**Winner: Cheapest meal of the week**
We're leaving for another trip to FL. In an effort to minimize the mess in the kitchen, I made frozen pizza for dinner. It was Giant brand 4 cheese pizza and it was pretty good. To make it a bit healthier, I also made fruit salad with mangoes leftover from Diwali, an apple that Karen brought home from her trip and Doris took two small bites out of, a peach and a pear.
It was a success. We all ate lots of fruit, practically finishing the fruit salad. There is one piece of pizza left for Doris to have for lunch.
Pizza: $3
Peach: 75 cents
Pear: 75 cents
Total: $4.50 ($1.50 per person)
Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Wed 10/26: Happy Diwali!
Last night we celebrated Diwali. Karen actually spent the afternoon at school celebrating Diwali with Doris' class. She made luminaries with them, read Mama's Sari's, talked to them about Diwali, put Bindi on their foreheads, and gave them snack. Snack was poppudums, sweet mango chutney, mangoes, and moong burfey. Surprisingly, Karen said they really liked the snack and came back for seconds and sometimes thirds. Of course the mangoes were the biggest hits. Karen bought frozen mangoes which were cheaper than fresh. We were surprised at how good they were.
For our Diwali dinner, I wanted to make something quick since this is not our only Diwali celebration. On Saturday in FL we are going to a Hindu temple to celebrate and there will even be fireworks. Then next weekend we are hosting a Diwali celebration in our home. So this was just a small Diwali celebration.
I made paneer jalfreezi. I will keep making this as long as my CSA keeps bringing bell peppers. I think we still have two left. This time I made it with one green bell pepper, one package of paneer, one can of diced tomatoes, garlic, turmeric, and a chana masala spice mix.
I warmed up a package of Trader Joe's spiced soy beans. Trader Joe's actually makes some yummy Indian food and it's quite cheap. This pack was only 99 cents. I also warmed up some Trader Joe's naan and some leftover basmati rice. We ate it with leftover poppudums and a variety of chutneys.
For dessert, Karen made Halloween cupcakes. We also served leftover mangoes and moong burfee from Doris' school day. A nice beginning Diwali celebration.
Spiced soybeans: $1
Paneer: $4
Tomatoes: 89 cents
CSA veggies: $2
Spices: 40 cents
Naan: $1.50
Cupcakes: $3
Total: $12.79 ($4.26 per person)
A little high but it's a holiday and included dessert, so not bad.
For our Diwali dinner, I wanted to make something quick since this is not our only Diwali celebration. On Saturday in FL we are going to a Hindu temple to celebrate and there will even be fireworks. Then next weekend we are hosting a Diwali celebration in our home. So this was just a small Diwali celebration.
I made paneer jalfreezi. I will keep making this as long as my CSA keeps bringing bell peppers. I think we still have two left. This time I made it with one green bell pepper, one package of paneer, one can of diced tomatoes, garlic, turmeric, and a chana masala spice mix.
I warmed up a package of Trader Joe's spiced soy beans. Trader Joe's actually makes some yummy Indian food and it's quite cheap. This pack was only 99 cents. I also warmed up some Trader Joe's naan and some leftover basmati rice. We ate it with leftover poppudums and a variety of chutneys.
For dessert, Karen made Halloween cupcakes. We also served leftover mangoes and moong burfee from Doris' school day. A nice beginning Diwali celebration.
Spiced soybeans: $1
Paneer: $4
Tomatoes: 89 cents
CSA veggies: $2
Spices: 40 cents
Naan: $1.50
Cupcakes: $3
Total: $12.79 ($4.26 per person)
A little high but it's a holiday and included dessert, so not bad.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tuesday, 10/25: Salad
, We were very happy to have Karen home for dinner. Everything is right again. We got along okay without her, but everything is better with her.
Another kitchen cleaner favorite of mine is salad for dinner. If you have the right vegetables, this is a very healthy way to clean out your fridge. I had to stop at Target on the way home from work, so while there I picked up some Texas Toast. This used to be a staple in our home. It's seriously the yummiest frozen bread there is. For the salad, I used fall mix lettuce, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, and a granny smith apple. I sauteed a Quorn chick'n cutlet with BBQ sauce and added that as well. It was topped with raspberry walnut salad dressing from my work.
Doris loved the bread. She's not a bread eater, but she loved this one. After just one bite, she laid claim to the rest of the bread on the table. "I'm going to eat it all so don't eat it, alright?" She made a sandwich of olives and bread and ate it that way. Karen snuck a piece and when I tried to, she started crying. "I'm eating that. You don't eat it!" After dinner Karen and I finished what she had left on her plate.
