I have come to the end of my first four-week period in which I withdrew all (or most) of our spending money in one lump sum. I think it has been a success: there was only one instance where I used the debit card to use money for which I hadn't budgeted (I bought a large pack of baby wipes for about $10 which I will subtract from next month's grocery allotment). I have $70 remaining for this week, which is not unexpected. I actually had the same amount set aside for last week, but used a few dollars of my spending money for a couple of luxury purchases (I fell for a limited edition peaberry coffee and some Turkish Delight).
Usually when I plan my menus, I begin by thinking about what we have that I can use up and then I look through cookbooks or my Menu-Mailers. Finally, I list all of the items I'd like to purchase and estimate what they will cost, making creative substitutions when something has to be scratched off of the list. This time, I think I listed the necessary items and things we have run out of first and estimated the prices of those items before researching menus and recipes. And my preliminary total (before crossing anything off determined unnecessary): $61.30. That leaves a grand total of $8.70 for the ingredients for our dinners for the week! Now I may go back and remove some items from the initial list, but this menu should be interesting!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Scrambled Tofu
After singing the praises of eggs, I will add some Lenten balance to this blog with the following recipe. I don't do a lot of complicated substitutes for non-lenten foods during Lent, but when you're really craving a savory breakfast, this is a nice change from a muffin, cereal, or oatmeal.
This is going to be one of those "just judge" (as my husband's grandmother would say) recipes, so forgive me.
Scrambled Tofu
Some size block of tofu (silken given a more egg-like texture, but regular works fine too, just don't crumble it too finely)
Minced green (or other color) bell pepper (a couple of Tablespoons is sufficient)
Minced onion (same amount as green pepper)
Turmeric
Soy sauce
Black pepper
Margarine or some type of neutral oil
Put about a Tablespoon of margarine or oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper and onion and sautee until onion is translucent. Crumble tofu into skillet in scrambled-egg size chunks. Sprinkle on enough turmeric to color the tofu to your liking (start with a little or your tofu will be neon very quickly), and add a generous splash of soy sauce. Mix and cook until spices are evenly distributed and mixture is heated through. Add black pepper and serve.
Notes:
About the soy sauce: this is essential to give it an egg-like taste; however, do not add so much that it tastes like a stir fry. Start with a little (a splash) and add until it tastes right, but make sure you add the turmeric before you taste it. The green pepper also adds to the impression of egg.
Variations:
You may increase the amount of bell pepper and onion and go for more of a scramble. I have also added some smallish chunks of soy sausage after the onion is mostly cooked -- let it brown for a little while before adding the tofu and seasonings. The brand I like is Lightlife's Gimme Lean Ground Sausage Style (available in the tofu and meat-free meat refrigerated section of Trader Joe's) -- it also makes great patties and can be used in spaghetti sauce if you brown it and add it at the last minute. If you cook fake-meat in liquid for very long it gets mushy and soaked-bread-textured. Not too pleasant.
This is going to be one of those "just judge" (as my husband's grandmother would say) recipes, so forgive me.
Scrambled Tofu
Some size block of tofu (silken given a more egg-like texture, but regular works fine too, just don't crumble it too finely)
Minced green (or other color) bell pepper (a couple of Tablespoons is sufficient)
Minced onion (same amount as green pepper)
Turmeric
Soy sauce
Black pepper
Margarine or some type of neutral oil
Put about a Tablespoon of margarine or oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper and onion and sautee until onion is translucent. Crumble tofu into skillet in scrambled-egg size chunks. Sprinkle on enough turmeric to color the tofu to your liking (start with a little or your tofu will be neon very quickly), and add a generous splash of soy sauce. Mix and cook until spices are evenly distributed and mixture is heated through. Add black pepper and serve.
Notes:
About the soy sauce: this is essential to give it an egg-like taste; however, do not add so much that it tastes like a stir fry. Start with a little (a splash) and add until it tastes right, but make sure you add the turmeric before you taste it. The green pepper also adds to the impression of egg.
Variations:
You may increase the amount of bell pepper and onion and go for more of a scramble. I have also added some smallish chunks of soy sausage after the onion is mostly cooked -- let it brown for a little while before adding the tofu and seasonings. The brand I like is Lightlife's Gimme Lean Ground Sausage Style (available in the tofu and meat-free meat refrigerated section of Trader Joe's) -- it also makes great patties and can be used in spaghetti sauce if you brown it and add it at the last minute. If you cook fake-meat in liquid for very long it gets mushy and soaked-bread-textured. Not too pleasant.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Lenten Desserts?
