Frugal Foodie

Potato Gratin...all I can say is yum!

While in South Carolina, I saw a magazine in our hotel room and one evening I was leafing through it and found this recipe. I copied it down and tried it this week. My husband gave it two thumbs up after he had three servings.

Potato Gratin
4 large baking potatoes, peeled and halved
2 tsp salt
4 TB unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp white pepper
3 T olive oil
2 large onions, halved and and thinly sliced
2/3 cup beef broth
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Boil potatoes until tender. Mash potatoes with butter, milk, and white pepper. Transfer to a greased deep casserole, leaving 1 inch on top. Heat oil and cook onions until soft and golden brown. Spread onions over potated and top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until heating through and cheese is bubbly.

I actually made this ahead and heated it up a couple of nights later. I baked it a little longer since it was in the oven and covered it for part of the time. Wow, was it tasty.

I think you change the flavoring by changing the types of potatoes and cheese.

One goal I am constantly working on is to eat more fruit. I know it is good for me and I know it helps me stay healthy.

One downside is the expense. Fruit can be expensive. It's even more expensive if it goes to waste.

Each week I make a fruit salad so we have some fruit with our supper. I try to put some different things in it every so often to change it up, but I usually have blueberries and strawberries. Both are supposed to be quite good for you.

Someone wrote that bananas are the perfect fruit because they come in their own package and are easy to eat. I like bananas. For years my husband claimed he didn't like them. Now, he can't get enough of them.

As I proceed down the alphabet, I want to admit that my list wasn't by chance. I spent a lot of time ahead of time trying to come up with things for each letter. I was proctoring a test for a child a couple of weeks ago and the state requires we give the children the whole time, even if they don't use it or need it. I couldn't send him back to class, and he was getting restless. He asked me what I was working on and I told him that I had a blog and thought I'd challenge myself and try to write something for each letter of the alphabet. He wanted to help me and although I won't be using any of his suggestions, I was pleased he knew quite a few foods. U stumped him and he finally suggested "unicorn" and when I commented they are imaginary, he said then they would probably taste like plastic!

Most of the kids I work with have a very limited diet so I was pleased he seemed to know a wide range of fruits. He could tell me avocado and mango and even pomegranate. He described how he stained his shirt eating one.

As I was growing up my mom wasn't very adventurous when it came to fruit. We had bananas and apples and often we had canned peaches. She didn't buy grapes very often because she said they were expensive and the only time we had strawberries was the few years we had some plants. We never had blueberries except for those little ones in the muffin mix.

I have had to be a little more adventurous on my own and I've discovered kiwi as well a fresh pears and the fact there are different types of apples. It's a challenge to find other fruits where I live, but I am willing to try some new ones.

Do you have a favorite fruit?

No kidding...that's pretty obvious, isn't it?

I was reading an article in today's paper that said that young adults who participate in church activities may be prone to obesity due to many of the church functions relating to food. Amen to that! We like to eat, that's for sure, and fellowship usually involves some type of food, doesn't it?

I, unfortunately, love to eat. I remember a friend of mine who basically ate to live. She said the only time food tasted good was when she was pregnant. She said she would then sit and eat row after row of Oreos because they tasted so good.

Part of good things of the trip was trying a couple new restaurants. We ate at two very good ones in the evening. I'm not a big sea food lover, but the crab cakes at one restaurant were so good. At another, the shrimp and grits were very delicious. We ate lunch at a restaurant that was named after a Greek god and the portions were large and the food was superb.

I get caught up on how important food is. I've become a bit of a snob at times. I like trying new things and I want it to be flavorful and good. A lot of my free time is spent in the kitchen. My husband is not complaining -- he said to buy whatever I want because he benefits. We had a chance to visit a great kitchen store in Charleston and I found a baking stone I felt I needed. I have to admit the fact my pastor was telling about how much fun he had using his baking stone on making bread certainly made me consider getting one. I also bought a bamboo spatula. Did I need these items. Not really. But I will get far more use of them than a t-shirt.

I think eating is like everything else, it needs to be done in moderation and that is not only in the actual tasting of food, but the thinking about and preparing as well. I certainly don't want to be so caught up in it, I forget to do other things. That being said, guess I need to get ready for supper!

I haven't been on lately because we were out of town. This last week was spring break -- we normally don't get a whole week -- and we had been saving to go to Charleston, SC, so we took off and drove the over 800 miles there and then over 800 back. And, I'm doggone tired!

We live in Illinois and took a route that took us through North Carolina and we toured the Biltmore. Can you believe the Vanderbilt and Cecil families did not invite us to tea? We then proceeded to Charleston, S.C.

We only had about two days there, but we did eat at a couple of great restaurants, as well as touring Fort Sumter. One restaurant had absolutely delicious crab cakes...we started our meal with tomato basil soup which was scrumptious.

It was nice to get away and see some neat things, but the past two days on the road made me want to kiss my driveway when we pulled in. I believe I will sleep well tonight because I am very, very tired!

Cheese. It can be smooth and creamy or tart or spicy with a different texture.

Growing up, I don’t remember many different types of cheeses. Velveeta was used for sandwiches and we all laughed about Swiss having holes, but we didn’t buy much of it. The stuff in the can was good for picnics because it was portable and you didn’t have to keep it cool. But that was the extent of it.

