale) I cut part of it into thin strips and

                freeze small qualities.  You don't need much meat in a stir fry, right? 

                This week I have part of a package of broccoli (shredded and crowns)

                and pea pods left from a meal last weekend.  Sounds like I can do a 

                quick stir fry, add a can of bamboo shoots that was hiding in the back

                of the pantry! 

  

Monday – 9/ 9/13

       Dinner – Penne with chicken, spinach & sun-dried tomatoes.   Saute 

                two small chicken breasts.  Add fresh spinac until just wilted.   Cook 

                the penne according to directions. Mix the penne, sun-dried 

                tomatoes, fresh basil (there is always a plant in my kitchen), and a  

                drizzle of EVOO.

Tuesday – 9/10/13

       Dinner – Crock pot pork roast with pineapple and peaches.  Place 

                 frozen peaches and pineapple in bottom of slow cooker.  Add a

                 chopped onion.  Place a pork loin roast on top.  Season with sliced

                 fresh ginger, a sprinkle of cinnamon and chili powder.   Cook on slow

                 6 hours or until done according to a meat thermometer. (or until I

                 get home from school!)

Wednesday – 9/11/13

       Dinner –  Ham & potato quiche.  When I bake pies, I always make my pie

                crust from scratch.  It keeps forever in the freezer if wrapped well. 

                Guess what Sawyer found buried in the freezer? Yup - a pie crust, 

                 ready to thaw and roll out.  I also have a cream in the fridge that 

                 needs to be used up.  So, I'll whip up some eggs, add the cream,

                 some cheese (I know I have fresh Parmesan and some brie), chop 

                 some ham if there is any left from Sawyer's sandwiches this week.  

                 I know there are a few tater tots in the freezer so I'll chop those,

                 add a handful of frozen spinach and bake a yummy quiche. 

Thursday  9/12/13

        Dinner – Shredded chicken and refried bean burritos.  We opened a 

                 can of refried beans for breakfast burritos yesterday.  They were 

                 barely touched, so they can quickly be put into a tortilla with 

                 shredded chicken (again, when I cook a chicken for stock or soup

                 I cook a couple of extra, shred them and stick them in the freezer.)

                 I'm sure I have some cheddar to shredd and add for an instant 

                 meal.  This is probably the meal I'm least proud of this week, but

                 the family will like it as along as there is sour cream (or Greek

                 yogurt) and salsa!

Friday 9/13/13

        Dinner – Pasta w/marinara sauce. Okay, I'm not so proud of the effort

                for this meal either, but it is a FRIDAY - after a full week of school 

                (we have had short weeks the last two weeks due to training and/or

                holidays.)  I may not even make my own marinara sauce (gasp) but

                will at least "spice" up the jar in the pantry with extra garlic, onions,

                 oregano and fresh basil.

Saturday 9/14/13

        Lunch – Tuna sandwiches.  It's lunch so I will delegate this meal.  And

                 add chopped apples and grapes to the tuna salad.  I often add

                 curry powder as well.

        Dinner - Baked runzas.  There was a lone loaf of frozen bread dough 

                 in the freezer.  I remember a neighbor making something similar to

               this when I was a kid, but they were fried. (Sheila's mom - if   

                anyone in my family has the recipe, let me know.)  I have a package

                of browned ground beef (again, when I buy a Costco size package,

                I split it up and  prep several meals) in the freezer.  I will thaw it, 

                saute more of the shreded broccoli and cabbage with an onion.  

                The bread dough will be cut into bun-sized pieces and rolled out.

                Place the filling on the dough round, add some mozarella cheese 

                 (cut up a couple of cheese sticks), seal the dough and bake until

                 browned.   This is similar to the Oriental Meat Bundles I make (see 

                 earlier posts)

Sunday 9/15/13

        Lunch –  leftovers

        Dinner – Chicken minestrone soup.  I have to tweak the recipe a bit

                since I am not going to the grocery store this week.  I will simmer 3

                boneless, skinless chicken breasts with a chopped onion. Remove

                from the pan of broth and cube the chicken .  Add additional chicken 

                stock if necessary.  Cook a small  amount of macaroni, drain.  Add to 

                the chicken and broth, along with a can of kidney beans (no

                cannellini beans in the pantry), add some frozen sliced carrots, green

                beans and diced tomatoes.  Season with garlic and oregano.  Simmer

                until heated through and nicely seasoned. 

