A recipe

I'm in love with my camera. It's a Panasonic Lumix FZ150. I debated getting a DSLR and one day I'd still like to get one but for now, this camera serves me well. I tried out a new recipe and used my camera to snap some pictures of it. I liked this recipe from Smitten Kitchen.

I heavily adapted the dressing recipe and next time I make it, I'll adapt it even more. The peanut dressing and marinade was WAY too sour from the lime juice. I added 3 tablespoons of sugar and a heaping tablespoon of hoisin as well. I also didn't like the ratio of fish sauce. Might decrease that as well. But the salad part was yummy. 

The best part about this recipe is it's gluten free. Well, the original recipe is. I added the hoisin and that's not gluten free (is there a gluten free version?). I also used cilantro and scallions from my garden! I love my little garden. It's been doing so well after I replaced half of it from our massive hail storms at the beginning of the summer. But that is neither here nor there. This salad is the essence of summer and we loved it. Try it out!

Cold Rice Noodles with Peanut-Lime Chicken (adapted from Smitten Kitchen who I wholeheartedly love!)

Peanut dressing
3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
6 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce (use gluten free tamari if needed)
1 one-and-a-half inch chunk ginger, peeled and sliced
6 tablespoons natural unsalted peanut butter
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (omit if going gluten free!)
Pinch of cayenne

Chicken and noodle salad
1pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
8 ounces dried rice vermicelli or other rice noodles
2 small cucumbers, cut in 1/4-inch half moons
2 medium carrots, cut in thin julienne
Small handful basil or mint or cilantro sprigs, or any combo thereof (chopped)
4 or more scallions, slivered
1/4 cup crushed or chopped roasted peanuts

Marinate the chicken: Stir together 1/2 the dipping sauce and 1/3 the peanut dressing (you can eyeball this) in the bottom of a low-sided bowl or dish. Add the chicken to the mixture and toss to coat. Let marinate at least 15 minutes.

Cook the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to the boil, then turn off the heat. Add the rice vermicelli and soak for 7 to 8 minutes. Drain when noodles are al dente, and cool under running water. Fluff and leave in strainer to drain well. Mix a bit of sesame oil in to prevent clumping. 

Cook the chicken: Grill the chicken on an outdoor grill, a stove-top grill pan, or run under the broiler until nicely browned, about 3 to 4 minutes a side. Let cool slightly, then chop roughly into 3/4-inch pieces.

To serve: Layer noodles, veggies, and chicken in a serving bowl. Top with dressing and add sprinkle with cilantro, scallions, basil, or whatever you'd like! Enjoy!

How to save without using coupons

I saw this article on All You this morning and thought I’d share it with you, my readers, and give my thoughts on some of her points. I’ve taught a few classes recently on couponing and I’m constantly getting questions on how I coupon or how I save at the grocery store. But I know spending the amount of time I do clipping coupons is just not realistic for many people. Honestly, it’s not even realistic for me during the school year! Our grocery budget has skyrocketed since Christmas because I’ve been wrapping up nursing classes and applying to graduate schools. I’m really praying that this summer can be a time of getting back on track with grocery shopping and getting our budget back down to $200 a month. That’s where I’m most comfortable with our grocery finances :) So here’s some thoughts on saving at the grocery store by Crystal Paine (with some of my thoughts thrown in!).

10 Ways to save money on groceries without clipping coupons

by Crystal Paine, Money Saving Mom

Even the most diligent coupon-clippers should know the many other ways you can shave money off of your grocery budget. Here are my top 10 tips:

1. Create a Budget

The word “budget” evokes dread for some, but I promise it can change your entire financial outlook. Not only does a budget give you parameters to work within, it helps you clearly track your spending and saving. If you don’t know how much you’re spending in the first place, how can you know if  a “money-saving” tactic is working?

Samantha’s thoughts: I don’t think there is a lot to be added to this thought. I whole heartedly agree. Some people I know have found it best to pull grocery money out in cash. That way you don’t overspend with that debit or credit card (i.e. ME this week! I just couldn’t resist the Safeway store that was closing this week and had everything 50-75% off. I think we’ve spent our entire months grocery budget this week and it’s only June 7^th!).

2.  Plan a Menu and Grocery List

It seems like such no-brainer advice, but if you don’t make a grocery plan (and follow it!) you’re bound to spend more money at the store. (You’ll also eliminate the added stress  of not knowing what’s for dinner every night!)

Samantha’s thoughts: I’m pretty good about doing this on a regular basis. Not only does it keep me from buying prepared foods or stopping by Chipotle 3 times in a week, it keeps me motivated to eat the right types of foods.

