Four.Twenty.Eight

A Favorite Salad & My Ever-Present Helper

I'm working this morning on getting Sammy's favorite salad ready for dinner tonight.  Doesn't it look fabulous?  The only drawback to this salad is the prep. involved.  It takes more time than most to chop all the broccoli, grapes, and green onions, in addition to toasting the almonds, browning the bacon, and making the dressing.  Every step uses a different pan, bowl, board, knife, or cooking method, so it takes some time.  But Sammy loves it.  So, I'm starting early today.  I still have to make it to the grocery store later.

 

I do have an ever-present helper, though.  I really don't know why he's hanging around - grapes are toxic to dogs, and if he got a piece of broccoli, I don't think he'd think much of it.  But, nonetheless, hope springs eternal!

Also, I wanted to share a little cooking tip with you that I have found to be most helpful - the "trash bowl."

You're probably wondering what the heck that is, but it is my trash bowl.  I have an old, fairly large mixing bowl that I don't use anymore for actual cooking.  My trash can is somewhat far from my counter top, and I don't want to put everything down the disposal, of course.  So, I use this bowl to collect my trash when chopping and cooking.  At the end, I dump it in the trash can.  So very handy.  No more back and forth, back and forth to the trash can - it's the perfect sized trash receptacle that can sit right next to the cutting board, stove, sink, or wherever your cooking is taking place, and it can get as dirty as you want it to.  Try it out!  I am sure you will like the convenience.

Menu Planning - the 'M' Way

My blogging buddy 'A' hit on one of my most domestic of nerves, the cooking/meal planning nerve.  She became inspired to put The Grocery Cart Challenge into practice.  While I will admit that I'm not quite up for cramming $100+ in groceries per week into $50, I thought I'd share a few things I do to get through a week of planning meals and buying groceries.  You might remember one of my goals from 2008 was to be more consistent in my meal planning so we could eat healthier and not spend money eating out.

So, here's what works for us.  We are good ol' "Dual Income, No Kids" people, and I will admit that I don't really set a dollar amount for our meals, but currently this is not a big issue for us.

• Menu Planning - I try very hard to menu plan every week.  What works for us is typically 3-4 meals per week.  For instance, my menu plan might look like this: Santa Fe Chicken (skillet meal), Pork Tenderloin/Mashed Sweet Potatoes/Steamed Broccoli, Taco Soup, & Turkey/Bean Soft Tacos.  I take those four meals and work them into whatever day I choose.  I don't set in stone what day each meal will be made.  I have everything on hand to be able to make any one of the meals on any day of the week.  I try to do meals that will yield leftovers either for lunches or even a next night's dinner.  If I attempted to make a new meal every night, I would get overwhelmed and burned out on cooking.  I need a night or two per week when I don't have to cook.  Thus the 3-4 meal setup with the possibility of leftovers.

• I don't "plan" breakfast or lunch - it really revolves around work.  For breakfasts, we typically do breakfast bars or I keep some English muffins and spread in my desk at work.  Same for lunch - we either eat out inexpensively or keep sandwich fixings in the fridge at work.  If we have leftovers, we always take them for lunch.

• Weekends are very "play it by ear."  Friday is our eating out day and we typically go out with friends or go to our favorite local spot.  If I cook on a Saturday or Sunday, we sometimes work with something we've got in the freezer or we make a quick trip for something special, like a steak to grill.

• I have about 3-4 meals that are my "any day, any time" meals.  I'll give an example of one:  Turkey/Bean Soft Tacos.  Why is this an "any day, any time" meal?  Well, I typically have a can of fat-free refried beans in the pantry, and I typically have a package of ground turkey in the freezer.  I almost always have light sour cream and 2% shredded cheese on hand.  This means that all I need to complete the meal is a quick trip on the way home for wheat tortillas (Central Market's are the best... you'll thank me later) and a tomato and an avocado.  It is a meal that I can always say I have the ingredients for and is very quick and easy to fix.  Voila, homemade meal that can be done on a moment's notice, even when you don't have a meal plan set in stone.  I keep certain items in my pantry and freezer as staples (like the beans and turkey) for moments like these - meals I can always count on.