Monday – 9/16/13

        Dinner – Shredded chicken cornbread pie.  This one I am taking

                directly from the great blog, Table for Two.

                http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/2012/05/24/bbq-chicken-

                 cornbread-pie/

Tuesday – 9/17/13

         Dinner - Falafel on a bed of bulger.  Either make your own falafel,

                use a mix (Sprouts has them) or buy frozen (Trader Joe's).  I had

                them in the freezer.  I will cook them up, make a salad of bulger 

                Cook the bulger according to directions, add the juice of 1/2 a 

                lemon, a drizzle of EVOO, a chopped cucumber, chopped tomato, 

                a handful of roasted pine nuts, and chopped parsley.  Salt & pepper

                to taste.

Wednesday – 9/18/13

         Dinner -  Taco meat/quinoa bake.  There are many quinoa recipes on

                Pinterest so I am probably going to make this up as I go.  I know I

               have pre-seasoned (with salsa not that packet of chemicals from 

               Lawry's) taco ground beef in the freezer.  I will cook up a cup of 

               quinoa, mix in some corn, maybe some black beans, and cheese.

               I'll bake it through in the oven until it is bubbly and smells awesome!

Thursday  - 9/19/13

          Dinner – Chicken with apples and onions (baked).  Again, I'm 

               making this up, based on what sound good and what I know will 

               be left in the freezer, fridge and pantry.  Place boneless, skinless

               chicken breasts in oven-safe dish.  Top with sliced apples and onions,

                season with salt, pepper, and...maybe tarragon? Definitely could

               do a touch of cinnamon and cardamon.  Maybe that's what I'll do.  
               Bake until chicken is done.This would go great with a green salad.

Friday – 9/20/13

           Dinner – Tortellini with vodka sauce.  Hey, it must be Friday again!
               I may need to revisit this meal as I really don't want to do pasta
               every Friday night....

Saturday – 9/21/13

           Lunch - Potstickers (or leftovers).  I do love me some potstickers
                 While I love making my own, I won't this time.  I usually have 
                  either Ling-Ling or Trader Joe's in the freezer -- and YES! There
                  is a package there.

           Dinner – Indian chicken meatball and lentil stew.  I'll make my 
                  own chicken meatballs (grind boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
                   as I do not like the amount of fat in store-bought ground chicken
                   or turkey.  I am taking this recipe directly from food.com
                  http://www.food.com/recipe-finder/all/indian-chicken-meatballs- 
                  and-lentil

Since this is all what I will be cooking, I have no photos.  So, here is my pic of the day.  Missing my son who is on the USS Boxer and left on deployment 3 
weeks ago.

 

Cooking Without a Kitchen

Random thoughts but no excuses!

I apologize for the lack of a post last week.   I came back from the wonderful ladies "retreat" in Prescott and we began a pretty intensive refurbishing of our kitchen.  It was so difficult to eat healthy during the past two weeks.  Honestly, it was even hard to eat anything other than take-out because I had no cooking space. The stove was pulled into the middle of the kitchen,  dishes and appliances that had to be removed the the counter and cabinets were loaded on the table.  Tools, paint and supplies were stacked everywhere!  I  finally could not deal with yet another meal from a restaurant, so I pulled a book case next to an outlet and put the crock pot where I hoped the dogs wouldn't get into it or knock it over as they rough-housed.

Food

Chicken meatballs in Teriyaki sauce along with fresh fruit (berries, melon and grapes) was a treat after all of the restaurant food.  Normally I make my own meatballs using ground chicken (I grind it myself so I make sure it is all white meat and no fat).  But given that I couldn't put anything on the counters, I used Aidells Teriyaki & Pineapple meatballs and made a sauce:                             
           1/2 c. soy sauce
           1/4 c. brown sugar
           4 minced cloves of garlic
            a splash of rice wine vinegar
           3 slices of fresh ginger

Spiced pork roast with yams and onions was a hit with the hubby another evening.
            Place small roast in crock pot
            Peel and slice yams.
               Mix in a bowl with a dash of ground cloves,  1 tsp cinnamon and 6-8 whole cardamon seeds
           Place around the sides of the roast
           Top with 1 onion (sliced)
           Add 1/3 c. of water
          Cook on high for 3-5 hours ( my roast was frozen)

