Week of October 19th - October 24th

I love Facebook! Being a stay at home Mom, it gives me a chance to virtually "see" people I normally wouldn't see. Today, in honor of family dinners and Facebook, I asked my friends to tell me what their favorite weeknight dinners are. I then compiled a handful of answers to create our menu for the week. Thanks Facebook buddies!! You guys are the best!

Monday, October 19th - Quiche. I never got around to making it last week, so I decided to whip it up tonight. Proving that the best laid plans can go to waste, I baked the pastry shell, poured in the quiche, and popped it in the oven. Forty minutes later I pulled out a burnt to a crisp quiche. My boy child told me he even saw flames coming from the quiche! Thing is, I never turned down the temp from the 450 degrees (you cook the pie crust on) to 325 degrees (for cooking the quiche). Seeing my failure, I enacted "Plan B", which was heading to Golden Chick for their Monday half price chicken deal. Thank you Golden Chick for saving the day!!

Tuesday, October 20th - Spaghetti Carbonara


Wednesday, October 21st - Chicken Tortilla Soup - I'm kicking it old school and preparing this from scratch since I have a chicken carcass on hand. If you don't have a carcass hanging around, because quite frankly not everyone does, use THIS recipe. It's fantastic!

Thursday, October 22nd - Sanchez Chipotle Pork and Rice

• This can be cooked in the microwave! you need a covered microwave dish, 1-2 pork tenderloins, 1 red,1 yellow bell pepper, 1 yellow onion all sliced, southwest chipotle seasoning and cooking oil. In the bottom of the dish put some oil, spread 1/2 of the peppers and onions then put pork in (don't cut it) add the rest of the veggies and spinkle the ... Read Moreseasoning on top ( we like alot of seasoning so its kinda spicy). Cook it in the microwave for about 20-25 minutes until the pork it thoroughly cooked, slice the pork when it is done. Make steamed rice, and then combine everything in a large bowl and serve. This is one of my kiddos favorite meals! It is so yummy! Enjoy!
  

Friday, October 23rd - Taco Bueno

Saturday, October 24th - Tomato Basil Mozzarella Sandwiches - I don't believe there is any secret on how to prepare these, but just in case it sounds too "Gourmet" for any of you - here's my plan: Sourdough bread, thick sliced fresh tomato, fresh basil, buffalo mozzarella, and mayo - toast the bread & make a sandwich! Easy, eh?

What a fabulous week!! Happy Cooking!

The Glamorous Chef

Week of October 12th - October 17th

Oh! Never mind excuses! Here is the menu for the week:

Monday, October 12th - Chicken Fettuchini Alfredo & Green Beans **Sounds impressive doesn't it? Think again! Two bags of Lipton Sides Fettuchini Alfredo, three chicken breasts and it's done. Add a can a green beans. Simple, simple, simple! Dinner from the pantry doesn't get any better!**

Tuesday, October 13th - Pecan Crusted Trout, Asparagus, & Mashed Potatoes **I'm not the gourmet genius this makes me sound like, but I do know how to buy pre-seasoned fish. It's a little bit more expensive, but quite less than dining out!**

Wednesday, October 14th - Bar-b-Que Sandwiches with Tator Tots **Who loves a good butt? I do! This is so easy ... take one Pork Butt, one quartered onion, and a bottle of barbecue sauce - put them in a crock pot and cook all day long. When done, remove from crock pot and shred pork with a fork. Add a little sauce from cooking, a little new sauce and serve on a bun. Yummy!**

Thursday, October 15th - Quiche Lorraine with Baked Pears **I love the B52's. This dinner is my ode to Quiche Le Poodle! Quiche Lorraine is very easy - eggs, crumbled bacon, cheese, and milk. Buy a pre-made crust and you are looking at a 10 minute prep time. Awesome for parents on the go! Don't have time to bake your own pears? Drive through Boston Market and get a large side of baked apples ... I won't tell!**

Friday, October 16th - Roast Chicken, Cauliflower, and Roasted Potatoes **I call this "White Dinner" because it's all white - kinda cool if you ask me - in a lack of color sort of way, not in a racist, supremist, KKK sort of way!**

Saturday, October 17th - Shorty's Diner **there should be plenty leftovers for sure! If not - dinner out, Baby!**

Happy Cooking!

The Glamorous Chef

Week of Sept. 21st - Sept. 25th

Baseball games, after school practice, church youth group, etc., etc. ... It all adds up to a busy family & a Mom scratching her head wondering, "When am I supposed to feed these people?!"

Here are my simple attempts at dinner this week:

Monday, September 21st - Chili Rubbed Salmon with Zucchini & Corn **I love recipes that sound complicated, but in essence are very easy. This is one of those! The Zucchini and Salmon cook together, the corn is a snap. Seriously lots of bang for your buck!**

Tuesday, September 22nd - Tortilla & Black Bean Pie **My husband looked at the name and said, "Oh yeah, that sounds yummy!" in his most sarcastic tone. I told him it was just about the same thing as Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza of yesteryear - now he's sold!**

Wednesday, September 23rd - Spaghetti with Meatballs, Green Beans, and Garlic Bread ... because - when is this ever a bad menu item?!

Thursday, September 24th - Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwiches with SunChips and Coleslaw **hint** watch the video on the link above

Friday, September 25th - Shorty's Diner **we should have a few tasty leftovers - and who knows - maybe we'll go out for ice cream after the game!**

That should do it!

