Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas!
I have "sample" copies of our uncompleted cookbook in PDF if anyone's interested! Just leave your email address in the comment section and I'll send it to you. Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Bacon Salt and Beef Stew
First off, thanks to Patrick and Emma for their awesome Christmas gift of Bacon Salt and Baconnaise! Thank you! We haven't tried it yet. But I bought some frozen french fries today to put the Bacon Salt on. And I plan on making some deviled eggs with the baconnaise. Should be some good eats!

Second, what's for dinner tonight, you ask? (Because I know you've been eagerly awaiting my wonderful posts!! That was a sarcastic remark, by the way.)
Well, it's chilly outside (by So Cal standards, anyway) and Steve is planning on doing a little Christmas shopping after work tonight. So I thought a big pot of beef stew would be good. It's comfort food and will hold well and stay hot on the stove until Steve gets home.

The recipe is based off Steve's mom's version. It's pretty basic. Here's how I made mine, obviously you can change amounts of the meat/veggies.
1.5 lbs. london broil (or other such "stewing" meat
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
6-8 mushrooms, quartered
2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced (yukon golds are perfect in this, but I didn't have any on hand and wanted to use up my russets)
1 qt. low sodium beef stock
1/2 can tomato sauce (this is what the recipe calls for, but i forgot to buy it at the store. so i used 1 can of condensed tomato soup instead. and i have to say it was really good that way! the tomato soup is slightly sweeter than tomato sauce and gave the stew a really nice velvet-y texture.)
1 cup dry red wine
2-3 T flour
salt, pepper, various herbs and spices
Worcestershire sauce
Ok, so I cubed my meat, dumped it into a ziplock bag and threw in enough flour to coat well. I rummaged through the spice rack and threw in whatever seemed good -- garlic powder, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt, and lots of black pepper. I even tossed in some Creole seasoning to spice it up a bit.
In a large stock pot, heat up a few tablespoons of oil and brown the meat. You may have to do this in a few batches to get a really nice brown crust on the meat. But I was too lazy, I just dumped it all in. Still got nice and browned nonetheless. Add the wine, scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan. Add tomato sauce, beef stock, worcestershire and all the veggies except the potatoes. Cover and simmer for an hour and then throw the potatoes in. Cook another 30-45 minutes or until meat is very tender. I tend to let my stew go for 2 hours or more sometimes...just because I like the meat to be falling apart pretty much.
Also, I'm not going to bother doing cost breakdowns for each meal. No one cares and it's too much math for this lazy brain. I do, however, try to be as frugal as I can when I go to the grocery store. I try to shop at WinCo and Costco only, where everything is cheaper. On average I spend about $65-70 per week on food. That does not include diapers, of course. :) Only food enough for 6-7 dinners, with enough leftover for lunches the next day...and snacks...and drinks...and dessert treats...and necessities like toilet paper and paper towels and such. Not bad.

Second, what's for dinner tonight, you ask? (Because I know you've been eagerly awaiting my wonderful posts!! That was a sarcastic remark, by the way.)
Well, it's chilly outside (by So Cal standards, anyway) and Steve is planning on doing a little Christmas shopping after work tonight. So I thought a big pot of beef stew would be good. It's comfort food and will hold well and stay hot on the stove until Steve gets home.

The recipe is based off Steve's mom's version. It's pretty basic. Here's how I made mine, obviously you can change amounts of the meat/veggies.
1.5 lbs. london broil (or other such "stewing" meat
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
6-8 mushrooms, quartered
2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced (yukon golds are perfect in this, but I didn't have any on hand and wanted to use up my russets)
1 qt. low sodium beef stock
1/2 can tomato sauce (this is what the recipe calls for, but i forgot to buy it at the store. so i used 1 can of condensed tomato soup instead. and i have to say it was really good that way! the tomato soup is slightly sweeter than tomato sauce and gave the stew a really nice velvet-y texture.)
1 cup dry red wine
2-3 T flour
salt, pepper, various herbs and spices
Worcestershire sauce
Ok, so I cubed my meat, dumped it into a ziplock bag and threw in enough flour to coat well. I rummaged through the spice rack and threw in whatever seemed good -- garlic powder, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt, and lots of black pepper. I even tossed in some Creole seasoning to spice it up a bit.
In a large stock pot, heat up a few tablespoons of oil and brown the meat. You may have to do this in a few batches to get a really nice brown crust on the meat. But I was too lazy, I just dumped it all in. Still got nice and browned nonetheless. Add the wine, scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan. Add tomato sauce, beef stock, worcestershire and all the veggies except the potatoes. Cover and simmer for an hour and then throw the potatoes in. Cook another 30-45 minutes or until meat is very tender. I tend to let my stew go for 2 hours or more sometimes...just because I like the meat to be falling apart pretty much.
Also, I'm not going to bother doing cost breakdowns for each meal. No one cares and it's too much math for this lazy brain. I do, however, try to be as frugal as I can when I go to the grocery store. I try to shop at WinCo and Costco only, where everything is cheaper. On average I spend about $65-70 per week on food. That does not include diapers, of course. :) Only food enough for 6-7 dinners, with enough leftover for lunches the next day...and snacks...and drinks...and dessert treats...and necessities like toilet paper and paper towels and such. Not bad.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Cookies and other stuff.