Doris also liked the salad. She ate everything but the lettuce and asked for more. Who doesn't like fruit for dinner, so that makes since, but it's crazy what an olive lover she is.
I forgot to add cheese. Karen has told me many times that a salad absolutely must have cheese. But this time I forgot and she didn't say anything. I may forget more often because it's healthier this way.
CSA veggies: $2
Olives: $3
Apple: 75 cents
Bread: $1.23
Total: $6.98 ($2.33 per person)
Another kitchen cleaner favorite of mine is salad for dinner. If you have the right vegetables, this is a very healthy way to clean out your fridge. I had to stop at Target on the way home from work, so while there I picked up some Texas Toast. This used to be a staple in our home. It's seriously the yummiest frozen bread there is. For the salad, I used fall mix lettuce, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, and a granny smith apple. I sauteed a Quorn chick'n cutlet with BBQ sauce and added that as well. It was topped with raspberry walnut salad dressing from my work.
Doris loved the bread. She's not a bread eater, but she loved this one. After just one bite, she laid claim to the rest of the bread on the table. "I'm going to eat it all so don't eat it, alright?" She made a sandwich of olives and bread and ate it that way. Karen snuck a piece and when I tried to, she started crying. "I'm eating that. You don't eat it!" After dinner Karen and I finished what she had left on her plate.
Doris also liked the salad. She ate everything but the lettuce and asked for more. Who doesn't like fruit for dinner, so that makes since, but it's crazy what an olive lover she is.
I forgot to add cheese. Karen has told me many times that a salad absolutely must have cheese. But this time I forgot and she didn't say anything. I may forget more often because it's healthier this way.
CSA veggies: $2
Olives: $3
Apple: 75 cents
Bread: $1.23
Total: $6.98 ($2.33 per person)
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Monday 10/24: Spaghetti
Another night with just Doris and I. We can't wait for Karen to come home tonight. Last night we had spaghetti. We had some leftover crumbles from taco night last week, which I sauteed and mixed with some jarred marinara and served it with fettuccine, topped with cheddar cheese. Doris also requested canned pumpkin after we gave some to Angel. Doris really loves that stuff. It was a tasty meal and we all loved it.
Pasta: 40 cents
Marinara: $1
Crumbles: $2
Pumpkin: 40 cents
Total: $3.80 ($1.90 per person)
With Karen it would have been a bit more - $5.30 maybe? ($1.77 per person)
Pasta: 40 cents
Marinara: $1
Crumbles: $2
Pumpkin: 40 cents
Total: $3.80 ($1.90 per person)
With Karen it would have been a bit more - $5.30 maybe? ($1.77 per person)
Monday, October 24, 2011
Sunday, 10/23: Sweet Potatoes!
Karen's traveling so it's just Doris and I for dinner. Doris had a late nap so I had the luxury of making food while she was sleeping. We got these massive sweet potatoes from our CSA. When Doris was a baby she gobbled up sweet potatoes but now they are only okay to her. I thought I would give it a try anyway. I baked one very large sweet potato in our toaster oven at 350 degrees for about an hour. It was perfect inside. When Doris woke up, I sauteed a Quorn Chick'n Cutlet in a frying pan with a bit of oil. After it turned brown, I spread on BBQ sauce on each side and let it cook a bit before serving. Last night's leftover mac & cheese and broccoli were served as side dishes.
Doris ate a lot of mac & cheese and broccoli while "helping" me cook, so she didn't eat much for dinner. I told her about how she loved sweet potatoes as a baby to get her interested in the sweet potatoes, which certainly helped a bit. I thought it was a tasty meal and easy enough to prepare.
CSA veggies: $2
cutlets: $2
BBQ: 10 cents
Total: $4.10 ($2.05 per person) *
*Would be $5.10 ($1.07 per person) if Karen were home.
Doris ate a lot of mac & cheese and broccoli while "helping" me cook, so she didn't eat much for dinner. I told her about how she loved sweet potatoes as a baby to get her interested in the sweet potatoes, which certainly helped a bit. I thought it was a tasty meal and easy enough to prepare.
CSA veggies: $2
cutlets: $2
BBQ: 10 cents
Total: $4.10 ($2.05 per person) *
*Would be $5.10 ($1.07 per person) if Karen were home.
