Using up what's on hand

I think that an important part of my "no-spend month" will be taking steps to make sure I don't waste food, by using up what I have on hand. This morning was a good example. Saturday mornings are always a time for a hot family breakfast, either pancakes or waffles. Usually I make up some multi-grain waffles from a homemade mix, but this morning when I walked out into the kitchen, I said, "Those bananas need to be used up today!" Banana bread wasn't an option... we made banana bread last week and it got moldy before we ate it all. I should have put half of it right into the freezer! So, this morning's hearty family breakfast was Banana Waffles. Here's the recipe:

Banana Pancakes/Waffles
2 ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp oil
1 egg
1/2 c oatmeal
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c milk
Mix banana, vanilla, oil and egg. Add salt, baking soda, baking powder and brown sugar. Mix well. Add flour and oatmeal, then gradually add milk and mix until well-combined. Cook on hot griddle or waffle iron. Serves 2.

I made a double recipe, and with three people eating, we had two waffles left over. They went into the freezer for reheating for breakfast later this week. If you really like the flavor of banana & nuts, you could add a quarter cup or so of chopped walnuts or pecans to this recipe to make them even more special.

The rest of the day has been devoted to using up produce that needed to be canned.

Ron picked me more green beans to can

I picked a basket of rhubarb to be canned.

So far today, I've canned chunky ketchup & tomatoes, and  peach syrup. Green beans and rhubarb should be done by bedtime, too. Sometimes stuff coming in from the garden can get overwhelming, so I need to stay on top of things so all Ron's hard work in the garden isn't wasted.

Oh, look at the nice surprise I got via Fed-Ex this morning: some goodies for submitting a recipe to the Frito-Lay "Tastes from Home" contest: 

The shiny metal object on the right is a cool recipe/picture holder. You slide the paper under a metal marble and then let the marble fall down, and it holds the paper very securely. Since Ron & Bethany were eager to try out the new flavor of chips, I changed today's lunch menu to hot dogs, baked beans and chips. We all loved this new flavor (I only sampled a few because I'm really trying to stick to my fruit & vegetable fast. I figured potatoes are a vegetable, so I could have just a little taste!)

Getting better at this "no-spend" stuff

Today I needed to get to my bank to get some papers notarized (the winner's affidavit for my trip to Texas in a few weeks), so as long as I was out and about, I ran in to the store to get milk. That was the only thing that I knew we needed. As I was driving to the store, I remembered something: Fresh Express salad was on sale this week, Buy One, Get One Free, and I had a free coupon. Hmmm... maybe we needed some free lettuce, too. When I got to the store, I pulled out the coupon and gathered up the empty pop bottles in my trunk to return them for the deposit. I also had to return a bottle of juice that somebody had opened, took a good swig from, and put back on the shelf... gross. When all was said and done, I ended up getting $5.24 back in change from buying a gallon of milk and two bags of salad. So, now I'm at $6.26 spent on groceries so far this month.

I tried a new recipe tonight. When I was looking around the Sabra website, I saw a recipe for a salad dressing made from hummus. That really took me back... about 25 years. When I worked out by Eastern Hills Mall, there was a restaurant in the mall (I think it was inside AM&A's) called "The Juicery." I know they made a salad or sandwich that I loved with lots of veggies and a hummus-based dressing. This recipe sounded like it might be a match, and, believe it or not, I had almost all the ingredients on hand... even toasted sesame oil! Well, I didn't have the rice vinegar, so I substituted red wine vinegar. It was a little too thick to pour, so I added a tablespoon or two of water. It was absolutely delicious... I gave Bethany a slice of cucumber with the dressing on, so she could try it. She isn't a big fan of hummus, but she liked it. Ron decided that it tasted great on crackers... so Candy and Bethany tried that, too, and agreed. I love it when a recipe's a hit!

No-Spend Month Begins… with shopping?

