Saving money on groceries

What's that one thing they won't stop talking about on the news? Swine flu? Oh, wait - it's the recession! (Put down the pig and go wash your hands....)

Somedays, I find this subject completely overwhelming but thanks to Oprah and her weekly reminders, I've accepted the fact that I need to be economically conscious. I've lived through recessions before but back then I didn't have a mortgage, three kids and a hubby who likes toys. So if you're like me and finally facing the fact that it's time to save money where we can, then check out this website -

http://www.couponmom.com/

This site was featured on my favorite talk show's website and offers lots of useful info on how to save money on groceries.

Turkey Burgers with a Kick

In keeping with our low carb theme of the week, I created my own Turkey Burger recipe.

1lb ground turkey
1 cup chopped onion
2 chopped green onions
1 package taco seasoning
3 slices avocado
1 slice Monterrey Jack cheese
2 slices of lettuce

Mix and grill! Top with cheese and avocado. Serve on a slice of crisp lettuce. It's a low carb way to get your burger cravings satisfied. :)

Gluten Free Recipes

I have a good friend that was recently diagnosed as allergic to gluten. Fortunately, these days that doesn't mean you have to stop enjoying food. If you're allergic to gluten, check out some really awesome blogs:

http://aglutenfreeguide.com/
http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/
http://www.heythattastesgood.com/

Brownie Taste Test

Since I started this blog, I've been making everything from scratch (except for the penne pasta) so I thought that I'd put scratch to the test. Today I brought two pans of brownies to work. One is made from scratch (the recipe is on the blog) and the other is made from a Betty Cocker mix and some added chocolate chips.

I'm inviting the fabulous folks I work with to take a poll and tell us which is better. Scratch? or the cheaper non time consuming method of a mix? If you have a minute, please take the poll to your right and share your opinion.

Thanks!!!

Catfish a la Chris

I always wondered what would happen if you showed up the grocery store right before closing time. Turns out there's no secret party or Kevin Smith-esque type people wandering around. Instead there's a fundamental lack of whatever you're looking for and the clerks are putting the rest of the good stuff away. (But hey you can wear your sweats cause no one else is there!)

I had planned to cook salmon for Senor Whiny Pants but alas there was none insight. He started eating an Atkins diet this week so baked salmon would have been an easy dinner. Instead, he had to settle for "Catfish a la Chris". (The funny part here is that I've never actually cooked catfish before :) Note: There are tons of recipes out there for breaded catfish but they aren't necessarily Atkin's friendly.

Here's what I did:

3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of lemon and herb seasoning
3 squirts of Lime juice (optional)
Two shakes of salt and pepper

Cook catfish for approximately 15 minutes on a high temperature. I used my electric fry pan because I have a cover that fits and it helps me keep the smoke detectors from going off....

Mondays...

I've been a bit under the weather so you'll notice this blog has been recipe-lite the last couple of days. (It's hard to cook when you're having trouble standing up right. :) So while I try to recover, here's some more info on helpful resources for feeding the family.

My blog was recently listed on MomDot. MomDot is a mom blog listing site that is run by mommy bloggers, Trisha, Alicia, and Bridgette.They run contests weekly, reviews on awesome (and not so awesome) products for families and kids, and talk about their lives. But more importantly, they feature bloggers and mom boutiques to give them an avenue to get their names out there, also assisting in google links! You can head out and list your blog for free and talk to them about doing an interview about you. Head on over and see what MomDot is about! (There's a link to the right.)

$5 Dollar Dinners

I've been doing a lot of research on other cooking resources lately and one cool site that I recently came across is $5 Dollar Dinners. This site offers yummy meals on a budget. They have all different types of recipes too. It was also recently featured on Rachel Ray's show.

So if you're looking for some new ideas for feeding the family on a budget, check out $5 Dollar Dinners.

Encyclopedia of Foods

As you can see I'm a bit of a cookie junkie. (Love 'em!) But eating cookies all the time isn't exactly conducive to wearing your jeans or having the energy to keep up with crazy little munchkins. Ken recently had a conversation with a co-worker who said something to the effect - "We're all going to die some day. So why exercise or eat right?" The answer is pretty simple - cooking and eating a healthy diet will improve your quality of life (Exercise helps too).