Now, I’m in cheese heaven with Feta, Swiss, Bleu, Colby, and Goat cheese to name a few. It’s interesting how I can make the same recipe and by changing the type of cheese I incorporate, it changes the flavor.

I always thought Parmesan was the stuff in the refrigerator section that came in the green package that you shook out – how amazing you can shred your own. And then I learned that marinara sauce has Parmesan in it….life is good.

Cheese is great for a snack, a treat, and even for a meal. Seeing a deli tray with different cheeses is like having a buffet! And imagine having some grapes and some cheese. Wow, that’s almost better than dessert!

I know there are cheeses out there I haven’t tried, but I’m ready…I have some crackers just waiting!

Broth – that glorious creation that is so easy to make, and can add so much flavor!

Around the holidays there’s a broth manufacturer that touts its product saying your holiday dishes will like it because there is no MSG in their broth.
I have news for that company – there isn’t any MSG in my homemade broth either!

I’m a big fan of making my own broth. Often I’ll cook a whole chicken with some herbs and vegetables just so I will have a rich broth to add to the chicken dishes or to freeze in containers for other uses. I use the chicken, but love the added benefit of that broth.

Ina Garten often talks about making her own broth on her show, “Barefoot Contessa” and she uses a big stock pot and simmers it for hours. I don’t have time to do that, so I use my handy dandy Crockpot for just that!

At one of our local restaurants, they serve such large portions; I often have chicken and vegetables left over. I ask for a to go box, come home, add water and whatever else I have available, and make a small Crockpot of broth. I let it cool, strain it, and put it in freezable containers and mark what it is. Then I wag it out to the freezer so it’s ready and waiting when I need some broth.

When I’m making broth, I often add some vegetables that are sort of past their prime – I hate to throw any food away. But I really like having that broth peeking out among the other items in the freezer, ready for a casserole, soup, or even to cook some fresh green beans in.

It's really pretty economical when you think about it -- if you are already going to need cooked chicken, adding some extra stuff to make a rich broth is actually saving you money and you can control what goes in it and what doesn't.

Ah, broth, how wonder art thou!

Appetite. What makes many of us motivated to do something? It can be an appetite for a good meal or a desire to accomplish something.

Since I enjoy food so much, I think mine would have to want a good meal. I am shocked at how many people “settle” for a lot of the fast food stuff with little flavor except grease and salt.

We were watching “Till Debt Do Us Part” last night on CNBC and I was proud of Gail when she told the parents that eating fast food isn’t good for their children because it wasn’t healthy. Although the family stayed on their food budget – her answer was to buy cheap fast food meals. Gail said that it might be cheap, but it costs in the long run. Amen, sister!
We have some friends who love to eat out, but always try to find a bargain. I’m thinking to myself as they order some very cheap, but not nutritious stuff that you might be eating cheaply today, but what will be the cost tomorrow and the next day? It’s not like this junk they are eating is a treat or a splurge – it is how they eat most of the time.

I think my parents did me a disservice by not having me eat different things as a kid. Yes, I had my share of vegetables and there are some I abhor – no doubt about it. But, because we rarely ate fish, I have trouble being courageous enough to eat different types of fish. I think if I had been exposed to fish as a child, I’d eat more of it.

I think our appetites and like change as we change. I remember thinking that those fast hamburgers were the greatest. We have a local fast food joint that everyone loves their greasy burgers. I used to until my stomach could no longer handle the grease.

My desire for foods has changed and I tend to like different things now than I did when I was younger. I really like a good salad. Fresh green beans are scrumptious. I don’t think I ate zucchini as a child, but as an adult, I love finding different recipes to sample.

So, what do you have to say about your appetite?

On Sundays our local paper prints a syndicated column by Steve Batie of Houseworks. Usually his columns are about home improvement projects or woodworking. I'm not very handy around the house and woodworking -- let's say I'd prefer not to increase my insurance premiums, but I enjoy his writing style and his well measured sarcastic remarks.

Today he wrote about people saving up for things. He said he thought most folks don't. I would have to agree. Saving has almost become a dirty word to many -- why save when you can have it right now???

I emailed him to thank him for his column, but also to say we are considered odd in our circle of friends -- we save money in a Christmas Club to buy presents come Christmas time. We have a vacation fund where we save up for a trip or two. Last year I used a small savings account to save up for a new stove. When we say we do these things, people look at us like we've sprouted antennae and we are aliens. Why not buy now and pay later? Or, put it on a credit card?

Other than big purchases than a house or a car, we like to save up for things. We did have money for downpayments on both, but that's another story.

Part of it has to do with the anticipation of actually buying something and truly owning it. It isn't an impulse buy and often something we regret. I really enjoy my new stove. I thought about it, researched it, looked at different stoves, and when I finally had the moolah to purchase it outright, decided I deserved the pleasure of owning it. It's mine and I use it and enjoy it. I'm not worrying about it being repossessed. I'm not doing without something else because I purchased it.

The same thing on a vacation. A friend of ours borrowed against his house so he could afford a vacation. I'm thinking to myself, let's see, you don't have the money outright for this trip, so you are going to borrow against the equity of your home to take a trip that when you get back, you will have to worry about paying the extra bills. Somehow, I would have trouble enjoying the vacation.

