Spicy Marinade with a Mango Pasta Salad

Cuisses de Poulet Epicees et Salade de Pates

This is another great marinade to stock up on and make all four batches. It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about two months without having to freeze.  The pasta salad is just awesome and should only be made fresh.

For each batch of the Marinade:
1/3 cup Soy Sauce
1/3 cup pineapple juice (It is cheaper to buy canned pineapple, drain it, then reserve the fruit for snacks or another use. If you are making four batches of marinade, you will need 2 20oz cans of pineapple)
3 teaspoons curry powder -or other spicy spice blend
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons ground ginger
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together and store till ready to use.

This marinade is great on Chicken. I used it two different ways.
1. I marinaded chicken breast for one hour, then grilled them. The picture below also has the pasta salad in it.

2. I browned 8 chicken thighs in 2 tablespoons of canola oil on medium high heat, about 5 minutes each side. Then placed all the chicken into a slow cooker with the marinade. I topped the dish with fresh cut green onions and the reserved pineapple from the juice. I then cooked it on low for one and a half hours.

The Pasta: I love this salad because it has one fruit serving, one vegetable serving, one dairy serving, and no oils (my old days of LA Weight Loss of counting servings are coming back to me now).
1 pound of pasta
1 mango
1 cup plain yogurt
white pepper
1 medium zucchini
2 green onions chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley

1. Cook the pasta.
2. Peal the Mango and cut the pulp into small cubs. Add to the pasta with the yogurt, salt and pepper. Toss well.
3. Slice the zucchini into fourths, seed, then slice. Blanch the zucchini with the green onions (drop into boiling water for 60 seconds then remove quickly and drop into ice water to stop the cooking process). Toss the vegetables into the salad.

Cornish Hens with Apples and Lemons

Although this recipe does not follow the pattern for The Suburban Challenge, I found it while exploring my French cookbooks. I translated and converted...and ate. Delish.  So, I'll share.

Serves Four:
1 onion chopped
2 Cornish hens
4 tablespoons canola or corn oil
3 apples, cored and sliced into wedges with their skins left on
zest of 1 lemon
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup raisins optional
1 fresh sprig of rosemary
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup of dry white wine
1 chicken bouillon
3 carrots, pealed and sliced into rounds
4 green onions diced

1. In a small pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Cook the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, In a large oval roasting pot (my slow cooker insert can go on the stove top, so I used it) heat the rest of the oil over medium high heat. Place the chickens in the pot and brown them, about five minutes each side. Browning the chicken before you cook it allows the skin to harden on the outside and lock in the chicken's juices while it cooks.
3. Add the onion, apple wedges, and lemon zest and cook for five more minutes. Transfer to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the top of the dish with the cloves and add the bay leaf, raisins if using, white wine, bouillon, and place the Rosemary on top. Cook on low heat for one hour.
4. Add the carrots and green onions and continue to cook for another hour on low.
5. Serve by cutting hen in half down the middle of the breast, neck to butt.

The chicken fell off the bones! In one dish, you have a low fat protein, a fruit serving, and a vegetable serving. Seen here with a serving of rice before Steve split it for the two of us.

Three Ways To Save Money in May

One of the main focuses for this blog is addressing life as a domestic diva on a very tight and strained budget. Saving money is crucial. I have always lived more successfully if I set small, attainable goals. That said, here are my three goals for May:

1. Recycle at Staples. Did you know that Staples will take your used ink cartridges from work and give you store credit in return.  A couple of months ago, I recycled 10 (that is their monthly maximum) cartridges. I got an email coupon for a $20 store voucher.  I can buy new ink cartridges for our home computer this month and not spend a dime! 

2. I wear Aldi Make-up. There I said it, and I am no longer embarrassed. About a year ago when things began to get tight, I bought foundation from Aldi because I could not afford to go to Belk and get my usual Lancome product. Once I discovered that my skin was not going to turn orange and fall off, I also bought their powder, facial lotion, and blush.  Well, a year later, I am still using their product and here is why:

• It is an award wining skincare system that is sweeping Europe.
• It is made in Germany which, as part of the European Union, has the same safety standards as France's Make-up industry - Chanel, Dior, Lancome.....
• Lacura's Q10 Anti-wrinkle Night Cream came out on top in European quality tests alongside major brands such as L'Oreal, Olay and Helena Rubenstein.
• Every product ranges in price from $1.49 - $3.99.  Now you are talking my language. Much better than Lancome's $15.99 - $59.99

So, not only am I no longer ashamed that I had to purchase Aldi make-up, I am going to continue doing it and celebrate the process.