If you are not opposed to using oil during the fast, try making some Irish Tea Cakes. Scroll down a little ways to find them. I made them for St. Patrick's Day (my Namesday) and they were amazing! I alternated Trader Joe's Blueberry Preserves and some Three-Fruit Irish Wiskey Marmalade. Very good with tea.
Dinner Menu Plan: Mar 27 - Apr 2
I apologize for the recent hiatus in posting. We've been fighting off a couple of different illnesses, and I'm experimenting with letting my daughter watch way less TV. That makes for considerably less posting time but a considerably better behavior from my daughter! Anyway, I'm jumping back in with this week's menu:
- Thurs: Cuban Black Beans and Rice (This is one can of Trader Joe's Cuban Black Beans mixed with however much rice -- I use brown -- looks right to you. I would start with two cups, and possibly add one more.) with a veggie tray and fried plantains (This will be my first attempt frying plantains. I should have read the cookbook before shopping, though. How to Cook Everything wants you to use mostly black plantains, but I'll be trying it with yellow.)
- Fri: CP Moroccan Chick Peas (this is a recipe that my Mom and I changed and converted and I now consider it my own, so I will share it soon) over couscous with a salad if I get around to one.
- Sat: Exploding Noodle Chicken Salad (that's rice sticks, and I'm using up some cabbage instead of shredded iceberg) with fried rice.
- Sun - Brunch: Scrambled Tofu (I'll share this one too) with toast and fruit salad.
- Sun - Dinner: Leftover night (please let me have some leftovers!) or a stir fry of some sort.
- Mon: Gumbo with "Sausage" and Seafood Medley (shrimp, calamari, and scallops) with corn bread and probably rice.
- Tues: Imjaddareh (Arabic dish: lentils, onions, and rice. I will share this recipe or you can look it up online -- spellings will vary.) with Broccoli, Avocado, and Tomato Salad, and bread.
- Wed: Soup, Salad, and Bread night, officially (at church); however, I will be making some chicken and something or other before the service for me and the kids.
Eggs
Eggs are one of the best buys for your budget and your body. When I am pregnant I follow (as closely as possible) the Brewer Pregnancy Diet. For daily protein requirements, they recommend four 8-oz glasses of milk, six 1-oz servings of meat or other protein, and two eggs. Each serving is interchangeable protein-wise. So, if you're short on cash for meat this week, try making a meal with eggs as the main protein source instead of a meat dish. The January 2007 issue of RealSimple magazine had a great collection of egg recipes that helped me begin to branch out and serve eggs other than for breakfast. Here are two of my favorites:
For more recipes like these, type "eggs" into the search field under "Kitchen Assistant," and start experimenting!
For more recipes like these, type "eggs" into the search field under "Kitchen Assistant," and start experimenting!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Dinner Menu Plan: Mar 13 - Mar 20
Good morning! Something about the combination of this particular roast of coffee and the raw milk we get tastes together like Cool Whip. That has got to be one of my least favorite "foods." Of course, since being sick with the flu and now recovering, everything has tasted kind of funny. Scrambled eggs most closely reminded me of eating wet cotton balls (not that I... nevermind).
On to our menu! Some prefatory notes: I changed Thursday, so I am including it here (not that I posted last week's menus, but it was mainly meals I had frozen earlier). Wednesdays throughout Lent we attend church and dinner is provided. The rest of our Lenten meals will be primarily vegan, with a couple of "Feast Day" exceptions.
On to our menu! Some prefatory notes: I changed Thursday, so I am including it here (not that I posted last week's menus, but it was mainly meals I had frozen earlier). Wednesdays throughout Lent we attend church and dinner is provided. The rest of our Lenten meals will be primarily vegan, with a couple of "Feast Day" exceptions.
- Thurs: Baked Potato Bar (baked potatoes and all the toppings you can think of, like broccoli, cheese or "cheese," chili beans, chopped onion and/or green pepper, bacon bits, whatever)
- Fri: Russian Vegetable Borscht with bread and mixed bean pate
- Sat: Spaghetti with Clam Sauce, bread, salad
- Sun: friend bringing over Imam Bayaldi and couscous with sauteed zucchini, and I'm going to splurge on some new Dark Chocolate-Covered Joe-Joes (Oreos) from Trader Joe's for dessert
- Mon: White Fish (some kind) with oven "chips" and sauteed zucchini with Tyna's Irish Tea Cakes, if I get around to them (It's my Name's Day! Happy St. Patrick's Day!!)