Granted, there are certain purchases you have to buy because of safety reasons. If I needed a new furnace and it was freezing outside with no thaw in sight, I'd say do what you need to do. But, to purchase an item that you want and then worry about having to pay for it later?

I think in very simplistic terms, the whole idea of not saving is what has gotten our economy in the mess it is in. In general, the Great Depression of the dirty thirties was brought in part by people buying things on credit where they didn't have the money to pay for it. They overextended themselves and eventually it hurt everyone. I think this last recession was a repeat (remember the slogan about those who don't remember the past are doomed to repeat it?) of that same story. People were buying more house than they can afford and suddenly when it came to crunch time, they couldn't make the payments. No money was being paid and suddenly lots of people were losing money. Excuse me, since when has it become a right for everyone to get exactly what they want immediately?

A friend of ours thought I was nuts when I suggested they make sure they had 20% to put down as a downpayment on their house. I received this comment that it would mean they couldn't buy or couldn't buy the size of house they wanted.

I guess I'm old fashioned -- I think that people are more responsible if they have a stake in whatever they are purchasing.

Although most of the folks on this site are committed to saving, I think we are select few. I say we need to make saving money a goal for everyone.

We did our weekly grocery run and I spent some time the last few evenings making my lists. Not sure if I checked them twice, but I am going to tell you who I think is naughty and nice!

Nice -- those companies who give you more than three weeks to redeem the coupon. I realize grocery shelf is a hot commodity, but there are times I don't need something before the coupon expires. I'm not asking for a year, but give me at least two months.

Nice -- those companies who realize that most of us don't have warehouses to store the products. There are two of us in this house and I'm the only one who eats cereal and having to buy three boxes to save a buck might be OK if I ate three boxes in a week, but I don't. I try to buy cereal when it is on sale and when I have a coupon as well as when I have storage. My pantry space is limited.

Naughty -- OK, the this is a repeat sort of, but less than four weeks of time to buy something? Come on! Some folks budget and if it isn't a necessity, they'll do without. I might be tempted to try your product if I had a little more time with the coupon, but if I already have something, I'm not throwing it out just so I can try your product.

Naughty -- buying multiples of something or the huge size of something with your coupon. I grant you that the warehouse stores have made regular stores try to compete, but I simply do not have a place to put 24 rolls of toilet paper and 10 paper towels. And many of us who buy name brand items, don't use two toothpastes in a month.

Naughty -- a coupon that you have to buy one item to get another free or marked down. I've bought a bag of potatoes and can save 50 cents if I buy something like a cheese spread. That would be great if I wanted the cheese spread, but if not, than I feel I was cheated out of saving 50 cents.


Naughty -- those chain stores who take you to a coupon site where you can print coupons, but then the local store doesn't accept Internet coupons. All or nothing, my friends. I'm not spending the time, ink, and paper only to be told that I can't use them. And I'm old enough that I don't care if the person behind me thinks I'm an old fuss budget and refuse to buy the item. In this economy, only the strong survive!

Dear coupon folks, please think about those of us who don't have a big family and we don't need multiples of things -- I really don't need three bags of party mix to save 50 cents. I have decided that if I can't save a few cents on one item, maybe I'll just do without!

It's Sunday so I usually bake some bread. I did -- I baked white bread and some banana bread.

Amazing stuff, this bread. It's not just a certain style, type, flavor, color, or size. It can be baked in pans, on stones, on trays, or even in pots. There are different things you can utilize to whip up a loaf -- all purpose flour, wheat flour, rye, rice flour, potato flour, well, you get the idea.

I blogged earlier that I went through 3 bread machines because my husband adores bread. But, he isn't alone. Panera, which used to be called St. Louis Bread company, is pretty famous for their bread. In our local Panera, there are paintings of bread.

For Christians, in the Lord's Prayer, there is, "Give us this day, our daily bread." So, bread has played an important part in every day life. Although we ask for more than bread, you get the picture -- we want to be well fed.

I remember baking bread at my former school and the teachers would come in and relive memories of who baked bread with or for them. The aroma aroused that memory.

Remember the ongoing line about if you go to jail you only get bread and water? I wonder what kind of bread? I always pictured that real soft white stuff of my childhood that you could squeeze together and make a ball. Some of the other breads might make it a good experience however. I like a hot, crusty bread. I'd prefer to eat it outside of the bars, but...

This will age me, but remember when people would ask if you had any bread and they didn't mean something to eat, but money? I guess as important is bread is to many, money is as important.

Being sort of frugal, I like baking my own bread because I can make different kinds with many of the same ingredients. It's far cheaper for me to make a loaf of bread than to buy it commercially. Plus, it's kind of fun experimenting with different breads and flours.

There are so many things you can do with bread. You can have it accompany a meal like a slice of bread with pasta. Or you can have a bread stick in olive oil. Yum, especially if it is hot and the olive oil has been flavored with garlic and rosemary. We make sandwiches with bread. And I have used bread to make egg stratas. Plus, we can have toast with our eggs or simply alone. I've used older bread to make bread crumbs for toppings. Or, I've toasted bread and cubed it for croutons for a salad. And, I've even taken some bread to feed the ducks down at the lake. I haven't even touched on the flat breads like cornbread! Not to mention sweet breads like banana and zucchini...yum!

