food link love
Well I know some of you liked my cat link love post, and that makes me think a few others might like all the food sites that I’m addicted to! Some are well known, some not, but I drool over them all. No wonder my keyboard is a mess!
- Pioneer Woman Cooks – known for her glorious, yet artery clogging cooking. Oh my gawd! And you could lose yourself in her archives.
- Thursday Night Smackdown – warning bad language and fantastic food ahead.
- Bad Home Cooking – cooking with attitude, just awesome!
- Chop. Stir. Mix. – a couple of my bloggy friends have this site, but they had to both go and have babies! Can’t wait til you start updating regularly again girls!
- On Pans and Kneadles – I always want to make everything on here.
- ChefMom – this is Suburban Turmoil’s recipe site. No pictures, no fuss, just great recipes!
- Food Lovers Like Me – I just started reading this one, but I’m fascinated by her accounts of culinary school. So cool!
- Blissfully Domestic/Blissful Food – it’s only been around a few month, but it rocks!
Of course if you just want to just browse random food blogs, which I like to do sometimes, there’s a couple of great places to do that: FoodBuzz and Alltop. There’s million and one food blogs out there, what’s your favorite? I’m always looking for new ones. 
grocery savings
It’s been awhile since we talked about the current high cost of living, but I think about it every time I go to the store. Sure, gas prices have gone down a bit, but groceries haven’t at all. I’ve come up with a few strategies to help me cut my grocery bill, including, gasp, the dreaded coupons.
Yes, coupons. I hate them, but they do help. I follow the rule of “only buy what you normally would anyway.” There are lots of coupons out there for things I don’t use and won’t try just because I have the coupon. I also make sure the coupon isn’t giving me a false sense of bargain shopping – if another brand is a better price even without a coupon of course I’m going with that one.
I’ve noticed more lately that my local grocery store not only gives me really good coupons at check out for items I actually buy, but they have quite a lot of printable coupons on their website. There are, in fact, lots of printable coupons across the web.
The best coupons of all though are the ones in the meat department. I don’t know if it’s just my store, or if others do it too, but when they need to get the meat and poultry sold quickly they put on “manager’s special” coupons on them. Certainly nothing has gone bad, it’s just getting too close for the sell by date for their comfort. Every time I go to the store now, I check the entire meat department to see what the best deal is, not only by sale price, but by how good the coupons are too.
My best deal so far was this week when they had an overabundance of ground turkey. It was already on sale 2 packs (1.25lb each) for $5.00, normally a package is $4.99 a piece so they were already half price. Then they each had a $1.00 off coupon. So I got name brand ground turkey for $1.20 per pound! That’s the best price I’ve ever seen for it, and we use a ton of ground turkey here (we don’t use any ground beef) so I bought 20 packages. Yes, I know that makes me a dork but I had plenty of room in my chest freezer and I now have enough meat to last through much of the winter.
So this is how I shop now. I plan my meals by what’s on sale and I how I can combine it with what I have in my pantry. I stock up on things I know I’m going to use. I also make a lot more soups and stews than I used to. It’s a great way to use up leftovers, and frankly, onions, carrots, rice and other soup makings are still relatively cheap.
So am I missing anything? What have you changed about your shopping habits lately? Do you have any other money saving tips? Can you tell I’m obsessed with this??
suppertime, suppertime…
Over the weekend my partner in crime/friend Nicole gave us, yes, gave us (thank you, you crazy girl!), a barely worn patio set that we are quite in love with. For dinner last night I boiled up some fresh local corn on the cob and DH perfectly grilled some boneless pork chops, with our favorite bbq sauce. Sometimes the simplest dinners are the best, especially when they’re al fresco.
The boy certainly thinks so:
And George only wishes he was people too:
You should have seen him dart out of the woods when he caught wind of this. Poor George, his little sniffer was working overtime and I felt bad for him, right up until the boy “accidentally dropped” two pieces of pork on the ground. George is kinda happy now. So are we.
Bonus cooking tip: All you need to perfectly marinate your meat for the grill is some white vinegar. I put all the pork in a gallon size baggie with about a cup or less of vinegar and stashed it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. You can still baste with your bbq sauce during the cooking process, but marinating in it ahead of time just wastes it. White vinegar is super cheap but will make your chicken or pork very tasty!
