Monthly Meal Plan: February 2013

February 5, 2013 By 5 Comments

So we made it through our monthly meal plan for January.  I wound up dropping about 15 pounds!  Beth was down almost 10!  That’s a pretty good month of weight loss!  That having been said, we both know that we cannot sustain that lifestyle for but so long.  We have learned a lot over the past month and we can certainly incorporate many of those lessons into our daily routines.

We feel that certain dishes really need rice, but that others can go without.  We can go most days without any sort of bread or significant starch product.  What that means is that, instead of having a piece of bread for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we can maybe just have a piece for dinner.  Or we can forego for most of the week and have a small stack of pancakes on the weekend.  Maybe we can use coconut flour or tapioca starch instead of wheat flour or corn starch when making breads or biscuits or when thickening sauces.  While these may seem like small steps, they are steps that we can take to reduce our everyday usage of some of the most offensive items.

As we prepared our plan this month, we had to note that we have a special week this month.  Beth week (our joking term for our anniversary on the 10th, Beth’s birthday on the 12th, and Valentine’s Day on the 14th) definitely affects some of our plans.  We are headed out of town for a couple of nights and I work several nights throughout the month.  On top of that, we are trying to save ourselves some time and trouble by pulling some prepared options from our local Sam’s Club.  We are calling these our Sam’s Specials.  All of these factors, in addition to our healthy inspirations, are taken into consideration as we put our monthly meal plan together.  We hope that you enjoy and can take advantage of some of our options.

monthly meal plan

February 2013 Monthly Meal Plan

Week 1 (January 27 – February 2)

We are taken with coconut flour, oil, etc. right now.  Why not use it with shrimp, right?

Sunday–See January’s Meal Plan!
Monday–See January’s Meal Plan!
Tuesday–See January’s Meal Plan!
Wednesday–See January’s Meal Plan!
Thursday–See January’s Meal Plan!
Friday–Coconut Shrimp
Saturday–Sam’s Special

Week 2 (February 3 – 9)

The Super Bowl is a great reason to break the paleo fast, right?  Nachos it is!  A couple of pretty simple meals this week before a special dinner out with NO KIDS!!

Sunday–Chili Nachos
Monday–Caul-afel (Cauliflower Falafel) (Meatless)
Tuesday–Chicken Milanese with Bolognese Sauce
Wednesday–Baked Sweet Potato with Bolognese Sauce
Thursday–Chili Enchiladas
Friday–Dinner Out!!  Anniversary dinner without any kids!  YAY!!
Saturday–Sam’s Special

Week 3 (February 10 – 16)

We’ve got a couple of Beth’s favorites going this week.  She chose subs for her birthday and she’ll never turn down a Spanish Tortilla or tacos!

Sunday–Tuscan Bean and Chicken Stew
Monday–Sweet Potato Tortilla (Meatless)
Tuesday–Beth’s Birthday Choice (She chose Sub Sandwiches…glad to have a simple girl)
Wednesday–Breakfast for Dinner
Thursday–Tacos
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday–Pizza Night!

Week 4 (February 17 – 23)

This is the week after Mardi Gras so we figured that a good ole fashioned gumbo would hit the spot.  We’ll be smart about the bread stuff this week by just having one serving of the bread and loading up on all of the other goodies.

Sunday–Chicken Gumbo
Monday–Black Bean Tostada (Meatless)
Tuesday–Sam’s Special
Wednesday–Cheesesteak
Thursday–Fajitas
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday–Sam’s Special

Week 5 (February 24 – March 2)

Roasted chicken is a great way to start the week.  The leftover chicken can then be used with the veggie tray and for nachos later in the week.  YUM!!

Sunday–Roast Chicken Dinner
Monday–Eggplant Parmesan with Mushroom Ragout (Meatless)
Tuesday–Veggie Tray
Wednesday–Sausage and Peppers
Thursday–Nachos
Friday–Stay Tuned for March’s Meal Plan!
Saturday–Stay Tuned for March’s Meal Plan!