I like different breads for different things. I enjoy the bread sticks if we are having pasta or a salad. I enjoy cornbread with ham. I like rye as well as whole wheat bread for sandwiches and toast. Pitas are delightful for gyros. French breads are great for brueschetta. Texas Toast thick stuff is delightful for French Toast. The bread world is amazing, isn't it?

Do you have a favorite bread?

Sweet potatoes have suddenly become a wonder food. If you've noticed in the news, the media is touting all the good stuff they have in them for one's health. I like them, but my husband claimed he didn't.

A couple of months ago he said he'd try one if I baked it. I did, he did, and he discovered he kind of liked it. We've had them baked a few times since and he comments that he missed out on something all these years.

I've been looking for a sweet potato casserole recipe that would be easy to make ahead and then bake off. The only problem I've encountered is so many of them have so much sugar in them. I like sweet stuff as much as the next person, but one recipe had a cup of brown sugar AND a cup of white sugar. Why even eat the potato -- just make candy and be done with it?

Anyway, I took a few recipes and came up with my own. I fixed it today and it isn't bad. I know most recipes either have pecans or coconut and we don't like either, so I left them off the top, but you like them, by all means, go for it.

Sweet potato casserole

5-6 small sweet potatoes or 2-3 large ones, peeled, cubed, and boiled until soft.
1 can of evaportated milk
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 T of nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
Coconut or pecans for topping -- optional


Drain the cooked sweet potatoes. Mash with the evaported milk and add the brown sugar and nutmeg. Once this mixture has cooled a bit, add the beaten eggs and mix thoroughly. Put in a greased baking dish. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes covered or until thoroughly cooked through. The time will depend on how deep your baking dish is -- less time if it is long and less deep, and more if it is deeper.

I like trying new things, but so many of the recipes anymore seem to have too much salt or too much sugar. I hope to eat stuff that is somewhat healthy for me.

There's just something aromatic about sauting garlic and onions and even celery in olive oil. So many good smells emit from the kitchen.

I sauted onions, celery, and mushrooms for the brisket and then added some garlic. My husband came into the kitchen and told me, "It sure smells good in here." I had to laugh. He doesn't care for fancy perfumes, but he sure likes the aromas of food cooking.

I know when I bake bread he likes it too. I remember last year when I baked bread at school people would open my classroom door to get a whiff and then smile. We humans like good smellin' stuff!

Somehow I don't think I'll be putting a little olive oil and garlic behind my ears, but I'm happy about making my hubby pleased. Think of the money I'm saving him in perfume by cooking and having that great smell? Am I being frugal????

So, what is your favorite aroma?

Yesterday, I happened to watch "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" on Food Network. I've not viewed it before and was taken in by Ann's easy breezy style. She showed making a brisket that made our mouths water. It looked juicy and delicious, so when we did our weekly run to the store, we picked up a small brisket.

I have tomorrow off for Presidents' Day so I plan on fixing it for supper tomorrow night. She served potato pancakes with it -- she used mashed potatoes to bind the potato pancakes instead of flour or bread crumbs.

Beef Brisket

Ingredients
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 (5-pound) beef brisket
Kosher salt
1/4 pound slab bacon, skin removed and reserved, bacon cut into lardons
3 large onions, thinly sliced
3 celery ribs, thinly sliced on the bias
4 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
1 pound cremini mushrooms, stemmed and finely sliced
2 cups balsamic vinegar
3 to 4 cups chicken stock
4 bay leaves
1 fresh thyme bundle
1 bunch finely chopped fresh chives, for garnish
Directions
Coat a large roasting pan with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Season the brisket generously with salt. Add the brisket to the pan and brown well on both sides. Remove the brisket from the pan and reserve.


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.


Lower the heat to medium, ditch the excess oil, and add the bacon and reserved skin to the pan with a little more oil. Cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy and has let out a lot of fat. Add the onions and celery. Season with salt and cook until they are very soft and aromatic, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Toss in the mushrooms and cook until they are soft and wilted. Add the balsamic vinegar and reduce it by half. Taste it - it will be very vinegary, but that's ok, don't worry. Season with salt, if needed. Lay the brisket on top of the veggie mix and add the chicken stock to the pan until it just covers the brisket. Add the bay leaves and thyme.


Cover the pan with foil and roast in the oven. Roast for 1 hour, check the brisket, and turn it over. Add more stock if the liquid level has reduced. Cover the pan again and return it to the oven for another hour. Remove the foil and roast for 30 minutes more.


Remove the roasting pan from the oven, transfer the brisket to a cutting board, cover with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes.


Skim off any excess fat from the cooking liquid. If the vegetables are swimming in liquid, reduce the liquid on the stovetop over medium-high heat. You want the sauce to be soupy. Taste the liquid and re-season if needed. Slice the brisket against the grain on the bias. Serve topped with the onion-mushroom mixture and sprinkle with chopped chives.

I certainly hope it tastes as good as it looks!