David H. Murdock recently appeared on the Oprah show. If you don't know who he is (I didn't either :) he's the owner of Dole and the founder of David H. Murdock Research Institute which is dedicated to studying how food affects our health. Dave's wife died of cancer and despite his best efforts and immense wealth, he couldn't save her. This event was the catalyst for seeking out a healthier way to live.

After watching Dave on that show, I ordered the book that he helped put together. It's called "Encyclopedia of Foods: A Guide to Healthy Nutrition". This book is a collaboration by medical and nutrition experts from the Mayo Clinic, UCLA and the Dole Food Co. It's an awesome book because it not only offers insight into the best foods to eat but also includes recipes for better health. It also talks about using food to treat certain types of illness.

Look for me to try out some of these healthy recipes in weeks to come. :)

Sweet and Sour Chicken

TGIF! Just eight short hours and I'll be liberated from my computer and my hubby! While Ken heads off to spend the weekend with the munchkins, I'll be eating exactly what I please and not cooking for a soul!

So here's one more recipe before I put my chef's hat up for a couple of days. :)

1 (16 ounce) can pineapple chunks in natural juices
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 green onions, chopped
1 small green pepper (chopped)
1 small red pepper (chopped)
1 small yellow pepper chopped
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into small pieces
Teriyaki sauce

Drain the juice from the pineapple into a bowl and mix it with the cornstarch. Set aside. Saute the all of the vegetables in oil for about 3 minutes and then add chicken and pineapple. Cook until chicken is thoroughly done. Add pineapple juice/cornstarch. Cook until sauce is thickened. Add Teriyaki sauce. The recipe calls for one tablespoon but it's really a season until taste thing. I'd use at least three tablespoons. I served over instant rice.

This is a healthy meal to balance out those brownies and the oreos I plan to eat while Ken is gone. :)

Brownies from Heaven

There are days when working with computers is just not much fun. Servers throw up random errors, clients get frustrated and signing up for "Survivor" starts looking like a fun alternative to battling with technology.

But seeing as how I have zero desire to part with my hairdryer, I guess I'll just have to settle for some homemade brownies to turn this day around. I'm not sure that I've ever made brownies from scratch but it turns out that it's actually pretty simple and very easy.

Here's the recipe from Nestle:

10 ozs. chocolate baking bar (They suggested Bittersweet but I went with Semi-sweet)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons water

Cook all of these ingredients together over low heat until completely melted and mixed.

Then stir in:

2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Bake at 325 for 33-35 minutes.

(Note: Calories don't really count on days like these as long no one sees you eating these fabulous brownies. :)

Tuna Melts

Saturday morning I woke up at 7 a.m. and thought that I had to go to work. After I realized that it was in fact Saturday, I couldn't get back to sleep. So I got up and cleaned my kitchen from top to bottom. It was so clean in fact that I didn't want to mess it up by cooking a big meal Saturday night.

So instead I opted to make a very healthy tuna melt:

1 can tuna (I prefer the kind in water)
2 medium celery stalks
1 small green bell pepper
2 cups fat-free garlic vinaigrette dressing
4 thin slices of bread, toasted
sprouts
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into slices
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

Mix all of your ingredients except the bread, avocado and cheese. Spread mixture on bread and top with cheese and avocado. I added tomato slices to one side and then layered with cheese. The recipe calls for Swiss but I used Mozzarella. Broil for about 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Chicken and Vegetable Fajitas

This was supposed to be a blog entry about bean and vegetable burritos but Ken (aka Senor Whiny-Pants) wanted something with chicken.

Here's what I did without a recipe:
1 thinly sliced green bell pepper
1 thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 pound of skinless chicken breast (cut into small bite-sized pieces)
1 package of taco seasoning
2 table spoons of olive oil
sour cream
flour tortillas

I cooked the peppers and the chicken in the olive oil. Sprinkle taco seasoning over it all and cook until chicken is done.