 

As always, if you are looking for recipes or answers on monthly meal planning, please leave a comment or email us with your questions. We can’t promise that we will have all of the answers, but we will do our best to find them! Just send us an email at simplybudgeted@gmail.com.

Have you tried monthly meal planning? How did it go? Any tips or suggestions? Leave us a comment and let us know.

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Monthly Meal Plan: January 2013

January 2, 2013 By 3 Comments

It is January!  It’s time to start the New Year off right.  Like most people, we are starting with a new diet plan.  I have been seeing a lot of good things about the “Paleo”, or “Caveman”, diet so we are giving that a shot this year.  Of course, we will be modifying it a bit as we go through the year.  There’s no way that either of us could go all year without bread of some sort!  Our intent is to eat the way we were meant to.  In our monthly meal plan for January, we focus on meat and veggies, filling up on nutrient dense food rather than on heavy starches.  On special occasions or just periodically, we can treat ourselves to those heavier items.  Since we buy so much of our produce at Sam’s Club, it shouldn’t really affect our monthly budget too much and, hopefully, we can live fuller and richer lives with fewer doctor’s bills!

In addition to the food itself, our monthly meal plan takes into consideration the time that we have to do things.  We know that we need something simple and predictable each week and we know which days we have to experiment a little.  Mondays will still be meatless, Tuesdays will be “stir fry” day, Wednesday and Fridays will be soup days (so nice for staying warm in coooold January), and Thursday will be just simple meat and veggies.  Saturday will be our “nice meal” day and Sundays will work to use up the leftovers from Saturdays meals.  We hope that this approach will allow us to actually save money with fresh produce because we will actually use all of produce for soups and stir fries and throw out less fresh produce and leftovers.

If you are new to monthly meal planning, I want to make sure that you know that this is just our plan for the month.  If we don’t have a plan, who knows what we’ll be eating.  With a good solid plan, we can stay on track and save time and money each week by having our shopping lists basically take care of themselves.  Our plan may adjust throughout the month if some really great piece of meat goes on a great sale or the store is out of broccoli, but with a plan, we have something to adjust from and we aren’t making it up as we go along.  We hope you enjoy what we have to offer.  Thanks!

monthly meal plan

January 2013 Monthly Meal Plan

Week 1 (December 30 – January 5)

This week we are making great use of leftover ham from the holidays and some chicken that we bought on sale and froze a few months back.  These are easy, cheap meals that anyone can make at home.

Sunday–See December Meal Plan
Monday–See December Meal Plan
Tuesday–Hoppin’ John and Cornbread
Wednesday–Ham and Coleslaw Soup
Thursday–Seared Chicken Breast with Steamed Broccoli
Friday–Ham and Coleslaw Soup
Saturday–Roast Chicken Dinner

Week 2 (January 6 – 12)

Leftovers from Saturday’s dinner make an appearance early this week and broccoli, green onions, bell peppers, and other leftover green veggies fill our frittata.  This week is all about emptying out that fridge!

Sunday–Meat and Veggie Tray
Monday–Green Frittata (Meatless)
Tuesday–Shrimp Stir Fry
Wednesday–Vegetable Soup (Meatless)
Thursday–”Smothered” Chicken
Friday–Vegetable Soup (Meatless)
Saturday–Roast Turkey Breast with Sauteed Veggies

Week 3 (January 13-19)

Who says that eating healthy has to be boring?  Sweet butternut squash with tomatoes and other veggies bake together beautifully and sweet potatoes, turkey, and flavorful soup round out the week.  Plus we end with steaks and shrimp!!  YUM!!

Sunday–Butternut Squash Ratatouille
Monday–Baked Sweet Potatoes (Meatless)
Tuesday–Turkey Stir Fry
Wednesday–Green Soup (Meatless)
Thursday–Crockpot Turkey Legs
Friday–Green Soup
Saturday–Steaks and Shrimp

Week 4 (January 20-26)

We are going to use pork all week here after making a beautiful roast.  Leftovers will probably be served with the onion soup (you know that stuff that they serve at Japanese restaurants).  Yummy chicken leg quarters in the crockpot round out the week!