Filed Under cooking, family, food, the boy, the cat Tagged cooking, corn, food, pork, the boy, the cat
food fact meme
I owe Kaza a meme and you know I only do memes when I’m in work hell. So it’s meme time! I think Kaza started this meme accidentially – she wrote this post and her bloggy friends took it upon themselves to do it with her – then she tagged me! Ya’ll need to know how much I heart Kaza – not only is she my blog twin in so many ways, she calls me her “fairy blogmother” – so really, how could I not adore her!
Five Facts about my Foodie Self
- As far as I’m concerned coffee isn’t right unless it’s super strong and it tastes like a candy bar. Think caramel mocha. Yep, that’s my drink of choice if I splurge on Starbucks. At home it’s French Vanilla New England Coffee, with fat free French Vanilla creamer. Yum.
- I love my popcorn with Parmesan cheese. From the green canister. With plenty of butter for it to stick to.
- I don’t consider myself a great cook, but others have told me I am. I just think their standards are low!
- I don’t like pizza. I try, but it’s always kinda meh. Frankly, I think it’s the crust. Is that heresy?
- I can’t eat raw vegetables. No really. I mean I can but it’s a baaaad thing when I do. I have Ulcerative Colitis and most raw veggies do a number on me, so I have to cook them all. Worst offenders: cucumbers and iceberg lettuce. Least offenders: spinach and tomatoes. You’d think it would be the opposite. I haven’t had a big, ice cold, crunchy salad for four damn years. Just try to imagine that. You can’t can you?
If you’re reading this and you’re a bit of a foodie, consider yourself tagged. 
ps. I dare you to google Ulcerative Colitis and click on the wiki definition. Eww. Even I didn’t need to know that much!
cooking, just for fun
You all know I like to cook, but when it comes to making meals day in and day out, it gets a little tiring. With no little one around this week relying on me for sustenance, I resolved to only cook what I felt like, when I felt like. That’s just what I did today.
I had two things in the pantry that I wanted to use up. A bag of hot dog rolls. Not yucky, but just a little dry and past their prime. Eh, If hot dog rolls really have a prime that is. I also had a can of condensed milk that was nearing it’s sell by date. Do those two things together inspire you? Make you think of anything?
How about bread pudding?
Specifically, caramel bread pudding:
Oh. My. God.
I sort of threw this all together, and it came out perfectly. Not one measurement was done in the making of this lovely concoction.
But I can make it up for it you if you really want me to.
- A bag of stale bread
- one can condensed milk
- about a cup or so skim or 1% milk
- about 1/3 cup cream
- about 2/3 cup brown sugar
- about 1/4 cup caramel (I used caramel ice cream topping)
Mix everything all together, put it in a 9×12 baking pan, and stick it in the oven for about 40 minutes at 350. You will not regret it.
Moving on. Do you remember the many pounds of strawberries I picked, cleaned, and froze?
Mmmmmmmmmmmm.
Did I ever mention we have a little Cuisinart ice cream maker? It’s pretty sweet. Heh.
We hadn’t used it in awhile, but knowing we had all those strawberries made us pull it out and get it going.
Can you say fresh, homemade, strawberry ice cream?
The recipe is straight from the Cuisinart recipe booklet.
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 pint strawberries (I run them through my food processor – I don’t like huge frozen chunks.)
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
DH wants you to know the pudding and the ice cream were best together, although I preferred mine separate! I’m picky that way. He also thinks the pudding would be even better with chopped apples and some raisins. I hate raisins, but I agree that the apples would be fantastic.
No, we didn’t have a real meal today. Just dessert. And popcorn at the movie theater. Indy’s still hot, baby! I might need to go cool off with some more ice cream.
Filed Under cooking, food, recipes Tagged bread pudding, cooking, food, ice cream, recipes
Mmmmm, Guacamole
Since I’m still slammed with work this week (penguins are cute but they all start to look alike after awhile and I still have a long way to go) and I bet you are too, I thought I would post the absolute easiest recipe in my repertoire. This is the dish I always bring to parties.
Easy Guacamole
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1/4 cup sour cream (light or fat free work fine)
- 1/2 package of taco seasoning (I use Old El Paso 40% less sodium)
- 1/4 cup finely diced tomatoes (can also use equal amount of salsa from a jar)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion or scallions (skip if using salsa)
- dash of lemon juice
- dash of hot sauce
Mash avocados very smooth. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Cover with saran wrap so it is touching the top of the guacamole (so it will not brown before serving.) Chill until ready to use. Stir again just before serving.
