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.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
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:
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.
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
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
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
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