Week 5 in Review
Sunday: Ledo's Pizza $9
Monday: Burrito Bowl $13.75
Tuesday: Burrito Bowl Redux 75 cents
Wednesday: Butternut Squash Risotto $14.50
Thursday: Leftovers $6
Friday: Cabbage Curry $10.25
Saturday: Mac & Cheese $3.60*
Total: $57.85 ($8.26 per day)
*cheapest meal of the week
Pretty good week considering some really high meals in there. I have to say I'm impressed at how cheaply we eat.
Monday: Burrito Bowl $13.75
Tuesday: Burrito Bowl Redux 75 cents
Wednesday: Butternut Squash Risotto $14.50
Thursday: Leftovers $6
Friday: Cabbage Curry $10.25
Saturday: Mac & Cheese $3.60*
Total: $57.85 ($8.26 per day)
*cheapest meal of the week
Pretty good week considering some really high meals in there. I have to say I'm impressed at how cheaply we eat.
Saturday 10/22: Babysitting
**Winner: Cheapest meal of the Week**
I was babysitting Reia and I needed an easy, kid-friendly meal, so of course I thought of Mac & Cheese - every kids favorite. I also served broccoli which we had just gotten from our CSA. Reia loved the mac & cheese and Doris was mostly too distracted to eat.
Mac & cheese: 80 cents
Milk: 50 cents
Butter: 30 cents
CSA veggies: $2
Total: $3.60 ($1.20 per person)
I was babysitting Reia and I needed an easy, kid-friendly meal, so of course I thought of Mac & Cheese - every kids favorite. I also served broccoli which we had just gotten from our CSA. Reia loved the mac & cheese and Doris was mostly too distracted to eat.
Mac & cheese: 80 cents
Milk: 50 cents
Butter: 30 cents
CSA veggies: $2
Total: $3.60 ($1.20 per person)
Friday 10/21: North Indian Spiced Cabbage
We had half a head of cabbage from our CSA. We're not big cabbage fans, so I looked for something interesting to do with it and found this recipe. It's actually a Vegetarian Times recipe, but the link from Vegetarian Times seems to be broken.
It was a pretty good recipe. I like the combination of cabbage and chick peas. We left out the fennel and used cumin seeds instead of fennel seeds because I hate fennel. It tastes like licorice. The problem was that it was bland, but that's a problem with my spices. I found that the back that I keep my garam masala was slashed which means it probably lost it's potency. Otherwise, I think it would have been very tasty. I also left out the cayenne pepper but it may have been necessary. Karen said she would have liked it with more sauce, which I think just means add some tomato.
I also made paneer jalfreezi with red pepper. I didn't have any curry sauce, so I used some Chana Masala spice mix that Leila had left. It was supposed to be mixed with tomato puree but I just used one tomato instead. It was really nice with just the right amount of wetness and seasoning. I also served rice and naan.
Karen was very impressed as what I was able to whip up after work. I was pretty impressed too. Doris loved the paneer, of course, but hated the red pepper. She assumed all of the red was pepper, though much of it was tomato. She would meticulously pick off all of the red and if a pepper got in her mouth, she would spit it out and say "Ew!"
Seasonings: 50 cents
Onion: 75 cents
CSA veggies: $2
Chick peas: $1
Paneer: $4
Naan: $1.50
Rice: 50 cents
Total: $10.25 ($3.42 per person)
Borderline high.
It was a pretty good recipe. I like the combination of cabbage and chick peas. We left out the fennel and used cumin seeds instead of fennel seeds because I hate fennel. It tastes like licorice. The problem was that it was bland, but that's a problem with my spices. I found that the back that I keep my garam masala was slashed which means it probably lost it's potency. Otherwise, I think it would have been very tasty. I also left out the cayenne pepper but it may have been necessary. Karen said she would have liked it with more sauce, which I think just means add some tomato.
I also made paneer jalfreezi with red pepper. I didn't have any curry sauce, so I used some Chana Masala spice mix that Leila had left. It was supposed to be mixed with tomato puree but I just used one tomato instead. It was really nice with just the right amount of wetness and seasoning. I also served rice and naan.
Karen was very impressed as what I was able to whip up after work. I was pretty impressed too. Doris loved the paneer, of course, but hated the red pepper. She assumed all of the red was pepper, though much of it was tomato. She would meticulously pick off all of the red and if a pepper got in her mouth, she would spit it out and say "Ew!"