• I know I said I don't typically set a budget in stone.  We generally know what we spend per week, though, and we know what weeks will be a little more or a little less.  My money saving tactic (as weak as it may be) is basically to strike when the iron is hot.  For instance, Central Market put pork tenderloins on an incredible special price a couple of months back.  If I remember right, it was $3 off per pound, and that is a lot!  I bought 5, put them in Foodsaver bags (invest in one... again, you'll thank me later), and froze them.  I can now pull one of those out and add a couple of easy (and cheap!) side dishes for a full meal.  I can probably spend less than $5 to add a couple of sides to the tenderloin.  Last week, I also had a nice surprise.  I meal-planned Lemon-Pecan Tilapia and I walked up to the fish counter in Central Market to the nice surprise that tilapia was $2 off per pound!  Yes, I bought 4 extra fillets and Foodsavered 'em up.

So, I hope some of my methods can be helpful to you.  I am a very organized person by nature (LISTS are my very bestest friend) and doing the meal plan is very important to my week.  I feel like my week is less chaotic and much more orderly when I have this part of my life organized.  It saves me from "what's for dinner" and having to do a last-minute run to the store where I end up spending more money than the meal actually requires (because who goes to the store and doesn't end up with 3-4 things not on their original list?  Um, everyone...).  Thanks for helping me keep on track with my meal-planning methods!

One Good Reason to LOVE Summer...

Makin' Sun Tea.

Sammy and I have finally found our spot for sushi locally.  Until now, we could only say that our very favorite was Sushi Den in Denver, Colorado.  Sushi Den is so good, that if we could afford a plane ticket every few weeks so we could eat there, it would be under consideration.

Now we can say that our local favorite is Sushi Sakana in Plano.  It was GREAT!  It is a very small place, but the servers are friendly and prompt and the food comes very quickly (probably due to the small number of tables).  If you are not looking for the place, you probably won't even notice it, but when you do... prepare yourself for some great food.

We had the vegetable tempura that was fabulous and then ordered three types of rolls - spicy salmon, tuna, and one of their foot-long creations, the spicy crunch rolls.  It was all very fresh, very tasty, and the price was very reasonable for sushi.

So, when I can't head over to Sushi Den, Sushi Sakana is my pick.  I highly recommend it!

If you'd like to read their review in the Dallas Guide Live publication, click here.

I finally have my recipes here so I can post some new ones!  These are some great recipes that use the best of what summer has to offer.  Enjoy!
_______________________________
Entree: Tequila Lime Shrimp
2 T tequila
1 T fresh lime juice
2 t olive oil
1 t bottled chipotle sauce (such as Tabasco)
2 garlic cloves, minced
24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails on (about 1.25 pounds)
skewers
vegetable oil

Combine tequila and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a medium bowl.  Add shrimp; toss well to coat, and let stand 10 minutes.  Thread shrimp onto skewers, reserving remaining marinade.

Prepare grill for medium-high heat.  Coat grill with vegetable oil; place skewers on grill.  Cover and cook on medium-high heat 4 minutes.  Turn skewers; brush again with marinade.  Cover and grill 3-4 more minutes or until shrimp are opaque.

Note: I double or even triple the marinade recipe.  I would rather have too much marinade than too little.

______________________________
Side Dish: Cilantro Rice
1 cup brown rice
4 T minced fresh cilantro
1/2 t salt
4 lime wedges

Prepare rice according to package directions.  When finished, transfer rice to a medium bowl and stir in cilantro and salt.  Serve with shrimp (above) and lime wedges.

______________________________
Side Dish: Grilled Corn on the Cob
2 ears of corn with husks
butter (I use Smart Balance)
Chipotle seasoning (or seasoning of your choice)
salt
pepper

Peel back husks and remove silks from corn.  Spread butter on corn cobs and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chipotle seasoning to taste.  Fold husks back around corn cobs and wrap tightly with foil.  Place on medium-high grill for 30 minutes, turning occasionally.

