Do people really spend this much at the Grocery Store?

Somebody needs to teach the government how to shop. This is what the government thinks people need to spend on groceries per week, Anyone else think this is way out of wack and very high. I calculated the weekly cost for groceries for our family of 4 according to this-- the Liberal plan came to $312 per week, Thrifty plan $159 per week. Even before my adventure in couponing which I started this week I could do better than this and we eat very well lots of fresh produce and lean meat. Granted I cook a lot from scratch but even so. Sheesh

My Menu Plan for Dinners this Week

Ground Beef Stroganoff & Egg Noodles Peas

Lime Sauced Chicken & Caesar Salad Ranch Potatoes

Chiles Rellenos Quiche Cantaloupe

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Black Beans Yellow Rice

Ravioli Florentine Garlic Toast

Chicken Cobbler Pear Gorgonzola Salad

Mexican Roll-ups Strawberries Chips & Salsa

I Spent $87 at the Grocery store and saved $43 with sales and coupons this week. Without the sales and coupons my bill would have been $130. This was a full weeks worth of groceries for a family of 4 (15yrs and up). It included staples that were not on sale. There were only 2 non grocery items and they were dental floss and listerine. This did not include any paper products,cleaning products or personal products other than the listerine and dental floss. I bought one item off the list cause the meat guy showed me that corned beef was on sale for $1.99 a pound and that was an awesome price and my Husband loves corned beef and I usually only fix it in March - go figure. I will have to figure a corn beef dinner in next weeks meal plan.

Anyway it is hard to do a complete comparison as i had meat in my freezer from previous sales and I have most staples on hand. I have been spending around $150 for just groceries per week but that is what the Thrifty Gov't plan is suppose to be. I know people that feed their families very healthfully for much less. My personal goal is going to be to stay under $100 per week for our family of four which includes a twenty something and a teenage boy. However I know other families that do way better than this. Just a challenge to me and I love to cook.
How is your grocery budget? What do you spend?Here is another interesting link It is the Government Thrift Menu Plans along with recipesIt is interesting

Perfect Low Calorie High Fiber White Bread from your Bread Maker, 2 Points Plus per serving

The Most Perfect Low Calorie, High Fiber White Bread made totally in the bread maker.
I have been searching and experimenting to make a quality Light, Lower Calorie, High Fiber Bread at home and I have finally done it.
Only 2 weight watcher points plus per 1 ounce serving! Awesome.

Sorry two slices eaten before I took the picture!

The Recipe: 

(you need a digital food scale for this recipe- accurate weighing is key)

Hi Fiber Basic White Bread  from your Bread Machine

(2 Points Plus per 1 oz serving on weight watchers' new points plan)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recipe By: Deana

Serving Size: 20

You can buy Hi-Maize Corn Fiber From King Arthur Flour

Click here for Super Health benefits of Hi-Maize Fiber  

Ingredients:

9 ounces water

10.5 ounces bread flour

3.3 ounces hi-maize corn fiber

2 teaspoon vital wheat gluten

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons dry milk

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 Tablespoons butter

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast Or instant yeast (bread machine yeast)

Directions:

Directions

In the Bread Maker:

Put water in bread machine.

Mix all dry ingredients (except yeast) then pour gently on top of water

Push butter pieces into flour around the sides. 

Make a little well in the flour to put yeast. 

Don't let yeast touch liquid ingredients.

Start Bread machine on Basic setting

When your Bread Machine is finished baking, enjoy the most Beautiful Perfect Soft Fluffy Healthy Low calorie High Fiber Bread from your Bread Machine that you have ever had.

Notes:

1/9/20 accidently made I think with 3.45 ounces hi maize corn fiber- Soft yummy maybe slightly lower rise?

Nutritional Information:

2 points plus per 1 ounce slice. 

Most of my cut slices actually weigh .75  ounce so two slices comes to 1.5 ounces total for 3 points plus for two of my cut slices- the same new points value of the light loaves in the grocery store)

Servings: 20 

Serving size 1 ounce

Amount Per Serving 

Calories: 82

Total Fat: 1.26g

Cholesterol: 3mg

Sodium: 178mg

Total Carbs: 17.35g

    Dietary Fiber: 3.23g

    Sugars: 2.21g

Protein: 2.47g

Health Benefits

Austin's Italian Chicken Pasta Bake -Kid Friendly and Weight Watchers Friendly

 Austin's Italian Chicken Pasta Bake 8pts
This is a great dish for  kids, but also adults who want to serve something kid friendly but have something they can also enjoy while on Weight Watchers or another healthy eating plan.

I created this dish for my 13 year old.  Austin requested a baked pasta dish with chicken and spaghetti sauce, similar to the baked chicken pasta at Pizza Hut, but in a red sauce not white. I didn't have any spaghetti sauce on hand but had canned tomato products in the pantry so I created this quickie spaghetti sauce. I divided the 13 X 9 inch pan into 6 servings for 8WWpts. These were really good size servings but you could have divided the dish into 8 servings and still had a nice size serving for 6 WW pts

Austin's Italian Chicken Pasta Bake 8pts
INGREDIENTS
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
14.5 oz. diced canned toamtoes, (1 can undrained)
8 ounces tomato sauce, (1 sm. can)
6 ounces tomato paste, (1 sm. can)
1 cup water
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoons dried basil
1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut in about 1 inch pieces
1 Tablespoon canola oil
8 oz penne pasta, dry, cook according to package directions
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, part skim milk
METHOD
Spray bottom of Large sauce pan with cooking spray and saute onions and peppers till soft. Add to pan diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, oregano, basil, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Can also add a little garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Meanwhile bring cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. Heat a medium skillet with oil. Cook chicken pieces in oil to lightly brown and cooked through. Preheat oven to 350. Combine cooked chicken, the cooked drained pasta sauce with the tomato sauce you have simmering on the stove. Spray a 13" X 9" baking dish with cooking spray. Fill casserole with your chicken pasta and sauce mixture. Heat 10 minutes in preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and continue cooking till cheese is melted and everything is hot and bubbly about another 10 minutes. Serve hot with garlic bread and a salad or green beans.

