Cauliflower pizza

Okay, I can not even begin to describe to you how totally yummy this recipe is. I know it sounds bizarre, if you haven't tried it before ... but you really need to give it a chance. For my fellow Take Shape for Life/Medifast friends, this meal fits the requirements for your Lean and Green. And for anyone else ... it's just plain healthy and YUMM-O! So, enjoy!!


CRUST:
1/4 cup Egg Beaters (1/8 Lean)
3/8 cup (which = 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp) 2% low-fat shredded Mexican 4-cheese variety, for a firmer crust (3/8 lean)
1 cup Fresh Raw Cauliflower, shredded in a food processor (2 greens)
Dash of Italian (optional)
Mix together and put into a Pam-sprayed foil pie pan (or on a foil-lined baking sheet). Pat down so it all sticks together. Bake 20 minutes at 450, until it starts to turn brown, then flip it over and bake another 10 minutes.


TOP WITH:
2 tsp Ragu Pizza Quick sauce (only .5g of sugar = 2 condiments)
1/4 cup 2% low-fat shredded Mozzarella cheese (1/4 lean)
1/4 cup of the Morning Star Sausage crumbles (1/4 lean)
1/2 cup of veggies - bell peppers, mushrooms, etc. (1 green)
Put back in oven for about 10 minutes so that the cheese melts.

This is the recipe exactly as I found it. The only suggestion I would really make is to check the crust after about 15 minutes during the first bake. Mine got a little crispy around the edges by the 20 minute mark. But I like it crispy, so I was okay with that. The sausage crumbles are yummy, and I will probably use them next time. But I had leftover turkey off the BBQ from last night, so I shredded some white meat and substituted it where it cauls for the "sausage" crumbles. WAY yummy. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!

Oh yeah, and the total cost per serving? About $1.50. You get a personal-sized pizza for $1.50. Where else can you find any pizza for that price?!!

Skate fish? What?

Okay, I had never heard of skate before ... except for the all-couples skate at Skate World. Who knew it was also something edible??!? We were at the local Asian market last week, and there was something called "Skate Fin"  on sale for a reasonable price. So I figured, what the heck? Of course, I couldn't find recipes anywhere for "skate". Go figure. But, according to Wikipedia, it's similar to cod and flounder. So, what you will see here is a flounder recipe that I adapted to suit our needs. 


It should be noted, though, if you ever go out and buy skate fin .... there's not as much meat on there as you would think. The fin part is mostly this bony membrane. So, double up! I didn't, so we'll be supplementing our protein needs with something else tonight. However, this is still yummy and worth trying with whatever fish variety you may choose!


1 lb skate fin (buy 2 lbs!!)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup butter spread, melted (I used "Live Well" from Safeway - very low fat, no cholesterol and super low sodium)
1 tbsp low-fat or fat-free mayo
1 tsp fat free milk (original recipe called for twice the mayo - the milk helps thin it for spreading easier)
1 tsp onion powder (or you can use 2 tbsp fresh green onions)
1/8 tsp Mrs. Dash Lemon-pepper seasoning


Coat a piece of heavy-duty foil with cooking spray. Place fish on foil (on baking sheet). Coat with lemon juice. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Mix remaining ingredients together. After first 10 minutes, spread mixture over fish and return to oven on broil for 5 minutes. Serve!


Total cost was about $5, which is pretty reasonable for fish. Hope you enjoy!

Skate fish? What?

Okay, I had never heard of skate before ... except for the all-couples skate at Skate World. Who knew it was also something edible??!? We were at the local Asian market last week, and there was something called "Skate Fin"  on sale for a reasonable price. So I figured, what the heck? Of course, I couldn't find recipes anywhere for "skate". Go figure. But, according to Wikipedia, it's similar to cod and flounder. So, what you will see here is a flounder recipe that I adapted to suit our needs. 


It should be noted, though, if you ever go out and buy skate fin .... there's not as much meat on there as you would think. The fin part is mostly this bony membrane. So, double up! I didn't, so we'll be supplementing our protein needs with something else tonight. However, this is still yummy and worth trying with whatever fish variety you may choose!


1 lb skate fin (buy 2 lbs!!)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup butter spread, melted (I used "Live Well" from Safeway - very low fat, no cholesterol and super low sodium)
1 tbsp low-fat or fat-free mayo
1 tsp fat free milk (original recipe called for twice the mayo - the milk helps thin it for spreading easier)
1 tsp onion powder (or you can use 2 tbsp fresh green onions)
1/8 tsp Mrs. Dash Lemon-pepper seasoning


Coat a piece of heavy-duty foil with cooking spray. Place fish on foil (on baking sheet). Coat with lemon juice. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Mix remaining ingredients together. After first 10 minutes, spread mixture over fish and return to oven on broil for 5 minutes. Serve!


Total cost was about $5, which is pretty reasonable for fish. Hope you enjoy!

Yet another shrimp recipe

Okay, this is by far my favorite new shrimp recipe. Totally made it up on the fly, and I figured I better write it out before it got lost forever! So, here goes:


1 lb shrimp, peeled & de-veined
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms (whatever variety you like)
4 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup whole grain rotelle pasta
Mrs. Dash tomato/basil seasoning
Nu-salt (we're salt-free these days) & pepper to taste
Mrs. Dash fiesta lime seasoning
1 tsp garlic (normally would do minced, but I just threw in some garlic powder this time)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp olive oil


Prepare pasta per package directions. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and add shrimp. Season with tomato/basil and fiesta lima seasonings, per your tastes. Cook for 4-5 minutes on medium heat, or until shrimp is pink all the way through. Turn shrimp halfway through. Once shrimp is finished, remove from pan & set aside. Add bell peppers and mushrooms to pan. Saute in the drippings left from the shrimp. Once peppers and mushrooms have started softening, add tomatoes and remaining seasonings (again, season to your taste). This will cook down to a sort of marinara. Add shrimp back in and serve over pasta.


For us, this made enough for 2 people. And, since I have not added grains and starches back in yet, I ate it without the pasta. This totally gave me the Italian fix I needed. Absolutely yummy and filling. Probably cost about $5 to make, which came out to $2.50 a serving for us ... and you know how a "cheap" meal makes me happy!