I tried a new recipe today for bread. Like that's a big surprise, because I'm always on the look out for a new bread recipe. But, if someone had said a year ago that I'd think about trying a recipe for poppy seed bread, I'd say "Nah!" Banana bread or cinnamon bread or peach muffins yes, but poppy seeds????

Long story short, I grew up in a dysfunctional family. To be exact, my half brother and I didn't really see each other for over 40 some years. I mean, I knew he was around and vice versa, but because of problems with our mother, and the fact he was older and almost an adult when I came along, we just didn't get to know each other.

A few years ago when our mother died, I called and told him. He and his delightful wife attended the funeral. We talked a bit, but never really did too much together. Part of it is because I don't trust people very much. Again, an issue with my childhood and I certainly don't want pity. But, through the years we are getting to know each other and my brother realized I like to cook and bake. He shared that his grandmother (we had different dads) used to make poppy seed bread and how much he liked it.

Well, I decided if he likes it so much, I thought I should find a recipe. I've talked to my sister-in-law and I think I might have found one that is similar to what his grandmother used to make. Big brother will be eating his poppy seed bread tomorrow when I give it to him.


Poppy Seed Bread

Original Recipe Yield 2 loaves

Ingredients
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/8 cups vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
Directions
Mix together the flour, 2 1/4 cups white sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and eggs. Mix in the vegetable oil, poppy seeds, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1 1/2 teaspoons almond flavoring. Beat with an electric mixer for 1 to 2 minutes. Lightly grease 2 loaf pans or 6 small loaf pans. Bake 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees.

If you have a recipe for poppy seed bread you'd like to share, please do! Hopefully Big Brother will find this one to his liking!

Years ago eggs were advertised as the Incredible Edible Egg. Then came the harsh warnings that eggs were bad, bad, bad for you and that they will raise one's cholesterol to skyrocketing numbers.

Well, last week, a new finding is eggs aren't quite as wicked as they were once thought. Research says that since chickens are eating better feeds, the cholesterol isn't quite so high.

For all of you brinner (breakfast + dinner) fans, I bet I just heard a hoot and a holler.

Anyway, eggs are tasty not to mention cheap. Right now one grocery store is offering "Ten for ten" which is a buck a dozen of large eggs. That's less than a dime an egg!

I like a good casserole and one with eggs always seems to be a bonus at my house. My husband loves eggs.

I have been poring through cookbooks and think I found a new recipe that I'm going to try. Well, I've already made it and have it in the fridge to bake off later this week. It's from one of those church cook books, but no one's name is on it so I can't give credit to anyone.

Hash Brown Egg Bake
1 pgk shredded hash browns
1 1/2 c. diced ham
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
8 eggs, beaten
1 pt whipping cream
1/4 c green pepper chopped
1/8 tsp garlic salt
3 T butter

Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl. Add beaten eggs and stir. Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan. Top with butter pieces. Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes.

Sounds like a hearty meal for brinner to me!

I'm always on the look out for a new casserole dish, especially a chicken casserole.

A dear friend buys me a subscription to "Simple and Delicious" magazine and the newest one had this recipe. It actually makes up two batches, one to use now and one to freeze. I haven't tried it yet, but plan on making it this afternoon. My only change is I'm going to make my own cheese sauce instead of buying the cheese soup.

Chicken Club Casseroles

4 cups uncooked spiral pasta
4 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 cans (10 3/4 oz) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
1 cup crumbled cooked bacon
1 cup 2% milk
1 cup mayonnaise
4 mediums tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Colby-Monteresy Jack cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, soup, bacon, milk, and mayonnaise. Stir in tomatoes and spinach.

Drain pasta; stir into chicken mixture. Transer to two greased 8 in square baking dishes. Sprinkle with cheese.

Cool one casserole; cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Cover and bake remaining casserole at 375 for 35-40 minutes or until bubble and cheese is melted.

To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 375 for 60-70 minutes or until bubbly.

It sounds good for a winter day.

Stupid me. I volunteered to purchase a battery for a timer we use at school to test fluency. It's just a small little stopwatch with a button battery, no problem, right?

Have you been to the battery section lately? I thought this shouldn't be a problem, the battery had a number on in. Oh, what a naive person I am.

Dumb me. I looked, and looked, and looked and couldn't find a battery with a number like it. I started holding the battery up to the packages thinking maybe that would help. That narrowed it down to a couple, but I wasn't for sure.

Of course like most stores there is little assistance when you need it. I know they cut back on employees to save money. I wound up spending close to 30 minutes looking for this battery. I finally located a genteel older clerk and explained my difficulty. She said, "Oh, you have to look at the bottom of the packages because many companies say this specific model replaces different battery numbers."

Easier said that done. I think the print that said that had to be either 4 point or possible 5 point fonts. Then, I couldn't find one that said the exact same number. The serial number had an extra letter than my battery.

What is wrong with our country when you have to have a multitude of different battery sizes? It's a struggle just dealing with AA and AAA's and now button batteries with different sizes and numbers. And why does this number have to replace a multitude of different numbers?