Sunday–Roast Pork
Monday–Salad Bar (Meatless)
Tuesday–Pork Stir Fry
Wednesday–Onion Soup
Thursday–Fish with Steamed Broccoli
Friday–Onion Soup
Saturday–Crockpot Chicken Leg Quarters

Week 5 (January 27 – February 2)

This week starts with Acorn Squash stuffed with vegetables and leftover chicken from the night before.  Large portobella mushrooms marinated and dry rubbed make great steaks when grilled up right.  The rest of the week includes easy meals that take very little time to make!

Sunday–Stuffed Acorn Squash
Monday–Portobella Steaks
Tuesday–Ground Turkey Stir Fry
Wednesday–Chicken Soup
Thursday–Chicken with Mixed Vegetables
Friday–See February’s Meal Plan!
Saturday–See February’s Meal Plan!

 

As always, if you are looking for recipes or answers on monthly meal planning, please leave a comment or email us with your questions. We can’t promise that we will have all of the answers, but we will do our best to find them! Just send us an email at simplybudgeted@gmail.com.

Have you tried monthly meal planning? How did it go? Any tips or suggestions? Leave us a comment and let us know.

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Shopping at ALDI for the Holidays

December 28, 2012 By 6 Comments

We are excited to share a recent shopping experience at ALDI during this holiday season!

The ALDI store has been helping shoppers get ready for the holiday season with their wonderful selection of holiday and seasonal items.

I took advantage of a recent trip to ALDI’s to get ready for the holidays and make food gifts for friends and neighbors. I have an ALDI store close and go past frequently. ALDI  has become my store for a quick stop for basic needs. I have found their prices to always be below the other stores in the area. The store brands are very comparable to name brand items found in other stores nearby. The cake mixes are perfect for my special coffee cakes that were given to many neighbors & friends.

Here was my shopping cart at the end of my recent trip …

Having an ALDI store to stretch my shopping dollars further helps me keep the tradition of making my homemade gifts during the holiday season. I used the cream cheese and shredded cheese for my homemade cheese balls which are another homemade gift I love to give. Ta-da!

 

A tip from ALDI for the holiday season …

Spreading Holiday Cheer. Looking for the perfect party favor or hostess gift? Layer the ingredients for your favorite family cookie recipes – like Baker’s Corner Baking Sprinkles, Coconut Flakes or Baking Cocoa from ALDI – in mason jars to make “cookies in a jar.” Or, make mini loaves of the Baker’s Corner Pumpkin Quick Bread Mix and wrap them each in a small clear bag tied with a seasonal ribbon. Another easy way to extend holiday cheer is to pack up leftovers for your guests to enjoy the next day.

Check out ALDI’s website to keep up with their latest specials!

Do you shop at ALDI? What is your favorite part of shopping at ALDI? Leave us a comment and let us know!

NOTE: “I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for ALDI. I received a gift certificate to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.

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Announcing the #LittleChefs Twitter party and e-card

December 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

While our participation in the #LittleChefs program with Chef Boyardee is ending, we are excited to end with two big news items!

First up …

#LittleChefs Twitter party

December 6 at 2 – 3 pm EST

Join the hosts, @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, and @EmilyMcKhann,  for a Twitter Party to celebrate special holiday moments with family in the kitchen, inspired by The Little Chefs Project, the first-ever crowd sourced e-book on cooking with little chefs! In partnership with Chef Boyardee, The Motherhood and 40 fantastic mom bloggers have written a virtual book that will truly make you feel like a kid again. From creating family time in the kitchen to bonding over everyday and holiday fun, we have tips and recipes for creating kitchen magic with your family.

We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #LittleChefs hashtag to track the conversation.  You can see the details and RSVP via this Twtvite: http://twtvite.com/littlechefs

Of course it isn’t a Twitter Party without prizes!! What are the prizes? They are … Chef Boyardee will give away five total prizes, each consisting of a Chef Boyardee Pizza Kit, coupons, a Chef hat, apron and cookie cutters.  Winners will be chosen randomly from among participants who respond correctly to trivia questions.
Secondly …

You can Create a Chef Boyardee e-card

Go to the Facebook app that will take you through the creation of a fun animated e-card! This is YOUR chance to get in the kitchen with Chef Hector Boiardi himself! http://on.fb.me/R02YjV

Just follow the instructions to create the card and watch what unfolds in the kitchen. Plus you’ll have the option to share it via Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Will you  join us on Thursday? We hope to see you on Twitter. If you are there, be sure to say hi to us at @simplybudgeted!!