NUTRITION FACTS

Servings: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 394
Total Fat: 9.27g
Cholesterol: 59mg
Sodium: 752mg
Total Carbs: 43.92g
    Dietary Fiber: 4.69g
    Sugars: 9.89g
Protein: 32.64g
Rating

Source: Deana Course: Main
(6 servings)

My Easter Cake Masterpiece

I made and decorated this cake all by myself from Scratch- I think it turned out awesome! Not bad for a beginner- I have only taken one Wilton decorating course. :-)
This is a Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese frosting.



Carrot Cake

INGREDIENTS
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup water
1 lb. carrots (8 to 10 medium carrots), peeled and shredded on a box grater or in a food processor (about 2 3/4 cups)

METHOD
DIRECTIONS
(Notes: For Easter I used my Cross pan - I used no nuts in the recipe because i have a picky 13 year old. I baked the cake in my Convection oven at 325 for 60 minutes. Once the cake was out I did not cut it or layer it)
Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper, and butter parchment. Dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.
Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat 3 minutes. Add vanilla, water, and carrots. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture, then finely chopped pecans.
Scrape batter into prepared pans, dividing evenly. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen, and turn out cakes onto rack. Turn right side up, and let cool completely.
Using a serrated knife, trim rounded top of 2 cakes. Place one trimmed cake, cut side up, on a serving platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over cake. Top with second trimmed cake, cut side down. Spread 1 cup frosting over cake. Top with remaining cake. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides. Gently press coarsely chopped pecans onto sides of cake. Refrigerate 1 hour (or up to 1 day, covered) before serving.
First published

Source: Martha Stewart Modified by me


Cream Cheese Icing
(Notes: You won't use all the Icing.)
INGREDIENTS
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
8 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (about 2 lbs.)
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
METHOD
In medium mixer bowl, cream butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add sugar one cup at a time and milk. Mix well. Beat on high until smooth (only 30 seconds to 1 minute). Thin to ice cake smooth; use full strength for piping borders.

Do not use light cream cheese or butter substitute. If margarine is used, icing will be softer.

Source: Wilton
(About 5 1/2 cups of icing.)

Deana's Recipe Collection now with WW points: formatted for MacGourmet

Presenting My New and Improved Online Recipe Collection

Deana's Recipe Collection

I am updating many of my tried and true recipes with nutrition info and WW points.
New Category which will be updated daily as my diet progresses Nutrition Calculated Recipes

The program that I use is MacGourmet and it lets me publish my recipe collection online. If you have MacGourmet recipe program, then at the bottom of each recipe you can drag the icon directly into your program to input the recipe into your MacGourmet program. However copy and pasting still works for other programs.

Hi friends (Waving at you )
I know many of you are watching your weight or are doing Weight Watchers like me- Well I love to cook and to create my own recipes, so that leaves me with the daunting task of figuring out what WW points my recipes have and taking the time to nutrition analyze them. That is what I am slowly trying to do now.

Many of my tried and true recipes have Weight Watcher's points calculated and some have nutrition info but it is haphazard. I have just started going back to Weight Watchers and I have a new nutrition analyzer on my MacGourmet program that I am using to calculate the nutrition and WW points for many of my tried and true recipes. I am also tweaking my recipes to be healthier. As I try the recipes and calculate the new nutrition and WW points (cause every little change or brand of ingredient changes that) I am adding them to a new folder that I added in the contents called "Nutrition Calculated Recipes"- I know real original. When brands are important to the nutrtion info I have treid to list the specific brand. Sometimes it doesn't matter though. Eventually this file should grow daily as each day I'll be adding to the file.

Also note this is a recipe collection -- Yes I have snagged recipes from all over the internet from individuals and commercial sites- In most cases I have tried to document the original source but also most of the recipes I have tweaked or modified in some way to accommodate my family's likes and specific ingredients that I buy. My understanding is that recipe collections don't exactly follow standard copyright laws and as long as I don't copy any thing in it's entirety or verbatim then it is ok to have in my personal collection. I have not stolen or plagiarized for profit or with any malintent so I think I am ok -- if you know otherwise let me know.

Also please comment or contact me if you want to share any recipes, have any ideas or like any of my recipes. Comment here on the post or email me at deenyflowers@gmail.com.

And please share your favorite or special Weight Watcher's recipes that you have with points.
I love to try new recipes. Any Easter recipes? I think I am going to make leg of lamb for Easter- hopefully I can make that Weight Watcher friendly.

