this is the meal plan for this week
Monday:
Spinikopita (spinach pies) and califlower soup
Tuesday:
Chorizo Tacos with Rice and Beans
Wednesday:
French Onion Soup and Chicken Caesar Salads
Thursday:
Chicken Costilleta w/ broccoli
Friday:
Tilapia w/ veggies
Saturday:
Pizza
Sunday:
Leftovers
Cost in Groceries for this week:
quart of buttermilk .69
fresco cheese 2.00
cilantro .49
tomatoes 1.11
lemons 2.00
cauliflower 1.33
chopped spinach 1.09
1/2 lb feta 1.84
1 package tortillas .40
sirlion tip roast (for next week) 8.49
taxes .37
total=21.34
I already have the rest of the ingredients I need for the rest of the food although I did see soymilk on sale for 1.9 and with a dollar some off coupons it would be like super cheap so I might go pick some of that up tomorrow. I will keep you posted.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Hungry woman's hummus!
I love, love, love hummus, but I hate paying 4 bucks for a little container of it at the store. So, I do what any money-minded girl does, make my own! Now for all of you that don't know, hummus is healthy and it's REALLY easy to make. So that sounds like a win-win in my book. Here's the recipe that I use.
Hungry Woman's Hummus
1 can garbanzo beans(chick peas) drained, reserve the water from the can
2 Tbsp. Tahini (can be found in most grocery stores)
2 garlic cloves
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
salt to taste
Take the garbanzo beans, tahini, garlic and lemon juice and throw them all in your food processor. Blend until you get a peanut butter like consistency. (if its too thick throw some of the water from the can, it works wonderfully).
Salt to taste. I wait until the end to salt it because usually I don't even need to salt it, the water from the can has salt in it.
To serve the hummus I put it on a plate and top it with some olive oil and paprika! Best served with warmed pita bread or pita chips, but also tasty with veggies and regular crackers!
Also, there are many variations of hummus, this is a basic hummus. To make other flavors such as roasted red pepper add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of roasted red peppers. For roasted garlic, roast the garlic before you pop it into the food processor. For sun-dried tomato, add 1/3 c. sun-dried tomatoes.
Look at how simple it is, and its soo good! Enjoy!!
Hungry Woman's Hummus
1 can garbanzo beans(chick peas) drained, reserve the water from the can
2 Tbsp. Tahini (can be found in most grocery stores)
2 garlic cloves
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
salt to taste
Take the garbanzo beans, tahini, garlic and lemon juice and throw them all in your food processor. Blend until you get a peanut butter like consistency. (if its too thick throw some of the water from the can, it works wonderfully).
Salt to taste. I wait until the end to salt it because usually I don't even need to salt it, the water from the can has salt in it.
To serve the hummus I put it on a plate and top it with some olive oil and paprika! Best served with warmed pita bread or pita chips, but also tasty with veggies and regular crackers!
Also, there are many variations of hummus, this is a basic hummus. To make other flavors such as roasted red pepper add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of roasted red peppers. For roasted garlic, roast the garlic before you pop it into the food processor. For sun-dried tomato, add 1/3 c. sun-dried tomatoes.
Look at how simple it is, and its soo good! Enjoy!!
Never Fail Meatballs
This is a request recipe for my pal Cindi. I don't have pictures of them just the recipe so here you all go.
Never Fail Meatballs
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey or pork ( usually make mine half ground pork and half ground beef but any variation works)
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg, beaten
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and beaten egg. Mix well and form into 12 big balls or 24 small ones. (I use an ice cream scoop, it makes things easier)
To cook meatballs, simmer them in your favorite red sauce. I simmer mine in the Soprano's Sunday Gravy recipe for sauce.
I usually freeze the leftovers and take the sauce and meatballs out as needed. The meatballs also taste amazing as a meatball sub! Enjoy!
Never Fail Meatballs
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey or pork ( usually make mine half ground pork and half ground beef but any variation works)
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg, beaten
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and beaten egg. Mix well and form into 12 big balls or 24 small ones. (I use an ice cream scoop, it makes things easier)
To cook meatballs, simmer them in your favorite red sauce. I simmer mine in the Soprano's Sunday Gravy recipe for sauce.
I usually freeze the leftovers and take the sauce and meatballs out as needed. The meatballs also taste amazing as a meatball sub! Enjoy!
black bean brownies! yummy!
Today I was in the Thrifty Mama chat room when someone mentioned brownies. That made me REALLY want some brownies. The bf is on some kinda weird health kick, although its not what I would call a normal health kick. Basically he's cutting sugar outta his diet. Well brownies are a definate no-no, right. Not always! Here is a Black Bean Brownie recipe that is very easy, they do have a slightly different texture then regular brownies, but served cold with some milk, I wasn't really able to tell the difference. Not back if I do say so myself, plus since its made from black beans it has a fiber boost, YAY!!