Happy Cooking!

The Glamorous Chef

I'm BAAAAAACKKKK!!

I've been M.I.A for a few weeks. Sorry about that - school started ... enough said, right?!

While working on the menu for this upcoming week, I remembered I'd taken a pic of this meal to make a point. Look at this yummy dinner: Pork Loin Chops, Fettuccini Alfredo, fresh Green Beans & Garlic Bread. Guess how much it cost per serving? $0.83. Yes, that is Eighty-three Cents, per serving! My whole family ate dinner for less than $5 AND we had one serving left over for a lunch. Amazing?! AMAZING. I wish I could be this frugal all the time, but it only happens every once in awhile.

I wanted to remind all of you cooking Divas out there to check for good sales, plan well, and most of all - enjoy what you do! I'm not cheap because we "have" to be cheap, but because I like to make our family finances go a little further. It pays off in so many ways!

Like always, happy cooking!

The Glamorous Chef

Week of August 17th - August 22nd

Just the facts ma'm!

Monday, August 17th - Beans & Rice - I made a big "mess" of beans the other day. For tonight's meal, I am adding sausage, cajun seasoning, water and rice. I'll cook it all together. Quick, easy, yummy!!

Tuesday, August 18th - Chili Lime Chicken Kabobs with Orzo & Asparagus

Wednesday, August 19th - Bar-b-que Chicken Salad

Thursday, August 20th - Baked Potatoes

Friday, August 21st - Salmon Rosemary Burgers with Baked Fries

Saturday, August 22nd - Out to Dinner

Happy Cooking!

The Glamorous Chef

Week of August 10th - August 15th

Is it really Thursday?! Really??? Somehow this week escaped me; however, I did create a menu ... the whole "getting to the computer and recording on blogspot" part alluded me. Better late than never - right?!

I was nodding my head to Italy this week. And really - I mean an American nod. I'm not fooling myself that this is REAL Italian! Guess what? As hard as I tried to stick to Italian all week, my Texican roots came roaring through and I had to make soft tacos. Forgive me! ;)

Without further ado, here she is:

Monday - Chicken Ravioli & Green Beans with Garlic Bread - There is a delicious ravioli at Sam's Club ... yum!

Tuesday - Pizza - there is this place, Pizza Padron, that offers medium pizzas for $2.99. I can't make them that cheap, so Pizza Padron it is!!

Wednesday - Chicken Soft Tacos - McCormick makes these wonderful dry packet marinades. We love the Chipotle marinade - on beef or chicken, it's fantastico!!

Thursday - Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce, Orzo, & Broccoli ***this received 5 stars from my family - make it and AMAZE yourself!!***

Friday - Out to Dinner

Saturday - Minestrone

Happy Cooking or Felice di cottura!

The Glamorous Chef

Oops!

Well, it happens every now and again - I just didn't get to the menu creating this week!

Tune in for next week's menu. It'll be good for sure!

Happy Cooking!

The Glamorous Chef

Week of July 27th - August 1st

Bonjour! I am back home from my trip across the Atlantic & am in full swing once again. It was wonderful to have a break. Even the most ardent chefs needs a reprieve now and again.

With summer in full swing, a schedule that just won't quit, and a pantry to empty before our move - I'm going the "less is more" route. Here is our menu for the week:

Monday, July 27th - Golden Fried Chicken (Monday is Half Price Chicken Night)

Tuesday, July 28th - Frito Pie -- It's an old favorite from the school cafeteria: Fritos topped with chili & cheese

Wednesday, July 29th - Quiche

Thursday, July 30th - Fajitas

Friday, July 31st - Hamburger Helper -- Say it with me, "I don't know why they call it 'Hamburger Helper', it does just fine on it's own!"

Saturday, August 1st - Shorty's Diner

There we go, simple as Frito Pie!!

Happy Cooking!

The Glamorous Chef

Week of July 6th-July 11th

Happy Belated 4th! I hope you all had a fantastic Independence Day - especially hope you took advantage of the grill this weekend!

Here is the menu for the week. Once again, it's simple, simple, simple. Summer is fabulous!

Monday, July 6th - Shorty's Diner

Tuesday, July 7th - Beans & Cornbread

Wednesday, July 8th - Grilled Pizza

Thursday, July 9th - Taco Salad (make tacos & crush it all up on a bowl - ooooo, hard!)

Friday, July 10th - Out to Dinner

Saturday, July 11th - Breakfast for Dinner or "I'm Makin' Waffles!"

Like I said, simple, simple, simple! Next week I'm truly being glamorous and jet setting off to Germany so no menu for next week. Hmmmm .... I wonder what new delights I'll discover across the Atlantic!

Happy Cooking!

The Glamorous Chef

June 29 - July 5th

HOLY BEGINNING OF SUMMER BATMAN!

June has been insane!! With everything that's been goin' down in Glamorville, I thought I needed a little break from ... well, something - anything! So I chose this blog. Sorry fellow apron-clad beauties. Here's the good news - it's almost JULY! I'm running the pacer now & am back and rarin' to go.