Good NW deals 10/1/10

Just wanted to pass along a few good deals I found this week. If you're looking to re-stock your freezer and/or fridge, Haggen has some great deals, through this weekend. Just a few of them that I took advantage of today, include:

• Whole fryers - 77 cents/lb
• Boneless/skinless chicken breasts - B1G1 - I got about 5 lbs of fresh, local, hand-trimmed chicken breasts for just over $7 (anything below $1.99/lb is good in my book - especially since these are the ones that have been hand-trimmed, not the normal fatty ones that go on sale)
• Petite sirloin steak - $2.97/lb (I normally don't like to pay over $1.99/lb for any meat, but is a good deal for petite sirloin)
• Extra-lean boneless pork shoulder ribs - $1.87/lb
• 1 dozen large eggs - 77 cents (definitely a good deal these days!)
• Kraft shredded cheese - $1.99/8 oz package (average, but definitely the cheapest option in the store)

Also, if you like to shop at Fred Meyer, you can now load electronic coupons right onto your Freddie's rewards card! Go to: FredMeyerRewards and either register your card or sign in and just choose which coupons you want to load. Nothing to print, and they automatically apply them to your purchase when you use your rewards card. In addition to this convenient feature, this next week (October 3-9) is double rewards week. So, for every dollar you spend, you earn 2 reward points instead of 1. If you're like me and like to use those rewards for an extra discount on your gas ... this week will get you there that much faster!

Southern Gifting ... and a Coupon Code!

Through the wonders of modern technology, I have recently "met" a new friend in the on-line world. She has a fabulous and completely fun website that is loaded with amazing monogrammed items for sale. Plus, she makes the most adorable tu-tu's ... seriously, you have to check them out at SouthernGifting.

She has a great coupon code that is good through the end of this month. If you enter "NewBagSale" at checkout, you will receive 10% off your purchase. Also, if you link through to her Facebook site and friend her, she offers a 20% code on your birthday! Now, who doesn't want to treat themselves to something fun, at a discount, on their birthday?! So, go check her out, and have fun cruising around her site. The stuff is seriously adorable!

Use your coupons!

As I was going through one of my supply drawers this week, it reminded me to be thankful I had used all those coupons last summer. And by "last summer" ... I mean 2009. I felt a bit ridiculous at the time, buying bottle after bottle of laundry detergent. But it is a year later, and I still have a storage drawer FULL of those lovely bottles. In the last 12 months ... I have spent exactly $0 on laundry detergent. 

And, for that matter, I have not spent a dime on toothpaste. I still have about 8 tubes in the hall closet, so it will easily be another year before I have to buy any. We have enough shampoo, conditioner, hair gel, soap, lotion and shave gel to last us another year or two. 

It may seem like overkill to buy all those products, spending all that time clipping and sorting coupons and searching for the best deals. But you will thank yourself in the long run. Take an extra 5 minutes today and plan for the future. A year from now, you (and your grocery bill) will be thankful!

Cheese & Tamaters

We tried the yummiest new recipe today! Found it on the back of the bag of frozen shrimp I bought a while back, and it is to die for! It was much more labor-intensive than I anticipated, but that was my own fault ... well, my child contributed to how long it took me to make, but I prefer not to remember those ugly moments this morning. So, here goes ...


1 lb shrimp, peeled & de-veined, finely chopped (use your food processer or food chopper ... don't decide to do it by hand like I did!)
12 Roma tomatoes (found them at Walmart for .38/lb this week!)
1 tbsp oregano (I'm still out, so I substituted tarragon & then added a couple dashes of garlic powder)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
3 oz feta cheese, finely chopped (we're still dairy-free, so I substituted a little soy parmesan)
3 oz cream cheese (we have none on hand, obviously, so I substituted some red pepper/garlic hummus - WAY yummy!!)
1/2 cup chopped Kalamata olives (don't have them & don't like them, so I just used black olives)


Core the tomatoes & remove all the pulp from inside. Cut a thin slice off the bottom (so they'll stand upright) & place on a non-stick baking sheet. After chopping other ingredients, mix together in a large mixing bowl. Spoon mixture into tomatoes (you may come out with enough for a couple extra tomatoes - I did). Place in 400 degree pre-heated oven for 15-16 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove & serve warm.


Seriously, this was beyond yummy. In fact, I'm thinking this may be equally yummy with some of the green tomatoes I'm probably going to be stuck with in my garden this fall. Cheese and tomatoes were created to go together ... I am quite convinced of this. Even with no "real" cheese in this recipe, it made me happy. Total cost was about $4-5. So, for us, it was about $2.50 a serving. For someone who serves this as a side dish, it's probably more like 4 servings. And it's definitely a keeper. I'm still drooling just thinking about it, and I'm not even hungry!!

Veggie Medley Frittata

Okay, as I promised, here is my attempt at a vegetarian meal for my family. Turned out to be a little more work than I anticipated before starting my prep time. But it turned out yummy, so well worth it. Even the kiddo loved it ... veggies and all!


1/2 package Morningstar Farms Veggie Breakfast Bacon Strips
1 cup broccoli florets (which I didn't have, so I substituted zucchini)
3/4 cup sliced mushrooms
2 finely chopped green onions (which none of us care for, so substituted onion powder)
1 cup finely chopped red or green bell pepper
1 tbsp butter or margarine
4 eggs, lightly beaten, or 1 cup refrigerated egg substitute (I used Organic, free-range egg whites from Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp oregano (I was out, so I substituted rosemary)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (since we haven't re-introduced dairy into our diet yet, we used soy cheese)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (same as the Cheddar)
1/2 up chopped tomatoes


Prepare the "bacon" per package directions. Cut into bite size pieces.
In a large skillet, saute broccoli, mushrooms, green onions, and bell peppers in butter until tender. Remove from heat & set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat together eggs, water, oregano, pepper and garlic powder until foamy.
Stir in "bacon", cheese, tomatoes and broccoli mixture. Pour into a greased shallow 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

I actually doubled the recipe, and we have enough leftovers for another meal for all 3 of us. Total cost was about $9-10. If you make it as listed above, cost should be about half of that. Cost per serving is about $1.75, which is decent to my way of thinking. Next time around, I'll probably use something like ground turkey or sausage, something along those lines (although the fake bacon really wasn't bad). Also, if you use the non-soy version of cheese ... probably a little cheaper, since that stuff is not cheap. It was an experiment for this recipe. I will probably just wait until we're both eating dairy again and use the real stuff next time!