Black Bean Brownies
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained well
3 eggs
3 tablespoons applesauce
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/8 t. salt
1 t. vanilla extrac
t3/4 cup white sugar (or splenda for baking)
1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Take all ingredients except the chocolate chips and walnuts and put into a blender. Blend until mixture shows no signs of clumps. (the batter will look really thin, its okay!)
Pour mixture into a greases 8x8 pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips and walnuts on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool. I decided to sample mine right away, hence missing brownie outta the pan!
Like I said these are a bit unconventional. But honestly they are a treat that isn't too bad for you and they taste good. So eat them with some fro-yo and be glad you don't have to work out for 2 hours to burn the calories off from them. Enjoy!!
Black Bean Brownies1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained well
3 eggs
3 tablespoons applesauce
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/8 t. salt
1 t. vanilla extrac
t3/4 cup white sugar (or splenda for baking)
1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Take all ingredients except the chocolate chips and walnuts and put into a blender. Blend until mixture shows no signs of clumps. (the batter will look really thin, its okay!)
Pour mixture into a greases 8x8 pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips and walnuts on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool. I decided to sample mine right away, hence missing brownie outta the pan!
Like I said these are a bit unconventional. But honestly they are a treat that isn't too bad for you and they taste good. So eat them with some fro-yo and be glad you don't have to work out for 2 hours to burn the calories off from them. Enjoy!!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
homemade beverages
Today I made some of my (boyfriends) favorites beverages.
first up rosewater lemonade.
1 packet lemonade unsweetened mix (like kool-aid)
1/2 to 1 c. of sugar or splenda (depends on how sugary you want it)
1/3 c. of rose water (easily picked up at a middle eastern grocer or a place that carries middle eastern groceries)
I mix everything together in a 2L. I use a funnel to get everything into the 2L, first the dry ingredients, then the wet. Fill up the rest of the bottle with water, shake and you are all set.
Second beverage I made.
Sweet Green Tea.
I love southern food, I love southern drinks, so why would I not love sweet tea. Here is a green tea version.
10 green tea bags
10 cups of water
1 c. sugar or splenda
I boil the tea bags for about a minute or 2 and then let them sit in the hot water for at least 5 minutes. Add the sugar to the water and let dissolve.
I will occasionally put fresh mint in it, but the bf is not a fan of mint so I usually omit the mint. You can also add blueberries or raspberries to it if you would like it to be a bit fruity. The fruit makes it taste wonderful.
Enjoy guys!
first up rosewater lemonade.
1 packet lemonade unsweetened mix (like kool-aid)
1/2 to 1 c. of sugar or splenda (depends on how sugary you want it)
1/3 c. of rose water (easily picked up at a middle eastern grocer or a place that carries middle eastern groceries)
I mix everything together in a 2L. I use a funnel to get everything into the 2L, first the dry ingredients, then the wet. Fill up the rest of the bottle with water, shake and you are all set.
Second beverage I made.
Sweet Green Tea.
I love southern food, I love southern drinks, so why would I not love sweet tea. Here is a green tea version.
10 green tea bags
10 cups of water
1 c. sugar or splenda
I boil the tea bags for about a minute or 2 and then let them sit in the hot water for at least 5 minutes. Add the sugar to the water and let dissolve.
I will occasionally put fresh mint in it, but the bf is not a fan of mint so I usually omit the mint. You can also add blueberries or raspberries to it if you would like it to be a bit fruity. The fruit makes it taste wonderful.
Enjoy guys!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Good old fashioned chicken dinner.
So recently I cleaned out our freezer and found chicken breast that had been in the for some time so I figured it was about time to use it before it went bad. Waste not, want not is what my Grandma always says! Today I am going to be making rotisserie chicken breast with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and broccoli. For dessert I am going to make a blueberry syrup to go over so frozen yogurt I made awhile back. Sound like a good plan? Well, it does to me.