_____________________________
Dessert: Peach Cobbler
Filling:
4 cups sliced, peeled ripe peaches (about 2 pounds)
2 T granulated sugar
1 t fresh lemon juice
1/4 t vanilla extract

Batter:
6 T butter (or Smart Balance)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
dash of ground cinnamon
1 cup 1 or 2% low-fat milk
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 T turbinado sugar (you can substitute brown)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  To prepare filling, combine first four ingredients in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

To prepare batter, place butter in an 8-inch square baking dish.  Place dish in oven 5 minutes or until butter melts.

Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through cinnamon) in a medium bowl.  Combine milk and 1/2 t vanilla; add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.  Spoon batter over butter, spreading evenly (do not stir).  Spoon peach mixture over batter, gently pressing peaches into batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Sprinkle with turbinado sugar, and bake an additional 10 minutes or until crust is golden.

This cobbler is so easy and delicious!  Even Sammy liked it, and he has always said he didn't like cobbler.

Have you ever watched the show Rachael Ray does where she visits a city and eats at the hot spots on a very small budget?  I so could do that.

Last night, a group from work, after an employee's retirement party, went to a restaurant for dinner.  I kind of got drug there kicking and screaming, but, alas, I bowed to the peer pressure.  Another girl and I were practically begged to come with them so we went.  The more the merrier, I guess.  It was getting late, I was tired, and Sammy was expecting me home soon.  But I went ahead to keep the other girls company.

Once to the restaurant and finally seated, food was actually on our table at approximately 9 p.m.  This is a really late dinner for me.  I was eyeing my watch frequently.  I can't stand the thought of eating a big high-calorie, high-fat meal that late so I picked out the Hearts of Palm Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette.  I chose the Crab and Corn Chowder as well.  Let me first say that they were both fabulous.  Let me also note that the entrees on the menu ranged from $21 to $65.  Needless to say, a $65 entree is always out of my price range.

The main attendees to this meal were planning on paying for everyone, but my coworker and I just didn't feel that was right, so on our way out of the door before the check had been presented, we paid for our own.  A side note - I did not order any beverages from the bar.  I sipped a tiny bit of red wine that was bought for the table and drank water.  So drink price was not a factor in this equation, thankfully.  So, how much was it, you ask?

A whopping $15!!

This restaurant is really a fine establishment.  There were actually numerous Dallas Stars signed jerseys framed in the bar area so I ventured a guess that the Dallas Stars players liked this spot to dine.  "Nice" restaurants in Dallas, Texas are not cheap my friend.  But I was so proud that I could go there and eat on a whole $15 for dinner!  In addition, that $15 worth of food wasn't even completely consumed - the portions were more than generous.

Therefore, you can do it, too.  A soup and salad meal is always a winner with me and it saved me a little from the fat/calorie issue and from spending big bucks.  I might have to try that again at a fancy-schmancy place.

I have been slacking on my "Recipe of the Week" posts.  I haven't been cooking that much lately.  So, I'll take this time to share a few yummy items I've found lately.

~Got a little block of some 3-year aged Wisconsin cheddar at Whole Foods.  It was melt-in-your-mouth yummy.  I had it with an apple and it was divine!

~I also love the crostini from Whole Foods.  So simple and crunchy and they go with anything.

~They already have Fairfield, Texas peaches at Whole Foods.  They are kind of small, but still so delicious and juicy.  I assume a little farther into the summer the larger ones will come out and be oh-so delicious.

~I had some cantaloupe from a fruit tray this morning that was so sweet.  Makes me look forward to those Pecos cantaloupes when they arrive.

~I really would like to make my own mini herb garden.  I'd like to have fresh herbs available instead of having to buy them at the store and waste most of them anyway.  If anyone has done one, let me know any tips or ideas you have.  I guess I will need a rectangle-shaped plant stand to put by my kitchen window so it gets sunlight and maybe several different pots or containers that will all fit on the stand.  I'm still brainstorming how to go about it.

Gotta give some props to Summermoon Wood Fired Coffee.  A sorority sister of mine and her husband (both HPU alumni) own a wonderful coffee shop in Austin, Texas.  We happened to be in Austin this last Saturday (pictures to come) and decided to stop in.  The coffee was great and the shop was lovely.  If you're ever in Austin, be sure and give them a try.  Tell Amanda and Justin that Sammy and Suzanne sent you.