Beer Can Chicken: a How To Pictorial

Beer Can Chicken: a How To Pictorial

Beer Can Chicken: Great On the Grill
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recipe By: From author Steven Raichlen ( modified a little by me)
Serving Size: 6

Notes:

Special Equipment: 1 1/2 cups mesquite chips, soaked in cold water to cover for 1 hour and drained


Ingredients:

1 large whole chicken (4 to 5 pounds)
3 tablespoons Basic Rub for Barbecue or your favorite dry barbecue rub
(all Purpose BBQ Rub Recipe at Bottom)
1 can (12 ounces) beer

Directions:

1. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body cavities of the chicken. Remove the package of giblets, and set aside for another use. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water. then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the rub inside the body and neck cavities, then rub another 1 tablespoon all over the skin of the bird. If you wish, rub another 1/2 tablespoon of the mixture between the flesh and skin. Cover and refrigerate the chicken while you preheat the grill.
(The All-Purpose BBQ Rub- Recipe is at the bottom of this post)
(When I make Beer Can Chicken I usually do two at a time)

2. Set up the grill for indirect grilling, placing a drip pan in the center. If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to medium. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat the grill to high; then, when smoke appears, lower the heat to medium.
(On my grill I place the coals on the right side and place a drip pan , if I am using one, on the left side of my grill for indirect grilling. Use the method that works for your size and shape grill. On my grill I mound about 45 coals in a pyramid and light. Once the fire has died down and the coals are all grey, I spread them out on the right side of my grill and put the iron grill grates on. Today I am not using the soaked wood chips because I do not have any. If I was using them I would put a few on top of the hot coals. I am not using the side smoker box today.)


3. Pop the tab on the beer can. Using a "church key"-style can opener , make 3 or 4 holes in the top of the can. Pour out the top inch or a bit more of beer, then spoon the remaining dry rub through the holes into the beer. Holding the chicken upright, with the opening of the body cavity down, insert the beer can into the cavity.


(Now you can Just put the beer can in the butt cavity of the chicken [sometimes this recipe is called Beer Butt Chicken] and stand the chicken tripod style up and that will work, but I have these nifty holders just made for beer can chicken. I got them at target in the BBQ seasonal section. They make the chicken more stable in my opinion but they are not necessary.)
(Another step I do is to place a quartered or halved onion in the neck cavity and pull the chicken skin over and use a skewer to secure everything.)
4. When ready to cook, if using charcoal, toss half the wood chips on the coals. Oil grill grate. Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan. Spread out the legs to form a sort of tripod, to support the bird.

5. Cover the grill and cook the chicken, until fall-off-the-bone tender, 2 hours. If using charcoal, add 10 to 12 fresh coals per side and the remaining chips after 1 hour.

6. Using tongs, lift the bird to a cutting board or platter, holding a large metal spatula underneath the beer can for support. (Have the board or platter right next to the bird to make the move shorter. Be careful not to spill hot beer on yourself.) Let stand for 5 minutes before carving the meat off the upright carcass. (Toss the beer can out along with the carcass).


I served these with Grilled Criss Cross Potatoes
and Corn On the Cob



All-purpose Barbecue Rub Recipe
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recipe By: From Beer-Can Chicken by Steven Raichlen (Workman Publishing)
Yield: Yield: about 3/4 cup

Summary:

This barbecue rub may be used on poultry, pork, seafood, and all varieties of meat. You can vary the heat level by using hot paprika instead of sweet. Try it with the interesting Beer-Can Chicken recipe.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sweet paprika
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Put the salt, brown sugar, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl and stir to mix.
Store the rub in an airtight jar away from heat and light; it will keep for at least 6 months.

Notes:

Excellent with Beer-Can Chicken

White Rice Vs Brown Rice

White Rice vs. Brown Rice

OK everyone says how much better brown rice is, and for probably the past 5 years I have been making just brown rice.

However, I compared packages of white to brown, and from a vitamin standpoint the white was better. The brown and white rice had the same grams of protein and iron, but the white rice had more added B vitamins. The only advantage to the brown i saw was that it had more fiber, but really not a whole lot more. It only had 1 gram per serving. Now I can add veggies and beans to up fiber content in the white.

The white rice was more than 50% cheaper than the brown.
Second brown rice goes rancid relatively fast and I have to keep it in the fridge or freezer for freshness which takes up room. Not good for long term or emergency storage.

Now yes (at least I think - I would have to fact check) white rice by itself metabolizes faster in the blood stream and causes blood sugar to rise faster but when mixed with other protein or high fiber foods that slows it down.

Anyone else have any thoughts? I can buy a 5 pound bag of white rice for the price of a 2 pound bag of brown and the rest of the family likes it better. (However they do like my brown rice too because I can make it extremely yummy but it is chewier.)

So anyone know of any other reasons brown rice is suppose to be better? Just looking for some added input.

Today's Bread

This is the bread I made today. I used my Kitchen aid for the loaves and my bread maker to make the roll dough. Nope it isn't 100% Sourdough Whole Wheat. They are both made with a ratio about 1/3 whole wheat and 2/3rds white flour. I like this ratio for bread. They rise well and are light, and the family likes them.

Recipes: Family Bread

Buttery Bread Machine Rolls

Bread and Rolls before baking. Final Rise.

Is Velveeta Nutritious? Why Yes It Is! Velveeta Is Yummy and Good For You Too.

Is Velveeta Nutritious? Why Yes It Is!