Since it's summer, that means I'm feeding people - at home - 3 meals a day. That gets old - fast! I find that my children, who just weeks ago were self-sufficient meal makers, now have a difficult time buttering toast. Amazing! I've battled this conundrum by offering up a little something (other than a trip to Sonic). While making my grocery list, I ask those precious souls, "If you could buy anything in the grocery store for lunch - what would it be?" Then I do the unthinkable, I buy it for them. They're usually so happy to have corn dog contraband that they recoup some of those mysteriously lost cooking skills. A little phosphates never hurt anyone did they? ;) Besides, there is so much great produce available right now they end up balancing that burrito or corn dog with half a pound of grapes. Come to think of it, I LOVE Summer!

Enough jibber jabber, here's this week's menu:

Monday, June 29th - Turkey Alfredo - Cooper picked up some turkey cutlets the other day as well as some bargain Alfredo Sauce. Instead of Chicken, I'm putting turkey in it tonight. Hopefully it will be just as good! This is a super easy meal. We're extra lucky to have Auntie's home grown zucchini to serve on the side.

Tuesday, June 30th - Fish Sticks with French Fries/Mac n' Cheese - I don't usually make two different things for the kids, but my oldest girl haaaates fish sticks - so I give in and make a thing of mac n' cheese. Big deal! I'm ruining her.

Wednesday, July 1st - Pork Ribs

• 6 lbs. Pork ribs

Dry Rub:

• 1 1/2 cups white sugar

• 1/4 cup salt

• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground black pepper

• 3 tablespoons sweet paprika

• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

• 2 tablespoons garlic powder

Cover ribs generously with dry rub. Refrigerate for at least 8 hrs.

Cook all day in crock pot with bottle of bbq sauce & onion OR

Cook at 275 degrees for 3-4 hrs. then cook on grill for 18-20 min. basting during last 10 min. with sauce.

Thursday, July 2nd - Roast Chicken - you'll have to search old posts for this recipe. It's a standard to fall back upon any time!

Friday, July 3rd - Out to Dinner

Saturday, July 4th - Happy 4th! Let's hope Cooper smokes a brisket!!

Sunday, July 5th - Shorty's Diner

There it is! Happy Cooking!

The Glamorous Chef

Week of May 18th - May 23rd

Bock! Bock! This week I'm celebrating the original white meat - CHICKEN! This is my attempt to display how two roast chickens can feed a family of five for DAYS on end and in various ways. So read on for a lovely ride ... c'mon, don't be Chicken!

Monday, May 18th - Roast Chicken, Zucchini, & Mashed Potatoes
**Don't forget to make broth with your carcasses! It's the ultimate!**

Tuesday, May 19th - Chicken Tortilla Soup
**So, you guys can figure this out on your own probably, but just in case -- #1 I'm halving the recipe since it serves 10 & #2 Replace chopped, leftover chicken (not all of it) for the 4 chicken breasts and add it toward the end. Personally, I'm putting all the "soup" ingredients in the crock pot around noon, adding the chicken around three and feeding my family by 5 p.m. due to a ball game! REMEMBER cooking is versatile when you know what you're doing!**

Wednesday, May 20th - Fire Roasted Tomato & Feta Pasta with Chicken **the recipe on Allrecipes uses shrimp, but my family would revolt & possibly kill me, so I opted to use chicken instead**

Thursday, May 21st - Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Friday, May 22nd - Out to Dinner

Saturday, May 23rd - Shorty's Diner **although I may have to come up with something from the freezer instead because we may not have any leftovers!**

As my One year old would say, "Nummy! nummy! nummy! nummy!" For any of you neigh sayers out there - she's a baby & she eats everything we eat (unless it's too spicy - I alter some of that for her). She doesn't like everything, but I've been shocked by her favorites, which were beef stew and carne guisada - who knew?!

So, tap into your inner Pollo & get cooking!

The Glamorous Chef

Week of May 11th - May 16th

Happy Monday Ya'll !!

Was that a fantastic Mother's Day or what?! It was so nice to be pampered (aka - allowed to sleep in!). Back to the grindstone ... or the menu board - tomAto, tomato!

Once again, we have a hustling and bustling week ahead of us. Last week's dinners were divine, if I do say so myself; however, it left us with a ton of leftovers! So, we're starting this week out the way we usually end it, with leftover night.

Lucky me, for the menu this week, there is hardly any shopping to be done! What a wonderful gift in these lean economic times! Ok, ok, enough idle banter - let's get to the menu!

Monday, May 14th - Shorty's Diner

Tuesday, May 15th - Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas, Rice, & Refried Beans

Wednesday, May 16th - Spaghetti & Meatballs with Green Beans & French Bread

Thursday, May 17th - Loaded Baked Potatoes

Friday, May 18th - Out to dinner

Saturday, May 19th - Mini Pizzas (Cooper picked up a few boxes of Red Barron singles a few weeks ago ... it's like a "freebie")

There you go, a standard - no frills kind of week!

Happy Cooking!
The Glamorous Chef

Week of May 4th - May 9th

This week I'm nodding my head at America ... and France with classic, comfort foods we all love.

Happy Cooking!
The Glamorous Chef

Monday, May 4th - Ratatouille and Beignets for dessert (with all those veggies, you've got to have a little "nummy")

Tuesday, May 5th - Beef Stew **

Wednesday, May 6th - Chicken Pot Pie

Thursday, May 7th - Meatloaf with Fried Onions & Ranch Seasoning

Friday, May 8th - Out to Dinner

Saturday, May 9th - Breakfast for Dinner - heat up the griddle! We're cookin' up some flapjacks!