3. I am going to go the whole month of May with no AC or Heat. I am also going to try to use the oven minimally since it is very efficient at heating the kitchen. How am I going to do this? Well, as far as the oven, I have learned to cook almost everything in my slow cooker.  It uses less energy and doesn't heat the kitchen up like the oven does. For the AC, May is usually a mild month. The windows are open and the fans are on. This morning I have some extra time, so I am changing the flannel sheets out for our cotton summer sheets, and I am going to fold the down comforterr up on the end of the bed and use a lighter quilt/coverlet for the month. Since Steve and I are trying to save money to repaint the house and buy new shutters, my goal is to put about $75 dollars back into Steve's checking account from the power bill this month. Our bill last month was $85. So, is $10-$15 out of the question? We shall see.

Suburban Farms

It is time to plant now.
For most of us, we do not have large estates with a staff to maintain our organic, heirloom gardens - such as the case for Martha Stewart and The Fabulous Beekman Boy, my two personal favorites. Some of us have gardens large enough for canning hobbies and some of us just have the Noah's Arc garden (two of each to last the summer). And some of us just go to the farmer's market or Patterson's for the latest harvests.

At any rate...it is time to plant.  Here are pictures of friends and family who have found creative ways, despite living in suburban neighborhoods, to grow their own cornucopias.

Leslie wanted to plant on a particular side of the house because of the sunlight. However, in this spot next to the driveway, she could not dig due to gas lines. Solution - a raised bed. You can fill the bed with compost, top soil, etc... It took her 15 bags of topsoil to fill this bed.

Lacie is building a raised bed. These are easy to do because you don't need footers.  Just nail the corners together.  The point is to just hold some dirt long enough to grow okra and corn and....

My mom did not like the soil or sunlight in her back yard, so she just dug up the front flower bed next to the driveway. Here you can see her Swiss Chard and Romain Lettuce.

Here is another angle of my mom's front yard garden. She has got the stakes for the tomatoes ready.



These are called Earth Boxes. You water the box through the black tube. (Look on the far right corner of the back box to see the tube.) The results are amazing.  I have seen peppers, cucumbers, radishes, and lettuce all come out of these boxes.  In this picture, red lettuce is in the front and green lettuce is in the rear.

Here is a picture of my Aunt Cathy's Earth Boxes. She has broccoli in the first box, tomatoes in the second box, and I forgot what was in third box, HA!

Extreme Couponing on TLC

Have you seen this yet? These women (and men) are amazing.

The show estimated that Americans throw away about 57 Billion dollars of coupons per year. 57 Billion!! That is why Joanie collects 500 coupons a week. She does this by dumpster diving at the recycling center after everyone throws away their coupons from the newspapers. She estimated that she spends 30 hours a week couponing. One lady spoke about how her family of six only budgets $160 a month on groceries.  I think my family of 3 spends around $250 per month.

Joyce, AKA "Coupon Diva", rang up two buggies full of groceries totalling $230.38. After her coupons were rang in she paid $6.92. I find this absolutely remarkable. During her interview she said that someone once told her that, "I just don't have time for coupons." (Sounds familiar). Her response was, "Well Baby, You just ain't been broke enough."  Well Joyce... excuse me.... Coupon Diva, I am broke enough! I want this also!

Apparently the trick is to save all coupons and then match what is on sale each week with collected coupons.
I am ready to take the challenge. Here is my story.....

Sunday morning Steve went out and bought a Sunday Charlotte Observer.  I spend 30 minutes that morning cutting and organizing all the coupons. Mom brought over her circulars from the Independent Tribune later that afternoon, another 15 minutes spent cutting and organizing.
Sunday evening after I put Cam to bed, I took the CVS flyer for the week and spent another 20 minutes matching the sales to coupons I had collected. I then grabbed the calculator to estimate how much I would spend.  My total came to $91. So, I went back through the pile and eliminated the larger items - medicines, etc..- that I didn't need and reduced my expected bill to $20.
Monday afternoon, I went to CVS with coupons and flyer and made my purchases.  While I was there, I reduced my list by two items because the sales were not as good as it looked. This took around 15 minutes.