First off lets get one thing straight, Velveeta is real cheese. Every kind of cheese is a processed milk product. Some cheese is just more processed than others. Does that necessarily make it bad? I don''t think so. What makes Velveeta different from cheddar? Regular cheese is made by introducing bacteria into milk, then letting the milk solids curdle. The solid curds are kept to make the cheese and the liquid that is left over is called whey. Whey contains a lot of nutrients but is discarded when making other cheese. In 1928 (yes Velveeta has been around that long) Kraft found a way to put the whey back into the cheese keeping all the extra nutrition from the whey that would otherwise be thrown away. They called this cheese Velveeta. It was created to be a more nutritious cheese. You didn't know that did you?

Compare One Ounce Velveeta to One Ounce Cheddar

Velveeta has less calories
less overall fat
less Saturated fat
lower cholesterol
(Ok a lot more sodium)
(Some carbohydrate)
Velveeta is a good source of protein and calcium.

Did you also know that Velveeta is healthy and good for you because it's CLA concentrations are higher than cheddar.

Grassfarming and Your Health News
Some types of cheese have more CLA than others

The way that cheese is made influences its CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) content. In general, the longer cheese is aged, the lower the CLA. Thus, hard cheeses such as Parmesan and Romano tend to have less CLA than softer cheeses such as cream cheese, cottage cheese, feta, farmer's cheese, ricotta, and Brie. In addition, cheese that is aged through "bacterial surface ripening" (Brick and Muenster) has more CLA than cheese that does not go through this process. Finally, a serving of high-fat cheese will have more CLA than a similar serving of low-fat cheese. (The CLA is measured in terms of grams of CLA per gram of total fat; the more total grams of fat in a serving of cheese, the more CLA it will have Reduced fat swiss is an anomaly, for unknown reasons..)

The table below shows CLA levels in cheese purchased at a grocery store in 1992. In all likelihood, the milk came from confinement dairy operations. If the milk had come from grassfed animals, the CLA content would have been five times higher.

Chin et al, "Dietary Sources of Conjugated Dienic Isomers of Linoleic Acid, a Newly Recognized Class of Anticarcinogens." J. of Food Composition and Analysis 5:185-197 1992

Other Reasons to Love Velveeta

Kid's love the mild taste
It melts better than cheddar or most brick cheeses
Makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches.
Makes yummy creamy sauces and dips.
Is great in cheesy Casseroles.
Stores in the pantry till use (Ok I will admit that is scary and it does have preservatives, but I figure preservatives can't be all bad. Look at how long we all are living these days. I say it must be the preservatives and we all are preserved well.)
It's shelf life and stability does make it a verstile pantry staple.
Great for camping trips or power outages.
I have a ton of recipes that use Velveeta
It costs less than cheddar (When bought at Sam's Club not the grocery store)

The Velveeta Jingle from the 1980's

Now this will be stuck in your head all afternoon.

Velveeta jingle (as I remember it), sung to tune of “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah”

It’s Velveeta, versus Cheddar/ Our velveeta, melts much better/ Cheddar’s runny, cheddar’s oily/It runs off of your plate onto your doily/ See Velveeta, melts so creamy/ it improves your tetrazzini. So when the cookbook/ calls for cheddar/ make it with Velveeta it cooks better

I will openly admit that I I love Velveeta. I had it as a kid and still enjoy it. I have a ton of recipes that use it.
Here are Some of My Favorite Recipes That Use Velveeta

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
Cheesy Ham Grill
Deana's Texas Hash
Easy Cheese Potatoes
Hearty Breakfast Skillet
Sinful Potatoes
Skillet Macaroni and Cheese
Velveeta Broccoli Soup
Velveeta Salsa Dip
Velveeta Easy Chicken Fajita Skillet
Velveeta Southwestern Chicken Skillet

If You Love Velveeta Too, Please Share Your Favorite Velveeta Recipes

Go out and get some Velveeta Today :-)

A Cute Thanksgiving Gift for Children to Make and Give Away.

Blessings Mix

Recipe By: Cynthia Townley Ewer

Serving Size: 16

Ingredients:

2 cups Bugles brand corn snacks

2 cups small pretzels

1 cup candy corn

1 cup dried fruit bits or raisins

1 cup peanuts or sunflower seeds

1 cup M&Ms brand chocolate candy

16 Hershey's brand chocolate kisses

Directions:

In a large bowl, gently mix all ingredients except Hershey's Kisses. Place 1/3 to 1/2 cup Blessing Mix in small cellophane treat bags. Add one Hershey's Kiss to each bag. Close bag with chenille stem or twist-tie.

Print 4 copies of the printable gift tag page, or hand-write tags with your choice of wording. Cut out tags, and attach one to each bag.

Makes 16 Blessing Mix gift bags.

FOR THE GIFT TAG WRITE THE FOLLOWING

Blessings Mix

Bugles: Shaped like a cornucopia or Horn of Plenty a symbol of our nation's abundance.

Pretzels: Arms folded in prayer, a freedom sought by those who founded our country.

Candy Corn: The sacrifice of the Pilgrims first winter. Food was so scarce that settlers survived on just a few kernels of corn a day.

Nuts or Seeds: Promise of a future harvest, one we will reap only if seeds are planted and tended with diligence.

Dried Fruits: Harvest gifts from our bountiful land.

M&M's: Memories of those who came before us to lead us into a blessed future.