Went to my parents' yesterday and they watched Rylan while I made two huge batches of cookies. One butterscotch chip and one chocolate chip. I won't post a recipe, I just used the one on the back of the chocolate chip bag. :) The only difference is that I use 1 1/2 bags of chips per batch (for even more chocolatey goodness) and I underbake the cookies by about 1 1/2 minutes than what's recommended in the recipe. Cause we like gooey cookies not crunchy ones. Oh and baking on parchment paper is a MUST! I've been meaning to shell out the money for a silpat liner -- but it's just too expensive and parchment works well.
For dinner last night, Steve and Rylan had "saucy franks". I think this is a recipe from Steve's grandpa and Steve grew up eating it. I had leftover pizza and salad -- the saucy franks sauce would have given me terrible heartburn. Anyway, you can make this dish with regular hot dogs, veggie dogs, or I use turkey dogs. The idea is that the sauce is NOT like spaghetti sauce...it's more of a tangy-sweet tomato sauce. If you like it less sweet, use less sugar. More tangy, add more vinegar. Rylan loved it --
saucy franks
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
4 hot dogs, sliced or cubed
2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 tsp vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar, or more to taste
salt and pepper
1 tsp oil
1 lb. wide egg noodles, cooked according to package directions and tossed with butter
Saute bell pepper, onion and garlic in oil until soft. Add hot dogs, cook for 2-3 minutes. Add tomato sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for at least 10 minutes. Serve over buttered egg noodles.
(No pics of this -- that'll be in the cookbook)
Tonight I'm going to make cheese soup. Maybe some ham sandwiches to go with it since eating JUST soup never seems like a complete meal to me. This soup has Cheese Whiz in it! Yeah, yeah, I know....it's processed cheese....but it is SOOOO good and smooth and creamy and doesn't get oily like other cheese soups do. Recipe tomorrow.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Lazy
I promise that this blog will eventually get better. Really!
As of now, though, I'm tired, cranky, fat, and achy...and even though I LOVE LOVE LOVE to cook, I just haven't felt like doing much lately.
Tonight, we're either going to eat leftovers (which I hate, but otherwise it would go to waste) or just order a pizza.
Tomorrow I'll be going to the Commissary on March AFB with my parents. That means fresh California rolls for Rylan and me!! (They have an excellent in-store sushi chef there -- between my mom, Ry, and me we usually end up buying at least 5 packages of assorted sushi. All cooked. Nothing raw, of course.) Anyway, the main reason for this trip is to buy ingredients for Christmas cookies. My dad wants me to make a big batch of chocolate chip cookies and butterscotch chip cookies. :)
Also for tomorrow, I'll make "Saucy Franks". Not my favorite meal, but Steve and Rylan love it!
As of now, though, I'm tired, cranky, fat, and achy...and even though I LOVE LOVE LOVE to cook, I just haven't felt like doing much lately.
Tonight, we're either going to eat leftovers (which I hate, but otherwise it would go to waste) or just order a pizza.
Tomorrow I'll be going to the Commissary on March AFB with my parents. That means fresh California rolls for Rylan and me!! (They have an excellent in-store sushi chef there -- between my mom, Ry, and me we usually end up buying at least 5 packages of assorted sushi. All cooked. Nothing raw, of course.) Anyway, the main reason for this trip is to buy ingredients for Christmas cookies. My dad wants me to make a big batch of chocolate chip cookies and butterscotch chip cookies. :)
Also for tomorrow, I'll make "Saucy Franks". Not my favorite meal, but Steve and Rylan love it!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Thanks Jennifer!
I thought I'd repost this here, so everyone can see.
Here is a really inexpensive recipe for winter time. It doesn't look appealing when you are making it but turns out very yummy.
Potato Soup
Bring to a boil & cook till soft. Do not drain:
6 c. potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 4 large)
4 c. water
3 tsp. salt
2 bunches of green onions, cut into 3 inch pieces
Blend the following ingredients until very smooth:
1 c. water
3/4 c. blanched almonds
Add to above ingredients after the potatoes are cooked. Bring to a boil mixing all ingredients well. Use a potato masher to mash potatoes to desired consistency. Add 2 c. of fresh or frozen corn as an option. Serve in bread bowels.
Thanks Jennifer! We'll definitely try this!
Here is a really inexpensive recipe for winter time. It doesn't look appealing when you are making it but turns out very yummy.
Potato Soup
Bring to a boil & cook till soft. Do not drain:
6 c. potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 4 large)
4 c. water
3 tsp. salt
2 bunches of green onions, cut into 3 inch pieces
Blend the following ingredients until very smooth:
1 c. water
3/4 c. blanched almonds
Add to above ingredients after the potatoes are cooked. Bring to a boil mixing all ingredients well. Use a potato masher to mash potatoes to desired consistency. Add 2 c. of fresh or frozen corn as an option. Serve in bread bowels.
Tonight: Malibu Chicken
I'm feeling extremely lazy and wish we could just order a pizza or Chinese take-out. But money is tight, so I must cook. It's become such a chore lately! Soon enough, I'll be able to enjoy a glass of wine while I cook. That always makes the task more fun.
Anyway, tonight's dinner is: Malibu chicken. Yes, similar to that chicken dish served at Sizzler. But way better IMO.
Too lazy to post pics, sorry. But here's the method. It's not really a recipe.
I'm making this for 2, obviously you'd up the amounts for more people.
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup flour
1 T Italian seasoning (or any of your favorite herbs and spices)
salt and pepper
2 slices deli ham
2 slices swiss cheese
canola oil
Preheat oven to 350.
In a large zip lock bag, combine flour, Italian seasoning, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Add chicken to the bag and shake to coat the meat well. Heat about 1/2" of oil in a large skillet and cook chicken until nicely browned. (Depending on thickness of chicken, it may or may not be cooked through at this point.) Remove to a paper towel and drain excess oil. Transfer to a foil-lined baking dish and top chicken with ham and swiss cheese. Put in oven and continue cooking for 10-20 minutes -- until chicken is cooked and cheese is melted.
I'm serving this with an easy, boxed broccoli cheese rice and some corn. If I remember correctly, this was served with a honey-mustard dipping sauce at Sizzler.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Last Night
Last night we had French dip sandwiches and au jus. No pictures or recipe, I'm assuming everyone knows how to make a sandwich. But just thought I'd mention it here because Rylan LOVED it! Of course, what kid wouldn't love dunking a hunk of bread and melty cheese into a bowl of soupy stuff?
Total cost of last night's meal was about $6. Not bad!
Not sure what's on the plate for tonight. We have tons of leftover King Ranch Chicken, but I may just save most of it for Steve's take-to-work lunches.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Coming up next week:
Going grocery shopping tonight, here's a few dinners on the list for next week:
- Cheese Soup
- Roast beef sandwiches with au jus
- "Malibu" chicken
What's for dinner tonight? KING RANCH CHICKEN