Well, it’s September and I’m off and running with my “no-spend month.” I have been questioning the sanity of  taking on two major projects at once: keeping my grocery spending to $200 this month, and doing a fruit & vegetable fast for health purposes. So far, I’ve done two days of my fast, and I’m going through fruits and vegetables at a pretty good pace. It used to take us a month to finish off a bunch of celery. I’m on my third bunch this week. I’m going through more carrots than Bugs Bunny. The kale in the garden is looking pretty picked-over… but, I’m down five pounds and feeling a lot better physically and mentally, so I’ll keep on going.

Today I finally managed to get out to buy more produce. I didn’t have a car for two days while my husband’s truck was in the shop, so the purchases I had  hoped to put on the August spreadsheet got moved to September. I stopped at a farmer’s market and picked up loads of carrots (6 pounds), two bunches of celery and a five-pound basket of apples. If I had gone to the grocery store for all that, I think it would have run about $20, but it only came to $11.50.

For the family dinner tonight, I used some leftover roast chicken to make chicken souvlaki. I made up some homemade sub rolls from one of our favorite bread recipes (nicknamed "Awesome Bread"), and let the family decide how they wanted to eat it. My husband made a chicken souvlaki sub, putting his chicken, lettuce, tomato and black olives into the sub roll and pouring the Greek dressing over the filling. Bethany and Candy (home from med school for a surprise 2-day visit)  made themselves chicken souvlaki salads and used the bread to sop up the extra dressing. I sipped my Carrot/Apple/Celery/Kale juice and reminded myself of the 5 pounds I’ve lost so far. That gave me strength to stay on track.

I got exciting news today. LOL, even though I’m doing a “no-spend month”, I will be taking a all-expense paid trip to Texas! The recipe I posted a few weeks ago for Greek Lamb Burgers was a finalist in the Frito-Lay “Tastes from Home” contest, and I ended up getting the most votes. I don’t know all the details yet, like when I leave, but on September 15^th, the Frito-Lay blog will have a live streaming video of Frito-Lay executive chef Stephen Kalil preparing my recipe, and I get to have a cameo appearance in the video. I’m so excited! I’ve never been to Texas. I wish I could take Ron or Bethany with me, but it’s a trip for one. I will take loads and loads of pictures, and blog about the trip!

I also had a bit of a challenge tonight… Ron came home from work yesterday and said that he needed to bring in a birthday cake for work on Friday. It needed to be dairy-free and nut-free, due to some food allergies in the office. I did some internet searches, and now I’m being tortured by the smell of a dairy-free chocolate cake just about ready to come out of the oven. I found a recipe for a dairy-free frosting, too, and Ron came up with the idea to drizzle some raspberry jam over the top to make it look fancy.

Last year, my family had lunch at a bakery/cafe and got a loaf of their bread to go with our salad. The four of us polished off the whole loaf in one sitting (it was a small loaf), while exclaiming, "This bread is awesome!" When we got home, I tried to duplicate the chewy, seeded texture of the bread. This came pretty close, so my family dubbed it "Awesome Bread." Here's the recipe: 

Awesome Bread

2 c boiling water

½ c steel-cut oats

½ c oatmeal

½  c honey

2 ½ tsp yeast

1 ½ c whole wheat flour

¼ c gluten

½ c flaxseed, ground

2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp oil

1 Tbsp sunflower seeds

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

All-Purpose Flour to make soft dough (about 2 cups)
extra sesame seeds and poppy seeds to sprinkle on loaves

Pour boiling water over oats & oatmeal. Add honey and stir. When mixture cools to lukewarm, add yeast and let stand 5 minutes. Add whole wheat flour, gluten & flaxseed. Mix in sunflower seeds & sesame seeds, with enough flour to make a soft dough. Let rise 45-60 minutes. Shape into two long loaves. Sprinkle with sesame seeds & poppy seeds. Let rise 45-60 minutes. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes. 