3. Use Cash

I strongly suggest you use cash-only when shopping at the grocery store. My family and I have found it’s much easier to spend an extra $2 or $3 here and there when we’re swiping a card. Cash, on the other hand, forces you to stick with your budget: when the money’s gone, it’s gone!

Samantha’s thoughts: ‘nuff said :)

4. Buy in Bulk

Purchasing meat and staple ingredients in bulk can save you at least 20-30%. Check online or in the phone book for nearby food co-ops and bulk food stores, then compare their prices to the price-per-ounce of items at the grocery store. I’ve recently fallen in love with the regional bulk foods distributor Azure Standard. Many of their prices on organic staple foods match or beat what I’d pay locally for non-organic staples.

Samantha’s thoughts: Ok, this is the one point where I strongly encourage you to be careful with. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Costco and Sam’s are very very rarely your best bet for saving money. They lure you in with the thought that buying in bulk is the way to save money. It’s just not true. There has NEVER been a time where Costco has been cheaper than what I can get at a regular grocery store on sale (not even factoring in coupons! Just their regular sale prices!). Now, if you must have it right then and there and it’s not on sale at your local grocery store, then maybe it would be cheaper to buy it at Costco. But please be careful with this. These times should be very few and far between. And let me say it again, Costco is never the place to buy laundry detergent, paper products (like toilet paper), or bathroom items (like toothpaste). They are always a better price at Walmart. Trust me, I’ve checked on numerous occasions.

5. Have a Meatless Night Once a Week

Meatless doesn’t have to mean tasteless! In our family we often serve breakfast foods for dinner, or we’ll have soup and bread. I’ve also learned that you can completely skip the meat in some recipes, like lasagna, baked ziti or bean burritos. If you’re not ready to go totally meatless, try replacing a third of the meat in recipes such as tacos with beans.

Samantha’s thoughts: I love this idea! There are so many different recipes you could make without adding meat. Need ideas? Check Pinterest. I’m in love with that website.

6. Make Your Own Cleaning Products

You can spend hundreds of dollars each year on expensive cleaning products. Or, you can buy a bottle of vinegar, box of baking soda, some dish soap, and hydrogen peroxide and use them to tackle almost all of your household cleaning chores.

Samantha’s thoughts: Ok, I’m going to admit this doesn’t really apply to me. We splurge in this area and hire a housekeeper to come clean our house. Though I did see on Pinterest (see, told you I love that site!) about making your own laundry detergent. Might try that sometime.

7. Bake Your Own Bread (With a Bread Machine!)

Homemade bread is fresher, less expensive and so delicious. I can easily drop the ingredients into my bread machine in less than five minutes, then switch it on the dough cycle. Then, I just pop the dough into a loaf pan and bake.

Once you get the hang of making your own dough in a bread machine, you’ll be ready to make Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls or Bread Machine Buttery Rolls.

Samantha’s thoughts: I’m not sure this is less expensive than if you went to a bread outlet. We’ve got several in Colorado Springs and I get our bread there for $1 or less a loaf. But there is something wonderful and magical about the smell of fresh baked bread.

8. Order Groceries Online

There are good grocery deals online if you know where to look. Amazon often has great deals on natural, organic, and gluten-free products–prices you would likely never see at your local grocery store.

Type in your desired price on any item on the free Amazon price tracker CamelCamelCamel.com and they will send you an email alert if the price is discounted.

9. Price-Match at Walmart and Target

Take 15 minutes when planning your shopping list to look over your local grocery ads to see if there are any great deals. Instead of running to multiple stores to pick up the different deals, just bring the ads to Walmart or Target and they’ll match the competitor’s sale.

Samantha’s thoughts: This is something I talk about in my couponing class. It’s such a time saver for me. But watch out for one thing. Here in Colorado Springs, our local grocery stores will double the face value of a coupon up to $1. Walmart does not. So you might end up spending a bit more if you’ve got a $.50 oupon for an item that King Soopers will double to $1. You’ll be spending $.50 more on that item at Walmart because you’ll only be getting face value off that coupon.

10. Use Half the Recommended Amount

You don’t need to use the specified amount of laundry detergent, dish soap, or even shampoo. In most cases, much less will do. Train yourself to use two-thirds the amount you usually do and you’ll save 33 percent. Use half the amount, and you instantly save 50 percent!