Seasonings: 50 cents
Onion: 75 cents
CSA veggies: $2
Chick peas: $1
Paneer: $4
Naan: $1.50
Rice: 50 cents
Total: $10.25 ($3.42 per person)
Borderline high.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Thursday, 10/20: Leftovers
We have a lot of risotto left. I warmed up some veggie nuggets and made a salad of cucumbers and arugula. The salad had a really nice flavor.
CSA veggies: $2
veggie nuggets: $4
Total: $6 ($2 per person)
Butternut Squash Risotto
We have this problem that whenever Karen tastes someone else's butternut squash dish, she loves it. But when I make it, it's always too bland. But I keep trying. When we were in Lewes, Andrea made butternut squash risotto and Karen loved it. When I got a butternut squash from the CSA, I thought we should give it a try.
I found this recipe. I takes about an hour to make but I got home at a good time yesterday and Karen was planning to come home late, so it worked out okay. It would have worked even better if Doris hadn't had a pee accident in the middle of it.
Doris likes to try new foods while I'm cooking and last night she was really enjoying raw butternut squash. She doesn't like cook with me anymore because she's scared of the blue fire. I'm not sure what happened, but one day she just stopped and said she was scared. I hope she starts again soon because I really enjoyed that time.
I altered the recipe by using Apple Cider instead of wine because it's fall and I have a huge jug of apple cider in the fridge. And we are out of parmesan cheese so I used cheddar. The aborro rice I have had in our pantry for years so it was nice to finally use it up. And I forgot to add the chives which I actually did buy. The dish tasted great and Karen actually said she liked it, so finally, a butternut squash recipe that she likes. It makes a lot, so we are having leftovers tonight. Maybe I'll add the chives tonight.
I made fried veggies to go with it. The inspiration was the green tomato that I had, but I added eggplant and zucchini. I dipped each in egg and then bread crumbs and then fried it. The zucchini and eggplant tasted great but the tomato was soggy. I think the trick with tomatoes is to only cook for a few seconds and maybe to cut thick slices. But as a first effort at fried veggies, pretty good.
I also made Quorn veggie nuggets. All in all it was a heavy meal. When I make the leftovers tonight, just a simple salad or sauteed veggies will probably be in order.
Broth: $3
Butter: 20 cents
Onion: 75 cents
CSA veggies: $2
Rice: 75 cents*
Apple cider: 50 cents
Cheese: $1.50
Bread crumbs: 75 cents
Eggs: 75 cents
Veggie nuggets: $4
Total: $14.50 ($4.83 per person)
*Does the rice even count if I've had it for years?
Another big one. But it has leftovers, so another cheap meal tomorrow. I think it will work out okay.
I found this recipe. I takes about an hour to make but I got home at a good time yesterday and Karen was planning to come home late, so it worked out okay. It would have worked even better if Doris hadn't had a pee accident in the middle of it.
Doris likes to try new foods while I'm cooking and last night she was really enjoying raw butternut squash. She doesn't like cook with me anymore because she's scared of the blue fire. I'm not sure what happened, but one day she just stopped and said she was scared. I hope she starts again soon because I really enjoyed that time.
I altered the recipe by using Apple Cider instead of wine because it's fall and I have a huge jug of apple cider in the fridge. And we are out of parmesan cheese so I used cheddar. The aborro rice I have had in our pantry for years so it was nice to finally use it up. And I forgot to add the chives which I actually did buy. The dish tasted great and Karen actually said she liked it, so finally, a butternut squash recipe that she likes. It makes a lot, so we are having leftovers tonight. Maybe I'll add the chives tonight.
I made fried veggies to go with it. The inspiration was the green tomato that I had, but I added eggplant and zucchini. I dipped each in egg and then bread crumbs and then fried it. The zucchini and eggplant tasted great but the tomato was soggy. I think the trick with tomatoes is to only cook for a few seconds and maybe to cut thick slices. But as a first effort at fried veggies, pretty good.
I also made Quorn veggie nuggets. All in all it was a heavy meal. When I make the leftovers tonight, just a simple salad or sauteed veggies will probably be in order.
Broth: $3
Butter: 20 cents
Onion: 75 cents
CSA veggies: $2
Rice: 75 cents*
Apple cider: 50 cents
Cheese: $1.50
Bread crumbs: 75 cents
Eggs: 75 cents
Veggie nuggets: $4
Total: $14.50 ($4.83 per person)
*Does the rice even count if I've had it for years?
Another big one. But it has leftovers, so another cheap meal tomorrow. I think it will work out okay.