Warm tortillas in the oven for a few minutes at 350. Remove tortillas and spread about a tablespoon of sour cream inside the tortilla. Add chicken and vegetable mixture. It's a quick and easy dinner!

Making Bread....

Some of the best lessons I learned in college didn't take place in the classroom but rather in the tiny little kitchen of my on-campus apartment. My roommate Melissa was from a huge family and her mother frequently baked bread from scratch. Melissa was kind enough to share her recipe with me. Her mom's recipe makes four loaves of bread so I halved it.

This makes 2 loaves of good bread:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons yeast
2 1/4 cups warm water
3/4 cup milk (can be powdered milk)

I always combine the yeast with and the water and then add. You have to be careful that your water isn't too hot or it will kill the yeast.

This recipe tends to make a bit of mess (or it could be the baker :). Mix everything. Let the dough rise for twenty minutes. Then add 2 1/ 2 cups more flour. I used Ken's wheat flour but you can use white flour if you prefer. Knead for 10 minutes.

I needed more than the required flour because the goal is to have dough that is no longer sticky. Kneading is hard work! Let it rise again for 20 minutes. My loaves got pretty big. Divide into 2 parts. Knead in more flour if need be and let rise again for another 20 minutes.

This recipe is kind of labor intensive. I mostly made it so I could use Ken's wheat flour which he seems to want to use for everything. :) If you're a single guy looking to impress a girl, I recommend this recipe. Otherwise, it's probably just easier to buy a bread machine. :)

Ken's Crepes

A few days into dating Ken, he made me crepes and because of this I married him. Just kidding. That's only one of the reasons I married him. I did think though because of these very yummy crepes that he had good culinary skills.

Turns out his culinary skills vary according to whether he has a new computer game or not...


Here's his recipe:

1 cup flour (he uses wheat flour because it's healthier)
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup milk (he used soy milk)
2 tbsp butter

Ken cooks the crepes on a large griddle and then butters it and spreads sifted powder sugar over it. The he rolls it into this -

I like to add fruit to mine. It's quite tasty with bananas.

My chocolate peanut butter obsession

Okay, I admit it. I'm a choco-peanut butter-aholic. I think the Reese's peanut butter cup is one of the best inventions known to women everywhere. But since I've been working out and trying to eat less, I've stayed away from my guilty pleasure.

Last night though I caved and had the best peanut butter chocolate chip cookies! (I know I need to get a life but who needs a life when you have a blog?:)


Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups chocolate chips
Granulated sugar

Combine the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and egg. Mix separately the flour and baking soda. Add gradually to wet mixture.

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.

It could be my chocolate peanut butter withdrawals but the cookie dough for this was awesome.

10 Things to Do for Dinner

Have you caught the Friday Dinner Blues? Are you running out of steam and cooking dinner is about as appealing as having a root canal on your birthday? Welcome to my world!

Here's a list of my Top Ten things to do when you're tired of cooking:

1. Take the kids out for dessert as dinner (Once a year Jon and Kate do this. It can be a special treat and a family event)
   
2. Let the kids pick out a frozen pizza and make it date night for two
3. Feign amnesia...who do these kids belong to?
   
4. Have breakfast for dinner (I love Special K with red berries no matter what time of day it is)
5. Use leftovers to make a buffet
6. Eat soup and sandwiches (it's my default when I haven't grocery shopped)
7. Hire a Martha Stewart look alike and put her to work
   
8. Make it a "YoYo" night (which means you're on your own)
   
9. Do the obvious and order takeout
10. Hit the drive thru at Taco Bell (it's cheap and easy!)

Happy Friday!!!

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Martha Stewart should have her own 911 number for the times that I try a new recipe. I found this nice "healthy" recipe and optimistically gave it a shot. The fire department should probably stand by too.....

Where I went wrong....

I bought like skinny little pieces of chicken and the recipe calls for "chicken breasts with bones"... not sure exactly what they look like and didn't see 'em in the poultry section.