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December 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

December 3, 2012 By 1 Comment

Ok, so sue me!  I missed putting up November’s meal plan.  Between the cooking show, half-marathon, and Beth finishing up her ebook for her Master’s class this semester, last month was just incredibly hectic.  That doesn’t mean that we didn’t have a plan; it just means that we didn’t post it.  In fact, it was the quick plan and the overall approach that allowed us to eat something besides takeout every night!

Remember, meal planning is not necessarily about having perfection each month.  When you have a busy month like we did, you might be a little off of your initial plan.  That’s ok!  Just imagine where you would be without a plan in the first place!

This month, we are all about clearing out our freezer and cupboards to get ready for a new start in January.  That means that chicken, shrimp, frozen veggies, and even soup, pasta, and canned goods are all on the table this month.  We’re not talking about terribly fancy food here, but it will be easy, affordable, and yummy food that will fill up the bellies of our babies.


December 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

Week 1 (December 1 – 8)

Yes, I know that Saturday to Saturday is 8 days, but it seemed so silly to have the first week with just one day this month.  We got lucky this week with a couple of Christmas parties.  We have plenty of chicken, meatballs, and pizza dough in the freezer.  That’s pretty much the basis for this week’s dinners.  Add in some fresh produce for salads and veggies for dipping and we’ve got some healthy meals here.

Saturday–Pizza
Sunday–Holiday Pot Luck
Monday–Veggies and Fry Bread with Dipping Sauce
Tuesday–Chicken Casserole
Wednesday–Spaghetti and Meatballs
Thursday–Chicken Fajitas
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday–Holiday Party

Week 2 (December 9 – 15)

Sophie picked Mac and Cheese for her birthday this week.  I will probably be making this rockin’ Roasted Vegetable Mac & Cheese from gimme some oven that I got to try at Mixed this past weekend.  It’s pretty incredible!  Otherwise, we are just using up some stuff that has been sitting around for a while.

Sunday–Sophie’s Birthday Party with Grandma
Monday–Pasta Fagioli Soup
Tuesday–Sophie’s Birthday Choice–Mac and Cheese
Wednesday–Sausage Tortellini
Thursday–Veggie Nachos
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday–Pizza

Week 3 (December 16 – 22)

We’ll be getting ready to host my grandmother for the weekend before Christmas.  That means some pretty easy dinners so that we have time to clean up.  The omelet bar will let us give the kids some choices while cleaning out some extras in the fridge.  The stir-fry will take care of the rest.  Since we’ll have a small group for our “pre-Christmas” dinner, we’ll roast up a chicken instead of a huge turkey.

Sunday–Omelet Bar
Monday–Veggie Stir Fry
Tuesday–Pasta Bake
Wednesday–Fried Shrimp
Thursday–Tomato Basil with Bean Soup
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday–Roast Chicken

Week 4 (December 23 – 29)

Some light meals leading up to Christmas will prepare us for the big feast.  Then we’ll use the leftovers to finish out the week.  We’ll probably have a turkey and a ham for Christmas dinner.  What is the tradition in your home?

Sunday–Chicken Caesar Salad
Monday–Quiche
Tuesday–Christmas Dinner
Wednesday–Turkey Ragout
Thursday–Green Eggs and Ham
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday–Tuscan Bean Soup

Week 5 (December 30 – January 5)

A nice Sunday dinner and an easy Meatless Monday finish up the month.  Now we just have to decide what diet plan we are going to start and not finish when the new year is upon us.  What will your food resolution be?

Sunday–Chicken Alfredo with Penne Pasta
Monday–Veggie Casserole
Tuesday–See January’s Meal Plan!
Wednesday–See January’s Meal Plan!
Thursday–See January’s Meal Plan!
Friday–See January’s Meal Plan!
Saturday–See January’s Meal Plan!