This seemed to be a pretty kid-friendly recipe. My kiddo usually spits out bell pepper, and she was practically inhaling them. She is not usually fond of zucchini either, and she ate every bite. Definitely a successful meal when the kids eat all their veggies!

I'm back!

I know. It's been forever! And we still aren't entirely done with the home projects. But things are under control enough that I have a few free moments again ... so yay!


I am currently contemplating all the veggies I will soon have. We have determined that our mystery squash plant is some sort of monstrous killer pumpkin plant. The thing has taken over half our garden and is growing into the yard now. Looks like we're going to have 30+ pumpkins. So, if you live in the Hillsboro area and are looking for pumpkins in about a month ... see me! Our corn, potatoes, green beans and tomatoes have just taken off. Finally starting to harvest some tomatoes, and I'm seeing signs of growth on the bean plants. I'm starting to get excited about all the produce I'm not going to be buying soon. In the meantime, though, we are eating lots of zucchini, since it's in season and fairly cheap.


Trying another new recipe today, and I figured I would pass it along. It's a pretty simple one, which is my favorite kind. And the cost is so minimal that it's almost laughable. Our entire dinner tonight will probably cost about $1.50.  I am borrowing this recipe from Dr. A's Habits of Health. I made a couple minor adjustments to fit what was in my pantry, but otherwise, this is it. Balsamic Glazed Chicken with Rosemary:


Two 6-ounce boneless/skinless chicken breasts (purchased frozen & on sale - about $1.00)
2 tbsp diced onion (which I don't have on hand, so I am substituting 1/4 tsp onion powder)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp olive oil
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped fine (also don't have, so I substituted a couple dashes of some rosemary garlic seasoning I had in the spice cupboard)
1/4 tsp black pepper


Combine onion, garlic, vinegar, pepper, water, oil and rosemary in a bowl. Add chicken and marinate for 2-3 hours or overnight. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry. Heat grill or set broiler to high and cook chicken for 4-5 minutes. Turn and cook for 3-4 minutes more or until cooked through. Remove from heat and serve. Makes 2 portions (I threw in a couple extra ounces of chicken, so there's enough for a toddler portion).


I plan to dice the chicken and add it to a salad - lettuce, spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes. Probably not even 50 cents worth of food, but we'll say it is, just because. :-)


Check back tomorrow. I'm planning one of my new vegetarian recipes and will be posting the recipe. I almost wish I'd made it today, because just reading the recipe has had my mouth watering for the last 3 days!

Time off

I just wanted to check in and say, "I'm still here!" We are in the midst of home improvement chaos right now, which leaves me pretty much no time on the computer. In fact, I'm typing this as I scarf down my dinner and supervise my little girl's dinner! I should be back and posting regularly again after this week is over. Pray for my sanity in the meantime ... and I look forward to "talking" with everyone again soon!

Farmer's Market time!

I am loving the farmer's markets right now! While I wait for my own garden to start producing serious amounts of veggies, I'm taking advantage of other farmers' produce. We did a quick trip to the Hillsboro Farmer's Market on Sunday. We were hoping to find some asparagus at a decent price, because I refuse to pay $6.99/lb for the huge ugly-looking asparagus I saw at the grocery store last week! Didn't find any, but we did score on zucchini and eggplant.


My little secret? I have never, ever eaten eggplant in my entire life ... until today. I'm not sure how I made it 30+ years without even trying it, but it was one that slipped by me. So, I got brave today and decided to try another new recipe. Hubby and I saw a variation of this recipe on Food Network, on 10 Dollar Dinners. She made a dish called Eggplant Tian. Her recipe called for onions, which I didn't have and which didn't sound good. I substituted zucchini in it's place. It also called for either parmesan or mozzarella cheese to melt over the top. Since we aren't eating any dairy right now, we skipped that (although I'm sure it would be yummy with that addition!). So, here's my new recipe I tried. It turned out quite tasty, and was pretty economical.


2 cups eggplant, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
2 cups zucchini, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
2 large tomatoes (or 4 roma tomatoes), sliced about 1/4 inch thick
salt (or Nu-Salt, which I used)
Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime seasoning
a couple dashes of low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil


Heat olive oil in large pan on medium heat. Add eggplant, season with salt, and saute until slightly browned on each side. Remove eggplant, add zucchini to pan and repeat same process. Once eggplant and zucchini have been removed from pan, place in rows in a medium baking pan (made about 3 rows in mine), along with tomatoes. Sprinkle with Mrs. Dash seasoning, drizzle with soy, cover with foil, and place in oven at 375. Bake for about 20 minutes. If you decide to add the cheese, remove from oven after 20 minutes, sprinkle cheese on top and return to oven on broil setting for approximately 2 minutes (or until cheese is melted). This dish cost about $3 to make, and fed our entire family at lunch today (in addition to our protein for the day).


I'd love to hear what some of you have done with the local produce this summer. Any fun, new recipes? Or old favorites that you've been making with the goodies from market or your garden?

New recipe Friday

So, as you know, we've been trying to incorporate fish into our diet a little more frequently.  And, since I'm not normally a big fish/seafood fan, I'm constantly looking for creative recipes to dress it up and yet still stay healthy. I found a great one that we tried today. In addition to the fish, we had cauliflower - another of my not so favorite foods. However, I loved both these recipes so much, that we're adding them to the menu again soon!


TILAPIA
4 tilapia filets (about 1 lb total cooked weight)
4 tbsp sesame oil (could substitute olive oil or whatever suits you - this gives more flavor)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
Mrs. Dash steak seasoning (I know, weird - but it works!)


Place tilapia filets in a large bowl and drizzle with sesame oil. In a separate bowl, mix garlic, italian seasoning, salt & pepper and Mrs. Dash together. Spread over filets. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. Transfer filets to baking dish. Cook for 30 minutes or until filets are flaky when pulled apart.


CAULIFLOWER
1 cauliflower head, or about 4 cups of cauliflower florets
4 tbsp low-fat low-cal Italian salad dressing


Place cauliflower florets in large bowl and drizzle with salad dressing. Cover, shake well to coat, and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. Place in microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, poke holes in plastic with fork and microwave at full power for about 7 minutes.