Here's the recipe:

4 (8 inch) bone-in skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup low fat buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Vegetable oil for frying

It says to let the chicken sit in buttermilk (in a plastic bag) overnight. (This was mistake #2. I totally missed this step.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. combine the flour, salt, paprika, and cayenne in a another large-top plastic bag, seal and shake to mix. Add the chicken pieces, seal, and shake the bag until the pieces are coated. (Mistake #3 - I was out of ziplock bags! Argh!!)

Heat 1-inch of oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet or two smaller skillets over medium-high heat and fry the chicken breasts until browned, about 4 minutes on each side. Place the chicken on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and bake until crisp on the outside and cooked through, about 10 minutes on each side.

Surprisingly, Ken said it was the best chicken I've ever made. So maybe I don't have to be Martha Stewart after all....

Fruity and Yummy

While Ken eats leftovers, I thought I'd share a recipe with you that my cousin taught me.

1 container CoolWhip
1 can fruit cocktail (undrained)
1 package jello mix (whatever flavor you like)

Mix these three ingredients and you have the easiest fruit salad known to moms and single men everywhere. The best thing about this recipe is the calories or the lack thereof. I used lite Coolwhip (20 calories per serving), sugar-free jello (10 calories per serving) and fruit cocktail (60 calories per serving) so it's another low calorie treat that tastes like surgary heaven!

The second best thing about this recipe - your kids can make it while finally get to sit down for a minute.

A Low Fat Treat

So you know how they say that before you off to college - "beware of the Freshman 15"?

Well for me it was more like that times four. One year I came home at Christmas and was given the Better Homes and Garden "New Dieter's Cook Book" as a present. No, my family is not known for their subtlety.

Still, this book has some awesome recipes and my favorite one is their low calorie banana bread. This treat completely makes up for the pie debacle!

Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 slightly beaten egg whites
1 cup mashed banana
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cooking oil

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In second bowl mix egg whites, banana, sugar, and oil.

Line a loaf pan with aluminum foil or use a non stick pan. Combine all ingredients. Bake at 350 for 45 - 50 minutes.

Shepherds..um...Pie?

You know how some days nothing goes according to your plan? Well, yesterday was one of those wonderful days. I probably should have just stayed out of the kitchen but since it was Easter I felt like I owed Ken a decent dinner. I'd also told him to quit whining earlier in the day (clearly I’m not known for my sensitivity) so you could also call this "guilty shepherd's pie". He loves it and frequently orders it at MacCool’s so I attempted to make Rachel Ray’s 30 minute version of this dish.

Thirty minutes my butt!! It took me at least an hour to make this dish and I set off two smoke detectors in the process. (Aren’t you feeling better about your cooking skills already?) I also spilled half of the meat/vegetable mixture on the floor and by the time it was all over with, my kitchen looked like a natural disaster area. Ken’s comments about the whole thing – did you mean for it to taste this way? (Pizza Hut, anyone?)



Here’s the recipe from Rachel Ray’s cookbook:


2 pounds potatoes (russet or whatever)

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 ¾ lbs ground beef or ground lamb (I used turkey, of course)

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 cup beef stock or broth

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

½ cup frozen peas

2 tablespoons sour cream or softened cream cheese

1 large egg yolk

½ cup cream (vegetable or chicken broth my be substituted)

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

I added shredded mozzarella on top.


Rachel says to boil the peeled potatoes for 12 minutes. I hate mashing potatoes so I boiled them for at least 20 minutes. I also made like three pounds of potatoes because they were so small that I thought the recipe warranted the whole bag. I was wrong and ended up eating the excess. (Hello Gym!)

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat (here’s where the first smoke detector went off), add oil and your meat. Brown and crumble meat for 3 – 4 minutes. Spoon out fat if there is excess. Add carrot and onion; cook 5 minutes. In a second small pan over medium heat, cook butter and flour (cue smoke detector #2!). Whisk in broth and Worcestershire. Cook to thicken, 1 minute. Add gravy to meat mixture, stir in peas.

Drain potatoes and pour into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk, and cream. Pour the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth. I whipped them because like I said, I’m not a huge fan of mashing. Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small casserole dish with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes evenly over meat. Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from heat until evenly browned.