** Here is my personal Beef Stew Recipe:

1 lb. Stew meat
3 Carrots, sliced
2 ribs Celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloved minced garlic
3 medium potatoes
16 oz. can tomato sauce
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cup Water
1 tsp. Cardamom
1 tsp. Paprika
2 tsp. Oregano
2 Tbsp. Worstershire Sauce
1 shake Tabasco Sauce
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt

Cut stew meat in small pieces, put 1/4 cup flour in ziploc bag, place meat in bag & shake to coat. Brown meat in stockpot, add onion, tomatoes, sauce, water, and spices. Bring to boil & let simmer for 1 hr. Add potatoes, carrots, and celery. Let simmer another hour. OR after browning meat, add all ingredients to crock pot and cook on high for five hours.

A Little Recap

If you're looking at this for the first time, you need to go to the first posts I wrote called Grocery Shopping 101 and Condensed Soup - they're essential in your quest to lower that grocery bill.

After speaking today in church about lowering your grocery bill, I realized there is more that I need to share. Here are some essential key points you need to know in order to become a savvy consumer & chef:

• Have a budget
• Make a weekly menu
• Get everyone involved (if you don't teach your children, you'll be sending them $ later)
• Use what you have
• Grow your own

If you know what you like & you only buy it on sale, then your pantry should look deliciously full. When that happens, you will have things on hand to complete your menu & be able to replenish whenever another sale hits.

I like to cook (duh!) and I also like meals to be special, so I grow my own. I grow my own herbs - that is. It only takes a couple of pots or a square foot of ground to have a nice, healthy herb garden. I planted a teeny tiny rosemary plant about five years ago. Today, it is a ginormous, beautiful mound - which we cut from on a weekly basis. This year, I claimed about five square feet of ground and planted onions, basil, sweet basil, lavender, and catnip (for the meow meows). I'm already reaping (har har) the benefits of my forethought.

Last thing - get everyone involved. My husband never thought about buying us bread from a bakery near his work until he saw how expensive artisan breads were at the grocery store. Now that he knows how much our family loves a good Sourdough and 9 Grain, he picks up a couple loaves a week and saves us around $4/week. Good job! The kids also pack their own lunch. They love it, they have control over what they eat, and they are learning time management. We save roughly $15/week due to their good habits. That amounts to $540 per school year!! Wow! I bet they'll love having more money to apply toward college!

Cooking for your family and teaching your children about meal preparation and budgeting is an act of love. We all need to eat. Nourishing your families' bodies can save you time, money, and heartache while enjoying the feeling of a job well-done and assuring yourself that you are doing all you can to keep your family healthy - both physically and fiscally.

Week of April 27th - May 2nd

Monday, April 27th - Steak Quesadillas, Rice, & Refried Beans

Tuesday, April 28th - Grilled Chicken, Broccoli, & Noodles

Wednesday, April 29th - Quiche (buy a rolled Pillsbury crust - cook it (with foil covering) at 425 degrees fro 8 min. - remove from oven and decrease temp to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl mix 4 eggs with 1/2 cup milk, 1 1/2 cup cheese, dash nutmeg, 3/4 cup diced ham. Pour into pie crust and bake for 40 min. or until center is set. - make 2 Quiche if you have hungry, hungry hippos!)

Thursday, April 30th - Out to Dinner (Sam's Pizza Night)

Friday, May 1st - Hot Wings & Tater Tots

Saturday, May 2nd - Hamburgers & Corn on the Cob

That may not sound like a very healthy week; however, the steak was lean, chicken grilled on a Foreman, Hot Wings baked in the oven, and Hamburgers made with 90% lean beef. I love food enough to eat "unhealthy" foods in a healthier way! It's not that hard!

Happy Cooking!
The Glamorous Chef

Week of April 20th - April 25th

It's all business this week! Last week we were surprised by our friends who took the kids out to dinner on Friday - so we've moved Baked Potatoes to this week (fyi - we love our papas, but we're not seriously potato crazy!)

Monday - Loaded Baked Potatoes

Tuesday - Carne Guisada

Wednesday - Chicken Cordon Bleu

Thursday - Out to dinner - it's a crazy night at our house, so "Hi Ho! Hi Ho! Off to the drive thru we go!"

Friday - Burgers & Fries

Saturday - Shorty's Diner

Happy Cooking!

The Glamorous Chef

Week of April 13th - April 18th

Happy Monday!

Did y'all try the Lemon Basil Pesto Flat Iron Steak?! Holy Cow!! Delicioso! I used New York Strip b/c I have no idea what a flat iron steak is & they were awesome. Seriously, seriously a taste sensation. In fact, we had leftover steak, which is being used in Monday's dinner this week. I'm using my noggin for sure.

We have a busy busy week with two early baseball games. This week's menu is as easy as it gets!

Monday - Steak Quesadillas - just in case you don't know how to make a quesadilla (I call it my Mexican grilled cheese) ... thinly slice the steak, butter one side of a tortilla, place (buttered side down) in a warm skillet, sprinkly with cheese, lay steak on cheese, sprinkle with more cheese, top with another buttered tortilla (buttered side facing up), heat till cheese is melted, flip, lightly brown other side and you're done!