Total Time Spent:         1 hour 20 minutes
Total Money Spend:     $17.88
Total Money Saved:     $33.48

Here were my scores! Savings like that makes me giggle inside. But here is the question I pose myself and I pose to you - oh anonymous reader - Is it worth it? Are there Coupon Divas reading this blog who can offer their words of wisdom to all of us fighting The Suburban Challenge? Do any of you know of websites to get coupons easily without having to download a coupon maker?

At the end of the day, I spend $17.88 on items I did not need! Did I really save any money?

A Garden "Hoe-In"

The next two-three weeks are going to be very busy if you are planting a garden. There is a lot of work that will need to be done. If you planted Spring Vegetables, it is time to fluff, feed, and harvest.

• All lettuce leaves are ready to start cutting for salads.  You do not have to pull the plant out of the ground, just trim off the amount of leaves you need for a salad and the plant will continue to grow through late June.
• Broccoli, Sprouts, Beets, etc... are not quite ready. Take a hoe and loosen the ground around the plants (see photo) then add fertilizers such as 10,10,10 if you choose.
• If you started a plant from seed such as Carrots, you may need to thin them out.  Look at how close the plants are that actually emerged and move them if they are less than 6 inches apart.  (I usually put a lot of seeds in the ground since not all of them properly germinate. I have no idea how many will actually sprout and succeed.)

In this photo, I have loosened the dirt around my broccoli and applied 10, 10, 10 fertilizer.

Get ready for Summer Vegetables:

• Time to plant cucumbers, beans, peppers, squash, zucchini, and tomatoes.
• Start your herb gardens.  Keep in mind that Sage, Thyme, Rosemary, and Oregano will not die during the winter and will only keep getting larger each year.  Choose a part of your yard, close to the kitchen, where they will not be tilled or plowed up next year.  My herbs are mingled in with my rose garden along the patio wall. Basil, Parsley, Cilantro, and Chives will all die with the first frost but grow great in pots close to the back door.  You want to be able to get to your herbs when it is pretty, when its raining, or if its dark so you can continue cooking.
• Plant, and watch it grow! You will find that plants are not the only things blooming!

Lemon Oregano Chicken

"Poulet Marine au Citron et a l'origan"

A simple marinade can go a long way. However, sometimes making marinades from scratch can be very costly. Oils, vinegars and fresh herbs are not always cheap. If you do not have an herb garden, the little plastic pouches of fresh herbs run $3-4 each at the grocery store. My suggestion is to bulk up. If you begin making three-four batches of marinade at a time you will make the most of each ingredient you have to purchase. (I can't recall how many times I bought a packet of basil, used enough for the one tablespoon in the recipe, and then watched the rest rot away over the next three weeks while I searched for other recipes needing fresh basil.) This recipe calls for one lemon. It is more cost effective to buy a bag of lemons. Therefore, I recommend making three-four batches of the following marinade and storing it in the fridge (it will become solid but will return to a liquid after 30 minutes at room temperature) or tossing it into a bag of chicken before freezing. 

One batch of marinade:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 tablespoon honey
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl.

For The Suburban Challenge I made three batches and did the following:
1. Marinated chicken wings for the grill.
2. Placed a batch in a plastic bag with three chicken breast and froze it for a latter date.
3. Cooked it in a Slow Cooker with rice: I mixed 3 cups of chicken broth with 1.5 cups of rice. I then placed the rice into a slow cooker with the marinated chicken breast on top of the mixture dumping all of the marinade into the crock. I cooked it in the slow cooker for 2 hours on high. Alternatively, you could cook in a casserole at 350 for 50 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid.

Here is a bag ready for the freezer. Next time Steve wants to grill, I'm ready.

Saturday night's chicken wings.

Individual Chocolate Cake

What?!?!
Can it be true?!?!

My world has been revolutionized! I received an email Tuesday, April 5th, from my dear friend Maureen for a chocolate cake recipe. Upon further review, I noticed that this recipe makes one serving in a coffee cup, in the microwave, and in less than 5 minutes.  Do you realize what this means! I can now have chocolate cake anytime I so choose. It also means that there are going to be more coffee cups in the dishwasher.

Although it has nothing to do with The Suburban Challenge....unless you negotiate the tendency to eat more than one serving of fresh chocolate cake....I will share with you this recipe. May it bless you life as it has enriched mine. (Insert noises of birds chirping.)