Ken’s a big fan of this dish and his consensus was that this dish was missing something. I can’t say that I would recommend this recipe for that reason. Anyone got a better one?

Birthday Cake surprise!

Yesterday, I turned one year older. I wish I could say that it was an exciting day but the older I get, the more I wish I could have just stayed 25.

While I didn't get my wish to turn back the clock eight years, I did get a very nice surprise. My husband (who I thought could only make breakfast food) made this lovely chocolate cake for me.

I don't know about you but him taking the time to bake me a cake (at the cost of about $3.00) means a heck of a lot more than him going to the grocery store and ordering me a cake (at the cost of about $15.00).

So while the economy is in a recession and we're all trying to cut costs, why not cook or bake something special for the one you love? Time and effort as they say can be a priceless gift :).

Now if I could just get him to buy my gift before my birthday instead of on it....

This is not Grandma's Meatloaf

Yesterday I pulled out the recipes that I've accumulated from Grandma and my college roommates.

While I've made Grandma's recipe at least a dozen times, it seems time to move toward a healthier one.

(Note: My meatloaf isn't pictured here because let's face it - meatloaf does not photograph well. :)

So I chose to use a recipe from my new cookbook that I ordered online from Barnes and Noble. It's a bargain book and cost $5.98. Not only did I get a great deal but this book rocks! It's my new favorite cookbook.

So here's my new recipe for a healthier meatloaf:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (it calls for red onion but those make me sick so I used a white one)
1 (8-ounce) can sliced mushrooms (I was out of mushrooms)
2 slices whole-wheat or white bread, crumbled
1/2 tomato juice or vegetable juice cocktail (I was out of this so I substituted diluted tomato soup)
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning mix
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 egg beaten
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Saute the onion in the oil. Once they're softened add the mushrooms and saute until softened. (Should be about 3 minutes) Remove pan from heat and add: bread, tomato juice, soy sauce, seasoning mix, salt, and pepper. Stir to mix. Let stand until the bread is soaked (5 minutes).

Stir in the ground turkey into the mushroom mixture until mostly broken up. Add the egg and cheese and mix until evenly distributed.

I have found that lining my loaf pans with aluminum foil really saves me time on the clean up. Bake for an hour and ten minutes.

For the record, I hate grocery shopping and will do anything to avoid it so when it comes to recipes I frequently improvise. :) Dare to be creative!

Why You Should Teach Your Child to Cook

Yesterday I was at the gym and nearly had a heart attack on the elliptical machine. While you’d think that my Oreo obsession finally caught up with me, it was actually the Oprah show that shocked the endorphins right out of me. What could be so shocking that I’d nearly go into cardiac arrest in the middle of Gold’s gym? -

It was what young girls today know about sex.

I have a confession. I harbor a deep seeded fantasy that our girls will one day enter a convent and I’ll never have to worry about them having sex (or being pressured into it) ever again. Kali would look awesome in a habit! But seeing as how they aren’t Catholic and couldn’t say a “hail Mary” to save their lives, I felt like I had no choice but to face reality and watch the show.

Being a parent is hard work. During the first six weeks of my life as a full time mom, I cried every day. (I’m pretty sure the kids and Ken assumed it was just one long bout of PMS). While I loved the kids and my new husband, it was so hard balancing my full time job, commuting, running a house and trying adapt to unfamiliar territory. There were nights when I was folding laundry at ten p.m. and contemplating joining the Witness Protection program so I wouldn’t ever have to hear again – What’s for dinner? (Three of the most dreaded words in the English language.)

Just as I’m starting to feel like I’ve got a grip on the whole thing, I realized that I’m completely clueless. I listened with abject horror as a 12 year old girl described in detail her extensive knowledge about oral sex. She’s only 7 months older than Kenna and that little girl seem to know more about it than most married people do! Sadly, she wasn’t even the youngest girl on the show. I watched with great empathy as a mother tried to explain to her 10 yr old daughter (in painful detail) what all the fuss is about. The hard truth of it is that kids are learning about this subject at a very young age.