Tuesday - Beans & Jalapeno Cheddar Bread -- Don't tell me you threw that ham bone away from Easter dinner!! If you kept it, soak a bag of beans overnight, throw them in the crockpot the next day with your ham bone, add your favorite seasonings, some onion, maybe a pepper, water to cover beans, and cook all day long. About an hour before dinner, add some of that yummy leftover ham, heat through and serve with cornbread or whatever bread you choose. We are benefitting from one of Cooper's work colleagues who bought a loaf of Cheddar bread and then heard the unfortunate results of his Cholesterol test. His wife forbid him from eating anymore cheese bread --- sad for him, lucky us! This meal makes me love being a Southern Girl. My Dad always made the best beans. It's comfort food all around!

Wednesday - Out to Dinner (gotta love Enchilada Night at El Chico)

Thursday - Quiche -- more left over ham? Throw it in a Quiche!!

Friday - Loaded Baked Potatoes

Saturday - Shorty's Diner

I Have No Bananas Today!

You know why?! I have the most amazing recipe to use those overripe bananas your kids won't touch with a ten foot pole. Here it is:

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

1 Yellow cake mix
3 Bananas
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs

Mix ingredients together completely. Add 1/2 bag Chocolate Chips. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Isn't that easy?! They are so very yummy. You can even get creative and add different things. For example, I was out of bananas, but I DID have some frozen mushy peaches with the skins removed from the summer - so I added those instead, put in a couple teaspoons of lemon zest, and fresh blackberries. Oh my! Oh my! They were DELICIOUS! You could do the same thing with a can of peaches (drained & put through the food processor of course). For an ultimate chocolate treat, use chocolate cake mix. That is my tween daughter's favorite!!

Like I've said before, don't pass up that inexpensive cake mix --- you never know when you'll have a hankerin' for muffins!

Happy cooking ... or baking!!
The Glamorous Chef

Week of April 6th - April 11th

Monday - Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup & Quesadillas (our Mexican version of soup & grilled cheese)

Tuesday - Beef with Asparagus

Wednesday - Spaghetti & Meatballs, sauteed squash, & Garlic bread

Thursday - Lemon Basil Pesto Flat Iron Steak, baked potatoes, & green beans

Friday - Out to Dinner

Saturday - Shorty's Diner

There it is! Not too shabby! I can't wait to try the Beef with Asparagus - it sounds so yummy! I'm throwing a red pepper in with the Asparagus, just to add a little "sump'en sump'en".

Happy Cooking!
The Glamorous Chef

Where Did Last Week Go?!

I'm so sorry for not posting last week.

It's better to be truthful, so I have to admit that due to an unexpected influx of handmade tamales and an overabundance of freezer food. I cooked nary an evening all week long! I do believe our family has had our fill of tamales until Marissa's mother comes for another visit in six months. Oh the glory!!

So, here is the lesson in all the preparation and such: When you have a week where being a mother, much less a chef is anything but glamorous ... head to the freezer and reap the rewards of all your hard work!

Happy cooking (or reheating)!
The Glamorous Chef

Week of March 23rd - March 28th

Monday - Meatloaf , Green Beans, Applesauce & Rolls

Tuesday - Crispy Herb Baked Chicken , Cauliflower & Baked Apples (this chicken is so incredibly fabulous as well as fabulously easy!)

Wednesday - Honey Garlic Pork Chops , Asian Noodles, & Stir Fried Veggies


Thursday - Red Beans & Rice with Cornbread

• This meal couldn't be any easier! Saute about half a cup of chopped onion with a pound of smoked sausage and as much garlic as you want. After sausage is cooked through and onion in soft, add two cans red beans and two cups cooked rice. Spice up as desired!

Friday - Out to Dinner

Saturday - Shorty's Diner

Happy Cooking!

The Glamorous Chef

Week of March 16th - March 21st

Wow! I am a scatter brain these days! Without further ado, here is the schedule for the week:

Monday: Roast Chicken*, broccoli, & rice

Tuesday: Chicken Noodle Soup**

Wednesday: Baked Ziti

Thursday: Shorty's Dinner

Friday: Chicken Enchiladas

Saturday: Out to Dinner

*Baked Chicken? BAKED CHICKEN?! Is that scary to you? Don't be afraid. It's so, so, so easy & will become a family favorite. This is how I bake a chicken. To be fair and give credit where it's due - I found this in Mary Englebreit's Home Companion years ago. I always make two chickens for enough meat for additional meals or to take to someone who needs food (because that happens more often than I like to admit!) Here it is:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Assemble ingredients:
Two roasting chickens
Two lemons
Onion
Minced Garlic
Rosemary Sprigs (8)
salt
pepper
olive oil

Clean out chickens, pat dry with paper towel and fold wings back behind chicken (like they're "resting"). Cut lemons in half, squeeze over chicken, rub on skin, put lemon halves in chicken cavity. Lift skin on chicken breasts, rub minced garlic between skin and breast, place one sprig under skin of each breast and two in cavity. Drizzle olive oil over chicken, salt, and pepper.

Place chickens on their sides in roasting pan. Roast at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, place chickens on their backs, reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for one hour or until juices run clear.

Once chicken is done, let it cool before handling, then cut into pieces. Remove meat from breasts.

**Chicken Noodle Soup. DON'T THROW AWAY THAT CHICKEN CARCASS!!! Oh it looks gross and like you should throw it in the garbage, but don't! Instead, put that pile of bones and meat in a stock pot with six cups of water, a couple carrots, a quartered onion, some celery, oregano or basil or thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and let simmer for two hours.

Strain broth and set aside bones. When cool enough, pick extra meat from bones, reserve for soup.