Crystal Paine is a wife, homeschooling mom of 3, wannabe runner, minimalist, and lover of good coffee and thought-provoking books. Her personal finance blog, http://www.MoneySavingMom.com, garners hundreds of thousands of visitors each month. Crystal’s first book, The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget was released January 10, 2012 by Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

May 29, 2012 by dailysavingsfromallyou

Hawaii

I know this has nothing to do with what I usually blog about but I just can't help showing off my new camera and some pictures of our recent trip to Hawaii! I'll be using the camera to take more food pictures to post on this blog in the future which I'm very excited about! Look for some soon!

Scallion Meatballs

You know another website I love? Smitten Kitchen. The pictures are so pretty! How can you not want to eat everything on her blog when it's photographed so well? Unlike my crappy iPhone pictures. Bare with me. I'll get a better camera soon :) Or an iPad. Not sure which one I really, really need yet.

I've been in the cooking mood. Maybe more like a frenzy. School doesn't start for another week and I've got so many projects on my list to get done before then. Cooking and freezing a few great meals is one of my goals. These were so simple to make. Next time I'll probably bake them though instead of frying. It's better for you and I didn't like all the splattering on my arms. Other than that, there's absolutely no need to change anything about this recipe. It's perfect. Absolutely perfect.

Scallion Meatballs with Soy-Ginger Glaze (taken from www.smittenkitchen.com)

Sauce
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce, preferably Japanese or reduced sodium
1/2 cup mirin (sweet rice wine), or 1/2 cup sake with 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup peeled, chopped ginger (I used half and it tasted like plenty to me; adjust to your preference)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
4 whole black peppercorns (no, I did not count how many I put in there)

Meatballs
1 pound ground turkey
4 large or 6 small scallions, finely chopped
Half bunch cilantro, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup) (the cilantro-averse can use flat-leaf parsley)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons sesame oil, toasted if you can find it
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil

Make sauce: Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar melts completely. Reduce heat to a medium-low and add soy sauce, mirin, ginger, coriander and peppercorns. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 30 minutes, though this took me a bit longer to reduce it until it was syrupy enough that I thought it would coat, and not just dribble off the meatballs. You can keep it on a back burner, stirring it frequently, while browning the meatballs in the next step. Once it has reduced to your satisfaction, strain through a sieve.

Make meatballs: Mix turkey, scallions, cilantro, egg, sesame oil, soy sauce and several grindings of black pepper in a bowl. I like mixing meatballs with a fork; it seems to work the ingredients into each other well. Roll tablespoon-sized knobs of the mixture into balls. The mixture is pretty soft; I find it easiest to roll — eh, more like toss the meatballs from palm to palm until they’re roundish — meatballs with damp hands.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, generously cover bottom of pan with vegetable oil. Working in batches to avoid crowding, place meatballs in pan and cook, turning, until browned all over and cooked inside, about 8 minutes per batch. Arrange on a platter (a heated one will keep them warm longer), spoon sauce over each meatball, and serve with toothpicks. Alternatively, you can serve the glaze on the side, to dip the meatballs.

Vodka Cream Sauce

I've developed a new obsession in a website called Pinterest. Have you heard of it? It's marvelous! Pictures, ideas, crafts, recipes, and much more all in one website. Check it out. You won't regret it!

This recipe came from Pinterest. Actually it's a "pin" from the Cooking Light website but I saw it first on Pinterest. So they get the credit :) So much lighter and easier to make than other vodka sauces I've eaten/made in the past. The sauce combines some of my favorite ingredients into a delicate sauce. Garlic, onion, alcohol, sea salt! Glorious! I also like how loose this sauce is. Dense ones are too heavy and this sauce is anything but heavy. One note though, do NOT try and substitute half-n-half for the heavy cream. It needs the cream. Trust me. So splurge on the 1/4 cup that's in it. It's really not that much.

Vodka Pasta Sauce (adapted slightly from the Cooking Light website)
Serves 2 to 3

1/4 pound angel's hair pasta
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion OR 2 to 3 shallots
Scant 3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/8 to 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper OR 1 dried red chili, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup vodka
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup whipping cream
3 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil
Shaved or grated parmesan cheese, to garnish
Additional fresh basil leaves (optional)

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and keep warm.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add vodka (when cooking with alcohol, there is always the chance of it catching on fire, so be very careful); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by about half. Stir in scant 1/2 teaspoon salt, broth, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and let cool slightly.

If you have stick blender, you can now puree the sauce right in the pan (I prefer this way) Or, place tomato mixture in a conventional blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); and secure the lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters), and process until smooth. Return tomato mixture to pan.

Mix in cream, then cook the sauce for 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in cooked pasta and basil. Taste the pasta and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately.