Well, here we are – the end of the month. I’m trying to stay within my grocery budget for the first time – well, ever… My husband will thank me later!
So, we’ve got about 20$ left and I have to buy some things for the older boy.
Monday: Cilantro Lime Quinoa with Black Beans
Tuesday: Breakfast Tacos (because neither of us were hungry for them last week).
Wednesday: Chicken Salads. We love these – probably have them once a week. Healthy, quick, lighter dinner.
Thursday-Saturday – we are out and have date money! Yay!
Two things I’m baking:
Snickerdoodles for dessert on Tuesday night – part of my ELR14 cooking. And I’ll package some up for the friends who are watching our littles this weekend.
Cinnamon Toast Muffins: for Wednesday morning reading session and then for the Mister and I to take on our getaway.
What are you cooking this week? How do you stay on a budget when it comes to the end of the month?
What Oatmeal Taught Me About Marriage (Cinnamon Raisin Honey Oats)
Just for disclosure sake: I have permission from my husband to share this story. He said he learned a lot from it early in our marriage and he wants to make sure that others learn the same lesson for the good of their marriage!
We had probably been married three months or so and having oatmeal most of those mornings. I had always cooked my whole oats in the microwave. I figured that’s how you did it. I hit the button for 1.45 and let them do their thing. Mister gladly ate them and never said anything about it so I thought they were fine. Well, come to find out, he didn’t eat them that way. One morning he said something to the affect of I don’t like my oats cooked this way. I want them cooked longer and less sweet. I probably burst into tears when he said that. Why cry over oats?
I had been doing them wrong all that time and he was just now telling me? Some of you are probably saying what a sweet husband, not to make a big deal out of the small and eating them because he loves his wife. That’s a great response and that’s exactly what he did. But, that wasn’t good for me. You see…I want to please my husband, especially in the kitchen. I love to cook and I want people to love to eat what I cook. So, after I got done crying, I asked him how he wanted them and have tried since to make them that way. Yes, its a little more work, but it pleases him and he eats them and never comments on them anymore except to say “Thank you, can you make these every day this week?”
Moral of the story: if your spouse does something that irritates you or doesn’t please you, you may want to find a gentle way to tell them how you would like it. Marriage is for the long haul – you might as well be happy in the little things! Philippians 2.3-4 is a great verse for our marriage. We read it on the night we got engaged. So applicable! What I wanted to know is how to please my husband in the little things: how to fold his shirts, his socks, hot to cook his oats, make his bed, etc. I want to do these things to please him. If I don’t know, how can I please him?
Wives, ask your husbands what would please him? Make every effort to do these things. Husbands, please be honest with your wives! And thank her for cooking your food for you!
- 1½ cups uncooked oats (plus a handful)
- 1½ cups water
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 1 T raw honey
- 1 tsp cinnamon sugar mixture
- ⅔ cup raisins
- milk for serving
- Heats all on a stove top until boiling, stirring constantly, until desired doneness.
- Put in a bowl
- Top with milk
Raw Detox Recap
Going on a two week vacation right after New Year’s doesn’t really help with keeping all those resolutions. 5 people in a hotel room doesn’t leave much room for exercising but I enjoyed the many days in the Florida sunshine (and heat). But, I had returned with the scale being up 6 pounds (including birthday desserts). So, I was thinking, even before the return trip, about how I wanted to get that weight off! So, I chose to do a raw food detox for three days.
I looked at several websites and I’m glad that none came up with a specific menu. I wanted to choose my own raw foods to eat. I didn’t think it would be as hard as it was, but my husband knew it was difficult for me. The only things I’ve had for three days have been raw except for salsa and gum.
My favorite thing I ate all wknd was my carrot apple ginger juice and avocados! Man, I love those things! In smoothies, on salads, or by themselves – they were a welcome addition when I couldn’t things like salad dressings.
I was hungrier than I thought I would be. The affects on my body (besides a 5.6 lbs weight loss in three days) were bloating which I expected. But, I think I also slept better too.