I'm still fighting a cold and feeling lazy today. So I've decided to make a family favorite tonight, king ranch chicken. It's super easy, inexpensive, and you can make it ahead of time. I made mine this afternoon while Rylan was napping. About 30 minutes before Steve gets home I'll stick it in the oven. It's a little too spicy for Ry to eat, so I'll probably make her some mac and cheese and peas.
(This recipe is from our cookbook)
King Ranch Chicken: estimated cost breakdown: about $10.
1 tsp cumin
1/2 onion, chopped (.30)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (.40/can on sale!)
1 can cream of celery soup (.99)
1 can cream of chicken soup (.99)
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies (.99 on sale!)
black pepper
1/2 bag tortilla chips, lightly crushed ($1.00 using half a bag only)
4 cups cheddar cheese, grated ($2.00)
1 tbsp oil
In large skillet, saute onion, chicken, cumin, and black pepper in oil until browned. Drain excess oil, set chicken and onion mixture aside. In a medium bowl, mix together undiluted cream of mushroom soup, cream of celery soup, cream of chicken soup, and RoTel tomatoes. Layer in a casserole dish: a few spoonfuls of soup mixture, chicken-onion mixture, crushed tortilla chips, and 1/2 cup cheese. Continue layering, about 3-4 layers, and top with remaining 2 cups of cheese.
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven, until bubbly and browned, about 30 minutes.
First Post!
Hi!
I figured that while Steve and I are in the process of creating/editing/designing our family cookbook (2 years in the making thus far!), I would start a blog to keep everyone updated on our progress, let you try a few sample recipes, and give everyone a chance to share some more great recipes!
I also want this blog to help out the busy moms like me, on tight budgets and little time, who have to answer that dreaded daily question, "What's for dinner tonight?!?"
So, please feel free to comment, criticize, and share recipes of your own!
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