Hershey's Kiss: The love of family and friends that sweetens our lives.

How To Make Homemade Chicken Stock Using a Whole Chicken, Carcass or Just Bones

Method 1 Using Whole Chicken
1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), rinsed, giblets discarded
2 carrots, cut in large chunks
3 celery stalks, cut in large chunks
2 large white onions, quartered
1 head of garlic, halved
1 turnip, halved
1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1/4bunch fresh thyme
2 bay leaves optional
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Place the chicken and vegetables in a large stockpot over medium heat. Pour in only enough cold water to cover (about 3 quarts); too much will make the broth taste weak. Toss in the thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and allow it to slowly come to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, partially covered, until the chicken is done. As it cooks, skim any impurities that rise to the surface; add a little more water if necessary to keep the chicken covered while simmering.

Carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board. When its cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones; hand-shred the meat into a storage container.

Carefully strain the stock through a fine sieve into another pot to remove the vegetable solids. Use the stock immediately or if you plan on storing it, place the pot in refrigerator till fat layer hardens. Remove fat layer. Put in storage containers and freeze.


Method 2. Leftover Chicken Bones
1 Put the leftover bones and skin from a chicken carcass into a large stock pot and cover with cold water. Add veggies like celery, onion, carrots, parsley.
2 Add salt and pepper, about 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper.
3 Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to bring the stock to barely a simmer.
4 Simmer uncovered at least 4 hours, occassionally skimming off the foam that comes to the surface.
5 Remove the bones and strain the stock.
6 If making stock for future use in soup you may want to reduce the stock by simmering a few hours longer to make it more concentrated and easier to store.


Method 3. Chicken backs, wings, and legs.
4 lbs of chicken backs, wings, and or legs that have been hacked with a cleaver into 2-inch pieces. You can ask your butcher to prepare the chicken pieces this way.
1 large yellow onion, chopped.
Olive oil
2 quarts of boiling water
2 teaspoons of salt
2 bay leaves
1 Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large stock pot. Add one chopped onion. Sauté until softened and slightly colored - 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
2 Add half of the chicken pieces to the pot. Sauté until no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to bowl with onions. Sauté the rest of the chicken the same way. Return onion and chicken pieces to the pot. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken releases its juices, about 20 minutes.
3 While the chicken pieces are cooking, fill a large tea kettle with 2 quarts of water, bring to a boil.
4 After the chicken pieces have been cooking for 20 minutes, raise the heat level to high, add the 2 quarts of boiling water, 2 teaspoons of salt, 2 bay leaves. Return to a low simmer, then cover and barely simmer for about 20 minutes.
5 Strain broth and discard solids. Broth can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for several months.

This third method comes from The Best Recipe cookbook by Cook's Illustrated. They got it from In Pursuit of Flavor, by Edna Lewis. This makes a truly flavorful stock. With chicken backs at about $1 lb, a good value as well.



Notes about the Fat
I've seen a lot of newer cookbooks advocate the skimming of the fat from the stock. Some prefer the traditional method of letting the fat settle in a layer on top of the stock as it cools. This way, the fat acts as a protective layer against bacteria, which is found in the air. The stock will last longer if you keep the fat layer on it. Just lift up the layer of fat and remove the stock when you want to use it. Every few days, bring the stock to a simmer for 10 minutes and let it cool, again with the fat forming a protective layer. Your stock can be stored in the refrigerator and used for up to a couple of weeks this way.

For more Recipes visit my recipe site: Deana's Recipes

Happy Halloween Kid Friendly Menu with Recipes

Holiday Menus
I made Monster Joes one year for Halloween many years ago and ever since they have become our family's traditional Halloween meal. My 19 year old daughter who is in college, who will be coming home for the weekend, even had to ask and make sure that I was still going to be making Monster Joes. I love these types of family traditions. Who knew this would stick.

Halloween
Halloween Green Bean Salad
Monster Joes

Halloween Green Bean Salad

Recipe By Cooking light

Serving Size : 8

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Salad:

1 1/2 pounds green beans -- trimmed

1 cup vertically sliced red onion

1 cup orange slices

1 cup seedless red grapes -- halved

INSTRUCTIONS

To prepare vinaigrette, combine first 8 ingredients in a jar; cover tightly, and shake vigorously. Chill.

To prepare salad, steam green beans, covered, 3 minutes or until tender, and chill. Combine green beans, onion slices, orange slices, and grape halves in a large bowl. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad, tossing gently to coat.

YIELD: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

PREPARATION TIME:20 minutes

COOKING TIME:3 minutes

NUTRITIONAL INFO

calories: 68 carbohydrates: 13.6 g cholesterol: 0 mg fat: 1.4 g sodium: 26 mg protein: 2.1 g calcium: 46 mg iron: 1 mg fiber: 3.2 g

Monster Joes

Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 1/4 pounds ground beef 7% fat, Extra Extra Lean

8 hot dog fat free Ball Park -- sliced

1 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup dill pickles -- chopped

1/2 cup catsup

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup yellow mustard

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

8 hamburger buns Wonder Light

1.Spray a non-stick skillet with no-fat cooking spray, add onions and ground beef. Saute until beef is no longer pink, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain if necessary

2. Slice up hot dogs in bite sice rounds and chop pickles. Combine sliced hot dogs, pickles, and rest of ingredients in skillet. Cook bringing to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on Buns.