Gearing up for my September No-Spend Month

Wow, it’s August 30^th already. It’s almost time for me to start my “No-Spend” month, so I did some inventory & planning. I went through the freezer to see what sort of meat I had on hand, and made up a list of possible meals. I should be able to go without purchasing any additional meat in September, since there’s enough meat for 30 meals, and plenty of variety. I’ll put my list out here… maybe it will help somebody plan their meals, too!

Chicken Breast:

• Grilled Chicken salads
• Chicken Teriyaki subs
• Chicken & Veggie Stir-Fry
• Sweet & Sour Chicken
• Chicken & Kale Soup

Chicken Pieces:

• Grilled Chicken
• Baked Chicken
• Chicken Teriyaki
• Sticky Crockpot Chicken
• BBQ Chicken
• Chicken & Kluski

Pork Chops

• Herbed Pork Chops
• Fruity Chili Pork Chops
• Pork Chops with Sauerkraut

Pork Ribs

• BBQ Pork Ribs

Sirloin Strips / Boneless Round Steak

• Fajitas
• Spiedies
• Beef Stroganoff
• Beef & Broccoli
• BBQ Beef Sandwiches

Lamb Chops

• Herbed Lamb Chops
• Grilled Lamb Chops

Italian Sausage

• Pizza
• Lasagna
• Italian Sausage Subs

Lamb Stew Meat

• Lamb Stew
• Souvlaki
• Grilled Lamb

Beef Stew meat

• Beef Stew
• Spiedies

Ground Beef

• Tacos
• Meatloaf
• Hamburg Gravy
• Tomato Pie

Shrimp

• Shrimp Scampi
• Peel & Eat Shrimp

Chuck Roast

• 3-envelope pot roast

Meatballs

• Spaghetti & meatballs
• Meatball bombers

Canadian Bacon:

• Hawaiian Pizza

Meatless:

• Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup

I think I’m ready to give this a go. 

Ah, Success... Gluten-Free Bread Recipe

I did some more experimenting with gluten-free baking over the weekend. I had a recipe that only called for one type of flour (brown rice flour) With my experience with gluten-free baking so far, I think that putting too much brown rice flour into a recipe makes for a finished product with a gritty texture. So, I pulled out all my gluten-free flours from my "stash" and scribbled down quantities as I put the recipe together.

Gluten-Free Bread
½ c brown rice flour

½ c white rice flour

½ c sorghum flour

1 c tapioca flour

2/3 c cornstarch

2/3 c dry milk powder

1 Tbsp xanthan gum

1 tsp salt

1 pkg yeast (2 ¼ tsp)

2 Tbsp oil

2 eggs

1 ¾ c warm water

Mix all dry ingredients (flours, cornstarch, dry milk, xanthan gum, salt, yeast) and mix until well blended. Add oil, eggs, and water, and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes. Spread in large loaf pan, smoothing top as much as possible (dipping your spatula into water helps to keep it from sticking as you smooth the dough). Let rise in a warm place for 50-60 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. For cinnamon-raisin bread, add 1 Tbsp cinnamon and a handful or two of raisins to the recipe, cinnamon with the dry ingredients, and the raisins mid-way through the 5-minutes of mixing.

The original recipe called for a 9x5 loaf pan. The first time I made this, I divided the dough in half, making two small loaves in my 8x4 loaf pans (one plain, one cinnamon-raisin). The next time, I think I’ll make it in my long, narrow loaf pan (12 x 4). If in doubt about cooking time for different pan sizes, you can always use a thermometer to check the temperature of the loaf. If the temperature in the center of the loaf is 190 degrees, it’s done.

I think it turned out to be the best gluten-free bread I've made so far. I'm thinking of trying it again later this week in my sub-roll pan... to make a long, thin loaf with an extra-crispy crust! 

The Return of the "No-Spend Month"

A few years ago, I tried a "No Spend Month". I know it was in February, not sure what year. LOL, if I was going to pick a month to keep my spending to bare bones, I was going to pick the shortest month of the year! I think it was right after helping both girls with college tuition. Money was tight, and I wanted to see if I could go one month with no unnecessary spending... now I think it's time to do it again.

