Monday – Grilled Pork Chops with Mustard Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, and Peas with Basil. I was supposed to make this yesterday, but I decided to stink up the entire house baking Salmon for my husband instead (I am such a loving wife). Tuesday – I am not sure what I will make. I want toRead More
Baked Chicken With Rhubarb Sauce
I modified this recipe from one that I found on The Rhubarb Compendium. The Rhubarb Compendium is a wealth of information on growing rhubarb and includes a large selection of delicious rhubarb recipes. Baked Chicken With Rhubarb Sauce Recipe Ingredients:6 chicken breasts, trimmed2 Tablespoons butter1/2 teaspoon cinnamon1/2 teaspoon nutmeg2 Cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch thickRead More
Strawberry Cream Pie
This pie is my daughter’s specialty. We frequently ask her to make it for us. We feel a little less guilty about eating pie when it is filled with fresh strawberries. She adapted her Strawberry Cream Pie from a recipe she found in the June/July 2007 Taste of Home Magazine. Strawberry Cream Pie PrintRead More
The Secret to Creamy Mashed Potatoes
I learned the secret to creamy, lump-free, mashed potatoes from my mother-in-law. The secret? She doesn’t mash potatoes, she rices them. Scoop a couple spoonfuls of cooked potatoes into the ricer and then squeeze. Repeat until all of the potatoes are riced. Stir in butter, milk, and pepper to taste. That is it! It isRead More
Menu Plan
Monday – Garlic Chicken (I am going to bake this the night before according to the directions and then have my husband “grill” it to heat it up and put stripes on it on Memorial Day), Roasted Potatoes, Baked Beans, Strawberry Spinach Salad, and Corn on the Cob. (I am making lots of side dishesRead More
Asparagus with Garlic
A couple of weeks ago I was operating on autopilot and accidentally cooked asparagus following my mother-in-law’s green bean recipe. My family loved it, my daughter named it “Serendipitous Asparagus” and it has since become a regular on my weekly menu. I start making it when aspargus first shows up in the stores in theRead More
GG’s Taco Salad Recipe
This salad, even with alterations, reminds me of my childhood. My grandmother knew it was one of my favorites and made it whenever I visited her. As she has gotten older and given up cooking, I have been able to return the favor and make it for her. Ingredients:1 lb. ground beef (I sometimes useRead More
Weekly Dinner Menu Plan
Monday – Spaghetti with Red Sauce, Broccoli Salad (inspired by the local deli), Gluten Free French Bread (wish me luck!) Tuesday – Tacos, Refried Beans, and Spanish Rice Wednesday – Use leftover taco meat and cheese to make Taco Salad Thursday – Use leftover taco meat, spaghetti sauce, black beans, and Spanish rice to makeRead More
Preventing Food Waste…
With Miracle Leftover Night! I was determined not to have any waste this week, so I took stock of the things that were a little old and decided to find a way to use them up. Last night’s spontaneous leftover dinner was Chicken and Rice Soup. The soup used up leftover chicken, rice, carrots, andRead More
Salvaging Dry Rice: Fried Rice Recipe
Ever wonder what to do with the leftover white rice from getting Chinese take out? It is usually dry and unappetizing. Instead of tossing it out you can add it to soups or casseroles. However, my favorite way to use it is to make Fried Rice. Fried Rice is actually better when made with driedRead More
Creating Inexpensive Lean Hamburger
When I buy hamburger I prefer very lean meat. Unfortunately, very lean hamburger rarely goes on sale. My local store regularly puts 85% lean hamburger on sale. To create “leaner’ hamburger I drain the fat off after I am done browning it. Since fat can’t go down the sink, I drain it into an emptyRead More
Miracle Leftover Night
Impromptu Chinese Chicken Salad Angela Barton at My Year Without Spending posted her food waste picture last Friday. She had to toss lettuce and when I was replying to her post with suggestions for using up the salad in the future I realized that it had been along time since I posted a Miracle LeftoverRead More
Salvaging a Dry Roast
Every once in a while a roast just doesn’t turn out as I planned. Maybe I tried a new recipe or a different cut of meat, but whatever the reason the roast came out of the oven a little tough or too dry. That night I will serve it as planned with extra drippings pouredRead More
Warning: You Are About to See Dirty Dishes
The most inexpensive cleaner is organic and nontoxic: Hot Water! My sweet husband forgot to grease the pans before he made Breakfast Pizzas for my son. The pan with baked-on cheese is pictured below. I soaked an old dish cloth in really hot water, then spread it over the baking sheet and let it sitRead More
Scalloped Potatoes with Ham and Peas
This recipe was inspired by childhood Easter leftovers. My mom usually made ham, scalloped potatoes, and peas for Easter dinner. The day after Easter I would take a little of each of the leftover dishes and stir them together and make my improved scalloped potatoes. I don’t make scalloped potatoes on Easter Day, primarily becauseRead More
Leftover Ham Anyone?
I am in leftover heaven right now. I usually enjoy the leftovers from a holiday meal unadulterated for one whole day before I start getting creative. Even though the day after a holiday is usually a no-cooking day for me, I decided to surprise my son with ham and cheese biscuits for breakfast. Ham andRead More
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Our local store had a buy one get two free sale on pints of strawberries. I could not resist the sale, but now I have to use up a lot of strawberries fast and I don’t want to make jam so I am going to make my daughter’s favorite salad: Strawberry Spinach Salad 1/2 lb.Read More
From Grilled Chicken to Pasta Salad
Day 1: Grilled Chicken, Creamy Garlic Pasta, and Garden Salad The secret to perfectly grilled chicken is to bake it! I put my chicken in a 13 x 9 pan and coat it with my favorite Italian dressing (Bernstein’s Restaurant Recipe Italian which I buy in bulk when it goes on sale) and bake atRead More
Depression Style Cooking
Many of my ideas for saving money come from stories of my parents and grandparents youth, so I really appreciated the web site Great Depression Cooking with Clara. The 93 year old Clara takes you step by step through the process of making nutritious meals inexpensively. While cooking, she offers anecdotes about the depression andRead More
Miracle Leftover Chili
I find an odd pleasure in making a meal out of seemingly unrelated items. One night a week I have “Miracle Leftover Night”. Miracle leftover night is always more of spontaneous event rather than my usual premeditated dinners. Since it is based on whatever I have leftover, it is somewhat different every time I make it..Read More