A little free advertising for Marco Pollo Rotisserie in Frisco, Texas.  The "South American Style" chicken restuarant serves one of the tastiest chickens this side of the Mississippi, I am certain of it.  They also have a great wrap - try it out sometime.

I really loved the daily bible verse that popped up on the blog today - give it a look.  What a comfort and triumph - to be conquerors and so safe.

North Texas *might* get some rain later tonight... let's hope so... but no tornados/high winds/scary stuff please.  :-)  I'm the real chicken here!

Sushi Sakana

Sammy and I have finally found our spot for sushi locally.  Until now, we could only say that our very favorite was Sushi Den in Denver, Colorado.  Sushi Den is so good, that if we could afford a plane ticket every few weeks so we could eat there, it would be under consideration.

Now we can say that our local favorite is Sushi Sakana in Plano.  It was GREAT!  It is a very small place, but the servers are friendly and prompt and the food comes very quickly (probably due to the small number of tables).  If you are not looking for the place, you probably won't even notice it, but when you do... prepare yourself for some great food.

We had the vegetable tempura that was fabulous and then ordered three types of rolls - spicy salmon, tuna, and one of their foot-long creations, the spicy crunch rolls.  It was all very fresh, very tasty, and the price was very reasonable for sushi.

So, when I can't head over to Sushi Den, Sushi Sakana is my pick.  I highly recommend it!

If you'd like to read their review in the Dallas Guide Live publication, click here.

Recipe(s) of the Week

I finally have my recipes here so I can post some new ones!  These are some great recipes that use the best of what summer has to offer.  Enjoy!
_______________________________
Entree: Tequila Lime Shrimp
2 T tequila
1 T fresh lime juice
2 t olive oil
1 t bottled chipotle sauce (such as Tabasco)
2 garlic cloves, minced
24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails on (about 1.25 pounds)
skewers
vegetable oil

Combine tequila and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a medium bowl.  Add shrimp; toss well to coat, and let stand 10 minutes.  Thread shrimp onto skewers, reserving remaining marinade.

Prepare grill for medium-high heat.  Coat grill with vegetable oil; place skewers on grill.  Cover and cook on medium-high heat 4 minutes.  Turn skewers; brush again with marinade.  Cover and grill 3-4 more minutes or until shrimp are opaque.

Note: I double or even triple the marinade recipe.  I would rather have too much marinade than too little.

______________________________
Side Dish: Cilantro Rice
1 cup brown rice
4 T minced fresh cilantro
1/2 t salt
4 lime wedges

Prepare rice according to package directions.  When finished, transfer rice to a medium bowl and stir in cilantro and salt.  Serve with shrimp (above) and lime wedges.

______________________________
Side Dish: Grilled Corn on the Cob
2 ears of corn with husks
butter (I use Smart Balance)
Chipotle seasoning (or seasoning of your choice)
salt
pepper

Peel back husks and remove silks from corn.  Spread butter on corn cobs and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chipotle seasoning to taste.  Fold husks back around corn cobs and wrap tightly with foil.  Place on medium-high grill for 30 minutes, turning occasionally.

_____________________________
Dessert: Peach Cobbler
Filling:
4 cups sliced, peeled ripe peaches (about 2 pounds)
2 T granulated sugar
1 t fresh lemon juice
1/4 t vanilla extract

Batter:
6 T butter (or Smart Balance)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
dash of ground cinnamon
1 cup 1 or 2% low-fat milk
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 T turbinado sugar (you can substitute brown)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  To prepare filling, combine first four ingredients in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

To prepare batter, place butter in an 8-inch square baking dish.  Place dish in oven 5 minutes or until butter melts.

Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through cinnamon) in a medium bowl.  Combine milk and 1/2 t vanilla; add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.  Spoon batter over butter, spreading evenly (do not stir).  Spoon peach mixture over batter, gently pressing peaches into batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Sprinkle with turbinado sugar, and bake an additional 10 minutes or until crust is golden.