My thoughts:
Good:
I love the foods that God created in the form that God created them.
There is so much beauty in fruits and vegetables.
I didn’t snack as much (like grab half of a chicken nugget from my son’s plate).
Bad:
There are other things that God created: like fire and heat and animals that give us food products – that shouldn’t be cut out of my diet. I was craving eggs when I finished the detox. Eggs are nutritious. I wanted milk, cheese, healthy breads, cooked vegetables, etc.
Most fad diets that are out there today (and for the past decades) usually tell you to cut out this or do away with that. But, as most people can tell you, that doesn’t work for the long haul. Moderation is key. I’ve learned in years (almost 20) of dieting, exercising, eating healthy, periods of loss and gain – that moderation of everything is key. I think that is also biblical. So for me, I will not be adapting to a raw vegan lifestyle. May do a detox on occasion but I don’t feel the need to cut out everything cooked from my diet.
If you are going to choose to eat radical (in anyway):
1. Make sure you are determined. Will power is key here.
2. Make sure you have support from those around you. My husband was a huge supporter of this and that is a giant help.
What’s Eatin’? #3
I usually do my grocery shopping and menu planning on Monday, so I thought I’d put it out there. This is helpful for two reasons: keeps me accountable and not wasting money or food and also it may give you some new dishes to try!
I wont say there won’t be variance from this list – because often I get inspired by the blogs I read each day – but hopefully this will be a good start!
Monday: Me finishing up a Raw Detox so a green smoothie and E will have my boxed lunch from a nutrition study today. Yay – no cooking!
Tuesday: Larry’s Pizza for lunch with friends from Durham and Taco Tuesday for dinner: Breakfast Tacos strictly because I have missed my Great Day Farm eggs since being in FL and on a Raw detox for three days. I’ll be including black beans and sweet potato hash in the tacos.
Wednesday: Its rumored to be cold here so I think I’ll make an addition to #elr14 and make Jenna’s Broccoli Cheddar Potato Soup. Really – its vegetarian and I only need 3 ingredients from the store to make it. Vegetarian minus the bacon of course – but that’s just a topping and I will eat it!
Thursday: Dinner is italian chicken tenderloins and grown up tater tots and roasted beets.
Friday: Hubs is going duck hunting. I’m having a play date at a local church and am making another #elr14 recipe – apricot chocolate chip scones I’m going to Panera in the afternoon for some LaLa time. Dinner is going to be a homemade pizza – I want to be making these more often on Fridays. Simple. But, this week I won’t be making the dough. I’m thinking a pesto roasted garlic onion pizza – I’ll share the recipe if it turns out!
Saturday: Leftovers! Fresh Vegetables. Brunch at church. Also, we are having a play date/craft day so I thought I’d add another check to #elr14 and make her Lazy Girls’ Blondies for the kiddos (and us if we want one).
Sunday: Leftovers as well for today!
What are you cooking this week?
Italian Bean Saute with a Fried Egg
- evoo
- ½ red pepper
- ½ green pepper
- 1 green onion
- ½ cup drained cannellini beans
- ¼ cup matchstick carrots
- 1 egg
- 1 T grated parmesan cheese
- Dressing: http://www.shutterbean.com/2013/country-italian-salad/
- Saute veggies in evoo - add garlic if you would like
- Set aside
- Fry egg with salt and pepper
- Mix dressing according to Shutterbean directions
- Plate it up: saute, egg, dressing, cheese
- Enjoy!
Serves one
ELR14: Chewy Oatmeal Cookies with Cinnamon Buttercream
Last week was New Years, and on the second day of the new calendar – I started on my journey of cooking through Jenna’s recipe journal on Eat Live Run.
I hung out with a friend and her daughters for a play date, convo day mixed with yummy cookies. Jenna’s recipes give me creativity and allows me to try new foods and cooking techniques. It will definitely be a culinary adventure this year.