And, for those of you who have had the charming experience of battery buying lately, you know these little button batteries aren't cheap. I certainly didn't want to select the wrong one and have to keep it because it didn't fit. I'm not sure what the return policy is on batteries that have been taken out of the packages. For those of you not in education, most of these little purchases come out of our pocket, so although you might think spending $5 on a battery isn't bad, imagine spending it and not being able to use the battery and still having to purchase another battery. I guess I could glue it to my ear for an earring, but other than that, I am not sure what other uses I could come up with.

I found that nice lady and asked her and she said that it was the same and although there was an extra letter in the serial number, it would work. I hoped she was right. I certainly wasn't going to go back and kick her if she was in error, but I had already spent 30 minutes being frustrated. I didn't want to add to my stress.

I'm happy to report the battery worked. It fit, the timer worked, and I tested for fluency today.

As for volunteering to find a battery for something else, I'm going to leave that for someone else. I hope I can find someone else.

And for the battery makers I have one word, "Bleah!"

Last night I was looking at my grandmother's recipe box. It's an old wooden box and most of the recipes are typewritten on cards or papers that have yellowed with time.

I found 4 wine recipes. I've concluded that wine making must be an art because of the time it takes. I had heard my grandfather made his own wine and I assume these were some of the recipes. However, other than the basic ingredients, there were few instructions. Maybe they knew what to do and just needed a reminder of the measurements.

One recipe for a fruit salad said buy a 10 cent box of crackers...think that might be a hard one to follow!

There's my grandmother's peanut brittle recipe in there. I've made it a few times and I have great respect for my grandmother and her hands of asbestoes...she would stretch the hot peanut brittle after taking it out of the cooking pot because the thinner the better. For years my mom wouldn't give me the recipe. I found that odd because the one time my mom tried to make it, she burnt it. It isn't any great secret, that's for sure. Yet she didn't want to give it up.

I found 6 recipes for fruit cake. Yep, 6 different recipes for fruit cake. I guess I find that amusing because nowdays people have jokes about fruit cake.

But the funniest recipe of all has to be how to get rid of a tapeworm!

It was quite a suprise to learn we would have yet another snow day today. The temps are pretty cold, but we've had school with the temps this frigid before. I don't know the real reason, but I am surmising it was probably a problem with getting lots of parking lots plowed and busses ready to go.

We did get out and about some today. DH had cabin fever and wanted to go out. We went to a local market and bought some meat to put in our freezer. I like their beef and pork and they wrap it in sizes that are managable to use. Today was also senior day so we got 10% off since DH is past 62.

We often eat the same types of meat over and over. I guess I don't get too wild when it comes to different things. I don't know if it is because I don't want to fail or if it is I don't want to waste money.

Every so often I get brave and try something new, but it usually is the same type of meat I've tried before. I think I need to venture out and see if magic can be made with different cuts of meat. Would this make me brave or just plain silly?

Today is our second snow day for our school district. We don't get them often, so having two in a row is an indication of how grim the weather has been.

We received a layer of ice, then some snow, them some frozen something or other on top of that, to be complimented with yet another coating of snow. With cold temps and some high wind gusts, there is no doubt we are in winter. The most frightening part was the lights flickering on and off. Some parts of our city did lose power. We had an ice storm in 2006 and being without power even just two days made it tough. With the frigid temperatures predicted, it could be life threatening if we were to lose power.

The good thing about being home is we ate well. I fixed a big breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast and that make my hubby very happy. Lunch was a cheese spread on homemade bread. Supper was a pork loin roast, roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, and a fruit salad.

Today I used the leftover pork roast and made pulled pork sandwiches. Hubby was pleased about that. Tonight it is beef stew as long as we have power.

Our cul-d-sac is pretty deep. The city plows usually don't get to our subdivision until days after a major storm, so I'm not looking for them anytime soon as they struggle to dig out the city. I called a guy to plow our driveway and so far he hasn't shown which is frustrating because two of our neighbors had their driveways plowed and we could have asked their people to do it while they were here, but we hope our guy shows.

I hope all of you who are suffering from this storm are safe and warm!

The little ice crystals are bouncing off our windows and the driveway looks like a skating rink...I think the winter storm has come!

I live in Central Illinois and we are supposed to have freezing rain and then a bunch of snow...possibly close to a foot by Wednesday morning. None of it sounds wonderful, but I'm just hoping the ice doesn't result in power outage. We had an ice storm a little over 4 years ago and it didn't take long for the house to get cold with no electricity. We had a fireplace, but it didn't put off a lot of heat. I know that little storm cost us extra money because we bought firewood and ate out as much as we could not because we couldn't eat what we had, but in an effort and excuse to sit someplace warm and thaw out.

Do you hear it, the ping, ping, ping of ice hitting my window?

We've been warned...Central Illinois is supposed to get freezing rain and snow in the next few days. The freezing rain scares me the most...we had the freezing rain/ice storm over 4 years ago and were without power over two days. Two cold, miserable days. I have new respect for those folks who heated with a fireplace -- I don't know how they did it.

The forecast is calling from anywhere between 10-20 inches from Monday evening to Wednesday. Then on Wednesday it is predicted we will have high wind gusts.

Thursday has equally good news...temperatures below zero and wind chills even lower.

A friend wrote as she talked about the weather..."if you were planning on doing your grocery shopping tomorrow night, you might want to do it today." Amen, sister!