To make soup - place 1 cup carrots, 1 cup celery, 1/2 cup chopped onion, salt, and pepper in broth. Bring to boil and let cook for 10 minutes. Add 2 cups eggs noodles, boil for allotted time. Add chicken (2 cups), heat through, and serve.

Trust me - this isn't that hard & you will feel very thrifty & impressed with yourself!

Even after these two meals, you may still have meat left over. Use that for Chicken Enchiladas or Quesadillas or Gumbo or anything else that tickles your fancy!

Week of Mar. 9th to Mar. 14th

So sorry about last week! Our family is in the process of buying & selling homes so I was a little overwhelmed.

With all the wheeling and dealing over with for the moment, it's time to get back to business!

Without further ado, here is the menu for the week:

Monday: Sliders with baked fries - (itty bitty hamburgers with probably the best baked fries I've ever made.) Here's how to do it: slice potatoes into fries, place in bowl, lightly pour olive oil over fries, add salt, pepper, and paprika, toss. Place fries on baking sheet and broil at 500 degrees, stirring occasionally, for close to an hour.

Tuesday: Family Pizza Night at the school

Wednesday: Breakfast for Dinner - pancakes, bacon, & hashbrowns with fresh fruit

Thursday: Loaded Baked Potatoes

Friday: Fish Sticks w/ Macaroni & Cheese

Saturday: Out to Dinner

It's a simple week for sure, but that works too!! Happy Cooking!!

The Glamorous Chef

Oops!

I have had a million things going & have not gotten to my menu yet ... and it's WEDNESDAY!!!

Here's your proof - I'm not perfect!

A new menu is coming soon! For now, let me link to a wonderful article my friend, Kari Ann sent my way. It's a new incentive to make that family meal a top priority!

Happy Cooking!
The Glamorous Chef

Week of Feb. 23rd - Mar. 1st

Hey fellow Chefs! Are you ready for a new and exciting week of menus?

Remember when I said that fresh is best? Well, this week we're putting that to the test! This is also my "Ode to Martha" week. Most of these recipes are from her cookbook. I've noticed with Martha - less is best. The more ingredients and steps, the less optimistic I am that the recipe will turn out well.

Here we go!! Bust out your food processor and your simplicity skills & lets get cookin'!

Monday, Feb. 23rd - Chicken Chilaquiles with Carrot Cumin Slaw and Refried Beans

Tuesday, Feb. 24th - Dinner Out (we're dining out b/c we have a brother-in-law in town - life does get in the way of the best of intentions!)

Wednesday, Feb. 25th - Potato and Onion Frittata, Ham, and mixed green salad - I'm only including ham for my carnivore of a son (and we have a few small ham steaks in the freezer from Cooper's couponing). Feel free to omit it.

Thursday, Feb. 26th - Chili **Here's my tip: for a good, easy, pantry chili - saute one small chopped onion, add minced garlic, chili powder, one can Ranch Style beans, and one can Chili without beans - it's yummy! (make that two cans of beans and chili if you have a family of 4 or more)** If you want to pretend it's 1983 and you're eating in the Christie Elementary Cafeteria, put that chili on top of Fritos! It's a Texas favorite - Frito Pie!

Friday, Feb. 27th - Stuffed Peppers with Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots and Marshmallow Fruit Salad **give me credit here - my kids are going to fuss and cry b/c they hate, hate, hate peppers and my boy is going to be doubly hurt by green beans, so I've got to add the kid friendly fruit salad as a buffer. Think of it as dessert! Oh, and I don't make them eat the whole pepper although I have paid them to do it!!! WHATEVER WORKS, EH?!**

Saturday, Feb. 28th - I'm mixing it up with Lunch. My whole family is always starving at lunch on Saturday ... so I'm changing things around a little bit. I'm making Lentil Soup and serving it with a fresh loaf of crusty bread. For dinner we're going to Shorty's Diner, which is in the kitchen - eating leftovers (in case you missed that post).

Wow! I'm hungry just typing this up this morning!!!

Hope y'all enjoy & happy cooking!

The Glamorous Chef

Condensed Soup

For those of you who may have been turned off or intimidated by Grocery Shopping on the Cheap 101, I thought I'd post an easier, less work-intensive version. I, myself, adopted this version of shopping after Cooper started his couponing habit. He was - uh, hem - a little enthusiastic at first and was bringing home so much food that I was forced to create menus around 12 lbs. of Velveeta and twenty loaves of bread. Now that he has calmed down a bit, I am free to once again plan and shop at my leisure.

Here is Condensed Soup for those of you who want to set and stick to a budget:

1. Choose ONE store that you love the most or has the best deals for the week (still peruse the weekly circular)
   
2. Plan your weekly menu
3. Eat a snack before your weekly shopping
4. Remember to look for good produce deals & discounted meat
5. ***ONLY BUY WHAT YOU NEED***

There it is! Hard, eh?!

I best flit off to prepare this upcoming week's menu.

Happy Cooking!

The Glamorous Chef

February 16th - February 22nd

Holy Cow!! I can't believe we're looking at a new week already! Life is bustling so I'm making this week extremely easy for me by using a lasagne from the freezer for Tuesday night --- could be just as easy for you if you buy one already prepared!

Thursday is one of my favorite Sis-in-law's birthday. In honor of her, I'm highlighting her famous Cheddar Chowder Monday night. Everyone loves it!

Have a fabulous week! Happy Cooking!