This entire meal was sooooo yummy, and it is very healthy. Total cost was about $3, or $1.50 per serving. Yummy, healthy, and economical. Can't beat that!

Sick and organized?

Sorry I've been AWOL the last few days. I came down with a lovely cold, which keeps me from thinking straight enough to write. Finally on the mend now, though, and trying to get back into the swing of things. 


I find myself coming up with all these grand plans while I'm sick and too tired to do any of them. Ideas for organizing my house, plans to do more coupon shopping, make a cleaning schedule that I'll stick to, etc, etc, etc. I so rarely follow through with these plans, though. Which is kind of sad. Some of my ideas are good and should be put to use. I just need to organize my thoughts and make a plan.

I've decided my first assignment will be the linen/storage closet. You know, that closet where you stash all the extra toothpaste, soap, cleaners, etc? I went crazy with the coupons last summer, right before we bought our house. As a result, I have enough of these non-perishable-type items to last us through the next decade. Well, maybe not quite that long ... but close! However, I can no longer find anything in that closet, because I keep adding new stuff to the front and pushing stuff to the back. So, I'm going to figure out a way to organize it so I can find stuff. I've seen several posts lately about organizing with buckets. Looks cute, but all those buckets just take up extra space that is already at a premium. I'm leaning toward plastic see-through tubs, shoebox size, with labels. I can sort by product and stack. Then my poor hubby won't have to always ask me if we're out of this or that, or have stuff falling on his head while he digs for something at the back of the closet.


If you've got a big project, break it down into small parts you can manage. And don't stress about getting it all done in one day. Give yourself a reasonable time-frame to do things. I'd love to start this project today, but we have booked ourselves away from home for the entire day. And tomorrow, hubby starts a new schedule of working at nights, which means I probably shouldn't be banging around in the cupboards outside the bedroom while he's trying to catch a nap. So, this project, which seems simple, may take me the next week. But I've set a goal to work toward. Once that's done ... then I'll worry about the next big project!

Buying in season

I mentioned recently that it hasn't been as expensive as I anticipated it would be to eat healthy. It's all about buying what's on sale and what's in season. Obviously, this is going to be harder during the winter months. But right now, during these glorious summer months, enjoy all the fresh produce you can!


Last week, I went shopping to stock up on produce and some meat to replenish my freezer with. I did not buy a single boxed or canned food. Nothing processed went into my cart. I got enough meat and veggies to feed our entire family for at least a week ... and I spent about $50. My cart was full to the brim, and we are eating like kings! 


Two things helped me do this:
1) buying produce in season and at it's lowest prices
2) buying meat from the discount shelf


I am a huge advocate of going through that discount meat section. Sometimes it's just junk that's not worth buying. But you can often find some amazing buys. This week, we had buffalo meat for the first time. Found it in the discount bin for $2.99, and it was enough for one full meal. Also had some London broil ... got it for $1.99, and it fed us both. I found so many good buys in the discount bin that I splurged and bought some fresh tuna steaks which were not even remotely on sale. If I'd skipped those, our grocery bill would have been closer to $40. But I figured we deserved a yummy treat for finding such good buys and losing the weight we've lost so far.


So, it IS possible to eat healthy and stay within a budget. Challenge yourself to try something new that you find on sale. Try a new veggie that you might not normally buy - do it just because it's on sale for 79 cents a pound. It also gives you a chance to challenge yourself with a new recipe, which is always fun. And it never hurts to try new things!

At-Home Spa Treatments For Summer

I'm not feeling overly creative today ... so, I'm going to pass along a link to some fun ideas I just read about. Not only are these good tips for taking care of your skin, they're great money-savers!

At-Home Spa Treatments For Summer

Fishy times

Okay, folks, I need your help! I need ideas for what to do with various forms of sea life at dinner time! I have never been a big fish eater. The closest I usually get to seafood is a big ol' batch of fried shrimp .... and I'm pretty sure the whole deep-frying part takes most of the healthy out of them! However, most shellfish and lower fat fish are super good for you. So I am trying to incorporate them into our dinners more often. But I am totally clueless on preparing a healthy fish dinner that still tastes good. The shrimp salad was totally yummy, but it apparently used up all my creative juices, and I'm at a standstill in the kitchen again. Help!


On a completely different and random note, I have a new mystery plant in my garden! After hubby turned over all the dirt for me to start planting, more stuff sprouted! We're pretty sure it's something in the squash family, and I'm rather hoping for zucchini, since we can use it in tons of stuff. But I'll take whatever. 


And since my last gardening mention, I have planted potatoes, corn, eggplant, and green beans! Actually, Matilda and I planted the green beans together. We found these adorable Sesame Street vegetable starter kits at Home Depot a few weeks ago. So we planted green beans and tomatoes (more on those in a minute). After only 3-4 days, I came out on the back patio to find the cover busting off the green bean "greenhouse". They were already about 4 inches tall! So, we transplanted them into our garden and have started a second batch.


As for the tomatoes ... I now have to eat my words about never having a tomato grow from scratch. Our Elmo tomatoes have all sprouted! Every single seed produced a plant. And they are now big enough to transplant as well. If these actually produce fruit, I may have to quit buying the plants!  Maybe my brown thumb is even greener than I thought! If the plants produce, I promise to post pictures ... as well as posting a few pics once the garden has really taken off. I figure we should have a nice late summer/early fall crop of goodies to enjoy. Yay!

Saving on extras

Yesterday, I found a way to save money on some things that aren't quite necessities. I stopped off at my nail salon to get my brows waxed (like I said not quite a necessity). When I was paying at the end, the owner pulled out a sheet of coupons to use for the next time I got my nails done or a pedicure or another wax job. I had never seen coupons for getting your nails done! I realize this is an extra, but sometimes a girl needs some pampering. And if I can get something fun and pay less ... I'm all about that! So, don't forget to look for "creative" coupons. You never know what you might find that you can use to have fun for yourself or your family!

Salal jam???

I found something new in my yard that is edible and perfect for canning!! I am still trying to identify all the crazy trees, bushes, plants and flowers that we have in our yard. But an old friend helped me identify several of the bushes behind my garden as the Salal plant. Never even heard of it before. But now that I know what it is and have researched it ... turns out the berries growing on it are edible! We have about 7 of these bushes or trees or whatever they are. I suspect they are more of a bush, but some of ours are in excess of 8 feet tall! And they are all overflowing with berries, which should be ripe sometime in August.