Chicken and vegetable soup with black beans  - add all of the ingredients into the crock.
           Cube 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
           1 can of Ro*tel tomatoes with lime and cilantro
           1 can of black beans (rinsed)
           1/2 package of  Trader Jo's Fire Roasted corn
           1 1/2 c. sliced carrots
           3 stalks of celery (chopped)
           3 c. of low sodium chicken broth
           1 - 2 tsp Mexican oregano
           Cook on low for 5-6 hours

Pork with lentils - one day for lunch I took the left-over pork and yams and turned it into a lentil stew.  Again - no stove, so I had to use packaged foods that I normally don't use.  But I did find a way to pull the microwave over to an outlet...funny how small things can make me happy. 
         Chop the leftover roast, yams & onion
         Add it to the dish along with 2 packages of Madras Lentils 
         Heat this through.



Grilled shrimp with kale salad and grilled baby carrots with balsamic
   Peel and devein shrimp.
   Marinate them a few minutes in minced garlic, pepper and lime juice.
   Stir a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil onto the carrots.  I will
   also slice an onion to add with the carrots.
   Grill the carrots for a few minutes on low before throwing the shrimp on the grill

Kale salad - I am using Andrew Weil's Tuscan Kale Salad   http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/RCP02206/Tuscan-Kale-Salad.html  as it is a favorite of the family
   

I know some of you who know me are wondering why I didn't just
grill the last two weeks.  To be honest, I was too tired!   During this time
we painted the kitchen and great room, one wall of the living room, the downstairs bath, and one wall leading up the stairs.  Then we stripped the kitchen cabinets and painted them.  Finally, we resurfaced the counter tops!

We used the Transformation kits from Rustoleum http://rustoleumtransformations.com/    which worked well as long as you follow the directions to a T!  Unfortunately, we needed more of one of the products in the kit, but it is not sold separately and we ended up having to buy another whole kit.  I did call customer service and asked about getting a separate container and was told it wasn't possible.  NOT the best customer service.

Pictures will be posted next week of the finished kitchen! 


      

Cooking for Friends

“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.”
                                     Jane Austen           
                                     (1775-1817)


Reflections:
 This quote by Jane Austen describes how thrilled I was last week to be allowed to cook for three of my dear friends.  I was asked to join three former co-workers at a wonderful "English Cottage" summer escape in Prescott, AZ.  Since I had really just gotten back on track with healthy eating, I was afraid we would be eating out all the time.  I excitedly agreed do the cooking for the three days so we could all eat at the cottage and enjoy our time together without having to run out to eat.

This retreat gave me pause to really stop and reflect on friendship.  I am so grateful for my friends, near and far.

Food:
Our first stop was to grocery shop.  Baby bok-choy, spinach, fresh berries, quinoa, fish, and chicken seemed like the perfect list (along with the adult libations....)


Lunch Day 1: 
                   Sandwiches with hummus (no need for fatty mayonnaise), turkey, cucumbers and red 
                           and orange bell peppers
                   Fresh watermelon, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries.
Dinner Day 1:
                  Grilled chicken (sprinkled with salt, pepper, thyme and a little olive oil to keep it from 
                           sticking on the grill)
                 Kale salad (Massage chopped kale with fresh-squeezed lemon juice and olive oil.  Let sit 
                           for at least 10 minutes.
                           Add 1/2 c. dried cranberries and 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese. 
                           Salt and Pepper to taste.
                 Watermelon 
Breakfast Day 2:  Coffee on the patio!  Lots of coffee since we stayed up late playing games, talking and just relaxing!
                  Non-fat yogurt with fresh raspberries, blackberries and strawberries.
Lunch Day 2:  Left-over kale salad, with the left-over chicken chopped up and mixed in.  YUMMY!
Dinner Day 2: 
                  Grilled cod (topped with lemons as it grilled and fresh sliced lemons when served)
                  Mango/Strawberry salsa (cut 2 mangos, slice 6-8 strawberries, chop 1/2 a jalapeno, add 
                              the juice of 1 small lime, 1/3 c chopped cilantro.  Squeeze the fruit together a little
                               to blend the flavors - let it sit for 1/2 hour before serving with the fish -- or with
                               chicken)
                  Grilled baby bok-choy (drizzled with olive oil, peppered and topped with grated Parmesan
                               cheese)
                   Quinoa

  

Midnight snack: fresh peppers and pita bread with hummus after watching the outdoor movie
          (The Trouble with the Curve) at town square.  Gotta love small town life!
Breakfast Day 3:  Repeat of yesterdays but with more coffee!
Lunch Day 3: 
                 Spinach salad with berries and grapes on top of the left-over quinoa, drizzled with a 
                  Basalmic vinaigrette.