Tuesday, 10/18: Burrito Bowl Redux
Lots and lots of leftover burrito bowl. Worked out well because I had a 30 minute conversation with the director of Doris' daycare, so I got home late. My favorite thing to do with burrito bowl leftovers is to put them in a tortilla, cold, with some pepper sauce. I had some leftover corn and black beans which I saved for Doris. She put those in a tortilla and asked me to roll it up for her. Then she used her sweet little hands to eat her burrito. So sweet.
Tortillas: 75 cents
Total: 75 cents (25 cents per person)
Tortillas: 75 cents
Total: 75 cents (25 cents per person)
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Monday 10/17: Burrito Bowl
Karen loves the burrito bowl from Chipotle, so it's always a favorite when I make it at home. I always make a really big batch, not intentionally but because it just happens that way. It's basically a layered salad with the follow layers:
Rice
Cilantro
Onion, Green pepper, & garlic sauteed with cumin and chili powder
Black beans & corn simmered with cumin and chili powder
cheddar cheese
fresh salsa
lettuce
chopped avocado
Lime juice & pepper sauce sprinkled on top
It's a tasty dish and there is always enough for another meal. Doris liked the black beans, corn, and avocados, but left the rest. Another meal that doesn't require fake meat, so that's always nice.
Rice: 50 cents
Cilantro: $1
Onion: 50 cents
CSA veggies: $2
Black beans: 89 cents
Corn: 89 cents
Cheese: $1.50
Salsa: $2
Avocado $4
Sauces, juices, and seasonings: 50 cents
Total: $13.78 ($4.59 per person)
That's a big one. Luckily there are leftovers so tonight's meal will be free to balance it out.
Rice
Cilantro
Onion, Green pepper, & garlic sauteed with cumin and chili powder
Black beans & corn simmered with cumin and chili powder
cheddar cheese
fresh salsa
lettuce
chopped avocado
Lime juice & pepper sauce sprinkled on top
It's a tasty dish and there is always enough for another meal. Doris liked the black beans, corn, and avocados, but left the rest. Another meal that doesn't require fake meat, so that's always nice.
Rice: 50 cents
Cilantro: $1
Onion: 50 cents
CSA veggies: $2
Black beans: 89 cents
Corn: 89 cents
Cheese: $1.50
Salsa: $2
Avocado $4
Sauces, juices, and seasonings: 50 cents
Total: $13.78 ($4.59 per person)
That's a big one. Luckily there are leftovers so tonight's meal will be free to balance it out.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Sunday, 10/16: Ledo's Pizza
We had a great fall day. The weather was beautiful. Karen and Doris spent the morning at the park playing tennis but rushed back home and said "We want to go back!" Doris wanted to skate at the skate park. So we packed a picnic lunch and went back with Doris' skate board. She really wanted to skate at the park with the big kids but we convinced her to skate at the basketball court instead. Then off to Jolee's birthday party at the Little Gym followed by a quick trip to the Halloween Train at Cabin John. We had to squeeze it in where we could, so we did a late night. And we still hadn't had dinner yet.
We stopped for dinner at Ledo's Pizza. Doris usually orders from the kids menu - either cheese tortillini or mac & cheese. But this time she only wanted pizza. So we order the medium cheese pizza and ate the whole thing. What a great place to have dinner - only $9! So cheap and so tasty. Not exactly healthy... but what can you do. We all loved it. And it's such a cheap meal that it's just as cheap as eating at home.
Total: $9 ($3 each)
We stopped for dinner at Ledo's Pizza. Doris usually orders from the kids menu - either cheese tortillini or mac & cheese. But this time she only wanted pizza. So we order the medium cheese pizza and ate the whole thing. What a great place to have dinner - only $9! So cheap and so tasty. Not exactly healthy... but what can you do. We all loved it. And it's such a cheap meal that it's just as cheap as eating at home.
Total: $9 ($3 each)
Week 4 in Review
Sunday: Grandma & Grandpa's house - Free*
Monday: Soup - $4
Tuesday: Pasta - $7.77
Wednesday: Curry - $11.69
Thursday: Tacos - $12.58
Friday: Pepper Poppers - $6.50**
Sunday: Frozen Foods - $8
*but required a very expensive plane ride
**cheapest meal
Total: $50.54 ($7.22 per day)
Great week! Even with two expensive meals in there, we still came way under budget. Best week yet.