I have already found a canning recipe for silal jam, and I already have all the necessary items. It requires very little sugar to can, because the berry is very high in natural pectin, so it gels easily on its own. Which means it should be a healthier jam for us to eat! I will have a shelf full of jam ... and it's not going to cost me a penny! Well, unless you count what we spent to buy the house that had the bushes in the yard ... but I'm not. :)

I am also mulling over money-making opportunities as well, because the foliage from this plant is apparently very popular with florists, for making arrangements with roses. There has to be a way I can tap into that. At the very least, I can spice up my flower arrangements when I bring roses in from my yard.

What do you have in your garden or your yard that can help you save money for your family? Or what would you consider adding to your yard in order to help out the family budget? I challenge you to start planning for next year and see how much you can save. There are so many benefits to having your own produce section in the yard. Not only is it cheaper for you, but you've grown the plants yourself, and you know exactly what was used on them and how they were grown. There's a certain peace of mind in feeding my family food that I know isn't full of pesticides or growth hormones or whatever else you may find at the grocery store. Plus ... it just tastes better when you pick it and serve it the same day!

Shrimpy delight

Tried another variation of my stir fry recipe last night ... with shrimp! We bought a pound of shrimp back when we bought our house, and were going to break it out to celebrate. It got lost in the back of the freezer. Oops! However, I found it and added it to this week's menu. This variation is not quite as cheap as my usual stir fry. However, it is about as healthy as you can get, since shrimp falls into the leanest of meats category. Plus, it has all kinds of great things in it that are good for you! So, here's the new variation:


1 lb shrimp, de-veined ($3.99)
2 cups chopped zucchini ($1.00)
2 cups chopped white mushrooms ($0.75)
1 cup chopped green bell pepper ($0.75)
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime seasoning


Remove the shrimp tails & peel shrimp (I bought it already de-veined, so this was pretty quick). Throw shrimp in a pan with 1-2 tbsp olive oil (or cooking oil of your choice). Add Mrs. Dash seasoning to shrimp. Stir fry until shrimp is almost completely done (should be pink & "butterflied"). Remove shrimp from pan. Add bell pepper, saute until softened. Add zucchini, saute for a couple minutes, then add mushrooms. Once veggies are all softened, add soy sauce and lime juice. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add shrimp back into the pan. Let it heat through (a couple minutes), then plate and serve!

Cost per serving is about $3.25. The veggies will cook down to about half their size, which is why the portions seem so large to start with. You can use whatever veggies you have on hand. These were the ones in my fridge that I thought were closest to "going with" shrimp. Hubby and I scarfed this down in no-time flat! Super yummy, very healthy, and fairly easy on the budget. Enjoy!

Veggie marinade

My new favorite thing to do with vegetables ... is add soy sauce. Since we are trying to limit our sodium and "extras" these days, I use the low-sodium soy sauce, and I use a little less than I used to. But it's a yummy way to spice up dinner. For example, the other night we had a veggie mixture of asparagus, zucchini and mushrooms. I chopped up 3 cups worth (1.5 cups for each of us), put it in a tupperware container, added 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce and a sprinkle of Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime seasoning, shook it up really good so everything was coated, and let it sit in the fridge for about and hour or so. When I took it out later, I spread it on a baking sheet, put it in the oven at about 380 for 15'ish minutes (I started at 10 minutes, then kept adding time as I checked on the veggies), and voila! They actually turned out almost like they'd been grilled. In fact, my hubby thought I'd fired up the grill just to do the veggies! 


A couple tablespoons of soy sauce is a pretty cheap addition to the meal. What are some of the ways you spice up veggies so that your family will enjoy them? Or, if you have kids, what are some of the creative things you do with veggies to keep them healthy but still get the kiddos to eat them? My kiddo loves the soy sauce marinade, but I'd love some more ideas to keep her eating those good veggies!

Saving $$ on salad

I know this is going to prove to the world that I am a complete genius, but I have discovered a brilliant new way to spend less on the salads I make. More greens, less carbs and dairy!


Until now, a salad set before me had a couple of requirements: 1) it must have some sort of cheese on it, and 2) croutons were a must! I love me some cheese! And the combination of cheese and tomatoes in a salad is just heavenly to me. But have you noticed how much the price of cheese just keeps going up and up and up? It's insane. And croutons seem to have risen in price lately too. Plus, I'm really picky about my croutons. They have to be bite-sized. I hate those "restaurant-sized" croutons. Seriously - who can enjoy one of those with a bite of salad without breaking it apart? And my personal rule about croutons is that there must be one for every bite of salad ... which adds up to a lot of croutons!


With the new eating plan that hubby and I are following, a salad consists of up to 3 cups of low carb veggies and up to 2 tablespoons of low-cal/low-carb salad dressing. Last night's salad was 1 cup romaine lettuce, 1/2 cup tomatoes and 1/2 cup mushrooms. Not an ounce of dairy and no croutons to be seen. And I enjoyed every bite! It's amazing how you start to enjoy real food when you eliminate some of the stuff you don't need to be eating! And the bonus is that last night's salad cost about 75 cents per serving. My normal salad, with all the extras would have been more like $1.25-1.50 per serving. I realize that's still not a lot. But every bit adds up these days, doesn't it?!

Stir Fry

We had another yummy concoction last night. I am digging the extra challenge of this whole healthy eating thing. It seems to be even more satisfying if I meet a goal or beat my old record. I'm rather competitive that way. Which is probably why I enjoy those silly Facebook games so much, getting the chance to beat a bunch of other people. But I digress ... We had some super yummy stir fry last night. Normally, I would serve this over rice, but we are in the (mostly) starch-free part of our new eating plan. In the past, I would have served it with white rice - in the days to come, we will be using brown rice. You can use whatever your family enjoys. Or, like we did last night? Eat it without the rice!


