Quick & Simple Dinners Meal Challenge

My friend Carrie over at Natural Moms Talk Radio is doing a challenge: Quick & Simple Dinner recipes. I’m all over this one – after all this site is dedicated to easy! Here’s a family favorite that’s quick, simple and frugal!

Tuna Casserole

1box elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
16 oz sour cream
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans of tuna
2 cups peas (frozen is fine)

Pre-heat oven to 350. Combine all of the ingredients in a casserole dish – mix well. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Does it get any easier? 5 ingredients, 1 pot, 1 colander, 1 casserole dish. AND I bet you have all the ingredients on hand right now. And I’m not kidding when I say family favorite – my boys (hubby & son) love this! This freezes well to, so go ahead and split it or make two!

Here’s a couple tips: If you like it creamier, only cook 3/4 of the box of macaroni. Save the rest for a craft or something. Also, I do not recommend using low-fat or fat-free sour cream – it just doesn’t bake well and doesn’t remain creamy. You can however use low-fat or fat-free soup. I always use whole-wheat noodles. And finally, use solid white albacore tuna.

Head over to Carrie’s blog for more entries!

Low Fat Cooking on a Budget

The cost of food is continually on the rise, not to mention the added expense of finding the leaner cuts of meat or the specialty “diet” foods.  You don’t have to spend twice as much of your hard earned dollar to eat healthfully.   There are several techniques to making healthier food choices without putting unnecessary dollars in the merchant’s pocket.

•Plan your meals:  Create a weekly menu.  Then make a shopping list and check your pantry and refrigerator against the list.  Mark off anything on your list that you already have on hand.  This will save you the added expense of purchasing something that is already occupying your food pantry.

•Keep it clean and organized:  Cleaning out your pantry, fridge or anywhere you store food on a regular basis is essential to knowing what you have on hand and what you are running low on.  Throw away items that have passed their expiration date or smell or look rancid.  Keep these areas organized and put the items that are nearing their expiration date toward the front.  This will make them easier to see and to reach and will cut down on unnecessary waste.

•Stick to your shopping list:  If it’s not on the list, don’t buy it.   The majority of unnecessary expense is impulse buying.  If it isn’t on your list, chances are you don’t need it.  Sticking to your list will also keep you from sabotaging your diet with that needless bag of cookies.

•Clip coupons and watch for sales:  You can shave several dollars off your grocery bill by checking sales adds and clipping coupons.  Place your coupons in your purse immediately after clipping them to they don’t get left behind when you head to the store.  Don’t purchase something you don’t need just because it’s a good price and you have a coupon; and don’t waste your valuable time cutting out coupons you won’t use.

•Go meatless:  Prepare vegetarian or meatless dishes one or two nights a week.  It will save you money as well as fat.  To still get your protein, however, serve red beans or fish in place of the meat.

•Buy in bulk:  Buy your lean ground beef and boneless, skinless chicken breast in large variety pack and divide them up by the pound or the chicken breast.  You can use what you need per meal and you have saved a ton of money.

You work hard for your money.  You certainly don’t want to throw it away trying to eat right.  With just a few simple steps you should be able to save money and be on your way to a healthier, slimmer you.

Making Red Wine

Among the many types of wine available, red wine is among the best. There are many types of red wine available, although most are made using the same methods.  This very exhilarating type of wine is made from black grapes, drawing their color from the skins of the grapes.

During the beginning stages of making red wine, the grapes that have been picked are put into a crusher.  Here, the crusher will gently break the skins of the grapes.  Depending on what type of wine is being made and the tannin that’s required, the stalks will either be used or discarded at this point.  Next, the grapes are put into a fermentation vat with the skins.  This can be a long process, taking several weeks to complete.  If a higher temperature is used, more tannin and color will be extracted from the grapes.

When making soft wines, the whole grapes are fermented using sealed vats.  The carbon dioxide that becomes trapped in the sealed vats ferment the grapes under pressure, which is normally a quick process, taking only a few days.  Keep in mind, the color and tannin content of the wine is based on how long the fermenting process takes.  If the fermenting process takes a long time, the wine will generally hold more flavor and color.

The remaining bulk of the grapes will go through a press, being crushed to create a tannic wine.  Sometimes, this tannic wine is added with a free run wine in order to add a bit more structure to the wine blend.  Both the press and vat wine are then mixed and transferred to either tanks or barrels for a second fermentation.  The second fermentation will take the longest, although it brings out the quality and taste from the wine.

All types of fine red wine will spend a minimum of a year in the barrels.  Some types of red wine will spend a lot more time in the barrels, possibly several years.  Red wine is also fine tuned with egg whites, which will suspend the yeast and other solids found in the wine downwards, before the wine is racked, filtered, and eventually bottled.  Once the wine has been bottled, it is then shipped off and sold.  Some wine however, will be stored for a period of time in the bottle before it is offered for sale.

