And "Gluten-free" means "three times as expensive".
This new diet is wrecking my grocery budget. I'm feeling very guilty after my adventures in the grocery store today. Darn that Dave Ramsey; he's taken all the pleasure of shopping away from me!
My new goal is to figure out how I can feed Jim and I organically and gluten-free AND stay within my grocery budget. Can it be done? We'll see!
I'm hoping it can be done. Otherwise Jim and I will be getting even skinnier.
Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Cornbread Apple Mac n' Cheese
The long-awaited event is here - I am posting the recipe for Cornbread Apple Mac n' Cheese! I first trial-ran this dish at a barbecue this fall, and it went over as a big hit! Jim took the leftovers into church the next day and the dish went over just as well. In fact, I have yet to meet a person who had tried this dish and not loved it. Jim's mouth waters just thinking about it!
So here is the recipe... enjoy!
Cornbread Apple Mac n' Cheese
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
2 cups cornbread muffin crumbles
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup half and half
1 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 lb (16 oz) extra sharp cheddar
1 1/2 cup diced Granny Smith apples
-Melt 2 Tbsp butter and olive oil in skillet. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add cornbread crumbles, remove from heat.
-Cook noodles according to package.
-In saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook until golden (about 2 minutes).
-Slowly whisk in half and half and milk, stir until thickened and slightly darkened (about 3 minutes). Season with salt, pepper and cinnamon.
-Slowly add cheddar cheese and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
-Mix in cooked noodles and apples, stir until combined.
-Pour into greased 2 1/2 qt casserole dish and top with cornbread mixture.
-Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.
*Note: Jim can't eat onions, so I skip the whole first step and place the cornbread crumbles by themselves on top. I also have yet to have whole milk or half and half on hand when making this, so I substitute evaporated milk and water (according to the recommended amounts) instead.
So here is the recipe... enjoy!
Cornbread Apple Mac n' Cheese
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
2 cups cornbread muffin crumbles
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup half and half
1 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 lb (16 oz) extra sharp cheddar
1 1/2 cup diced Granny Smith apples
-Melt 2 Tbsp butter and olive oil in skillet. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add cornbread crumbles, remove from heat.
-Cook noodles according to package.
-In saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook until golden (about 2 minutes).
-Slowly whisk in half and half and milk, stir until thickened and slightly darkened (about 3 minutes). Season with salt, pepper and cinnamon.
-Slowly add cheddar cheese and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
-Mix in cooked noodles and apples, stir until combined.
-Pour into greased 2 1/2 qt casserole dish and top with cornbread mixture.
-Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.
*Note: Jim can't eat onions, so I skip the whole first step and place the cornbread crumbles by themselves on top. I also have yet to have whole milk or half and half on hand when making this, so I substitute evaporated milk and water (according to the recommended amounts) instead.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Confessions of a (Sort-of) Cook...
I have a few confessions to make. A) I have not made a menu in three weeks, and B) I have not cooked in three weeks.
Am I ashamed to admit this? Yes. After Jim and I began our Dave-Ramsey-inspired budget, I began to enjoy putting together weekly menus and making frugal meals that wowed my husband.
And then November came. We spent the first two weeks of the month out of town, and when we came home, I started working full-time. Even with those crazy days, I still was able to keep up with cooking, even though we were not following our menus at all.
The week before Thanksgiving, I began the Great Vomit Marathon of 2008. And my rule of thumb is: Never eat anything you have thrown up. Unfortunately, the GVM began the week I stocked up on groceries and made a whole chicken with the intention of using the leftovers in sandwiches and salads. So once I recovered, I was forced to clean out my refrigerator and throw out everything I had eaten prior to the GVM, which included the majority of the groceries I had bought that week. Somewhere in Africa there are little starving children crying over all that food.
Then December came, bringing with it visiting Grandma Brown's delicious cooking and Jim's busy nights at the church. Any semblance of motivation left to plan and cook was gone. Not only do I not enjoy cooking for myself in an empty apartment, but there was no need with food only a short trip away at the in-laws' house.
Today, however, I have renewed motivation to begin planning and cooking again - a new crock pot! Yes, Jim surprised me today with a new crock pot and fancy travel case (to prevent the Great Halloween Crockpot Disaster of 2008 from happening again!). It is beautiful and shiny... and I can't wait to use it! What should I try first? John McCain's rib recipe? Cranberry-Apple Turkey Breast? Applesauce Chicken? Or should I attempt to resurrect my White Bean Chicken Chili, which for the life of me I can not remember how I made?
My new crock pot also came with a book full of delicious new recipes that I can not wait to try, including a section on desserts. Peach cobbler in the crock pot? Yum!
I think Jim may have given me the shiny new crock pot for purely selfish motives...
Am I ashamed to admit this? Yes. After Jim and I began our Dave-Ramsey-inspired budget, I began to enjoy putting together weekly menus and making frugal meals that wowed my husband.
And then November came. We spent the first two weeks of the month out of town, and when we came home, I started working full-time. Even with those crazy days, I still was able to keep up with cooking, even though we were not following our menus at all.
The week before Thanksgiving, I began the Great Vomit Marathon of 2008. And my rule of thumb is: Never eat anything you have thrown up. Unfortunately, the GVM began the week I stocked up on groceries and made a whole chicken with the intention of using the leftovers in sandwiches and salads. So once I recovered, I was forced to clean out my refrigerator and throw out everything I had eaten prior to the GVM, which included the majority of the groceries I had bought that week. Somewhere in Africa there are little starving children crying over all that food.