12 oz chicken tenderloin, diced (about $2)
1 cup chopped celery (25 cents)
1 cup chopped white mushrooms ($1)
1 cup chopped tomatoes ($1)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
olive oil
Mrs. Dash chicken seasoning


Pour 1-2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan to heat, then add diced chicken. I added a pretty good sprinkle of the Mrs. Dash seasoning to it and cooked it up, flipping chicken partway through. Once chicken is cooked through completely, remove it from the pan. Leave drippings and remaining oil in the pan, and add the celery to it. Cook for at least 5 minutes, or until it is starting to soften, then add the mushrooms. Once the mushrooms have started to soften and shrink, add the tomatoes. In the meantime, combine the soy sauce and lime juice - set aside until the veggies are done cooking. (A good addition to this is to add some minced garlic to the sauce, but I didn't have any on hand.) Once the tomatoes have cooked down some, add the soy sauce/lime juice mix. Let it cook with the veggies for a minute or two, then add the chicken back into the pan.


Hubby and I split this evenly again (and I actually cooked a little extra for the munchkin, cuz she loves stir fry too). Cost per person is just over $2, possibly cheaper if you get a good deal on chicken. I have been using variations of this recipe for years with my family, and they love it. It is super easy and fairly quick. You can add in whatever veggies your family likes - we have used carrots, zucchini, bean sprouts, etc. in the past. Something about mixing that soy and lime juice makes the best sauce.


This is one of those recipes that is perfect when you are cleaning out your fridge, by the way. I have often done this dish with whatever veggies I can dig out of the bottom of my crisper and whatever meat is left in the freezer. I've even done it with ground beef before! The seasoning really makes the dish, so it's a great one to get creative with. If you try it, let me know which veggies you used and what type of meat ... and how your family liked it!

Healthy AND inexpensive!

Hubby and I have officially started our new eating plan. So, keeping dinnertime affordable has become a bit more challenging. So frustrating that eating healthy seems to be more expensive than eating all the pre-packaged crud the stores try to sell you. Anyway ... I am now on a mission to find some new healthy recipes and good deals on produce (while I wait for my garden to truly take off). Here was last night's dinner:


2 cups Romaine lettuce ($1.29/head - so about 25-30 cents worth)
2 cups baby spinach ($2.99/bag - about 75 cents worth)
1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes (used about 6-7 of them, so maybe 50 cents worth?)
1/2 cup sliced zucchini (about 50 cents)
3 cans white tuna in water, drained (from my pantry, but probably bought when they were 4/$1 - so, 75 cents worth)
2 tablespoons (each) low fat/low carb salad dressing (minimal)


Split this between the two of us (Matilda had PB&J), total cost per person was about $1.50. Now that I see it broken down, it doesn't seem so expensive to eat right! It was really, really filling too. I added a sprinkle of Mrs. Dash southwest chipotle seasoning to the tuna, which was a yummy addition. Hubby added a couple splashes of hot sauce. Not my thing, but whatever floats your boat!


How have you used tuna in your cooking? I would love some more ideas, since it's fairly cheap. Preferably recipes that don't involve lots of mayo or dairy products. If I come up with any other new ideas, I'll be sure to pass them along!

The blueberries are out of control!

Okay, so I just started harvesting blueberries about 5 days ago. Between a gift from a relative, the blueberries I've already harvested, and what will obviously be ready in the next 24-48 hours ... we have too many blueberries! Especially since the kiddo is the only one allowed to eat them right now (and too many blueberries in one sitting does NOT make for pleasant diaper changes!!). So, I'm going to try my hand at canning. Check out this link:   http://www.freshpreserving.com/pages/new_products/258.php.


Thanks to a coupon that I randomly clipped weeks ago, and then walking past an aisle display at the home improvement store that had a pile of these, I decided to make an impulse buy and try it out. I probably won't get to it until later in the week, but I'll keep ya posted on how it goes. In the meantime, I have 3 bags of blueberries already frozen and many more to come. Guess I better not wait too long, eh?

What are some of your family's favorite ways to use blueberries? I plan to make some jam, as well as just can some by themselves. But I'm wondering if there are other creative ideas out there that I could "borrow" from my friends. Please share whatever ideas you have!

Strangely addicted to gardening

My newest way to save money in the kitchen? Grow it yourself! Since we bought our house last fall, we have been discovering all kinds of goodies in our yard. When we first moved in, the previous owners left behind a full harvest of carrots and beets for us. We discovered we have a pear tree which gives off a hefty harvest, and the pears are SO yummy! Then we realized we have a blueberry bush ... that actually produces. Now there are a few blackberry vines trickling through. My hubby is all about destroying them, but I am (not so) secretly hoping they will survive, because I love fresh blackberries! Our tomatoes are producing, and it looks like we have about 10 bell peppers starting to grow. Also hoping for some corn and more lettuce.


I have always joked that I have a black thumb. But I have discovered this odd new love of gardening since buying our own home. I think there's some special sense of pride when it's your own and when you grow it with your own hands. My flowers and vegetables are all thriving this year! I actually planted flower bulbs last winter ... and they actually grew flowers this spring! I know it makes me a total geek, but it was like I had accomplished climbing Mt. Everest or something when those tulips actually bloomed! Apparently, my gardening gene was just being repressed during all those years of apartment living. And now it is starting to thrive and grow ... and I love it!


I am so excited to be able to put food on my family's table in the coming months. Food that I didn't go and pay retail for at the grocery store. It is such a money saver to grow it yourself. Now, I cheat with the tomatoes and refuse to plant seeds. I buy starter plants, because growing from seed has just never worked for me. But it's still cheaper! I am planning to learn how to can this year, so I can stash away some of those pears for winter time. If the corn works out, I will freeze a bunch for later. Our blueberry plant seems to be producing a LOT, so I'd like to freeze some of them as well. Since we are on a much healthier eating plan now, all this "fresh" produce is going to save us a lot of money in the coming months. So I'm challenging myself to see how much I can grow, produce and store away this year ... and then I'm going to try and double that next year!

Getting serious

Today was a massive pantry clean-out. Hubby and I are getting ready for our new weight loss plan, and I am determined to do this right. We have been using up as much as we could, but there's just no getting around the excess that is left over. So, the unopened cereal boxes have already been donated to other lucky users, along with things like Hamburger Helper and those lovely blue boxes of Mac & Cheese.