Monday: Soup - $4
Tuesday: Pasta - $7.77
Wednesday: Curry - $11.69
Thursday: Tacos - $12.58
Friday: Pepper Poppers - $6.50**
Sunday: Frozen Foods - $8
*but required a very expensive plane ride
**cheapest meal
Total: $50.54 ($7.22 per day)
Great week! Even with two expensive meals in there, we still came way under budget. Best week yet.
Saturday 10/15: Frozen Food
Karen had an all day forum so I was with Doris most of the day. She had a late nap and didn't wake up until around 4pm. It was a beautiful day so we rushed off to the playground when she woke up. The playground was packed, but slowly people started going home. Doris asked where everyone went, and I said that they probably went home for dinner. Then I asked her what she wanted for dinner and she yelled "Curry!" Of course, curry. It's always curry. The white woman pushing her daughter on the swing next to us said surprised "Curry?" but when I gave her a look, she quickly said "Oh, that sounds nice." Geez, people, don't turn my daughter into a picky eater.
So I gave Doris frozen Paneer Tikka Masala from Trader Joe's and leftover pumpkin curry. Then when Karen got home, she and I ate a frozen thin crust margarita pizza and Karen had a caramel apple. Not the best dinner ever, but it got the job done.
Tikka Masala: $4
Pizza: $3
Apple: $1
Total: $8
So I gave Doris frozen Paneer Tikka Masala from Trader Joe's and leftover pumpkin curry. Then when Karen got home, she and I ate a frozen thin crust margarita pizza and Karen had a caramel apple. Not the best dinner ever, but it got the job done.
Tikka Masala: $4
Pizza: $3
Apple: $1
Total: $8
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Pepper Poppers
**Winner: Cheapest meal of the week***
I had about 10 small orange "yummy" peppers and wasn't sure what to do with them. The farm suggested Pepper Poppers, so I gave it a try. I used Tofurkey turkey slices instead of ham because they didn't have ham at the store. Karen saw what I was making and turned up her nose. But when she tried it, she actually thought it was quite nice. Doris didn't want to try it so I gave her the tofurkey slices plain and she ate two of those.
I served it with tomato and English cucumber salad with cilantro and raspberry vinaigrette (leftovers from work) and some leftover tomato soup. Nice meal and pretty simple.
CSA veggies: $2
Cream cheese: 75 cents
Tofurkey slices: $3
Cilantro: 75 cents
Total: $6.50
I had about 10 small orange "yummy" peppers and wasn't sure what to do with them. The farm suggested Pepper Poppers, so I gave it a try. I used Tofurkey turkey slices instead of ham because they didn't have ham at the store. Karen saw what I was making and turned up her nose. But when she tried it, she actually thought it was quite nice. Doris didn't want to try it so I gave her the tofurkey slices plain and she ate two of those.
I served it with tomato and English cucumber salad with cilantro and raspberry vinaigrette (leftovers from work) and some leftover tomato soup. Nice meal and pretty simple.
CSA veggies: $2
Cream cheese: 75 cents
Tofurkey slices: $3
Cilantro: 75 cents
Total: $6.50
Friday, October 14, 2011
Taco Night
This is always a fun one. Put a bunch of bowls on the table and let everyone serve themselves. Doris keeps serving herself more and more until I tell her to stop or she licks the serving spoon clean. And of course, a big mess.
We like double decker tacos. I learned about these when I was a Taco Bell eater (and a meat eater) in college. It's a flour tortilla with refried beans spread on it and then a hard taco shell inside. Then random taco fillings inside. We used refried black beans, which are much tastier than the pinto bean kind but hard to find. I was lucky at the grocery store last night. Doris eats them by the spoonful right out of the bowl... Taco filling was burger crumbles seasoned with cumin and chili powder, organic mild sharp cheddar cheese, fresh salsa, guacamole (two avocados mashed with lime juice), and pepper sauce. Doris learned to eat a taco (tilt your head and take a bite). We've got a video of her building her taco and another of her eating it.
Shells and tortillas: $2.69
Beans: 89 cents
crumbles: $2
cheese: $1.50
salsa: $1
avocados: $4
lime juice, pepper sauce, & spices: 50 cents
Total: $12.58 ($4.19 per person)
Expensive and I blame the avocados. They are really tasty but way too much money.