This cobbler is so easy and delicious!  Even Sammy liked it, and he has always said he didn't like cobbler.

Move Over Rachael Ray!

Have you ever watched the show Rachael Ray does where she visits a city and eats at the hot spots on a very small budget?  I so could do that.

Last night, a group from work, after an employee's retirement party, went to a restaurant for dinner.  I kind of got drug there kicking and screaming, but, alas, I bowed to the peer pressure.  Another girl and I were practically begged to come with them so we went.  The more the merrier, I guess.  It was getting late, I was tired, and Sammy was expecting me home soon.  But I went ahead to keep the other girls company.

Once to the restaurant and finally seated, food was actually on our table at approximately 9 p.m.  This is a really late dinner for me.  I was eyeing my watch frequently.  I can't stand the thought of eating a big high-calorie, high-fat meal that late so I picked out the Hearts of Palm Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette.  I chose the Crab and Corn Chowder as well.  Let me first say that they were both fabulous.  Let me also note that the entrees on the menu ranged from $21 to $65.  Needless to say, a $65 entree is always out of my price range.

The main attendees to this meal were planning on paying for everyone, but my coworker and I just didn't feel that was right, so on our way out of the door before the check had been presented, we paid for our own.  A side note - I did not order any beverages from the bar.  I sipped a tiny bit of red wine that was bought for the table and drank water.  So drink price was not a factor in this equation, thankfully.  So, how much was it, you ask?

A whopping $15!!

This restaurant is really a fine establishment.  There were actually numerous Dallas Stars signed jerseys framed in the bar area so I ventured a guess that the Dallas Stars players liked this spot to dine.  "Nice" restaurants in Dallas, Texas are not cheap my friend.  But I was so proud that I could go there and eat on a whole $15 for dinner!  In addition, that $15 worth of food wasn't even completely consumed - the portions were more than generous.

Therefore, you can do it, too.  A soup and salad meal is always a winner with me and it saved me a little from the fat/calorie issue and from spending big bucks.  I might have to try that again at a fancy-schmancy place.

Yummies

I have been slacking on my "Recipe of the Week" posts.  I haven't been cooking that much lately.  So, I'll take this time to share a few yummy items I've found lately.

~Got a little block of some 3-year aged Wisconsin cheddar at Whole Foods.  It was melt-in-your-mouth yummy.  I had it with an apple and it was divine!

~I also love the crostini from Whole Foods.  So simple and crunchy and they go with anything.

~They already have Fairfield, Texas peaches at Whole Foods.  They are kind of small, but still so delicious and juicy.  I assume a little farther into the summer the larger ones will come out and be oh-so delicious.

~I had some cantaloupe from a fruit tray this morning that was so sweet.  Makes me look forward to those Pecos cantaloupes when they arrive.

~I really would like to make my own mini herb garden.  I'd like to have fresh herbs available instead of having to buy them at the store and waste most of them anyway.  If anyone has done one, let me know any tips or ideas you have.  I guess I will need a rectangle-shaped plant stand to put by my kitchen window so it gets sunlight and maybe several different pots or containers that will all fit on the stand.  I'm still brainstorming how to go about it.

Summermoon Coffee

Gotta give some props to Summermoon Wood Fired Coffee.  A sorority sister of mine and her husband (both HPU alumni) own a wonderful coffee shop in Austin, Texas.  We happened to be in Austin this last Saturday (pictures to come) and decided to stop in.  The coffee was great and the shop was lovely.  If you're ever in Austin, be sure and give them a try.  Tell Amanda and Justin that Sammy and Suzanne sent you.

"Chicken"

A little free advertising for Marco Pollo Rotisserie in Frisco, Texas.  The "South American Style" chicken restuarant serves one of the tastiest chickens this side of the Mississippi, I am certain of it.  They also have a great wrap - try it out sometime.

I really loved the daily bible verse that popped up on the blog today - give it a look.  What a comfort and triumph - to be conquerors and so safe.

North Texas *might* get some rain later tonight... let's hope so... but no tornados/high winds/scary stuff please.  :-)  I'm the real chicken here!