- Tues: Terriyaki Tofu with rice and steamed or sauteed broccoli
- Wed: Potluck (soup, salad, and bread)
- Thurs: CP Curried Vegetables and Rice
- Lunches for Sat and Sun after Liturgies: Muffins, fruit, and "sausage" (There's a great fake sausage product in a tube in the refrigerated section at TJs -- check it out if you're into that kind of thing. It makes great patties and is my favorite of all the fake sausages out there.)
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Friday, March 7, 2008
Good Cheesefare/Vegetarian Recipe
Broccoli Tortellini (el cheapo)
serves 3 to 4
1 12-oz pkg dry cheese tortellini (>$1.50 @ Trader Joe's)
8 to 12 oz (to preference) fresh broccoli florets
1 26-oz jar spaghetti sauce ($0.99 @ ALDI)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (8-oz block is > $1.50 @ ALDI)
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning (or homemade mix or combo of basil and oregano)
Cook tortellini according to package instructions. Steam broccoli. EITHER combine over low heat and add sauce, cheese, and seasonings. Serve when cheese is melted and sauce is warmed. OR place cooked broccoli and tortellini in crock pot. Add sauce, cheese, and seasonings, and mix well. Turn crock to LOW and let sit (for up to an hour -- if longer, reduce heat to WARM) until dinner.
Notes:
I have amended my view of cheese. I'll buy the cheap stuff as an ingredient to a recipe, but if the recipe depends on the cheese, I'll try for the better stuff.
If you have the option of whole wheat pasta, that is preferred. Otherwise, add more broccoli (the fiber in the broccoli should slow down the rate of sugar absorption caused by the white flour in the pasta).
You could probably also use a large can of crushed tomatoes for the sauce, either seasoning it yourself and making it "sauce" or just adding the seasonings listed above (you'll need to salt it, though).
Enjoy!
serves 3 to 4
1 12-oz pkg dry cheese tortellini (>$1.50 @ Trader Joe's)
8 to 12 oz (to preference) fresh broccoli florets
1 26-oz jar spaghetti sauce ($0.99 @ ALDI)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (8-oz block is > $1.50 @ ALDI)
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning (or homemade mix or combo of basil and oregano)
Cook tortellini according to package instructions. Steam broccoli. EITHER combine over low heat and add sauce, cheese, and seasonings. Serve when cheese is melted and sauce is warmed. OR place cooked broccoli and tortellini in crock pot. Add sauce, cheese, and seasonings, and mix well. Turn crock to LOW and let sit (for up to an hour -- if longer, reduce heat to WARM) until dinner.
Notes:
I have amended my view of cheese. I'll buy the cheap stuff as an ingredient to a recipe, but if the recipe depends on the cheese, I'll try for the better stuff.
If you have the option of whole wheat pasta, that is preferred. Otherwise, add more broccoli (the fiber in the broccoli should slow down the rate of sugar absorption caused by the white flour in the pasta).
You could probably also use a large can of crushed tomatoes for the sauce, either seasoning it yourself and making it "sauce" or just adding the seasonings listed above (you'll need to salt it, though).
Enjoy!
Sunday, March 2, 2008
They've Stollen My Money
I don't care what is being advertised, when I see the five little words "Buy One, Get One Free," my pulse quickens and my brain is soon clouded with adrenaline. "Oh!" I think. "I've just found the greatest deal! Do you know how much I'll be saving if I buy these?!"
I was trying to allow myself some convenience. I don't like to cook on Sundays: church is too demanding for me to devote much energy to meals, so I tend to give myself the most leeway with convenience foods after a service. My church is having a potluck today, as I type this, and I was looking for something easy to bring. But notice: I am typing, not eating. My daughter is recovering from having the flu earlier in the week, and I opted to stay home and let her rest instead of dealing with yet another epically-proportioned tantrum when she has reached her energy limit.
So, I purchased for $4.99 one "Butter Almond Stollen" from ALDI, receiving a second "Christmas Stollen with 10% Persipan Filling" completely free! Amazing, I know. Except that for less than half that, I could have purchased an extra carton of eggs and planned to make some kind of breakfast casserole instead. And then, when I made the decision to stay home, the eggs could have been put to a different use later. Ingredients can always be made into something else. A stollen is fairly limited on what else it can be.