I could go on and on about what I heard but it might make you want to join the Witness Protection program too so instead I’ll offer up a solution. I've made peace with the fact that I’ll never be Joan Cleaver (I’m pretty sure she never yelled at her kids in Spanish). Still I can be a good parent even if my cookies are burnt and dinner is frequently late.

One easy way to connect with your child is by teaching them to cook. So when Kenna asks – Can I help? and I’m tired and I’m hurrying to throw dinner together, the answer is almost always yes. Cooking and baking together gives me an opportunity to show her that not only am I available to her but she’s important enough for me to include her in whatever I’m doing. It also gives us one on one time for me to ask questions like who are you hanging out with? What happened during your day? Is there anything you want to talk about?

If we keep the lines of communication open with our children then we have a much better chance of safeguarding them against peer pressure, drugs, alcohol and etc. Let’s face it – if we don’t educate our kids then their friends will.

Ken's Pasta

My name is Chris and I am a planner who hates surprises and short notice. In a moment of weakness, I married a man who hates to plan, loves surprises and believes that 10 minutes is fair notice. (The only thing I have ever known him to plan our his gun trips.)

So when he called me the other night and said he was having his brother over for dinner and I had about 30 minutes to pull something together, I was reminded that I only have myself to blame. :)
So in Ken's honor I created the easiest meal I could make that required actual cooking. (You don't get wifey points for ordering takeout apparently.)

I took a jar of four cheese alfredo sauce and added it to a full box of cooked penne pasta. Because Ken loves garlic (and owns a big bottle of mouthwash), I threw 1/4 tsp of garlic. The pasta takes less than fifteen minutes to cook. Once you mix the sauce and pasta, you can top it with some shredded parmesan cheese. It's tasty (and fattening so use the light afredo if your calorie conscious) and very easy. Add a side salad or some veggies and you've got yourself a very economical meal for five.

The cost of this meal was $4.08 for the pasta and sauce together. Add a bag of vegetable steamers for a cost of $2.88 and you've just fed your family for about $7.00.

The recipe for Ken's pasta:

1 box of penne pasta (whole grain is better for you)
1 jar of alfredo sauce (with various seasonings if you prefer)
1/4 tsp garlic
add Parmasean cheese to taste
salt and pepper to taste

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have a confession to make. I am frequently guilty of making chocolate chip cookies that look more like lumpy pancakes than a favorite treat. For years I ignored the high altitude instructions on the back of the chocolate chip bag because I figured - heck! my cookies are good enough.

Having kids though has raised the stakes. Forget the pat on the back because you didn't burn them and face the fact that if your cookies aren't good the little darlings will flat out say something like - "Um...this tastes funny. Are you sure this is a cookie?"

Thanks to the "fun" feedback, I've invested a great deal of time in making the BEST possible chocolate cookie at a high altitude.

The recipe:

2 sticks butter (because my husband banned margarine from the house)
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsps water
1 package of chocolate chips

Here's what I did:

Reduced both the brown sugar and white sugar to 2/3 cups
Added to soften sticks of butter (I like to them out until they're room temperature)
Mixed two eggs and a teaspoon of vanilla

Separately I mixed:

2 1/2 cups of flour with 1 tsp baking soda and 2tsps of water

Slowly I added the flour mixture to my eggs/butter/sugar part. After that was throughly mixed I added the chocolate chips.

I baked these cookies for exactly 13 minutes at 375 degrees.

If you are just learning to bake or teaching your child to, make sure you don't repeat my mistakes.

• Measure the flour carefully
• Have your child break the eggs into a separate bowl (in case shells end up in them) and then add them
• Review the instructions for baking time with your child. I didn't with Kenna and she baked one batch for 19 minutes because she misread the bag.

Happy Baking!

Dessert in a Hurry

On Sunday we not only had lasgna but we also had company. Ken's friend Paul has been in town from Ohio and he joined us for dinner. I'm traditional when it comes to having company for dinner. I like the house to be clean (or at least the mess is well hidden) and to provide a decent meal complete with dessert. However, I was in a rush on Saturday when I did the grocery shopping and didn't plan a dessert. I could have served brownies but that seemed lame so Sunday afternoon I found myself rummaging through the pantry.