 I was not ready to leave the English Cottage and am sincerely thankful to my friend Kristen who opened her get-away home to us.  Now I'm back to cooking for the family (they are not always as appreciative as my friends were) and re-modeling the kitchen.  Pictures of the hard work my hubby and I are doing on the kitchen will be coming soon...
                  


             


 

Lazy days...hopefully not crazy days!

Lazy days...hopefully not crazy days!

While the temperatures say summer has been here for a few weeks, school is finally out today!

School Notes:

I don't have photos, but have to share the some of my students' reactions to their final project in the classroom.  It all began the first week of the school year...
  
      I had each student write a letter to their future self, describing what they wanted to happen during their exciting 6th grade year.  Some responses were typically academic (I want to make honor roll, improve my math grade, etc.).  Some responses were about home life (I want a bedroom of my own, I want a new bike).  Some were very personal (I want to finally have a best friend).  But all the responses were heartfelt and gave me an insight into the child as I glanced at their rough drafts.  The children did not share their writing (something too scary to do the first week of school).   Instead the folded their letters and placed them in an envelope.  

   Next, the students found a partner and each was given a long length of ribbon.  With their partner, they measured each other and cut the ribbon to each partner's height.  They placed the ribbons in their envelopes and sealed them.

    Today I handed out their envelopes.  The excitement zipped through the room when the kids realized what they had in their hands.  They quickly jumped up to measure how much they had grown.   They were so surprised to see that the ribbon only reached to the middle of their faces!  They asked to read their letters aloud and commented on how much they had "grown" academically as well.  This made my day and I will definitely do it again next year!

Food Notes:

Weekly Menu with recipes

Saturday - Balsamic/mustard glazed pork chops, grilled yams and a salad of fresh greens.
    Make a glaze of 1/3 c balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbs Dijon mustard, 1 shallot (minced).  Bring to a boil and simmer until sauce is reduced and slightly thickened.  
     Rub the pork chops with pepper, salt, onion powder & fresh, chopped rosemary. Grill the chops, brushing them with the balsamic glaze. 

Sunday - pasta in homemade, lower-fat alfredo sauce with fresh spinach and saute'd asparagus 
    In a blender, blend 2 c fat-free milk, 2 TBS flour, 3 oz fat-free cream cheese and 1/2 tsp nutmeg.  
    Melt 2 TBS butter in a pan; saute 2 cloves minced garlic and the asparagus.  After the asparagus is tender crisp, add the milk mixture and stir constantly while it simmers until it begins to thicken.  Remove from heat and stir in  1 c of  shredded Parmesan cheese.  Stir into cooked pasta and fresh spinach..   

Monday -  Grilled chicken with mango/pomegranate salsa, grilled corn on the cob
   Cut up mango, mix with 1 chopped jalapeno, 2 TBS finely diced red onion, pomegranate seeds, a pinch of salt and the juice of 2 small limes.   Top with chopped cilantro.  Service with grilled chicken and grilled corn on the cob. 

Tuesday -  Broiled herb steak, potatoes Anna, salad of fresh greens
   Marinate the steak (12 hours) in mixture of 1/3 c olive oil, 1/3 c ketchup, 1/4 c soy sauce, 1/3 c chopped fresh basil,  2 tsp dried oregano, 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp crushed red pepper, 1/2 tsp chipotle pepper, salt & pepper.

Wednesday -  Salmagundi bake in the crock pot. (adapted from a recipe I received years ago from???)
  Brown 1 lb of ground beef.  Mix into crock pot with 1 c of brown rice, 2 c. of water,  1 1/2 tsp chipotle pepper or chili powder, 1 can tomato paste, 1 1/2  c. of frozen corn, top with bacon and cook on low for until rice is tender.

Thursday -  Bacon, acocado, cheese & tomato panini.

Friday -  someone else's turn to cook!