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.  Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..

Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous)

.

3 Ways to Save in April

1. Reuse your plastic baggies. I give full credit for this to my friend Kimberly.  She encouraged me to start turning all my plastic bags inside out, wash them, and reuse them. Not only is it better for our environment, but I haven't bought a box of baggies in almost a year now.

Here is a large bag drying with all the other dishes.
2. www.zulily.com Credit for this idea goes to my cousin Becky King. I was a little skeptical at first. Designer children's dresses for $20 is still $15 over-priced for my budget. However, last week they had Crocs on sale for $15 for the whole family. Now that is a sale! Rather than just being another discount website, you register with zulily and receive the weekly specials via email. Thus, it is one less website to stalk.

3. Collect coupons for one month. Have you never been a coupon queen before? Well, for one month, clip all coupons for products you currently use. The key is "for products you currently use." Sometimes clipping coupons doesn't save you money because you end up buying products you don't normally need and thus spend extra money. At the end of the month, when Harris Teeter or BiLo have double coupon week, cash in. I'll send an A.P.B. out when this occurs.

Pork Stew with Sage and Garlic

"Ragout de Porc a la Sauge et a l'ail."
For the Slow Cooker

For the Meat:
1 Medium Sized Pork Loin
Salt and Pepper
2 tbs olive oil

For the Sauce:
1 chopped onion
6 cloves of garlic minced or 3 tbs of jarred minced garlic
2 tbs finely chopped sage
2 bay leaves
1 can of chopped tomatoes drained or 1 pint of cheery tomatoes halved
1/3 cup of dry white wine
1 chicken or beef bouillon

1. To prepare the sauce, combine all ingredients in a container and store until ready to use.  The sauce can be doubled or multiplied by four for The Suburban Challenge and frozen until ready to use. I made four batches at one time:

2. To prepare the dish: slice the meat into rounds. Salt and pepper each side. Heat 2 tbs of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the pork rounds and brown on each side. About 2 minutes per side.

3. Place browned pork into slow cooker and pour one batch of sauce over the top. Cover and cook on high for two hours. (Turn it on, go to the gym, come home and dinner is ready.)

In this photo, I served the pork with a side of cauliflower.

The Suburban Challenge's Journey Through France -

 - or at least through all of my French cookbooks.

Thus far, The Suburban Challenge has mastered some great comfort foods - meatloaf, chicken pot pie, sloppy joes. However, there are not a lot of recipes out there that lend themselves well to freezing, precooking, or slow cookers. Therefore, I am taking my AllClad, 7 qt. slow cooker to France, figuratively of course. I am going to sort through my collection of French cookbooks (eight in all) and alter/vary/manipulate recipes to not only meet the needs of The Suburban Challenge (make ahead and healthy), but also to meet the needs of my most cherished kitchen appliance - My Crock Pot.  No passport required to follow me on this journey.

I took this picture in Besancon, France while studying abroad in 2009. I politely asked the farmer if it was OK to take pictures of his produce for my classroom in the US.  He happily gave me permission and then tried to get me to also take a picture of his mother.

A key characteristic of French cooking is fresh produce. The French love fresh fruits and vegetables and will make one ingredient the "star" of a recipe. They also get very excited about Market Day. Every city has one or two days a week for their Farmer's Markets. In Besancon, it was every Tuesday morning 8-12.  I could always tell which day was Market Day because the bus to school was filled with little old ladies accompanied by their 'rolling' shopping bags.

Although monster sized grocery stores have emerged in France, there are still a handful of traditionalist who will only buy their produce on Market Day.

This is a self-portrait of me eating a Nutella filled beignet (donut).  It has nothing to do with The Suburban Challenge, but it reminds me of heaven and I like to drool from time to time. This recipe will not be attempted, but dang......

Quick Bolognese Sauce

This meat sauce is a delicate and creamy alternative to traditional marinara sauces.  I am too much of a "foodie" to open a jar of Prego for my family.  Bolognese Sauce has an interesting flavor that will WOW your family. It freezes well, so make a couple of batches.

Grocery List for 1 Batch:
1 tbsp olive oil
l large onion, chopped
1 pound ground turkey meat
2 oz bacon, finely chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup chicken or beef broth
2 tbs sour cream
1/8 tsp nutmeg

1. In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and cook until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Increase to medium-high heat and add ground turkey and bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink.
2. Add the wine and boil until it has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth, cream, and nutmeg. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes.
3. Store or Freeze sauce until ready to use.