Decorate tops of buns with cut up veggies like pepper strips, carrots, olives, cheese to make scary monster faces.


Per serving: 291 Calories; 6g Fat (18% calories from fat); 25g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 50mg Cholesterol; 1046mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Other Carbohydrates

Menu Plan Monday Oct. 13 - Oct. 19

Hi all, I just started a diet program to help get rid of 65 excess pounds that have crept on over the past 5 years, but I still have to feed a family of 5. So I still need to meal plan and I love to cook. I wanted my family's meals to closely resemble my diet meals. I also wanted to improve and make healthier versions of family favorites.

Here is the plan for this week with recipe links.

Monday
Pork Chops and Rice Pilaf
Green Peas

Tuesday

Pizza Night

Deana's Homemade Pizza

Wednesday
Baked Potatoes and A World of Toppings
Your Choice Of Italian, Mexican or Barvarian
Tossed Salad

Thursday
Anne's Chicken (Crockpot)

Friday

Jimmy Buffet's Cheeseburger in Paradise
Don't forget the Heinz 57 Sauce (or generic equivalent I am not a purist)
Key Lime Pie (No bake)- (Not for those on a diet)

Saturday
Easy Does it Spaghetti
Grean Beans
Garlic Monkey Bread

Sunday

Beef Roast with Tomatoes, Onions and Peppers (Large enough to have leftovers for another meal)

Baked Potatoes

Tossed Salad

Authentic Cuban American Recipes: Chicken and Yellow Rice, Cuban Bread, and Cuban Sandwich

Authentic Cuban American Chicken and Yellow Rice Recipe:

Frugal, Delicious and a Taste of the Caribbean.

Where I live there is a lot of Cuban influence. Actually a lot of influence from all of the Caribbean. This is an authentic recipe for Chicken and Yellow Rice. Arroz Amarillo con Pollo.

I am not Cuban, but I have a few friends who are. I also have a friend who is Chinese Cuban American. The Caribbean is a mixture of many ethnicities and it is reflected in their cooking. Back in the day many immigrants from China and India and also Africa were brought to the Caribbean Islands to work the plantations. Her family settled in Cuba from China. She was born in Cuba. She laughs that her father spoke Spanish with a Chinese accent. I also have friends from Puerto Rico and Jamaica. Don't ask me to tell you what mannish water is, or about goats head soup---yuck!

Why Saffron is not Authentic in Cuban American Cuisine.

Chicken and Yellow rice comes from the Spanish influence in Cuba. The Spanish immigrants loved saffron from Spain. However saffron was very pricey and the Spanish immigrants could not get it or afford it in the Islands so they learned to make a substitute out of annatto seeds. They use the seeds to make annatto oil. I've included the recipe for annatto oil at the bottom of this post. In every supermarket where I live, there is always an ethnic section for Cuban cuisine. So where I live, I can buy annatto seeds. I can also buy ready made annatto oil. Most Cuban American cooks today just use the little flavor packets for yellow rice made by VIGO.

The Chicken For Chicken and Yellow Rice

Recipe By: Deana
Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:

3 lbs. chicken pieces (bone in and with skin on is the most authentic)
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 recipe yellow rice, see recipe below

Directions:

Peel, smash and mince garlic. Mix minced garlic in a small bowl with the oregano, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Rub the chicken pieces all over with the garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Marinate, covered at least 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Then Grill Chicken. The Chicken is most authentic and best grilled, but you can also pan fry or bake.

To Pan fry and bake.
Heat a large frying pan preferably a non-stick coated one and add a little olive oil.Brown the chicken pieces over medium heat until golden brown about 3 minutes per side Then bake in a 350 degree oven about 45 minutes or till cooked through.

Serve over Yellow Rice.

Serving Ideas : Good with black beans too.

NOTES : You can use leftover deboned chicken or turkey and mix it with a recipe of yellow rice for a quick dinner.

Yellow Rice
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Recipe By: Deana
Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 medium red bell pepper, cored seeded & diced
1 cup frozen peas
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 envelope Vigo coloring, (or annatto oil)
2 cups long-grain white rice
4 cups water

Directions:

Heat a 4-quart heavy covered pot and add the oil, garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Saute for a few minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer over low heat 20 to 25 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.

How to Make Annatto Oil

1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup annatto seeds
Combine the oil and seeds in a small saucepan. Gently cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The oil will have a strong red-orange color. Strain oil and store in the refrigerator.

To use annatto oil in place of the VIGO seasoning packet, use 1 to 2 TBS annatto oil per yellow rice recipe.

NOTES
For those who want to try this recipe but can't get the VIGO seasoning and coloring packets or can't find annotto seed or annatto oil. You can check web sources Cuban Food Market. Or you can write me and I can send you some.
Or you can use a t. of tumeric (but tumeric is not authentic Cuban American)

Crusty Cuban Bread

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Recipe By: Deana
Serving Size: 12

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups bread flour (can in some cases add 1/4 c more flour but try not to. The dough is suppose to be softer than other bread doughs)
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Directions:

Put all into bread pan of bread maker & start on dough cycle. Spray large cookie sheet with oil spray. When dough is done from bread maker: Shape loaf in a long flat bread shape (Similar to Italian Bread or a French baguette but a little flatter and not as round) and place diagonally on cookie sheet. Let rise till doubled about an hour. Make five shallow slashes on loaf. Place a shallow pan in bottom of cold oven. Put a cup of boiling water in the pan. Place cookie sheet with bread on oven rack above the pan with the boiling water. Let rest 10 minutes in oven then turn on oven and set to 400 degrees. Set timer for 35 minutes. Cool bread on rack and then enjoy. :-)