We like double decker tacos. I learned about these when I was a Taco Bell eater (and a meat eater) in college. It's a flour tortilla with refried beans spread on it and then a hard taco shell inside. Then random taco fillings inside. We used refried black beans, which are much tastier than the pinto bean kind but hard to find. I was lucky at the grocery store last night. Doris eats them by the spoonful right out of the bowl... Taco filling was burger crumbles seasoned with cumin and chili powder, organic mild sharp cheddar cheese, fresh salsa, guacamole (two avocados mashed with lime juice), and pepper sauce. Doris learned to eat a taco (tilt your head and take a bite). We've got a video of her building her taco and another of her eating it.
Shells and tortillas: $2.69
Beans: 89 cents
crumbles: $2
cheese: $1.50
salsa: $1
avocados: $4
lime juice, pepper sauce, & spices: 50 cents
Total: $12.58 ($4.19 per person)
Expensive and I blame the avocados. They are really tasty but way too much money.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Paneer Jalfreezi and Pumpkin Curry
I was planning to take Doris to the grocery store but by the time we left her school, it was already 5:30. I had already asked Karen to stop in at Whole Foods for some naan since I don't think they carry that at Giant, so I just called her and added onion and cloves to the list and I had what I needed for curry dinner.
For the Paneer Jalfreezi, I went the simple route. I stir fried a block of paneer, removed it from the pan, then stir fried a very large red bell pepper. Mixed the two together and added my leftover curry sauce. This is the leftover from every other curry we eat - be it homemade, frozen, or restaurant. It is a combination of Indian and Thai curries. Every time it's different and every time it's delicious. This was one of the best. Now I'm out and it will take me a while to save up again but it's so totally worth is since the good curry sauces aren't cheap.
For the Pumpkin Curry, I used this recipe. This is very similar to the curry that Karen's mom makes. My shortcut is to use canned pumpkin, which makes this an easy after work recipe. Leila actually peels a pumpkin, which I've done before but it is no fun and takes a lot longer to prepare.
We served both with naan, no rice needed. The two dishes tasted great together and Karen said she wanted to take it for lunch - a big complement because she never takes leftovers for lunch. Doris loved it. She's started to really like food inside bread. She took her naan and loaded it up with the two curries then asked me to roll it up like a burrito and ate it like such a big girl.
I'm always happy when I make a meal that doesn't require fake meat because I feel that we rely on that too much and I'm not sure what kind of message that sends Doris. You really can eat vegetarian food, and this proves it. I just need to do it more often.
Paneer: $4
CSA veggies: $2
Pumpkin: 89 cents
Onion: 50 cents
Spices: 20 cents
Garlic: 10 cents
Naan: $4
Total: $11.69 ($3.90 per person)
A little high on the budget but such a hit, so I guess it's worth it. If we buy our naan at Trader Joe's or the Indian store, it's much cheaper.
For the Paneer Jalfreezi, I went the simple route. I stir fried a block of paneer, removed it from the pan, then stir fried a very large red bell pepper. Mixed the two together and added my leftover curry sauce. This is the leftover from every other curry we eat - be it homemade, frozen, or restaurant. It is a combination of Indian and Thai curries. Every time it's different and every time it's delicious. This was one of the best. Now I'm out and it will take me a while to save up again but it's so totally worth is since the good curry sauces aren't cheap.
For the Pumpkin Curry, I used this recipe. This is very similar to the curry that Karen's mom makes. My shortcut is to use canned pumpkin, which makes this an easy after work recipe. Leila actually peels a pumpkin, which I've done before but it is no fun and takes a lot longer to prepare.
We served both with naan, no rice needed. The two dishes tasted great together and Karen said she wanted to take it for lunch - a big complement because she never takes leftovers for lunch. Doris loved it. She's started to really like food inside bread. She took her naan and loaded it up with the two curries then asked me to roll it up like a burrito and ate it like such a big girl.
I'm always happy when I make a meal that doesn't require fake meat because I feel that we rely on that too much and I'm not sure what kind of message that sends Doris. You really can eat vegetarian food, and this proves it. I just need to do it more often.
Paneer: $4
CSA veggies: $2
Pumpkin: 89 cents
Onion: 50 cents
Spices: 20 cents
Garlic: 10 cents
Naan: $4
Total: $11.69 ($3.90 per person)
A little high on the budget but such a hit, so I guess it's worth it. If we buy our naan at Trader Joe's or the Indian store, it's much cheaper.
Tuesday, 10/11: Doris wants Pasta
I hadn't been to the grocery store, but while we were gone, Catherine & Dale brought by our CSA. So I opened it up to see what was inside and asked Doris what she wanted for dinner. Pasta she says. Okay then.