 

As always, if you are looking for recipes or answers on monthly meal planning, please leave a comment or email us with your questions.  We can’t promise that we will have all of the answers, but we will do our best to find them!  Just send us an email at simplybudgeted@gmail.com.

Have you tried monthly meal planning? How did it go? Any tips or suggestions?  Leave us a comment and let us know.

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Pumpkin Doesn’t Grow in a Can: Fresh Pumpkin Processing

November 20, 2012 By 3 Comments

Since a reader asked here is a quick version of Fresh Pumpkin Processing!

In case you don’t know, pumpkin doesn’t grow in can and it feels so wrong to admit to that. I grew up eating Libby’s Pumpkin. It was the ONLY pumpkin mom ever bought. It was the best and for pumpkin pie, you had to have the best.

That all changed two years ago when Jo at Miller Farms Market introduced me to fresh pumpkin and how to process it. (THANK YOU, Jo!)

Here are my two current favorite pumpkins … Long Island Cheese Pumpkin and the Peanut Pumpkin …

I have pictures I took that are a step by step process for how to make your own fresh pumpkin that post will take me hours to write. I don’t have hours so here is the quick version.

1. Cut your pumpkin in half (vertical half not horizontal half!)

2. Clean out the seed and strings. (Save the seeds if you have time to roast them.)

3. Place the pumpkin cut side down on a cookie sheet in an oven set 350 degrees for 45 minutes. (This is an average time so might be more or less … you want a fork to go in easily … like a baked potato!)

4. Place a colander over a deep mixing bowl. Lay cheese cloth (you can find at Target or Bed Bath and Beyond) in the bowl (I use two layers.)

5. Let the pumpkin cool for AT LEAST an hour and use your hands to scoop the flesh into the bowl you set-up!

6.  Let sit for 3-4 hours to drain.

7. Process the pumpkin in a food mill to get the stringy part out of the pulp.

8. Place it back on the rinsed out cheese cloth for another 3-4 hours to drain.

9. Use a dry measuring cup to measure out 2 cups of pumpkin and put into FREEZER ziploc bags. (most recipes call for 2 cups of pumpkins because that is what is in a can!) Lay flat and freeze OR use in 2-3 days.

So if you don’t have all day to do this, you can do what I had to do this time which was go through step 5 and put the bowl in the fridge overnight. The next evening take the bowl out of the fridge about 2 hours before you can process it. Food mill the pumpkin and then put it back in the fridge overnight.

It might seem like a lot but it really isn’t that much effort as most of it inactive time. Plus your pumpkin pie or cheesecake will never be the same.

I will get Brian to post his pumpkin cheesecake recipe before Thanksgiving. I make the pumpkin … he makes the cheesecake! ;)

What do you think? Are you ready to head out to get a fresh pumpkin? You have time! Go knock the socks off every this Thanksgiving!

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Chef Boyadree Cook-Along, Spaghetti-Rings Bake Recipe, and Giveaway

October 28, 2012 By 110 Comments

This post is full of information about a Cook-Along, a recipe featuring Chef Boyardee products, and a giveaway so be sure to read it all!

Cook-Along Announcement

What: A virtual Cook-Along called Family Time, part of The Little Chefs Project series on The Motherhood.

The Little Chefs Project series consists of live chats called Cook-Alongs taking place every Thursday at 2 p.m. ET until November 15, and each Cook-Along covers a different topic around cooking with kids. Family Time addresses how you can get the whole family involved in meal preparation and clean-up, along with bonding over breakfast, lunch and dinner.

When: Thursday, November 29, at 2 p.m. ET.  It will last 30 minutes.

Where: The Motherhood – here is the link to the page where the class will be held: http://bit.ly/VSSxke

About the class: No matter how busy the schedule gets, there’s never a bad time to get your kids in the kitchen for quality time. Bond over homemade pizzas and buffet-style meals, have the kids help set the table, or start a fun, family clean-up line after sitting down together for dinner. Mealtime is family time!