The time a wine spends in the bottle is very important, although not every wine needs to spend a lot of time in the bottle.  The more complex and more expensive types of red wine will benefit the most from aging in the bottle, to preserve flavor and color.  The simple types of red wine however, don’t need to spend much time at all in the bottle.

Home brewing options in saving money

Home brewing is a method of making beer at home. If you have ever tried a few different types beer while you are at a party or while you are celebrating life, you will notice that some are heavy and some are light. You should also remember that some are dark and others are light and clear, while some are bitter, and some are not. A home brewing kit is going to give you the ability to make and try your own beer so you can find that one special taste you love.

When can you use the home brewing systems?
You can use a home brewing system to make beer for a summer party, for a small get together or you can use the home brewing system just to have fun and keep you own brand of beer on the shelf in your home. Making beer at home will be easy as you follow the directions and the instructions that are included in any home brewing kit. As you experiment, you should also be writing down every thing you do step by step, as you create different types of beer.

As you continue writing down what you do, and any variations in what you do, you will be able to replicate that process for the final beer that you do like the taste of. Remember, every variations, every tiny fraction of difference in measuring, in how long you boil, or even what type of container you are using is going to make a difference in the final taste of the product you are enjoying.

Where are you going to store the beer?
Storing your beer is actually going to be an easy part of making the beer! I know you are thinking that you have to store all the beer that you make in a refrigerator but actually, that is not the case. You can store the beer in the buckets (that are sealed) that you made the beer in. As the beer is sealed tight is going to stop fermenting and the beer will stay good until you open it. When you are ready to open that bucket and pout it into glasses or containers so it gets cold you will need to put some type of lid on the beer while it gets cold to prevent it from getting flat tasting. Flat beer is worse than warm beer to many people are the world.

By brewing your own brand of beer, you are going to be able to save up to fifty percent of the cost of buying beer from a store. If you are having a large party that can be a huge, overall savings if you just think about it! Now it is time to get busy and start making your first batch.

Making your own beer really is fun. You can make beer, while your friends are over for the day, or you can make a batch of beer a few nights before that big party, you are going to attend. One thing is for sure, when you make your own beer, you will know exactly how much you have, and that you are not going to run out. If you store beer in the basement, where it is going to ferment and cool at the same time, you are always going to be prepared for visitors.

Stretch That Chicken to Make It Go Further

Chicken is routinely eaten at evening mealtime in American households. We each have our favorite ways of preparing it. When cooking a whole chicken, you can do wonders with what you don’t eat for dinner. Here are some ways to make that roasted chicken appealing to the family.

Learn to slice a whole chicken. Slicing one properly makes it easier to remove the rest of the meat from the bone. The skeleton can be used to create broth. Boil it in some water until the rest of the meat falls off.

You can season the broth with herbs and spices. After it cools, pour it into jars for storage. You’ll be able to keep the broth for a few weeks. Use it to flavor soups and casseroles.

Do your kids carry their lunches to school? Instead of buying lunch meat, slice leftover chicken breast for sandwiches. It will be a nice change from the usual lunch fare.

On the weekends, instead of ordering a pizza or going to McDonald’s, use that chicken. Cube a few pieces to toss on top of a salad with some cheese and croutons. Combine with peppers and onions in a skillet to make filling for fajitas or soft tacos.

Does your family like chicken pot pie? Add some of that chicken, along with vegetables (canned or frozen) and a can of creamed soup to a pie crust and you’ve got an instant dinner that takes less than an hour to prepare. It is a quick meal idea perfect for busy families. A salad on the side will make a complete and healthy dinner.

Chicken based casseroles can be made and frozen for future meals. The family may be all “chickened out” for the week, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of the chicken you have left for future weeks.

Do you still have more chicken? Well let’s keep going with more ideas. Hey, our mothers and grandmothers learned to use chicken in many ways and so can we. What tastes the best when you have a cold and are feeling under the weather? Why, chicken noodle soup of course.

Don’t settle for canned soup with small noodles. Make your own soup with juicy chicken pieces and wide egg noodles. That broth you jarred up will serve as a nice base and best of all it is already seasoned.

Add wide egg noodles and sliced vegetables like carrots, celery, and onions to your soup. When the noodles are tender, add the chicken. Since it is already cooked it just needs to warn up. Ladle up a bowl for the sick and the healthy as a light weekend lunch.

What are you doing with your chicken after dinner tonight? Try some of these ideas to make that chicken do double and triple duty to save on your family’s grocery bill. The best part is that the new meals are just as tasty as the original dish.

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