But today it gets serious. I emptied out partial containers of "mashed potatoes" (you know - the boxed variety - don't ask - my hubby loves the boxed stuff over the real thing - I know), emptied out the last of the white rice, scarfed down the last of my Apple Jacks, threw out partial packages of buttery crackers and dried fruit I'd forgotten we bought. I managed to clear 3 full shelves in the pantry! Which was just enough space for MY meal stuff for the next month. Guess I'm gonna have to get SUPER serious tomorrow if there's gonna be room for hubby's food! Which means saying goodbye to my yummy croutons, all the cans of divine tomatoes and corn, the brown sugar ... and, I guess, the chocolate cake mix. Probably not on the diet. Probably.


Good thing tomorrow is trash day. No time for me to change my mind and rescue a few old favorites. By the time I get up in the morning, all those yummy temptations will be long gone. Time for a fresh start ... stay tuned!

Multiple meal times

So, my hubby started his new work schedule this week, of 3 days on, 3 days off. Which is actually quite fabulous. I am really looking forward to having some weekdays to do things as a family or just get stuff done around the house that we want to do (but can't seem to cram into the weekends). However, it is going to create an interesting dilemma for dinnertime on certain days.


For example, today he gets off work at 6 pm, which means arriving home at 7 pm after he deals with the evening commute (and this is if he gets off work on time!). The kiddo gets up from her nap around 4:30'ish usually. Most days, she gets a little snack to tide her over until dinner, and dinner is between 5:30 and 6:00. No way can she wait until Daddy gets home from work on a night like tonight. So, do I make dinner and have it ready at 5:30 for the two of us girls and then just re-heat for hubby? Or do I make her something quick and easy, then wait and eat with hubby when he gets home? If I do the latter, the little girl will undoubtedly mooch off both our dinners and end up with an extra meal for the evening, right before bedtime. If I choose the first option, hubby has to eat alone, and said child will still mooch off his plate. 

At least for tonight, I am leaning towards fixing dinner at the normal time and re-heating for hubby after he gets home. But I hate to do that to him on a regular basis. Do any of you have weird schedules that you have to work around? How do you handle it? What are some of your ideas for handling multiple meal times? I would love some ideas!

Gross grapes

It is officially that time of year when it suddenly becomes affordable to buy (most) fruit again. And, since there has been more variety in the store, I have been trying to buy more than just bananas for my daughter. This past week, I bought a beautiful bag of grapes ... which are already growing fuzz on them. Grrr. Apparently, my problem is that I left them out in the basket with the other fruit. I am going to try the advice I found and store them in the fridge the next time. I am not entirely convinced that will solve my problem, but I will keep you posted.


However, in my quest to find answers about how to keep the nasty fuzz off my grapes, I stumbled across a really nifty website I thought I would share with you. http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/ They have tips for just about anything you can think of - tips for fruit, meat, storing things in your fridge, freezer ideas, etc. I have barely skimmed the surface of it, but I have bookmarked it to spend some more time at. Just thought I'd pass my new find along to you, in case anyone is as challenged in the fruit area as me!


And, since I probably will not have time to get on the computer tomorrow, I wanted to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July. Take a moment to remember why we celebrate, and if you know a soldier or their family, give them a big hug and say thanks!

I'm going in!

Today is officially one of my least favorite days of the year. I knew it was coming. I have dreaded it's arrival. I thought maybe it might still be a few days away ... until my husband muttered those ominous words, "Something smells funny in the refrigerator."


Time to clean out the fridge. Blech.


About the only thing that ranks lower on my list of chores I hate ... is scrubbing the toilet. And thank heavens for a husband who has made cleaning the toilets his official job for almost 15 years now. He is a life-saver!


However, I am on my own with the fridge. Oh, he would probably do it, but things would disappear that weren't supposed to. Food that is perfectly good would get thrown away, and my tupperware containers would disappear into this weird black hole that only my husband seems to know the location of. It is for this same reason that he is no longer allowed to unload the dishwasher ... things disappear.


So, I'm off to peer into the depths of my fridge, trashcan in hand, and get rid of all the food we've let go to waste. I think that's the main reason I hate to clean the fridge. I hate acknowledging that we have let perfectly good food go to waste. Leftovers that got shoved to the back of the fridge after I went grocery shopping, and then they were forgotten. Condiments that went bad, because we forgot we had them. Things that just don't smell quite right. It's sad to say goodbye to what should have been a perfectly good meal for someone but will now take up space in my trash.


However, it's time to throw out the old, do a little cleaning and scrubbing, and welcome in some new, fresh, yummy, healthy food. A bit like life, really. Cleaning out all the icky bits in our lives is never fun. But it's necessary if we're going to make room for the new, healthy, wonderful stuff that God wants to fill us with.


Who'd have thought I would gain a life lesson out of cleaning my fridge?!

Mom's Lasagna

Okay, consider yourself forewarned ... tonight's meal is not quick and easy, nor is it cheap and economical. Now that that's out of the way, here goes. I am making my mom's lasagna recipe tonight. This is my favorite meal in the entire world. I could live off of this lasagna for MONTHS without needing any variety. This recipe is why I refuse to eat restaurant lasagna or store-bought frozen lasagna. They just can't ever measure up. It is the one recipe that my mom made that I am able to truly duplicate and that people actually request when they are coming over for dinner. So, consider yourself honored ... I'm about to share the recipe. :-)


1 1/2-2 lbs hamburger (although, I am using ground turkey tonight)
1 can (28 oz) tomatoes (whole)
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
2 envelopes dry spaghetti sauce mix
2 cans (12 oz each) cocktail vegetable juice (or roughly 1/2 of one of the big V8 bottles)
1 pkg (16 oz) lasagna noodles
16 oz cottage cheese
8 oz grated mozzarella cheese
1 1/4 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese


Cook meat. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, dry mix, V-8 juice and mushrooms. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 10 minutes.


Cover bottom of greased big baking dish (I use a 9x13 pyrex) with meat sauce, then uncooked noodles, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese. Repeat until all ingredients are used up (3 layers).

Cover tightly with heavy foil and place dish on a baking sheet (catches anything that bubbles over & helps distribute heat evenly to entire dish). Bake for 1 hour at 350. Remove and let stand 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese & serve!


** Note: With this recipe, it is not necessary to cook your lasagna noodles ahead of time. I never even knew people pre-cooked their noodles when they made lasagna until I was well into adulthood. It's less messy, you don't have to dig the noodles out of the bottom of a pot of boiling water & hope they don't break, and it really doesn't take any longer. If you feel you must pre-cook your lasagna noodles, just cut the baking time roughly in half.