To participate, just click the link above, log into The Motherhood using your member ID (if you don’t have one, it’s easy and free to sign up), and chat away in the text-based comments. We’ll also have a video feed running during the half-hour Cook-Along, so you’re welcome to show up simply to watch if you’d like!

The Cook-Along is sponsored by Chef Boyardee, and it is hosted by The Motherhood.  You can visit Chef Boyardee online at http://www.chefboyardee.com/ or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/chefboyardee.

The fabulous people who will be co-hosting with me are:

Ashley, Front Porch Swing http://www.myfrontporchswing.com
Beth, Simply Budgeted http://www.simplybudgeted.com
Jennifer, Double Duty Mommy http://www.doubledutymommy.com
Jessica, The B Keeps Us Honest http://thebkeepsushonest.com
Linsey, Lille Punkin’ Reviews http://www.lillepunkin.com
Liz, Thoughts of a Mommy http://thoughtsofamommy.net
Renae, How to Have it All http://howtohaveitall.net

Oh and I will be LIVE during this chat! I would love to see some familiar screen names there! Feel free to tweet me your Motherhood screen name so I can be sure to say HI!!! Are you ready to cook with your little chefs?

I headed over to the Chef Boyardee Recipe Page to be inspired for dinner tonight. I decided to try the Pepperoni Spaghetti Bake but being that I made this with the kids and not Brian, that means I  didn’t follow the recipe (on purpose). Our kids LOVE making this recipe … they loved being in the kitchen with as the pictures show!

Spaghetti-Rings Bake

INGREDIENTS

  • PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
  • 1-1/4 cups original baking mix
  • 1/2 cup reduced fat (2%) milk
  • 2 cans (14.5 oz each) Chef Boyardee® Spaghetti Rings & Meatballs
  • 2-1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 13×9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Combine baking mix and milk in medium bowl; stir until soft dough forms.
  2. Drop 6 dough spoonfuls on bottom of baking dish (will not completely cover bottom). Spoon 1 can spaghetti rings and meatballs over dough and sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Top with remaining can spaghetti and meatballs, remaining 1-1/2 cups cheese.
  3. Bake 25 minutes or until dough is done in centers and browned.

We are really excited to offer a giveaway prize pack that includes includes:

  • Kids’ kitchen measure and prep kit
  • Kids’ recipe box
  • Scrapbook album
  • 2 Chef Boyardee chef hats
  • Chef Boyardee adult apron
  • Chef Boyardee child apron
  • Chef Boyardee pizza kit
  • Time capsule
  • 2 coupons for free Chef Boyardee Beefaroni
  • 5 Chef Boyardee recipe cards

Good luck in the giveaway and I hope to see at the Cook-Along!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Metro Cooking DC Preview

October 23, 2012 By 2 Comments

Can I tell you just how excited I am to spend a weekend up in DC with my honey at a food show?  The weekend of November 3-4, Beth and I are headed up to the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show in Washington, DC.  They will be featuring at least 8 food celebrities as well as a number of area chefs demonstrating their cooking chops on stage.  They will have tastings and workshops and over 350 vendors scheduled to be there and selling their wares.  Many of these products are ones that you will not find on your supermarket shelves.  If you are shopping for a foodie in your family this Christmas, this would be the place to be.  In addition, Lincoln is supporting Metro Cooking DC and these small businesses by offering test drives out in front of the event.  Everyone who take a test drive will get 10 Lincoln dollars to spend inside.

Last week, I had a great opportunity to attend a media event for this show.  I got to meet the event organizers for Metro Cooking DC, several local bloggers, and the group even got a chance to Skype with Next Food Network Star and “Sandwich King” Jeff Mauro.  This guy is so down to earth, it’s ridiculous.  His young son wound up on his back at one point in the interview, knocking his hat off, and pulling out his earpiece.  For a guy with three kids of my own, I looked on it very kindly.  It definitely humanizes this guy that you always see on TV.