Now I’m craving some guac and chips! I hope you like it as much as I do!
lazy man’s (or busy woman’s) chicken corn chowder
(Yesterday I promised a little something new and fun this week! Well, here it is! My latest recipe is cross-posted over at Chop. Stir. Mix. It’s the cutest foodie site ever, and it’s a great resource for busy women. Go see for yourself!)
Back when dh and I were living in Northern Virginia we would sometimes go to Red Hot and Blue, a bbq restaurant that was just down the street from us. One of the menu items we both loved was their chicken corn chowder, which had just a hint of smoke and heat. Now that we’re back in New England I can’t get no RH&B, so I had to come up with my own version of the chowder.
Now, mine certainly isn’t the same, and it would NEVER be called gourmet, but the flavors are perfect, it’s hearty, and it’s one of the easiest meals I make. I could boil the potatoes myself and I could bake the chicken myself (and sometimes I do.) I could also milk a cow myself (hee hee), and heck I could grow the corn too (well, probably not) but some nights I just don’t have time to do anything but open cans. Do you have those nights too?
The point is, I’m giving you my easiest version of this, and you change it up however you want, k? The only super duper important things here are the roasted corn and the spices.
Lazy Man’s (or Busy Women’s) Spicy Chicken Corn Chowder
2 cans corn, one drained, one not!
2/3 bag frozen roasted corn (I had a 1 lb bag from Trader Joes)
1 package pre cooked diced chicken, or 1 cup diced baked chicken
1 can diced potatoes drained or 2-3 boiled potatoes diced
1 can cream of potato soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 ½ - 2 cups milk
1 cup light cream (if using skim milk use more cream and less milk)
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne pepper
chili powder
optional:
4-5 scallions or 1-2 small onions chopped fine
2 tbsp butter/margarine
(If using onions or scallions, start by lightly sautéing them in butter.)
Get a big pot and dump in all of your ingredients, all the corn, (including the can with the water), cream of potato soup, cream of chicken soup, potatoes, milk, cream. Slowly heat on Medium to a low boil (not roiling), then turn to low to simmer. If soup is too thick add extra milk or a little water, if too thin add extra cream or more corn. Add cayenne, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste, (remember the canned soup has salt already so go easy.)
Simmer for a few minutes to meld the flavors, and enjoy!
ps. Here’s a printable pdf version if you want it! spicy-chicken-corn-chowder
Filed Under recipes Tagged chicken corn chowder, chowder, cooking, food, recipes
dear risotto, where have you been all my life?
I’ve always wanted to try making risotto, but it sounds so intimidating doesn’t it? Well when I saw this version of it on Pioneer Woman Cooks I couldn’t help but think it was actually doable. I pretty much followed her recipe to the letter. My only changes were to run the onions and garlic in the food processor – I didn’t want chunks. I also discovered grating real parmigiano reggiano will only make your knuckles bleed – take my advice and run that through the processor too!
Apparently, the most important thing about making risotto is: you must stand at the stove and stir stir stir, every few minutes. For about 40 minutes. So if you want a make it and walk away recipe, stay away from this. BUT if you want a truly glorious food experience, go, try it right now! It is so worth the effort.
Oh and by the way, it was great this morning too, when I ate it cold for breakfast!
not your mama’s vanilla
I have a secret.
Well, it’s not really secret, but I only learned it a few years or so ago, and I’m going to share it with you.
For awhile now, every time I bake something, most notably brownies, I get rave reviews, and requests for more. Frankly, I don’t think I’m that much of a baker. I find a recipe I like and I stick to it. My chocolate chip cookies are always tollhouse. My oatmeal cookies are off the quaker oats container top, my cakes are always box mixes.
My brownie recipe is taken from the back of the box of unsweetened hersey’s baking chocolate. (Which I might add I’m having trouble finding in my local grocery stores lately so I’m glad I photocopied it long ago. Do they not make it anymore?) Anyway, the only difference between mine and the printed recipe are that I underbake them a bit, I sometimes add chocolate chips too, and I use REAL VANILLA.
Real, homemade, vanilla.
Did you know you can make your own vanilla? and if you do it will completely change your baked goods forever. For the better.
Here’s what you do. You go to a health food store and you buy whole vanilla beans (maybe three or so.) Second you go to the liquor store and you buy some vodka. (Maybe a quart? Doesn’t really matter. If I made a whole gallon I’d probably put in 10 beans.) You take them home and swig a shot you take a sharp knife and cut a slit all the way down each vanilla bean. You put your beans in the bottle of vodka. You DATE THE BOTTLE with a marker. Put it in some high cupboard for a few months and forget about it. I like to wait at least six months, but some people say you can start using it within a few weeks. I beg to differ.