The Glamorous Chef

Monday, February 16th: Cheddar Chowder
Cheddar Chowder
2 Cups Water
2 Cups Diced Potatoes
½ Cup Diced Carrots
½ Cup Diced Celery
¼ Cup Chopped Onion
1 tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Pepper
Combine water, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, salt, and pepper in large heavy bottomed
pot. Bring to boil. Boil 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, make white
sauce: melt butter, add flour and stir until smooth. Slowly add milk. Cook until
thickened. Turn off the heat & add grated cheese. Stir until melted. Add white sauce
and cubed ham to vegetables that have not been drained. Heat through.
White Sauce
¼ Cup Butter
¼ Cup Flour
2 Cups Milk
2 Cups Cheddar Cheese
1 Cup Cubed Ham

Tuesday, February 17th: Lasagne -mine is a pre-made frozen I made a month or so ago. Make you own or go buy Stouffers - really, who cares?! Cost wise, it could be about the same unless you have a stockpile of pasta sauce, ground beef, and noodles from your budget conscious grocery shopping. ;)

Wednesday, February 18th: Soft Chicken Tacos

Thursday, February 19th: Shorty's Diner (leftover night)

Friday, February 20th: Stir Fry - I have found Wal-Mart sells the best stir fry veggies. They come in a giant bag (I think Bird's Eye is the brand) with the sauce! Brown thinly sliced beef, chicken, or pork --- heck, or shrimp, remove from wok, add veggies, stir fry until tender, return meat to wok, add sauce and ... DINNER! It's wonderful! Serve with white rice, brown rice, or noodles - you can't lose!

Saturday, February 21st: Dinner Out - you deserve it!

February 9th to February 15th

Here is our weekly menu! Enjoy!

The Glamorous Chef

Monday, February 9th:

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup with Quesadillas

Tuesday, February 10th:

Sloppy Joes w/ potato chips and fruit - Dinner doesn't always have to be difficult, does it?!

Wednesday, February 11th:

Garlic Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breast, Roasted Asparagus, and Fruit Salad
**Do you like asparagus? If not - try Dave Mortensen's all-time best way to prepare it: place washed & trimmed asparagus on cooking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper - roast at 500 degrees until tender. It is to die for!**
As a side note, this chicken is so good - I can't believe I made it! Seriously, it is fantastic!!

Thursday, February 12th:

Asian Beef & Noodles
*I am changing this a little by using sirloin steak instead of ground beef and by using rice noodles*

Friday, February 13th:

Out to dinner

Saturday, February 14th: Happy Valentine's Day!

Grilled Pizzas - take a step outside and put that pizza pie on the grill!
**hint - you can even buy pre-made pizza crust**

Grocery Shopping on the Cheap 101

I've been asked many, many times how in the world I keep our grocery budget so low. It's not as low as some, but it is consistently low ... and there's something to be said for that! I do not use coupons. It's not that I see anything wrong with them, but I've only gotten myself in trouble with them - spending more than I intend by buying items I don't usually purchase. My husband has coupons figured out quite well. Heaven help us if he ever starts a blog about couponing! Stores will be forced to shut down for all the money flying out their doors! If you are like me and lack patience as well as long for simplicity - these hints should help out a little (if you're a couponer like Cooper - simply combine my techniques with your couponing & be ultra-efficient).

1. Before heading to the store, make a menu. Before making a menu - look around your pantry & freezer. Ask yourself what you have that can be used in other ways. Be creative and open up that culinary mind!
2. Peruse weekly grocery store circulars to find what items are the best deals. Just because something isn't on your menu shopping list doesn't mean that you shouldn't buy it - i.e. 89 cent cake mix is a good deal!
3. Head to the store(s) - you have a list of items you need for your meals as well as any pantry or freezable items you can buy for later use.
4. Only buy what's on your list - if you do really well, splurge on US Weekly (I won't tell)!!!

Before I composed this post, I followed my own advice & tallied up the supposed cost. Here are my notes:

Brookshires: $13
onions 99cents/lb. (estimate buying 3 lbs.)
apples 99cents/lb. (estimate buying 3 lbs.)
Pillsbury cake mix 89 cents (buying 5)
potatoes 10 lbs/$2.50

Kroger: $13
hamburger buns 70 cents
Grands biscuits 97 cents (buying 2)
Romaine lettuce 77 cents
green bell peppers 3 for $1 (buying 6 - to blanch and freeze)
peaches 99 cents
asparagus $2.99/lb.
cabbage 2 lbs./$1

Market Street: $12
Grapefruit 5/$1
Food Club Green Beans (for pantry) 5/$2 (buying 20)
Simply Potatoes hash browns (for freezer) 2/$3

Tom Thumb: $20
whole cut up chicken (to freeze) 99 cents/lb.
Fritos $1
baby carrots $1
grapes 88 cents/lb.
campbell's soup (for pantry) 10/$10 (buying 10)

Albertson's: $15
oranges 4lbs./$2
Schepp's 1/2 gallon milk $1 (buying 4)
Pork butt roast (to freeze) $1/lb.
Pork loin chops (to freeze) $1/lb.
eggs $1
bread$1

Total: $73 - enough left over for that magazine!

Buying items when they are on sale and freezing or storing them really does save a ton of money. I found boneless skinless chicken breast for $1.42/lb. at Sam's one day. Needless to say, I brought home an obscene amount, repackaged them in usable amounts, and froze them. When I make my menu on Monday, I take whatever I need from the freezer and place it in the fridge. That way it can thaw slowly and I have a visual of what I'm using that week.