Back in my first no-spend month, I made a goal to keep my grocery spending to under $200 for the whole month. That way, I could get the basics, like milk, eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables each week, but live off the stockpiles in the house for canned goods, cereal, snacks and meat. I made a rule that we could only eat out if I had a gift card to cover it. Bills like utilities and gas for the car weren't included in the $200 spending limit. Good thing - with today's gasoline prices, that can add up to $200 a month all by itself!

So, here we go again. I am going to work on keeping my grocery spending during September under $200. I'm starting to plan and set some ground rules for myself:

I need to look into what I have on hand, and make plans on how to use it. So often, I'll buy meat with the "use today or freeze" sticker, and toss it in the freezer. I lose track of what's in there. I need to make up a list of what meats I have available, and plan meals to use up what I have on hand. I have several packages of sirloin strips. I can make beef and broccoli, or marinate the meat to make spiedies. I could sauté some peppers and onions and make fajitas. There's a package of Italian Sausage - I could make pizza, Italian Sausage subs, or lasagna. Before the end of August, I'll make a list of all the packages of meat in the freezer, and make up a list of possible meals. It will take a while, but it will make meal-planning much easier for the month.

The cereal / tea section of the pantry

I think we have enough cereal to make it through a month... about 15 boxes. And my auto-ship orders of tea from Amazon have just arrived, so we're all stocked up on our favorite flavors of tea. Ron's favorite is pumpkin spice:










I actually have three favorites: Decaf chocolate hazelnut, cocoa chai and vanilla chai:
I get 6 boxes of each variety every six months from Amazon via an auto-ship order. It works out perfectly for the amount of tea we go through, and if I'm running low, I can speed up the shipping date. If you click on any of the tea boxes, it will take you to the Amazon website, where you can get any of these delicious teas for a great price!

I need to make a distinction between "necessity" and "extra." I need to be out of an item, with no substitutes, for it to be a necessity. The last time we did a no-spend month, we ran out of ice cream. We had a substitute--making it ourselves--so that wasn't a necessity. Bethany and I had a great time making homemade ice cream. This time, I might try making my own yogurt, too. I have a dehydrator with an adjustable temperature setting, so I've always wanted to try that. I'm sure I can find instructions online. There are items where it's hard to decide where it's a necessity... every weekday, Ron takes a Nature Valley Almond Crunch granola bar to work. If we ran out of those bars (a bit unlikely, since there are at least 6 boxes with 6 bars each in the pantry), I suppose he could have some other granola bar in his lunch... By the end of the month, there probably won't be much of a selection of cereal left. The temptation will be to say that it's "necessary" to buy a box of Raisin Bran so Ron isn't stuck eating Apple Jacks. I suppose I have the option of making some homemade granola... if I'm not out of oatmeal!

We can fill up a basket like this once a week or so.

Butternut squash, lettuce & kale

One good thing is that the garden is in full swing right now. We're getting plenty of green beans, lettuce and kale. Soon, the butternut squash will be ready to pick. The freezer is well stocked, and my years of canning have us well stocked with canned fruits and vegetables, soup ingredients, jams and syrups.

Ron getting beans for dinner

Another item on my to-do list in preparing for the no­­-spend month was to check out "hidden assets". I went through my online programs like mypoints, ncponline, and bing to see if I could come up with some gift cards to give us a chance to eat out during the no-spend month. I ended up getting a nice surprise: I had enough points at mypoints to get a $50 walmart gift card. I had enough of a bonus saved up at discover card to get a restaurant gift card, and pay my next statement. I found a new site for racking up some points for rewards: www.dailyfeats.com. Every day,I check in to say that I have completed tasks like flossing my teeth, going for a walk, hugging somebody, reading a book, eating leafy greens or taking a nap! It takes a few minutes a day, and I figure every couple of months, I'll have enough points for a $10 gift card. Maybe more once I get past canning season and have more time for healthy habits like exercising consistently again.