These oatmeal cookies were small, thick and chewy. I added more milk and some cinnamon to the buttercream but that was the only alteration to her recipe. We had fun and they were all gone in two days.
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ cup old-fashioned oats
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- For filling:
- 1 stick butter, unsalted, softened
- 3 cup powdered sugar
- 4 tsp milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Grease two cookie sheets and set aside
- Cream wet ingredients for cookies.
- Combine dry ingredients.
- Mix wet and dry.
- Form 24 hopefully uniform cookies
- Bake for 8 minutes.
- Let cool completely
- Mix all ingredients together for the filling. Place filling in between two cookies.
- Eat!
2014 Goals in Cooking
This is the beginning of my series of posts about my 2014 goals and what I intend to do. These are in no particular order, but will be coming in the next few days.
Cooking is something I have to do. We can’t afford to eat out all the time, either from a monetary standpoint or from a healthy standpoint. So, might as well cook, right? And what better way to explore creativity and serving my family together.
1. Cook more creatively. That means making up my own recipes and jotting them down in my new Tasty Smash Journal given to me as a Christmas present from a creative friend.
2. Cook through all the recipes on Jenna’s site. This is by far my favorite cooking blog – so this will give me something to strive for: sort of like Julie and Julia
3. Take more photos. I’ll be talking about this in the photography goal post, but know that you will see a lot more food photos coming! 🙂
Cold Soba Salad with Red Chili Salmon
I absolutely love trying new foods. I had never had soba noodles before so this was a new experience for both my husband and me. It was a delicious recipe that I tweaked over from Laura at Blogging Over Thyme and she had sweet comments to say about the photos too!
So, be adventurous in this new year – eat this salad!
And, this is not a sponsored post from Gourmet Gardens, but I absolutely love their bottles spices. So easy to use and tasty. And as a cooking mom, who doesn’t need convenience!
- 1 pkg soba noodles (Japanese Buckwheat Noodles)
- 2 T sesame oil
- 2 T reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 T sugar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
- 8 green onions, sliced thin
- ½ cup chopped, dry roasted peanuts
- 4 4 oz frozen wild caught salmon fillets
- 1 tsp gourmet gardens chunky garlic
- 1 tsp gourmet gardens ginger
- 1 tsp gourmet gardens red chili
- 1 T coconut oil
- Heat water to boil for noodles and cook according to pkg instructions.
- Rinse under cold water.
- Combine sauce and whisk together.
- Pour over noodles.
- Add onions and cilantro.
- Let chill for at least 30 minutes
- Heat coconut oil in separate pan.
- Add spices and heat for a few seconds.
- Cook salmon in pan until done.
- Plate and top with more onions, cilantro, and peanuts.
Spiced White Chicken Chowder
What a day for a soup recipe. The sun is gone here in Little Rock. It is overcast and very cool – ok, cold! Bowls of soup I do believe were created for days like today.
I have a trusted White Chicken Chili recipe that I’ve used for about about 15 years now. But, I wanted to try something new. This turned out very yummy and completely different, so now I have two great recipes. And I can never have too many soup recipes!
- 1 T canola oil
- 1 tsp garlic, chopped
- ½ large onion, chopped
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- ⅛ tsp all spice
- 1 can cream of celery soup
- 1 can rotel (mild)
- 2 cans low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 can great northern beans
- 1 potato, cubed
- ¾ cup cooked black beans
- 2.5 cups cubed cooked chicken
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Chives
- Cheddar Cheese
- Heat oil in large dutch oven.
- Saute onion and garlic until soft.
- Add everything else except chicken and cheese and toppings.
- Bring to a boil for 5 minutes.
- Simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through.
- Add chicken and simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Add cheese at the end.
- Serve in a huge bowl with a spoon and top with your favorite toppings
Turtle Shortbread
Well, I typed out the whole recipe into easy recipe and it disappeared on me. I’m going to do this the easy way.
Make this shortbread
Make this caramel sauce
Add chopped pecans and a chocolate drizzle.
Chill before cutting
Serve at room temperature.