I cooked two batches at a time. It took a total of about 45-50 minutes to cook the two batches.  So, Monday night I prepared two, went to the gym, prepared two more to complete my goal of four and still only had to do the dishes once.  I froze three batches and saved the other for Tuesday night's dinner - Baked Pasta with Bolognese.

Three Ways to Enjoy Bolognese Sauce
1. Over Pasta
2. Baked Pasta - Combine sauce, 1 pound of cooked pasta, and 15 oz ricotta cheese. Place into a greased baking dish. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on the top and bake until the surface is golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes at 350.
3. Lasagna Bolognese - Preheat oven to 375. Butter lasagna pan. Using no-boil lasagna noodles, start the first layer of noodles spread a thin layer of white sauce and top with a layer of Bolognese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Repeat layering as many times as you can finishing with white sauce and Parmesan. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until bubbly. Let it cool for 15 minutes before cutting.   (White Sauce - 3 cups whole milk, 6 tbs butter, 6 tbs flour, salt. Over medium heat, heat the milk until small bubbles appear, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan and stir in melted butter. Whisk in flour 1/2 tsp at a time. Stir in 1/2 tsp salt. Return the pan to medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce is smooth and thick, about 1 minute.)

We can travel to Spain where the rain falls mainly on the plains...

sounds insane, 'cause it is. We can laugh, we can sing, have ten kids and give them everything.... 

The Suburban Challenge would be nothing without love. Lets face it - we do it for love. How have I gone on so far without addressing the elephant in the room - Romance.  In a busy schedule with goals and obstacles such as with The Suburban Challenge romance falls out of importance.  I will be the first to take full credit for the busy schedule and the lack of romance, thus I can take full credit for inspiring a little. After all, I plan the menu each week.

"By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches" (Proverbs 24:3-4). There is a depth of beauty and meaning inside your wife or husband that will amaze you as you discover more of it. Enter the mystery with expectations and enthusiasm. Desire to know this person even better than you do now. Make him or her your chosen field of study, and you will fill your home with the kind of riches only love can provide - The Love Dare.

So tonight, it is my treat.  Dinner will be cooked as always, but the rest of the night is unplanned.  The table is set with two candles in the middle.  It will probably be 8:00 before they are lit (once Cam goes to sleep) but as soon as he walks through the door, he will know.....game on.....

The Suburban Challenge Works!!

I have learned that by manipulating the time that it takes to cook dinner each night (by cooking only one night per week, four entrees) allows extra time to workout and loose the last 10 pounds, increases the amount of time to spend with your family, allows each night's dinner to be fresh and health, allows you to start a garden, and saves money because you are consolidating ingredients. For example, this week we are eating:
Monday - Chicken Pot Pie (previously frozen)
Tuesday - Baked Pasta with a Bolognese Sauce, making four batches of Bolognese Sauce
Wednesday - Black Bean Soup (previously frozen)
Thursday - Chicken with White Wine Sauce in the Slower Cooker, (sauce previously frozen)
Friday  - A surprise yet to be determined.

My Successes: I have had apples for snacks for the last two weeks, I am down 2 pounds, the Spring Garden is planted, I was able to jog this week with the dog and the stroller, and I am not yet bankrupt for the month with payday arriving next week.

Still unsure if freezing three entrees every week will work for you? Try an alternative:
1. Only make two of every dish, 1 to eat that night and freeze the other for next week.
2. Build a group with three other friends.  Each member of the group chooses a different recipe. Make your four entrees and swap three of them. Then, you are all still only cooking once a week, yet eating four different meals each night. Call yourselves The Suburban Exchange.

Recipe Coming Soon - Bolognese Sauce, not your average Pasta Sauce.

Time to Plant

This will be my third year having a garden. Oddly enough, each year it gets bigger and bigger. Although there is an obvious economic value in turning $15 dollars worth of vegetable plants into $115 dollars worth of fresh produce, there is also an intrinsic value of seeing hard work sprout from the earth and bear fruit. I encourage all who participate in The Suburban Challenge to plant a garden this year.  Intimidated?  Stick with me and I'll walk you through it......

The Week of March 19-25:  Prep your soil.  Plow, till, tear up!!  Get oxygen to the dormant soil and start killing off the grass in the area you are using for a garden.