I know a gal who rarely has anything in the house. She often says she has to go out to eat because she didn't have anything to bring for lunch. If she thinks of it, she'll stop at a convenience store to pick up a frozen dinner for lunch. (Can we say expensive?) Before Christmas we were supposed to have a bad storm and I suggested she hit the store before she went home and she said she didn't have time because some friends might stop by. I always wonder what she'll do if her car won't start. Snack on some tree bark? Eat a few weeds? OK, I digress....

We hit the store this weekend to pick up a few fresh things like milk and bread and a few items to replenish items I've used throughout the week. Granted, most of the stuff in my pantry would require some heating to make it taste the best, but as long as we have power, we could go quite a few days if need be.

I certainly hope the forecasters are wrong and we don't get that much snow. I am glad we have the convenience of modern heat and cooking. Those folks in log cabins and mud houses were made of stern stuff!

The state of Illinois in a lame duck session, voted a new income tax in and yesterday's paycheck was the first time they took the additional tax.

It was sizeable. Like over $50. My last paycheck had me paying $12 more in federal tax. No, I didn't get a raise. I'm not really sure why I am paying more in federal tax and everyone I talked to said their pay was different too.

I get the purpose of taxes and normally I don't complain. But, what worries me is if the state doesn't handle the new tax any better than they handled what they previously had, will I be forking over even more in a few years?

Come on government officials...you have to do better! Fortunately I can handle less pay even if I don't like it, but I know there are people out there who can't. For some, that might be the money they are putting back to save and now it's gone. I'm beginning to think the government isn't helping people save money for themselves. What do you think?

Ah...satisfaction! I told my husband that it was nice to open the fridge and it is full. There's something gratifying about knowing I'm ready for this week with some meals ready to heat and eat.

I did my usual put the chicken in the Crockpot thingy Friday night. Saturday morning I had a cooked chicken with rich broth. It's cold here and cold air bothers my asthma so other than a quick run to the grocery store for a few items, we were home and I spent most of the afternoon fixing things.

I baked bread with rice flour. I like having different breads when we have supper and I hate to spend gourmet prices for stuff you can make for a lot less. I heat it a few slices when we are ready to eat and it usually tastes pretty good.

I am trying a new recipe. I was looking through a Paula Deen cookbook and saw this recipe with rice.


Chicken and Rice Casserole


2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
3 cups diced, cooked chicken
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans green beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 (4-ounce) jar pimentos
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (6-ounce) box long-grain wild rice, cooked according to package directions
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
Pinch salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat butter or oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.

Add all remaining ingredients to bowl and mix together until thoroughly combined.

Pour into a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for a few minutes before serving

I'm going to admit that I didn't fix it exactly. The cookbook said to use a whole box of Uncle Ben's rice. I used the rice I had on hand.

I also used different vegetables. I roasted a big pan of celery, carrots, onions, zucchini and potatoes to put in a chicken pot pie so I used part of that. I like green beans, but I thought I'd use what I had. Why spend more than I need to? Hope Paula won't mind.

I also substituted the whole can of cream of celery soup with a half a can of cream of chicken (again, I used half of it for the chicken pot pie) and made up with it with plain yogurt. Sorry, Paula. I not only want to save some money, but cut out some of the fat.

I also shredded bits and pieces of a couple of cheeses that I had in the fridge. So, this is no longer a purebred recipe. Hope Paula understands!

I look forward to trying this recipe. As cold as it is, a nice hot casserole for supper will be yummy, and far more reasonable than going out! I just hope Paula Deen won't hate me forever!

I tried a new recipe the other day.

I got it from the cookbook, "What Would Jesus Eat" by Don Colbert and the cookbook said it was adapted from CookbooksOnline.com. The cookbook said it was an appetizer, but we don't eat courses, so I used it as a casserole.

Overall, it wasn't bad, but perhaps a bit bland. If I make it again, I think I might add some other herbs.

Zucchini Casserole

3 cups thinly sliced unpeeled zucchini
1 cup biscuit baking mix
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
4 slightly beaten eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons snipped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoran or oregano leaves
dash of pepper
1 finely chopped garlic clove
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the zucchini, baking mix, Parmesan cheese, onion, eggs, salt, parsley, marjoram, pepper, garlic, and olive oil in a large bowl; mix well. Spread the zucchini mixture in a greased 9x13x2 inch baking dish. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven; cool slightly. For appetizers cut into 1x2 inch rectangles and serve. For a casserole, cut into squares.

On the bright side, it was filling and hot on a very cold day.

I enjoy trying new ways of doing things. I've seen and read recipes for making stew in the oven and I thought, I ought to try that. I've made it on top of the stove and I've also put it in one of my Crockpots. Although the Crockpot is adequate, I really like it on top of the stove...but, I have another way I like it.

My basic recipe for beef stew really doesn't have any measurements. I used a cast iron Dutch oven. I started with a pound of stew meat and if you can get it tenderized, so much the better. I did try something a little different and that is I dried the stew meat off before sauteing it in olive oil in the Dutch oven. It did brown better (thank you, Julia Child). I then chopped an onion and browned it with the meat. I chopped a long stalk of celery and put that in. While that was cooking, I added a little Worcestershire sauce. When everything was really going, I added 1/4 cup of grape juice. I know some folks use wine. I know very little about wine, but we drink grape juice with our dinner so I thought, why not add it? After that I added two or three chopped carrots and 4-5 peeled and cubed potatoes. I know most folks prefer less potatoes, but hubby hasn't met a potato he doesn't like.