So I made fettucine with zucchini, onion, garlic, marinara, and Gardein Chick'n Strips. The gardein Chick'n strips are much more expensive than the Morningstar version, but I sent Karen to the store and this is what she came home with. It was a tasty enough meal considering I hadn't been to the store in a while.
Pasta: 50 cents
CSA veggies: $2
Garlic: 10 cents
Marinara: $1.17
Chick'n strips: $4
Total: $7.77 ($2.59 per person)
So I made fettucine with zucchini, onion, garlic, marinara, and Gardein Chick'n Strips. The gardein Chick'n strips are much more expensive than the Morningstar version, but I sent Karen to the store and this is what she came home with. It was a tasty enough meal considering I hadn't been to the store in a while.
Pasta: 50 cents
CSA veggies: $2
Garlic: 10 cents
Marinara: $1.17
Chick'n strips: $4
Total: $7.77 ($2.59 per person)
Monday 10/10: Free Soup!
We were exhausted when we got home on Monday around 2pm. After a quick lunch of veggie nuggets and fruit salad, we all took a nap. Part way into the nap there was a knock at the door. Michael had bought us some soup from Whole Foods to welcome us back. We really do have the best neighbors.
For dinner we ate the Roasted Corn & Poblano Chowder and the Tomato Bisque. Karen pulled out some frozen Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits that we had made when we had some leftover buttermilk. And then I served some spicy chick'n patties from Boca.
It was a fine meal. Not special but not bad either. Much better because it required little effort.
Spicy Chick'n Patties: $4
Total: $4 ($1.33 per person)
For dinner we ate the Roasted Corn & Poblano Chowder and the Tomato Bisque. Karen pulled out some frozen Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits that we had made when we had some leftover buttermilk. And then I served some spicy chick'n patties from Boca.
It was a fine meal. Not special but not bad either. Much better because it required little effort.
Spicy Chick'n Patties: $4
Total: $4 ($1.33 per person)
Sunda 10/9: Dinner with Grandma and Grandpa
Our world was thrown upside-down for about a week, which prompted cancelling plans and making an emergency trip to FL. Don't book tickets to FL less than a week in advance. We paid over $1300 to transfer and take little planes. Traveling to FL took us 10 hours! Things are calming down a bit which means I can get back to blogging.
Sunday's dinner was made by Grandma Leila. She's a bit of an odd cook. She's got the curries down but other meals seem to throw her for a loop. Robert wanted veggie burgers. They bought the kind of burgers we never eat - Morningstar Farms Garden Vegetable Patties. You could actually see the carrot in the patty. Then she said that she learned a trick from the woman at Publix - cook it slow with soy sauce and lemon pepper. She only have sliced processed white american cheese to top it with, and seemed to think it strange that we would want cheese on my burger. Then she wanted to mix up a concoction of mayo, mustard, and ketchup and put it on everyone bread for them. Thankfully, I stopped her before she did that, but then she didn't know what to do and wanted to squeeze ketchup on everyone's plate for them, which I also stopped her from doing. I convinced her that everyone likes to make their burger their own way. Robert bought the rolls and he is a bread lover, so they were quite fancy and delicious. But I did not enjoy the burger itself.
She also made french fries. I said that we could bake them but she said she likes them better fried. I do too, so I was happy with that. She cooked up some corn on the cob and served leftover salad.
Free (if you don't count the very expensive plane tickets)
Sunday's dinner was made by Grandma Leila. She's a bit of an odd cook. She's got the curries down but other meals seem to throw her for a loop. Robert wanted veggie burgers. They bought the kind of burgers we never eat - Morningstar Farms Garden Vegetable Patties. You could actually see the carrot in the patty. Then she said that she learned a trick from the woman at Publix - cook it slow with soy sauce and lemon pepper. She only have sliced processed white american cheese to top it with, and seemed to think it strange that we would want cheese on my burger. Then she wanted to mix up a concoction of mayo, mustard, and ketchup and put it on everyone bread for them. Thankfully, I stopped her before she did that, but then she didn't know what to do and wanted to squeeze ketchup on everyone's plate for them, which I also stopped her from doing. I convinced her that everyone likes to make their burger their own way. Robert bought the rolls and he is a bread lover, so they were quite fancy and delicious. But I did not enjoy the burger itself.
She also made french fries. I said that we could bake them but she said she likes them better fried. I do too, so I was happy with that. She cooked up some corn on the cob and served leftover salad.
Free (if you don't count the very expensive plane tickets)
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