     

In addition to meeting the people at this event, I got to try some of the food at Cuba de Libre, including a yummy Cuban sandwich and a lovely little lobster sandwich.  I also got to try a couple of the signature drinks.  I had a delicious Red Sangria and my favorite, the classic Mojito.  On the way out, we were all handed a very heavy bag full of various products that will be available at the Metro Cooking DC event.  We’ve tried a number of things, but we haven’t even gotten close to going through it all yet.  I’m looking forward to meeting the faces behind all of these wonderful products.

 

Here’s the press release issued for this event.

“ALL STAR LINE-UP HEADLINE NOV 3-4 METRO COOKING SHOW

Giada De Laurentiis, Jacques & Claudine Pépin, Michael Symon, Carla Hall, Gail Simmons, Tom Colicchio, Jeff Mauro plus James Beard FoundationCooking Stage, 400 specialty food exhibitors set for two-day food extravaganza

(Oct 5, 2012 – Washington, DC) Some of the biggest names in the culinary world will grace the stage at the 2012 Metro Cooking Show, November 3-4 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Headlining this year’s show will be Giada De Laurentiis, Jacques Pepin and daughter Claudine, Top Chef judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons, The Chew’s Michael Symon and Carla Hall and Next Food Network Star winner “The Sandwich King” Jeff Mauro.

In addition, local and regional chefs all honored as James Beard Foundation winners, nominees or as guest chefs at The James Beard House, will take the Food Lion Cooking Stage honoring the James Beard Foundation. Throughout the two day event there will be non-stop activities including ongoing tasting and entertaining workshops from knife skills to holiday entertaining and a beer, wine and spirits pavilion that will highlight local mixologists  Known as a great shopping show, this year nearly 400 specialty food exhibitors will showcase products – all for sale.

Ticket packages are available including a two-day pass that offers access to all celebrity theater presentations as well as VIP tickets affording meet-and-greet receptions with some of the stars and a lively “Sandwich and Beer” event with “The Sandwich King” Jeff Mauro and Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s beer director Greg Engert.

METROPOLITAN COOKING & ENTERTAINING SHOW

Saturday November 3 – Sunday November 4, 2011
Walter E. Washington Convention Center – Washington, DC
Hours: 10 am – 7 p.m. Nov 3; 10 am – 6 pm Nov 4
Ticket prices: General Admission – $24.50 in advance; $27 at the door
Children 4-12 – $12.50 in advance; $15 at the door
Children under 4 free

 www.MetroCookingDC.com”

Are you going to be up in DC that weekend?  Looking to head out to the show?  Let us know and we’ll look for you!

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October 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

October 1, 2012 By 7 Comments

We often buy food based on sales at the grocery store.  When ribs or pork shoulders or chicken are on big sales, we stock up.  Unfortunately, this often means filling up our freezer with way too much meat.  Even when preserved in the freezer, the product is only good for so long.  This month’s meal plan focuses on cleaning out our freezer a little.  We hope to gain some extra space in our freezer and lower our grocery bill for the month.  We also plan on trying out a number of slow cooker recipes that we will introduce to you over the next couple of months.


October 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

Week 1 (September 30 – October 6)

With a couple of busy days this week, we decided on some easy dishes.  We already have virtually everything that we need for the meals this week.  A little fresh produce to supplement the frozen components make for some healthy (and tasty!) meals.

Sunday–Check out the September Meal Plan!
Monday–Butternut Squash Gnocchi
Tuesday–Sub Sandwiches
Wednesday–Fishstick Tacos
Thursday–White Bean and Turkey Chili
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday–Spaghetti

Week 2 (October 6 – October 13)

Using some ground turkey leftover from the chili makes great use of a large package of meat.  Half-priced ribs get amazing all-day cooking taste and the Pork BBQ will be used over and over again next week.  The slow cooker gets used three times this week.  That’s great for eating well with our busy schedule.

Sunday–Pizza
Monday–Bruschetta and Israeli Cous Cous
Tuesday–Turkey Nachos
Wednesday–Slow Cooker Ribs
Thursday–Appetizer Dinner
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday–Slow Cooker Pork BBQ Sandwiches

Week 3 (October 14 – October 20)

The pork that we cooked on Saturday gets three completely different uses this week:  with peppers and onions for a yummy cheesesteak, as spicy enchiladas, and as a quick fried rice.  We don’t use the slow cooker at all for dinner this week, but every weekday meal is quick and easy to throw together.