Before taking it off the top of the stove, I put in a large can of tomato sauce. I mixed everything together, added some tumeric and pepper, and then put the lid on and put in a 325 oven for 3 1/2 hours.

Wow. It was yummy. The juices blended and everything was cooked and delicious. I took a tentative bite, declared it was good, and then let it cool a bit and put it in the fridge.

Tonight I heated it up on a low simmer and it was delicious. I certainly would do it again.

Since it was pretty cold today, it made for a hearty meal with some fruit and whole wheat bread.

A few years ago we were browsing at one of these antique malls and I saw it. No, there wasn't a beam of light directing my view...it was actually sitting admist a bunch of other stuff. It was a covered enamel ware pot. It was light blue and that is really what caught my eye -- I like blue. It was a size I didn't have in a pot or pan -- not huge and not tiny. I was thinking, hey, wonder what this costs.

As you may have already gathered, it was $3. No chips, it was clean, nothing burned on it. Looked like it hadn't been used, in fact.

Well, it became mine. And I've decided I got a bargain. I have cooked green beans in it. I have made soups in it. And I use it to bake no knead bread.

It's not fancy and I'm sure most chefs would turn their nose up at it.

But, for $3, it has been a workhorse for me and I'm glad I found it. I truly feel I got a bargain.

If you've never read any of the Amelia Bedelia books, the next time you are at the library or in a book store, be sure and find a couple of these books and read them. They are basically kids books about a gal who is so literal. I remember she was working as a maid at a house and the lady of the house left her a list and it said to "dust" rooms. Amelia didn't know where to find dust, but in the bathroom she did find some "dusting powder" and she went around and "dusted" the room. It's a great story to talk about what we are trying to communication and what it says and what it really says.

Well, I dusted my kitchen today. I didn't plan on it and certainly wasn't thrilled with the cleanup, but it happened. I was talking to my brother and he was talking about how he often stops and gets some fresh bread at a small town near here because he loves the flavor and the freshness. My brother and I did not grow up together so in the past couple of years, we are working on building a relationship. I thought I'd be a good sister and bake him a loaf of bread. I don't believe he reads my blog so I think the surprise is safe!

Anyway, the recipes calls for 6-7 cups of flour, but you don't put them in all at once. (I shared this recipe previously.) You put in some and then keep adding until the dough isn't super sticky. I had about 6 cups in and went to add about another half of cup. I turned off the mixer so I wouldn't have it all over. However, I guess the dough was up far enough that when I turned the mixer back on, the flour was thrown out and as you know, flour travels.

Well, my kitchen has been dusted and Amelia Bedilia is no where to be found!

It's darn cold here. I mean, bone chilling, wind whipping frigid. I'm sure it is worse some places, but I hate going out when it hurts to breath and getting up in the morning seems to be an challenge in either endurance or ignorance...those wood floors are frosty and we keep our house pretty cool.

As I get ready to go to work, cold cereal isn't making my day. I was looking at some recipes for using the Crockpot to fix oatmeal so it's hot and ready when I get up. One recipe said to add all the ingredients and put it on low...the thing that worried me was it said add the half and half. I thought that might curdle it or something. I looked at two other recipes and it mentioned just adding the oatmeal and water and then adding the half and half right before you eat it. I don't have half and half so it would be good ole' milk, but I think I might try that.

I'm thinking this might be a good, warm, cheap breakfast. One one of the sites, the person wrote that they make extra and put the leftovers in the fridge in a loaf pan. When it sets up they slice it and put it in the microwave for another hot breakfast.

Just wondering if anyone else has tried this.

Here is it Sunday afternoon in January. It's been a busy weekend getting errands run and things done, including laundry. I put a whole chicken in the Crockpot Friday night and yesterday used it to make chicken and dressing casserole, chicken and rice casserole, and now I'm trying to figure out what to do with the rest. I can take the easy way out and have chicken and noodles with the chicken and broth, or make chicken stew with vegetables, or another chicken casserole. My hubby picked up the chicken at Aldi and I notice it was $4.71. Getting three meals for a chicken under $5 isn't bad! Plus it means the bulk of three suppers is basically taken care of -- I just need to either put the casseroles in the oven to bake or heat up the chicken and broth with noodles. I roasted a large pan of vegetables to add to the chicken and rice casserole so I can either heat them up as a side dish, or instead of the chicken and noodles, use the chicken, broth and vegetables and make chicken stew.

I made a loaf of Artisan bread this afternoon. My pastor has been experimenting with making Artisan bread so it reminded me of my No Knead Bread recipe so I pulled it out. I did put a little olive oil with some dried herbs on top of it while it baked. I'm pretty pleased with how nice it looks sitting on the cooling rack.

Other than a couple of things like writing a thank you note and filling out a deposit slip, the bulk of my work here is done...now I can relax and enjoy the comfort of my home on a cold winter day.