When it’s ready you can start using it the exact same way you would store bought vanilla. But I warn you, make enough that you don’t ever have to use the artificial stuff again, because you will disappoint everyone in your life if you give them brownies any other way, ever. When you start getting low, just make another quart gallon. Right now would be a great time to start a batch that you can later re-bottle in something cute and give away as presents for the holidays. Just be sure when you put some in a fresh, smaller bottle, at least one of the beans goes with it.
ps. I learned all this from my mom! I’m pretty sure her first batch was made in a 30 year old bottle of vodka they had hanging around the house. It was awesome.
pps. I’ve started a batch in a small bottle of clear rum instead. I can’t wait to see how it turns out!
stuffed mushrooms
Well, I’ve gardening so much lately that my time for cooking has been very limited and my meal creativity has been sorely lacking. One day last week I was wandering the grocery aisles looking for inspiration and found some very nice large white mushrooms and in the meat department there was some fresh chicken breakfast sausage on sale. Hmmm. Any idea where I’m going with this?
I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to put it all together, but when I got home I remembered I had a package of cream cheese and some garlicy/cheesy dip mix from tastefully simple (but any flavor dip mix would work!) I mixed up the dry dip mix with the cream cheese (room temp for ease in mixing) in a large bowl, and stuck it in the fridge to meld the flavors.
Preheat your oven to about 325.
Next, wash and dry the mushrooms well. I usually fill a bowl with cold water and a good splash of vinegar and let them soak for a minute to get all the dirt off. When they’re dry, you can snap off the stems and set them aside for soup or something. Sometimes, not enough snaps off so I just take a knife or a small spoon and scrape out a little more. You want lots of room for the filling. If any of the mushrooms crack a bit – no worries – use them anyway!
Line a cookie sheet with foil and put your mushrooms on hole side up. Bake for 10-15 minutes. When you pull them out of the oven you will notice they are full of water. You need to get rid of all the liquid. I just use a paper towel and dip them in each individually until the liquid is soaked up. You can do your initial cooking with the mushrooms upside down so they drain better, but then you’ll have to flip them when they’re super hot and delicate (and slippery!) – and that’s not so easy!
While the mushrooms are baking you can start the sausage.
The sausage was the loose kind without the casings, but it you only have the kind with the casings just strip the meat out and throw the casing away before you cook them. I just throw the sausage in a frying pan and drain off the fat when it’s done. Make sure you break up the meat pretty fine while you’re cooking. You don’t want huge chunks.
Take your dip out of the fridge and dump the hot (drained) sausage into it and mix all together. The heat from the sausage will make it really easy to work with.
Now you just need to put a heap of stuffing in the mushrooms! I also put a bit of provolone on the very top of each one for a nice bit of melty goodness.
Stick the pan back in the oven for another 10 minutes or so – use your judgement – if the cheese is nicely melted and maybe even a little browned on top – they’re ready. Honestly, there’s no rules on this one – just whenever it seems hot enough.
These mushrooms were super yummy, made a nice meal, and it gave me lots of ideas on variations:
If I were to use hot italian sausage I would probably use plain cream cheese (no extra seasonings.)
If I used sundried tomato and basil chicken sausage (my favorite!) I would add some italian seasonings to the cream cheese.
Any good melting cheese on the top would work – mozzarella, white american, whatever, I just happened to have provolone on hand. Also, using sliced cheese is easier than shredded on this – it won’t fall off the top.
If I made this for company I might use the smaller button mushrooms for bite size portions, and I would put a bit of parsley, rosemary or basil leaf etc. on top for a pretty effect. By the way, neither dh or the boy would try this one – but that meant more for me!
Ingredient list:
- 2 or 3 packs of fresh large white button mushrooms (depending on the size of the packs err on the side of more mushrooms – you’ll be surprised how far a lb of meat will go)
- 1 lb or so fresh sausage, any flavor, sans casings
- 1 package cream cheese (I’m sure the light kind would work well too)
- 1 package dry dip mix (garlic or ranch or italian, the variations are endless, mmm maybe pesto!)
- a couple slices of cheese (again – whatever you have on hand!)
That’s it! So easy!
Filed Under cooking, food, recipes Tagged food, recipes, sausage stuffed mushrooms