Notes: Alternate Directions.
Using Kitchen Aid Mixer: Put ingredients in kitchen aid mixing bowl. (You can place the warm water and yeast in the mixing bowl first if you like and let proof about 5 minutes.) Then with a dough hook, I mix and knead with the Kitchen Aid mixer on speed 1 to mix and then speed 2, for a total of 5 minutes. Then turn dough out into a greased bowl, cover and let rise till doubled in size. About an hour or so. Then follow directions for shaping and second rise and baking.
Mixing and Kneading by Hand: Put ingredients in a large mixing bowl. (You can place the warm water and yeast in the mixing bowl first if you like and let proof about 5 minutes.) Mix ingredients to form dough. Turn out on counter and knead about 10 minutes till elastic and smooth. Then turn dough out into a greased bowl, cover and let rise till doubled in size. About an hour or so. Then follow directions for shaping and second rise and baking.

The Cuban Sandwich
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Ingredients:
Cuban bread
butter
yellow mustard & mayonnaise mixed together (Reg. yellow mustard NO Dijon)
pork roast, cold -- thinly sliced
(Cuban Pork Roast is seasoned with Olive Oil, Oregano and Garlic. Where I live I can get Spanish or Cuban Pork roast at all delis. You can also make your own.)
ham, thinly sliced
swiss cheese, thinly sliced
dill pickles, thinly sliced (It's not authentic without the pickles! I don't care if you don't like pickles. The pickles are not optional.)

DO NOT ADD ANYTHING ELSE TO THIS SANDWICH! (You may leave out the mayo if you must- There is some difference of opinion on how authentic the mayo is, but do not add anything else to this sandwich. Some places add salami but salami is not authentic -it was added by Italian immigrants. Never, Never add tomato or lettuce.)

Directions:

Slice the bread in half lengthwise; Butter the outside if you are going to press the sandwich in a sandwich press otherwise you don't need to butter the outside. Mix mustard & mayonnaise together (not an exact science but more mustard than mayonnaise, around maybe a 2 to 1 ratio of mustard to mayo) then spread on bread inside bottom half and top half. Then build sandwich from bottom up in this order. Must be in this order. Place thinly sliced ham on bottom bread, then on top of the ham place roast pork, cold and not overcooked, thinly sliced, next swiss cheese thinly sliced, and finally dill pickle slices. Top with top piece of bread. For an authentic cuban you now need to place the sandwich in a preheated sandwich press, or you can improvise using a hot iron skillet placing a foil covered brick on top to press. Toast to your taste and serve. If you don't have a sandwich press skip this step and eat. They are fantastic pressed and unpressed.

NOTES: This is an awesome sandwich and probably the most popular sandwich where I live. Every Deli and Grocery store around makes and sells Cubans (The sandwich not the people LOL). No party is complete without a Cuban Sandwich platter.

For more Recipes visit my recipe site: Deana's Recipes

What is A Good Price? My Grocery Price Book For September 2008

     I thought it would be fun to compare prices around the country (and beyond). These are the best prices I can usually get for things and what I try to use as targets. Please share what things cost where you live. I would love to know.

     I shop at 4 main stores. The first and closet to my home at 1 .2 miles, is Sweetbay, a moderate discount grocery store. It is not as cheap as the super discount stores and try's to compete with the more upscale store Publix. Publix is a full service grocery store and is generally more expensive, but surprisingly is cheaper than Sweetbay on some staples. It is about 2 miles from my house. Then there is Sam's the warehouse club that is about 1.5 miles from my house. It has more stable low prices on certain meats and staples. I also just checked out Aldis which just opened a few stores in my state this week. I had always heard others talk of Aldis so I had to check it out. The closet Aldis is 7.7 miles from my house. There are no super Walmart Super Stores close by.

They all have their Pros and Cons.

Sweetbay;

 Pros   1. Great sales and loss leader items each week.

            2.  Consistently low canned goods prices and low prices on store brands

            3. large variety of produce

            4. Still has some of the lowest prices for cheese

             5. Closest to my home.

Cons

             1. Very high prices on staples like flour and rice lately.

             2. You really have to know your prices because to compensate for their great sales 

                 other everyday items are higher priced.

Publix

Pros 

              1. Nice to shop at. ( They have a nice self serve soda fountain)

              2. Surprisingly some nice sales from time to time

              3. Surprisingly lower priced on staples such as rice, flour, and oil.

Cons

              1 Higher priced on most things

Sam's 

Pros

              1. Consistent lower prices on meat. If I can't get what I want on sale at the regular 

                 grocery stores they generally have the best non- sale price.

               2. Consistent Low prices on most staples. (again if I can't find a better sale price.

               3. On the few things I am brand loyal too they usually have the best price on brand 

                  names. (however I am not super brand loyal and usually I can find an equivalent

                   store brand that is cheaper than the name brand at other stores.

Cons

              1. Doesn't carry a lot of generic brands.

              2. Huge store and I always get lost and spend a ton of extra time. Not an in an out 

                  store.