Plant Spring Garden March 19-March 28th:  The following plants can handle a little cold so they will do OK if we have a few more cold mornings in March and April. Plant them now and you will have spring salads and coleslaw for May and June.

• Broccoli
• Onions
• Potatoes
• All Lettuces
• Carrots
• Brussel Sprouts
• Cabbage
• English/Spring Peas

Friday March 18th we had the garden plowed.  Saturday March 19th we planted English Peas, Spinach, and Carrots all from seeds.  We then planted 4 green cabbage, 2 red cabbage, 10 spring onions, 10 broccoli, 4 romaine lettuce, 4 brussel sprouts, 3 swiss chard, and 3 bok choy. In this picture you can see the romaine lettuce on the right and the brussel sprouts on the left. 

If this is your first garden only plant a third of the above amounts!

*Having trouble keeping up with the Suburban Challenge? Then follow me on Facebook for updates: Bree Rollins Stillings

This post is dedicated to Rex McCall....The Ultimate Gardner!! During World War II he trained German Prisoners of War how to garden.  We miss you and love you Pawpaw.



Healthy Sloppy Joes

Although opening a can of store-bought Sloppy Joe mix is very easy, this recipe only takes an hour to prepare all 4 batches. However, I feel all warm and cozy knowing that I am eating a serving of Cauliflower with this homemade version. GO FIBER!

The key ingredient to this recipe is pureed cauliflower. Each batch uses 1 cup of puree, which is about 1/2 of a head of cauliflower. If you are accepting The Suburban Challenge and you are making four batches (1 to consume and 3 to freeze) then you will need 2 heads of cauliflower.  However, due to the labor involved for steaming and pureeing, go ahead and do 3 heads of cauliflower.  I sat aside the 4 cups I needed for the Sloppy Joes and then blended 10 oz. of breast milk (you can use formula or water) into the remaining cauliflower and made baby food. If baby food is no longer on your "To Do" list - then freeze the remaining cauliflower for future use.  (Mix into instant Mashed Potatoes to fool the family.)

The 4 cups for the 4 batches of Sloppy Joes are on the right and the baby food is on the left.  I freeze baby food in ice trays, then store them in a plastic bag. One 'ice cube' is about 2 tablespoons of food - a perfect serving.
To Prepare Cauliflower: Cut off cauliflower florets and steam for approximately 20 minutes, or until Cauliflower can be mashed with the back of a spoon. Then puree in a food processor.
I did this step two days before I actually had time to make the Sloppy Joes.

Grocery List: (For the Challenge)Olive Oil
4 onions
4 lbs. ground turkey
4 cups cauliflower, pureed
2 cups Beef Broth
8 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
4 8oz cans of Tomato Sauce
4 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
4 teaspoons Paprika
4 teaspoons Chili Powder
8 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

To Prepare 1 Batch:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat in a large fry pan. Add one chopped onion and cook until onion beings to become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and brown.
2. Once meat is browned add 1 cup cauliflower, 1/2 cup of beef broth, 2 tbs tomato paste, 1 can of tomato sauce, 1 tbs Worcestershire, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 2 tbs brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir ingredients and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 15 minutes.

In this picture, Steve and I were making 2 batches at a time. We found out that the batch in the large fry pan (left) cooked quicker and thickened up better. I guess the extra space allowed the waters to evaporate better. Therefore, we made the remaining two batches in this pan alone.

White Wine Slow Cooking Sauce

This week's featured recipe is much more freezer friendly. I will be the first person to admit that making four chicken pot pies to freeze is a little difficult if you do not already own a deep freezer. This week's recipe is a sauce to be used in the slow cooker. When you are ready to use, thaw the sauce and pour it over 4-6 chicken breast in a slow cooker. Thus, you only need room in your freezer for three "sauces."

Grocery List for 4 Sauce Mixtures:
Four Onions
4 - 4oz cans of mushrooms
1 package of Turkey Bacon
Salt and Pepper
4 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Bottle of White Wine (I went cheap on this. $2.99 Aldi)
8 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
8 teaspoons minced garlic
Chicken Breast

1. Cook all the bacon. Cut into small pieces.
2. Set up four containers. Three will go in the freezer.  In each container, crumble the bacon, aproximately five strips in each container.  Continue to add to each container 1 chopped onion, 1 can of mushrooms drained, 1 can of cream of chicken soup, 1 cup of wine, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Stir.
3. Continue with the directions to cook one batch and freeze the others till ready to cook.
4. Rinse 4-6 chicken breast and pat dry. Rub with a little salt and pepper and place into a slow cooker. Pour sauce directly on top. Cook on low for 8 hours or 3.5 hours on high.