So what do you do when you see, say - cake mix for 25 cents a box? Clear the shelf!! You can use cake mix for muffins and cookies as well as cake. The same goes for numerous other items - when in doubt, bust out that iphone or blackberry in the grocery isle and google the clearance item followed by "recipes" and see what flows forth!

That's it! Isn't it easy?! A little forethought, a little preparation - and you're ready to go! I promise you, this isn't difficult! When you've done this for a week or two or fifty, you'll never look back and think it was a waste of time - it's just too convenient & easy!

Happy shopping!

The Glamorous Chef

Two Weeks in a Post for One

Since this is my first weekly menu post, I figured including last week's menu would be beneficial.

Happy Cooking!

The Glamorous Chef

Monday, January 26th - Saturday, January 31st:

• Monday - Lettuce wraps - This is a pretty good recipe. I used ground turkey for a healthier alternative (and b/c I had some in the freezer from a few weeks ago when I found it in the clearance meats. There is NOTHING wrong with the clearance meat, but it is important that you use it or freeze it immediately) Since ground turkey needs a little something extra, I doubled the soy and hoison sauce and I added crushed peanuts. The kids weren't about to eat lettuce, so they put the meat in a tortilla for Asian Soft Tacos (they did have to try it in the lettuce first though - be flexible Mommies!).
• Tuesday - Spaghetti with Meatballs - I buy a big bag of meatballs to keep in the freezer for these nights. One bag may yield three or four dinners. That's a worthwhile cost to me!
• Wednesday - Loaded Baked Potatoes - put those spuds in the oven! We love this dinner and it's so easy you can enlist the kiddos to prepare it! Put washed potatoes on foil, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt - we put a few sprigs of fresh rosemary with them - and roll up that foil. I usually bake them at 375 degrees for an hour or so. Honestly, we've used different temperatures and times - these are virtually impossible to ruin. I cook up about three pieces of bacon to put on top - it's plenty for our family.
  
• Thursday - Harvest Chili - my kids and husband weren't too sure about this recipe, but it was really good!
• Friday - Go out to dinner! Every Glamorous Chef deserves a night off!
• Saturday - Shorty's Diner a.k.a. leftover night - Put on your fanciest apron, do up your hair, and smack your gum while serving up delicious vittles from the previous five days.

Monday, February 2nd - to Saturday, February 7th:

• Monday - BLT's - what's easier?! My husband, we'll call him Cooper, is a couponer. We have an abundance of bacon & bread from last week's "deals" so this was perfect!
  
• Tuesday - Modenese Pork Chops
• Wednesday - Chicken Cacciatore
  
• Thursday - Southwestern Quiche
  
• Friday - Out to dinner
• Saturday - Shorty's Diner

Ok, blogger isn't letting me comment after web links - so I'll make my notes here!

These pork chops are delish! I pair them with a veggie, a starch, and applesauce (of course). You must enjoy flashing back to the Brady Bunch episode where Bobby said, "Pork chops and applesauce," like Humphrey Bogart. Your kids will enjoy your silliness, mine sure did!

I use chicken breast for the Chicken Cacciatore because I don't like dark meat - obviously, it's your preference. Make sure you don't pass up those fabulous specials on boneless skinless chicken breast. It freezes great! I serve this over rice or pasta with a veggie.

Don't throw that weekly newspaper mailout away so fast! My daughter saw the recipe for Southwestern Quiche and asked if I could make it. Go Glamorous Chef daughter!! Best thing about quiche? It is fantastic all on it's own. Of course, you can serve a salad with it if that tickles your fancy.

You may be wondering, "What about Sunday?!" Every Sunday, Cooper makes dinner. It's the Sabbath, I take the day off! I can tell you he makes steak and potatoes just about every Sunday - it's always a hit! And, yes, he buys his meat on special!!

Happy Cooking!

The Glamorous Chef

Get Cookin'

I'm a fly by the seat of your pants, anything goes type of person. Exactly the type of person who has a difficult time maintaining order! Being a stay-at-home mom for the past eleven years has helped me tap into different aspects of my personality that I wouldn't know existed unless given this opportunity.

After blogging about my family life for the past three years, I decided that it may be time for me to branch out and share a little bit about what I've learned as a stay at home mom. So, here we are!

One thing that has been very successful, for me, is a weekly menu. Every Monday after the morning rush, I sit down to write out a menu for the week. I consider what is in our pantry, what needs to be purchased, what good recipes I've seen, and what the weather is like (because who wants to eat stew in August?). Most weeks have been wonderful - some not so; however, maintaining this little bit of order has benefited our family in many ways.

1. I never have to answer, "What's for Dinner?" - our menu is posted on a chalk board in the kitchen
2. I've given myself a budget of $75/week for groceries. We have a family of five - so your needs may be different. I've been able to save quite a bit of money by making and sticking with our menu
3. I've tried many dishes I wouldn't normally have tried if I didn't take the time to think about our dinners
4. We eat fresh more often than not. It really is better!
5. I always feel accomplished Saturday night - when I see that I've met one tiny goal.

Here is how this blog will run: I will post a menu every Monday. I will do my best to give tips and hints on how to prepare what's on the menu. I will also note where I found the recipes.

If you have any suggestions or great recipes - send them my way!! I'm always on the hunt for new ideas!

Happy Cooking!

The Glamorous Chef