I think that focusing on a no-spend month will be good for me. I've been struggling with self-discipline lately. I have gained back some of the weight that I lost last year, and my choice of clothes that fit is very limited. I have two options: get back to healthy eating and exercise, so that I lose some weight and fit back into my wardrobe again, or waste a lot of time and money getting a new, larger wardrobe. The former option is the only one that fits into the no-spend month philosophy, and I think with less junk food coming into the house, it will be easier to stay on track. I think that having a successful month of sticking to my no-spend goals will also help me to feel better about my self-discipline, and keep me moving in the right direction even when the no-spend month is over.

Family Favorite Recipe: Greek Lamb Burgers

Frito-Lay has a new line of chips representing different parts of the country.

These chips were inspired by popular American regional cuisine and include:

1.       Northeastern U.S.  -  Lay’s Honey Mustard

2.       Midwestern U.S - Lay’s Creamy Garden Ranch

3.       Northwestern U.S - Lay’s Balsamic Sweet Onion

4.       Southwestern U.S - Lay’s Chipotle Ranch

5.       Southeastern U.S - Lay’s Cajun Herb & Spice

·All of the Lay's Regional Flavored potato chips are made with all natural ingredients and cooked in healthier oils, like corn and sunflower oils, which contain 80% or more of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat - the "good fats." They also contain 0 grams of trans fats per serving!

·There’s also less sodium in them than you might think  -  a 1-oz serving of our Lay’s Regional Flavored potato chips contains less salt than a plain bagel!

I guess I must be a Northern Girl through and through… the two flavors that sound the best to me are the Honey Mustard version (Northeastern) and the Balsamic Sweet Onion (Northwest). I can’t wait to try them.

To help spread the word about their new line of chips, Frito-Lay contracted some bloggers and asked them to share a recipe that offers a “Taste of Home” – some food that is popular in my part of the country. That got me leafing through my collection of recipes, trying to come up with something that says “ Western New York .”

When you think of food from the Buffalo, NY area, the first thing that probably comes to mind is chicken wings. Sorry, no recipe for that in my files. I do very little deep-frying, and my family isn’t into hot & spicy foods.

The next thing I thought of was “Beef on Weck” – Roast Beef on a salt-topped bun with Weber’s horseradish. Hmm… not much of a recipe: warm up some deli roast beef in au jus, toss it on a store-bought bun with some store-bought sauce.

When I was planning meals for this week, I thought of the perfect recipe: my Greek Lamb Burgers. There are some really good Greek restaurants in the Buffalo area, so I developed a liking for souvlaki, Gyros, and marinated lamb. Eating out can get expensive, so I started looking around for a good souvlaki recipe. It took a while, but eventually a friend gave a recipe that a friend had given her.

Several years ago, I started buying a lamb from the 4H auction at the county fair. I found myself with lots of ground lamb, and no recipes to use it up, so I tried making lamb burgers. My first few tries didn’t go over very well… it needed something. Eventually, I used my souvlaki recipe as a framework and developed this recipe for Greek Burgers. They have really become a family favorite!

Lamb Burgers

1 lb ground lamb

¼ c finely chopped onion

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 c feta cheese, grated or crumbled fine

lettuce

tomato

Greek salad dressing

Combine lamb, onion, oregano, salt, and garlic powder. Fry or grill until no longer pink, about 5 minutes on each side. Melt feta cheese over top of burger. Serve on bun with lettuce, tomato, and Greek salad dressing. Makes 4 burgers.

Greek Dressing

1/2 c olive oil

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp garlic flakes

1/2 tsp onion flakes

Combine all ingredients. Let stand 5-10 minutes for flavors to blend before serving.

Giveaway

Frito-Lay is sending me a surprise package with some of their new Regional Flavor Chips, and they’re giving me the chance to host a fun giveaway. To enter, leave a comment below, letting me know which of the new Regional Flavors you’d most like to try. I will pick one lucky winner to get a variety pack of the new Frito-Lay Regional Flavors. Giveaway ends Friday, September 2nd at 11:59 PM. Winner will be drawn at random.