There you have it - my world famous lasagna recipe. I would imagine, if I went out and bought all these ingredients fresh, in one shopping trip, it would cost around $15-18. Which comes out to about $1.50 a serving. Still cheaper than eating out. Since I had all of the non-perishable items already on hand, I only had to pick up the meat, mushrooms and cottage cheese today, which took about $7 out of my food budget. Still more than last night's dinner, but it's all worth it for Mom's Lasagna!

Heaven on a plate!

Tuesday's $3 Dinner

Tonight's dinner was one of the easiest and cheapest of the meals on this week's menu. In fact, I don't even think it cost a full $3. And it cleared two more cans out of my pantry and cleared up some space in the freezer as well!


1 can of Nalley Beef Stew (the big can) - $1.99
1 cup frozen peas - let's say 25 cents worth
1 cup frozen corn - again, 25 cents worth
1 can diced tomatoes - 25 cents (bought when the store brand was 4/$1)
salt, pepper, cumin, oregano (to taste) - not worth figuring out :-)


Heated it all up and served it with bread and butter. Not fancy, but it was filling and everyone wanted seconds!


There is a new urgency to clean out our pantry this week. My hubby and I are starting a weight loss challenge next week, and most of the stuff I currently have in the cupboards is not going to be allowed! In fact, we will be sugar free for the next 30 days (or more). So we are cramming in all the goodies this week. Probably not a good plan ... but I refuse to let all that food go to waste! Tomorrow night is lasagna night - which should help get rid of at least half the pasta in the pantry, as well as all the cheese that probably won't be allowed either. 


If anyone has any good ideas for "lean and green" meals, I will gladly welcome them. Our dinners are going to consist of lean meats and non-starchy veggies. I'd love some new recipes to try out!

What shall we eat this week?

I am attempting to get back in the habit of planning my menu each week. When I have done this in the past, it saves both time and money. Not to mention I don't have to listen to my husband asking every morning and evening, "What's for dinner tonight?" :-) So, last week, I posted our menu for the week on my lovely new organization center that is hanging from the side of my fridge. And we managed to stick pretty closely to it. But, it is a new week, so it is time to start over again.


Once I get done sipping my first cup of coffee and enjoying this rare, quiet, beautiful Oregon morning, I am heading inside to peer into my freezer, rifle through my pantry, and see if I can manage to make a menu for the week that does not include shopping. I think I'm in pretty good shape this week. I still have plenty of meat in the freezer, and we bought fresh veggies at the Farmer's Market yesterday. My pantry is starting to look a little less crowded, thanks to doing the same thing last week. However, I still have about 18 cans of various stocks and soups, lots of canned tomatoes, a big ol' container of V8 (which means I MUST make lasagna this week!), and about 10 cans of sloppy joe mix. I even have a full thing of milk in the fridge. I think I really might stand a chance of (mostly) avoiding the stores this week ... which makes me very happy, since I hate to shop!


So, my challenge for you today is to see if you can make an entire week's meals from your pantry this time. What are some cheap and easy recipes you can make that include what you already have? Plan ahead for refrigerator goulash night - put it on the menu! If your household is like mine, the last week of the month is always a good time to save money, since that pesky mortgage or rent payment is coming up on the 1st! Try it, and let me know how it goes!

Lead Me (Acoustic - with lyrics) by Sanctus Real

Happy Sunday!

The great toy clean-out!

My munchkin doesn't know it yet, but when she goes down for her nap this afternoon ... a large number of her toys are going to disappear! I have decided that I can not stand tripping over 1500 baby toys anymore. She has outgrown some, some are broken, and others just need to take a break.

A teeny, TINY representation of the chaos that follows my wee one.

So, today is organization day. Which means I'm breaking out the boxes. One box for toys she has outgrown - these shall get stored in the attic, in the event that there is another munchkin in the house someday that might use them. One box will be for toys that I will store on the shelf in her closet, to be rotated out again in a month or so, when she needs some variety again. And last, but not least, I shall bust out a garbage bag ... because there are quite a number of things beyond saving. She likes to collect bits of paper, wet wipes, TP cardboard rolls, and the like. Then there are the toys that are just plain broken. All of these shall be going "bye-bye" today!

I realize that, within 15 minutes of her waking up from her nap, the house will be a total disaster again. But at least she will have a few less things to throw about!

Random food thoughts for the weekend

Thought y'all might like to see how my last experiment went, the pot pie I previously mentioned. It was a hit with the whole family, so I think this will be one to add to the recipe book!

My first substitution was to add some sliced mushrooms to the mix - about 3/4 cup. 3/4 cup cubed carrots & 2 cubed potatoes.

Fried up the cubed beef & the mushrooms while the carrots & potatoes were boiling away.

I actually found some Bisquick in my pantry, so I didn't do the cornbread topping I planned to - mixed with 1/2 cup milk & 1 egg.

Yet another substitution. Recipe called for 2 cans of beef gravy, which I was SURE I had. Alas, I did not ... so, 2 cans cream of mushroom soup it was!

Mixed together the cooked potatoes, carrots, beef, mushrooms & 2 cans of soup mix, along with 2 beef bullion cubes & salt/pepper.

Ready to go in the oven - 350 for about 30 minutes.

The aftermath.

On a completely unrelated note, a friend just gave me a very cool tip that I am going to try with my teething child. Frozen pancakes! I've had someone mention using frozen waffles to me before, but the pancakes is a new idea to me. I'll let you know how it turns out. But it's gotta taste better than a plastic teething ring, right?! And, I love to make large batches of pancakes and freeze them to pull out when we want a fun breakfast. Thanks to Rachelle for the teething tip and Sarah for the original idea to freeze pancakes!

And one more random thought to round out the day ... Now that the nice weather has finally arrived here in Oregon, I plan to transplant my veggies from my greenhouse to the actual garden. Hopefully, they'll survive the transfer and turn out well.  We already have a bumper crop of pears in our backyard, and it looks like we're going to have quite a lot of blueberries as well. A dear friend has promised to teach me to can this summer, so there will be canned pears, pear butter, and possibly pearsauce (as opposed to applesauce). However, I would LOVE some more ideas of what to do with both the pears and the blueberries. Any creative ideas for things that I can stash away in the freezer to pull out later and dazzle my family with? I welcome them all!