Lets start with the stuffing, because like I said earlier the chicken is frozen and it needs to defrost. Well what do you know, I am out of stuffing mix, go figure! I rummage through the pantry and find croutons, croutons will work, I can spice them up. Here is the recipe for the stuffing:
Crouton Stuffing
1 T. butter or olive oil
1 clove garlic or 1 t. garlic powder
1 stalk celery chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 bag of croutons (any brand you like)
1 cube chicken bouillon
1 t. poultry seasoning
salt to taste
Lets start with the stuffing, because like I said earlier the chicken is frozen and it needs to defrost. Well what do you know, I am out of stuffing mix, go figure! I rummage through the pantry and find croutons, croutons will work, I can spice them up. Here is the recipe for the stuffing:
Crouton Stuffing
1 T. butter or olive oil
1 clove garlic or 1 t. garlic powder
1 stalk celery chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 bag of croutons (any brand you like)
1 cube chicken bouillon
1 t. poultry seasoning
salt to taste
Here is a pic of what I used
In a medium skillet melt butter over medium-high and add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook until onions become translucent. In a big bowl add the rest of the ingredients together. Add in the cooked onion mixture. Add 1 cup boiling hot water and cover. If you like you can bake this in the chicken as I am doing, or put it in the oven separately while the chicken is in the oven , it is up to you. Just do not bake it over 30 minutes! Enjoy!
This is a pic of everything I used for the stuffing.
Next is the recipe that I am going to use to flavor my chicken. I take a child's syringe (like you would get from Walgreen's to administer medicine) and I fill it will the seasoning and inject it directly into the chicken breasts! This makes it come out so much tastier!
2 T. olive oil
1 T. poultry seasoning
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 t. oregano
salt according to taste
mix and inject into chicken
I use a rotisserie to make my chicken but if you don't have one the rule of thumb with chicken is as follows. Bake the chicken at about 350 degrees F until it's internal temperature 165 degrees F. Make sure to check the temperature with a meat thermometer. If you don't have one I recommend buying one. Go, buy one now, I will wait. Ha ha!
Next up is my Garlic Mashed. My best friend Shanna loves these so much that her and her brother have literally fought over them. I must admit they are very good, and they are one of my favorite recipes to make.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
5-6 potatoes depending on their size
3 cloves garlic
3 T. butter
1/2 c. Greek yogurt (I make my own but you can just as easily buy it)
1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
Boil potatoes and garlic cloves in water over high heat until they are easily pierced with a fork. Drain water from the potatoes and make sure to leave the garlic cloves in. Like so.
Add all other ingredients to potatoes and mash away, I use a hand mixer because it is faster but a regular old masher works fine. 
Now if you are like me you probably opened a whole can of chicken broth for the potatoes. Well don't waste it, use it to make this easy gravy!
Chicken Gravy
Pan drippings from the chicken.
1/3 to 1/2 c. of flour
water
Add water to the chicken drippings to make about 1 1/2 cups of liquid into a medium sized saucepan
Whisk water into the flour until it is thick, but not pasty. Whisk the flour/water mixture into the drippings, and put the saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Stir constantly until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Easy huh?
Next but not least is blueberry syrup. You can use this to pour over pancakes, ice cream, or my favorite frozen yogurt. Don't worry this one is easy as well.
Blueberry Syrup
1 c. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1 c. water
2 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 t. lemon juice
1/4 t. lemon zest
Crush berries, add water and the lemon zest, and simmer 5 minutes in a sauce pan over medium heat. Drain through several layers of damp cheese cloth or jelly bag. Squeeze to extract juice and pulp from berries. Return juice to saucepan, add sugar to mixture, add 2 T. of cornstarch to a bit of water and stir to incorporate. Add to saucepan, boil for 1 minute and add lemon juice. Pour into a jar and store in the refrigerator.
Now if you are like me you probably opened a whole can of chicken broth for the potatoes. Well don't waste it, use it to make this easy gravy!
Chicken Gravy
Pan drippings from the chicken.
1/3 to 1/2 c. of flour
water
Add water to the chicken drippings to make about 1 1/2 cups of liquid into a medium sized saucepan
Whisk water into the flour until it is thick, but not pasty. Whisk the flour/water mixture into the drippings, and put the saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Stir constantly until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Easy huh?
Next but not least is blueberry syrup. You can use this to pour over pancakes, ice cream, or my favorite frozen yogurt. Don't worry this one is easy as well.
Blueberry Syrup
1 c. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1 c. water
2 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 t. lemon juice
1/4 t. lemon zest
Crush berries, add water and the lemon zest, and simmer 5 minutes in a sauce pan over medium heat. Drain through several layers of damp cheese cloth or jelly bag. Squeeze to extract juice and pulp from berries. Return juice to saucepan, add sugar to mixture, add 2 T. of cornstarch to a bit of water and stir to incorporate. Add to saucepan, boil for 1 minute and add lemon juice. Pour into a jar and store in the refrigerator.
Now don't get mad but I didn't realize we didnt have any blueberries until after I posted this, so instead I made strawberry syrup. Same recipe, just replace the blueberries with strawberries.
Alrighty! That was alot of typing. I hope you all enjoy the menu for today and I will be back tomorrow with a new recipe or two and I will be adding pictures to this page when I am done making dinner. Hope everyone enjoys this, and I wish you all the best! Bon Appetit!
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