I now have two disgustingly sweet coffee-cake-like confections robbing me of my little counter space. The extra 25 pounds continuing to take up space on my body since my last pregnancy definitely don't need the company that consuming one or more stollens this week would bring (before Lent is upon us); so, though my name isn't on the food list for next Sunday, I will probably bring one or both of these to coffee hour just to get rid of them. I'm happy to share a treat with my church, but I wouldn't have had to spend the money to bring anything that week.
Next time I see a "BOGO" sign, if I turn away instead of mindlessly obey it, that five dollar bill I saved and boasted about a few posts back could become a ten.
I was trying to allow myself some convenience. I don't like to cook on Sundays: church is too demanding for me to devote much energy to meals, so I tend to give myself the most leeway with convenience foods after a service. My church is having a potluck today, as I type this, and I was looking for something easy to bring. But notice: I am typing, not eating. My daughter is recovering from having the flu earlier in the week, and I opted to stay home and let her rest instead of dealing with yet another epically-proportioned tantrum when she has reached her energy limit.
So, I purchased for $4.99 one "Butter Almond Stollen" from ALDI, receiving a second "Christmas Stollen with 10% Persipan Filling" completely free! Amazing, I know. Except that for less than half that, I could have purchased an extra carton of eggs and planned to make some kind of breakfast casserole instead. And then, when I made the decision to stay home, the eggs could have been put to a different use later. Ingredients can always be made into something else. A stollen is fairly limited on what else it can be.
I now have two disgustingly sweet coffee-cake-like confections robbing me of my little counter space. The extra 25 pounds continuing to take up space on my body since my last pregnancy definitely don't need the company that consuming one or more stollens this week would bring (before Lent is upon us); so, though my name isn't on the food list for next Sunday, I will probably bring one or both of these to coffee hour just to get rid of them. I'm happy to share a treat with my church, but I wouldn't have had to spend the money to bring anything that week.
Next time I see a "BOGO" sign, if I turn away instead of mindlessly obey it, that five dollar bill I saved and boasted about a few posts back could become a ten.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Something Lenten This Way Comes
As Lent approaches, many of us observing an Orthodox fast in part or in whole are undoubtedly wondering what we will feed our families, other than "pasta with red sauce" or lentils or hummus.
Now, I may be of no help to those families comprised of picky kids or picky husbands (or, I suppose, picky cooks...). My husband eats nearly everything I cook without complaint and usually with a "Thanks for dinner, dear," only citing one meal I've made during our three-plus-year marriage as "inedible." My toddler subsists on eggs, cheese crackers, mac and cheese, and rice most days, but she is still nursing, so I don't worry about it too much. My baby is jealous of our full plates but hasn't yet succeeded in getting the food into her own mouth. So, I am really cooking what I like to eat and not dealing with the extreme picky-ness that plagues some families I know.
That being said, as I'll be continuing to post my family's menus, I hope to broaden the scopes of some of your Lenten cooking -- and I'd love to hear (if you happen to try a similar recipe) if the kids liked it!
For those of you who really have no idea what to serve during Lent, I'd suggest signing up for a menu service or searching the web or cookbooks for ready-planned menus. Leanne's Saving Dinner website is a wonderful resource. I used it exclusively for our meals for a couple of years and felt like I was taking a cooking class by doing so. I was introduced to so many different recipes and techniques. And her vegetarian meals and meat substitutions are so creative. If your family likes (tolerates?) mushrooms, try substituting thickly sliced, large portabella mushrooms for strips of meat in stir-fry or fajitas.
Hearty soups with fresh bread and salad also make good Lenten meals, especially if you have a crock pot and/or a bread machine that you can set up earlier in the day (earlier than an hour before dinnertime, when we often find ourselves doing the cooking). Make extra soup and freeze some for later on during the fast when you don't feel like cooking or need a quick meal.
Also, I find that whole grain dishes are much more satisfying than those made with their refined counterparts. When I eat white rice, white bread, white potatoes without their skins, I can feel flushed (a sign of too much sugar in your body) and soon begin feeling hungry again as my body quickly burns the (nearly pure) sugar I ingested. Since it is hard enough to fill up on Lenten food, it is frustrating to be hungry 15 minutes after eating, especially if one is attempting to avoid snacks as well!
These are just some preliminary tips. I'll be more detailed as I begin to think about my actual menus. Meanwhile, I'm sure that plenty of pasta with red sauce, lentils, and hummus will make it onto our Lenten meal plan.
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