Distribution of the Booty

In my daily reading of the Bible, I glanced ahead and noticed the title on the next page "Distribution of the Booty, " Numbers 31. Although I found out later it described how the treasures from Midian should be distributed, it inspired me to write my own "Distribution of the Booty." There are two booties. The first is already distributed enough and should never be looked at or analyzed. In fact, the title of that project should be "The Laws of the Booty" or "Covers for the Booty." The second, is much more practical for the times. I created an Excell Spreadsheet to record every dollar in and out for an entire month. It is very eye opening to see where you can cut $50 per month. (If the state has its way and cuts salaries 3% next year I will have $50 less per month in dollars. If they also cut Mater's Pay I will see a $300 decrease in pay. The Booty will become much more thinner, therefore making the distribution much tighter.) Enjoy distributing your booty! 

I can't diet - nor will I diet!

Let's face it - I love to eat!! I have always loved to eat. And, I love to eat things that taste good. Perhaps this is why my most successful diet lasted only two weeks. My church had its annual BBQ this weekend - and I reveled in it.  I had a sandwich Saturday, one for dinner on Sunday, and I have packed my lunch for tomorrow with another sandwich. At the end of the day, my commitment to my church family is more important than physical appearances. Hence, why I must enjoy BBQ sandwiches, He He. I also had family over for a delicious brunch after Camilla's baptism at church - Grits Casserole, Ham Biscuits, Bread Pudding, a salad, Berry Trifle, and Mimosas.  I think it is clear now why the epic "Last Ten Pounds" has become epic: a long narrative poem, grand. Will this epic ever have an end?

I can't diet - nor will I diet. I have tried so many times since 1995 to lose ten pounds. Unsuccessfully I fall back into old habits. Thus, I have accepted my size, my pre-baby size that is. Currently,I am back to the ten pound cat and mouse game to get back to the pre-baby size that is over sized but acceptable. Yet, I will not diet!

Solutions? I am getting physical. Last week I posted my goal for a twenty minute workout.  It took me till Friday to accomplish it - but it was completed. This week's goal is an apple.  Gala Apples were on sale this week so I bought a whole bag. My plan is to replace my morning snack, which normally ranges from a couple of Ritz crackers to a granola bar, with a newly purchased Gala Apple. Everything else will remain the same. I love to eat, and this week I am loving the Gala Apple!!

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Foster's Market, a restaurant I worked at while in college, made an incredible Chicken Pot Pie with homemade buttermilk biscuits as a topping.  Although this rendition is a far cry from the homemade version, it sings a song of remembrance to the classic. Making 4 Casseroles:
The Grocery List
Cream of Chicken Soup   4  10.5 oz cans
Cream of Celery Soup      4  10.5 oz cans
Can of Mixed Vegetables       4   15 oz cans, drained
Can of potatoes       4    15 oz cans, drained and chopped
Cooked, chopped chicken      4   12.5 oz cans, drained
Chicken Broth        4 cups
All Purpose Flour        1 cup
Water     2 cups
Salt      1 teaspoon
Pepper    1/2  teaspoon
Can of Mushrooms      4   4 oz cans, drained
Biscuits       4 cans of 12 oven ready Buttermilk Biscuits
Butter    2 tablespoons, melted

In a medium mixing bowl combine the chicken broth and flour. Whisk together, then add the water.  Set aside.  In each of the four 9x13 casserole dishes, combine 1 can of cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, mixed vegetables, potatoes, chicken, and mushrooms. To each mixture, add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add 1.5 cups of flour broth mixture to each dish. Gently incorporate the ingredients until evenly distributed. Top each pie with 12 biscuits. With a pastry brush, brush the tops of all biscuits with melted butter.

To freeze, spray the bottom side of a piece of aluminum foil with nonstick spray. This will prevent the biscuits from sticking to the cover while they thaw. Lie flat in freezer.

To cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook thawed pie, uncovered for 70 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and biscuits are golden. (The pie that was never frozen can be cooked in 45 minutes.)