Then December came, bringing with it visiting Grandma Brown's delicious cooking and Jim's busy nights at the church. Any semblance of motivation left to plan and cook was gone. Not only do I not enjoy cooking for myself in an empty apartment, but there was no need with food only a short trip away at the in-laws' house.
Today, however, I have renewed motivation to begin planning and cooking again - a new crock pot! Yes, Jim surprised me today with a new crock pot and fancy travel case (to prevent the Great Halloween Crockpot Disaster of 2008 from happening again!). It is beautiful and shiny... and I can't wait to use it! What should I try first? John McCain's rib recipe? Cranberry-Apple Turkey Breast? Applesauce Chicken? Or should I attempt to resurrect my White Bean Chicken Chili, which for the life of me I can not remember how I made?
My new crock pot also came with a book full of delicious new recipes that I can not wait to try, including a section on desserts. Peach cobbler in the crock pot? Yum!
I think Jim may have given me the shiny new crock pot for purely selfish motives...
Friday, October 31, 2008
More proof the crockpot rocks...
Question: Can you make an entire meal in a crock pot?
Answer: Absolutely!
Check this link out. The Crockpot Lady, as we affectionately call her, has successfully made an entire meal of rib-eye steak, baked potatoes, and corn-on-the-cob in her crock pot. I can't wait to try this!
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/08/crockpot-layered-dinner-steak-potatoes.html
Question: Does this change how I feel about my crock pot?
Answer: Is it possible to hold any more love in your heart for an inanimate object? Then yes.
Answer: Absolutely!
Check this link out. The Crockpot Lady, as we affectionately call her, has successfully made an entire meal of rib-eye steak, baked potatoes, and corn-on-the-cob in her crock pot. I can't wait to try this!
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/08/crockpot-layered-dinner-steak-potatoes.html
Question: Does this change how I feel about my crock pot?
Answer: Is it possible to hold any more love in your heart for an inanimate object? Then yes.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Homemade Chili
Tonight's Dinner: Homemade Chili with Cornbread Muffins.
Being the rebel I am, I hate using traditional recipes, so many of my dishes are "dump and cook" based on whatever ingredients I have on hand. This can result in a very good meal. It can also result in tragic meals. However, I tend to have quite a bit of success with this method. The main problem with cooking like this is that when I have a success, I often can not replicate the dish later. My own sad example of this - two weeks ago I made a delicious white chicken chili. Jim raved for days. And for the life of me, I can't remember how I made it! To solve this problem, I will start blogging my "successful" recipes to share - and reuse at a later date!
I love homemade chili. Growing up, Mom would make big vats of chili and stews in the winter, and we would eat on them for days at a time. Jim used to love chili... until his evil gallbladder started acting up. So when I sat out to try my hand at homemade chili today, I tried to make it as mild as possible. I think this chili would work out well for very picky eaters. And guess what - it can be made in your crock pot!
Daja's Homemade Chili
- 3 cans of beans, drained and rinsed (I used 1 can Great Northern Beans, 2 cans Chili Beans)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 12oz can tomato paste
- 1 12oz can tomato sauce
- 2 cups broth (I used 1 cup leftover beef broth, 2/3 cup leftover chicken broth, and 1/3 cup apple juice because I ran out of broth)
- 1 T Italian seasoning
- 1 med onion (I used 1 tsp onion powder instead... Jim's gallbladder can not tolerate onions either)
Step 1 - Brown ground beef in skillet over med-hi heat. I used 1 T flavored olive oil to brown the meat. Drain meat and place in crock pot.
Step 2 - Add all other ingredients. Stir if you are feeling particularly culinary.
Step 3 - Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours. Stir occasionally.
If you wish, spice it up by adding sliced jalapenos, chili powder, or my personal favorite - red pepper flakes.
Serve with warm buttered cornbread muffins. Yum!
Being the rebel I am, I hate using traditional recipes, so many of my dishes are "dump and cook" based on whatever ingredients I have on hand. This can result in a very good meal. It can also result in tragic meals. However, I tend to have quite a bit of success with this method. The main problem with cooking like this is that when I have a success, I often can not replicate the dish later. My own sad example of this - two weeks ago I made a delicious white chicken chili. Jim raved for days. And for the life of me, I can't remember how I made it! To solve this problem, I will start blogging my "successful" recipes to share - and reuse at a later date!
I love homemade chili. Growing up, Mom would make big vats of chili and stews in the winter, and we would eat on them for days at a time. Jim used to love chili... until his evil gallbladder started acting up. So when I sat out to try my hand at homemade chili today, I tried to make it as mild as possible. I think this chili would work out well for very picky eaters. And guess what - it can be made in your crock pot!
Daja's Homemade Chili
- 3 cans of beans, drained and rinsed (I used 1 can Great Northern Beans, 2 cans Chili Beans)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 12oz can tomato paste
- 1 12oz can tomato sauce
- 2 cups broth (I used 1 cup leftover beef broth, 2/3 cup leftover chicken broth, and 1/3 cup apple juice because I ran out of broth)
- 1 T Italian seasoning
- 1 med onion (I used 1 tsp onion powder instead... Jim's gallbladder can not tolerate onions either)
Step 1 - Brown ground beef in skillet over med-hi heat. I used 1 T flavored olive oil to brown the meat. Drain meat and place in crock pot.
Step 2 - Add all other ingredients. Stir if you are feeling particularly culinary.
Step 3 - Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours. Stir occasionally.
If you wish, spice it up by adding sliced jalapenos, chili powder, or my personal favorite - red pepper flakes.
Serve with warm buttered cornbread muffins. Yum!
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