               3. I don't have the storage for a lot of bulk shopping.

ALDIS, 

Pros and Cons Yet to be assessed since I have only been there once. Only con at this time is that it is a bit of a drive.

                                                   

Dairy   

Fresh Milk 1 Gal :             Sweetbay 3.79,  Aldis 2.72,  Sam's 3.52

Powdered Milk 2/lbs:     Sweetbay  8.49

Canned Evap Milk:          Sweetbay .89,  Aldis   .69

Mozzarella Cheese 8oz:  Sweetbay 1.69, Sam's 12.18/5lbs (1.22/8oz.)

Cheddar Cheese 8oz:       Sweetbay 1.99

Sliced Am. Cheese :          Publix  2.59/16 sl

Velveeta:                            Sam's 7.80/4lbs (.97/8oz)

Eggs Lg. 1 doz:                 Sweetbay 1.69, Aldis 1.19

Fats 

Smart Balance 3lbs:    Sam's 4.52/3lbs

Margarine  80%:           Sweetbay .89/lb 

Butter:                               Sweetbay 1.99/lb

Vegetable Shortening:   Publix 4.19/3lbs

Vegetable Oil:                   Aldis 2.29/48oz.

Meats

Ground Beef 10% fat:  Sam's 2.60/lb

Chicken Leg Quarters: Sweetbay .59/lb

Whole Chicken: Sweetbay Sale price .79/lb, Sam's Everyday price .79/lb

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast:   Sweetbay 2.29/lb

Hot Dog (Ball Park Meat):  Sam's 5.59/3.5lbs (1.60/lb)

Tuna packed in water 6oz can:   Sweetbay 3.49/4 cans (.87 ech)

Turkey Lunch Meat:   Sam's 6.43/2.5 lbs (2.58/lb)

Chuck/Pot Roast:       Sweetbay 2.29/lb

London Broil:      Sweetbay 2.49/lb

Bacon:       Sweetbay 2.49/lb

Fresh Vegetables

Romaine Lettuce 1head:  Sweetbay 1.59

Cucumber: Sweetbay .79 ech,  Aldis .39/ech

Tomatoes: Sweetbay 1.49/lb

Baking Potatoes; Sweetbay 2.49/5lbs

Zuchini:   Sweetbay 1.29/lb

Canned Vegetables

Corn:      Sweetbay .50

Mexicorn: Sweetbay 4.00/5 (.80/ech)

Green Beans: Sweetbay .50

Crushed Tomatoes 28oz.:  Sweetbay 1.19

Tomato Paste 6oz. :  Sweetbay 2.00/5 (.40/ech)

Tomato Sauce 8oz:    Sweetbay 1.00/3 (.34/ech)

Diced Tomato 14.5oz:  Sweetbay .69/ech

Mushroom Pieces 4oz.  Sweetbay  .69/ech

Canned Soups

Cream of Mushroom: Sweetbay .99, Aldis .59

Cream of Chicken:  Sweetbay .99, Aldis .59

Cream of Celery: Sweetbay 1.39

Canned Beans

Black Beans:  Sweetbay 2.00/3 (.67/ech)

Pinto Beans:   Sweetbay 2.00/3 (.67/ech)

Fresh Fruit

Apples:   Sweetbay .99/lb

Bananas: Sweetbay .69/lb

Cantaloup: Sweetbay 2.00/ech

Grapes: 1.49/lb

Fruit Juice

Orange Juice (Not from Concentrate) 1/2 Gal.:  Sweetbay 1.99

Apple Juice 64oz.: Sweetbay 1.47

Canned/Jarred Fruit

Applesauce 25 oz.: Sweetbay 1.29

Grains and Starches

All-Purpose Unbleached Flour:  Publix 2.29/5lbs,  Aldis (bleached)1.69/5lbs

Whole Wheat Flour: Publix 3.99/5lbs

Bread Flour: Publix 2.99/5lbs

Cornmeal 2/lbs: Publix 1.09

Wh. Wheat Spaghetti: Sweetbay 1.29/lb

Wh Wheat Macaroni: Sweetbay 1.29/lb

Wh. Wheat Penne: Sweetbay 1.29/lb

White Loaf Bread 20oz: Publix .89

100% Wh. Wheat Bread: Aldis 1.09

Instant Mashed Potatoes: Sam's 5.28/3.25lbs (1.62/lb)

Baking Supplies

Sugar:  Sweetbay 1.99/5lbs

Baking Powder: Sweetbay 1.49

Baking Soda:  Sweetbay .49

Chocolate Chips 24 oz.: Sweetbay 4.29

Beverages

Tea Bags Family Size: Sweetbay 1.79

Green Tea Bags: Sweetbay 2.59

Condiments

Bouillon Cubes: Sweetbay 1.49

BBQ Sauce: Sweetbay .79/18oz

Ketchup: Sweetbay .99/24oz

Peanut Butter: Sweetbay 2.39

Pancake SyrupLight: Sweetbay 2.19

Sweets and Treats

Saltines: Sweeetbay 1.29,  Aldis .89

Pretzles: Sweetbay 1.79

Pudding Cups: Sweetbay .99/4

Herbs/Spices

Chili Powder:  Sweetbay 1.19

Thyme: Thyme: Sweetbay .59

Paprika: Sweetbay 1.19

  (I am continuing to work on this and  will update as I add more, but since I couldn't figure how to cut and paste and then post my spread sheet I am retyping this by hand)