Sunday–Ham Dinner
Monday–Veggie Casserole
Tuesday–Pork Cheesesteak
Wednesday–Pork Enchiladas
Thursday–Pork Fried Rice
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday–Sub Sandwiches

Week 4 (October 21 – October 27)

Another three slow cooker meal week!  Corn chowder, chicken and rice, and beans and rice are filling, cheap meals that our whole family will love.  Fried shrimp on Saturday will be such a yummy treat!

Sunday–Quesadillas
Monday–Corn Chowder
Tuesday–Breakfast
Wednesday–Slow Cooker Arroz con Pollo
Thursday–Beans and Rice
Friday–Leftovers
Saturday–Fried Shrimp Dinner

Week 5 (October 28 – November 3)

Extra shrimp gets double duty as a quick fried rice and the slow cooker gets another workout with lasagna and chili this week.  Pizza and candy on Wednesday is no trick; it’s a Halloween treat.

Sunday–Shrimp Fried Rice
Monday–Slow Cooker Lasagna
Tuesday–Slow Cooker Chili
Wednesday–Pizza and Candy for Halloween
Thursday–See November’s Meal Plan!
Friday–See November’s Meal Plan!
Saturday–See November’s Meal Plan!

 

As always, if you are looking for recipes or answers on monthly meal planning, please leave a comment or email us with your questions.  We can’t promise that we will have all of the answers, but we will do our best to find them!  Just send us an email at simplybudgeted@gmail.com.

Have you tried monthly meal planning? How did it go? Any tips or suggestions?  Leave us a comment and let us know.

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Meatless Monday: Pam’s Corn Pie

September 24, 2012 By 11 Comments

Yup, a Meatless Monday post by me. Watch out! I am excited to share a recipe that a co-worker gave me recently. I have no idea what the name of it is really so I named it after her. I do know that she told me the recipe off the top of her head. I also know she makes her own pie crust and well I don’t have the time for that so this version of the recipe uses ready-made pie crusts.

I will also admit that I forgot the sugar in the recipe. Well if I said I almost forgot the sugar that would be more accurate. I had to peal back the top crust and stir the sugar into the corn mix. At this point, I was certain I had ruined the dish. It came out fabuolous though.

I love how versatile this dish is. We had it as a side dish one night but Pam said she eats it as a main dish so I think we will have it again as a Meatless Monday main dish! This would be a great holiday dish or family pot-luck dinner dish.

Pam’s Corn Pie

Ingredients

2 cups corn (I used fresh corn but you could use thawed/drained frozen corn too)

1/2 c milk (I used skim milk)

2 tbsp butter chopped into small cubes

1/4 c sugar

salt and pepper

2 ready made pie crusts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Put one unbaked pie crust in the pie dish and crimp the edges.

3. Mix together the corn, milk, butter cubes, sugar, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl.

4. Pour the corn mixture into the pie dish and cover with the second pie crust. Crimp the edges of the two crusts together. Cut vent holes into the top crust.

5. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

6. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees and continue baking for another 35 minutes.

Serve warm!

Have you ever had Corn Pie? Leave us a comment and let us know. Maybe I have been living under rock never hearing about this but maybe I have shared something new with you!

Does your family participate in Meatless Monday?  What are you having for dinner tonight?  Have a Meatless Monday experience, recipe, or request?  Leave us a comment and let us know.  We’d love to hear from you!

Meatless Monday, a national nonprofit public health initiative, is all about incorporating more vegetables and less meat into our diet. It’s about moderation, just one day a week, cutting down on meats high in saturated fat and increasing protein-rich plant-based foods — good for personal health and good for the planet.

“Come join Love the Pie with TidyMom  sponsored by Whirlpool and enter to win a new Whirlpool Range”

Filed Under: Meatless Monday, Memes, Recipes, Simply Food Tagged With: , , , , ,
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