I found a cake mix for angel food cake and figured I could make strawberry shortcake. I saw grandma do it enough times that I thought I could easily make it. I took the bag labeled "Organic strawberries" out of the freezer and left them to thaw while I cooked lasgna and baked the cake. Several hours later I opened the bag to find that Ken had stored some gross looking bananas in the bag and there were no strawberries to be had.

I contemplated throwing the bananas at Ken since he's very fond of "Monkey in the Middle" but figured it was a waste of time. I went back to my pantry and found a can of cut pineapple. I cut the angel food cake into squares, added a layer of pineapple, some real whipped cream (that I had on hand), another layer of cake and then more whipped cream. The guys really liked it and dinner was a success.

So in a pinch -Take a cake (it can be something other than angel food), throw on some fruit and whipped cream and you've got yourself a dessert that both tasty and a little healthy.

Lasagna made easy

I always thought lasagna was this really complicated dish which is why my grandmother rarely ever made it. Over the years, I've only made it once and I actually substituted tofu for meat (This was back when I was die hard veggie girl) and my friends said they loved it. But while they ate the entire thing, I still couldn't help but think - tofu lasgna? Even to me it sounds gag worthy.

So here I am giving lasagna another shot. This time instead of tofu, I went with ground turkey. (I'm pretty sure if I served Ken tofu lasagna, he wouldn't eat my cooking ever again. :) I took a recipe that I had and added my own touches to it because during the process of cooking it, the recipe didn't seem robust enough and no one wants a skimpy lasagna!

Christina's recipe:

1 package of ground turkey (a little more than a pound)
1 cup chopped onion
2 gloves of garlic minced
Less than a tablespoon of Italian seasoning
1 14 1/2 oz can of diced tomatoes undrained
1 8-oz can of tomato sauce
6 dried lasgna noodles
1 beaten egg
15 oz of Ricotta cheese (because I hate cottage cheese!)
1/4 cup parmasean cheese
1 small package of shredded mozarella
1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce

First you ground the meat, garlic and onions. After the meat is browned and the onions are sauteed, throw in the tomatoes and half a jar of that spaghetti sauce. I also added a small can of cooked mushrooms to my sauce. You can make it without the spaghetti sauce but then you have a pretty skimpy sauce. Once that's simmering, boil your noodles for approximately 12 minutes. Keep in eye on them and make sure they all go into the water. I found out the hard way that they must be completely submerged in order to cook all the way.

While the noodles are boiling, mix the egg in with the Ricotta and Parmesan cheese. Drain the noodles when they are done. Take a little more than a third of your meat sauce and spread it across the bottom of your 9 by 13 pan. Layer three noodles lengthwise across the pan and add a layer of your cheese concoction. Add meat sauce so it covers the cheese. Add another layer of noodles and repeat the process. Finally, sprinkle mozzarella over the top until it completely covers your fabulous dish.

Bake the lasagna at 375 for about 35 minutes. Let it stand for about ten so it's not too hot to eat.

And that's lasagna made easy.....

I’m submitting this entry to Presto Pasta Nights, hosted this week by Hillary of Chew on That!

Welcome

Welcome to Christina's Guide to Feeding the Family. I'm not just talking about your nuclear family but also your work family, your church family and all of the people you spend a lot of time with. My co-worker actually suggested that I set this blog up as he's interested in how exactly I make those chocolate chip cookies I'm always bringing into work. My goal is to not only share recipes but also share experiences. Cooking and baking can be fun and anyone can do it. Whether you're a bachelor in search of something to eat right now or a stressed out mommy, everyone needs to eat and it should be fun and tasty.

I also think that cooking and baking with our kids can help give them a sense of purpose and independence. Kenna (who's about 11 1/2) has expressed a great deal of interest in learning how to cook and bake. She really enjoys being a part of the process and creating something that everyone can enjoy. Turns out cooking and baking can be a real self esteem booster.

So look for my adventures as I try new things. I'm going to say goodbye to my comfort zone and hello to yummy eating. :)