Baked Ziti Recipe

Ready to be devoured!

Fresh from the oven.

I want to share with a recipe and also two great cooking shows you might not be aware of.  Two of my favorite cooking shows were introduced to me by my husband's Aunt.  They aren't on the Food Network or the Cooking Channel.  Both these fabulous shows are on PBS!  You can find more than just great kid shows on PBS and when my kids and husband let me watch my shows, this is where I head. 

You will want to set your DVR to start recording America's Test Kitchen and Cook Country's TV.  Both of these shows feature recipes that are favorites of cooks everywhere, but they are improved.  They test each recipe hundreds (if not more) times to get the best quality product possible.  They test gadgets and products as well.  I always want to know what performs the best and what is the best option for my grocery needs.  I get all that while learning a few new recipes.  I'm not a chef, but I sure feel closer to being one after watching how the professionals cook.  Enough of my love affair with these two shows.  Check them out and let me know what you think!  (Oh, and head over to their websites for tons of free recipes).

Baked Ziti is the recipe that I recently tried.  Now, I know that you can make Baked Ziti fairly quick and easy, this recipe is a bit more complicated, but the end result is fantastic.  It mixes the traditional Marinara sauce with Alfredo sauce.  Yum Yum is all I can say!

Baked Ziti
American Test Kitchen TV from the Episode: Who Wants Pasta?

Serves 8 to 10

1            pound whole milk cottage cheese  or 1 percent cottage cheese (see note)

2            large eggs , lightly beaten

3            ounces grated Parmesan cheese  (about 1 1/2 cups)

            Table salt 

1            pound ziti  or other short, tubular pasta

2            tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

5            medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)

1            (28-ounce) can tomato sauce 

1            (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes 

1            teaspoon dried oregano 

1/2        cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves 

1            teaspoon sugar 

             Ground black pepper 

3/4        teaspoon cornstarch 

1            cup heavy cream  (see note)

8            ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese , cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups) 

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in medium bowl; set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain pasta and leave in colander (do not wash Dutch oven).

2. Meanwhile, heat oil and garlic in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in ½ cup basil and sugar, then season with salt and pepper.

3. Stir cornstarch into heavy cream in small bowl; transfer mixture to now-empty Dutch oven set over medium heat. Bring to simmer and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, and ¾ cup mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add pasta and stir to coat thoroughly with sauce.

4. Transfer pasta mixture to 13- by 9-inch baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle remaining ¾ cup mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over top. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

5. Remove foil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve.

Go shopping for the ingredients and get cooking!   You won't be disappointed.

Easy Hawaiian Pizza

If you haven't noticed, I have been cooking quite a bit lately.  We are trying to stick to our budget and the Dave Ramsey plan.

My family thinks it is hilarious that I have to do a photo shoot prior to every meal lately (ones that are unique at least).  I forgot to do the photo shoot on this one, so please forgive the after-thought photo.

Many years back I went to a trendy pizza place and had Hawaiian pizza.  I loved it.  I read back through the ingredients on the menu and realized that I could easily make this at home.  If you are looking for a different pizza recipe, here you go!

Hawaiian Pizza

1 can of pineapple chunks
1 refrigerated pizza dough
12 slices of Canadian bacon
Mozzarella cheese
Honey (this is the key ingredient)
Cornmeal (optional)

Spray your pizza stone or baking dish with cooking spray.  Sprinkle cornmeal on stone (optional).  Spread refrigerated pizza dough out on stone.  Spread honey liberally over surface of pizza dough. (I squeeze the container in long strides horizontally and vertically to get a good coverage).  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over honey and dough to cover (as much as you like).  Place canadian bacon equally over cheese and then top with pineapple chunks.  Bake according to pizza dough instructions. 

Our family enjoys this pizza as it is a change from normal pizza night.  The kids love the pineapple addition. 

Happy Cooking!

Hot Ham & Swiss Sandwiches

A friend of mine just had a baby recently and she had a request for my potato salad (really Shannon's, but I have made it so many times now, I claim it too) and some awesome chocolate chip cookies.  {Don't worry, I'll share both those recipes as well}.

Well, it's February.  Not really picnic food time, oh well, I went with it.  After much thought, I remembered these Hot Ham & Swiss Sandwiches.  They were affectionately known as "Momma Shaft Samiches" when we lived in Northern Ohio.  These are great sandwiches for a get together, party or your family.  It is fun to pull back the foil and see the delicious goodness inside!

Hot Ham & Swiss Sandwiches Recipe

1/2 cup of butter softened
1 tablespoon poppyseeds
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 pound thinly sliced deli ham
8 thin sliced baby swiss cheese
8 small hamburger buns
8 pieces of foil (large enough to cover a sandwich)

Stir together butter, poppyseeds, and Dijon mustard in a small bowl.  Spread mixture evenly on top and bottom of each bun.  Slice baby swiss in half.  Place a piece of baby swiss on top and bottom of bun.  Place a few slices of ham on bottom of bun and put top bun on.  Place sandwich in the middle of foil.  Fold foil over sandwich and wrap underneath.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.  Serve warm.

Enjoy!




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Jumbo Stuffed Shells with Meatballs

This is one of my go-to meals for someone in need or just a delicious dinner.  It is one of my husband's and mother-in-law's favorite meals that I make.

Jill’s Jumbo Stuffed Shells with Cheese and Meatballs

1 box jumbo shells

3 cup ricotta cheese

12 oz package Mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 eggs, slightly beaten

2 tsp chopped parsley

3/4 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp pepper

4 cup spaghetti sauce

precooked meatballs

Cook shells as directed.  Drain and dry in a single layer on paper towel.  Combine cheeses with beaten eggs, salt, parsley, oregano and pepper.  Fill shells with cheese mixture (around 2 Tablespoons).  Spread a thin layer of sauce in 9x12 baking dish.  Place shells in row and then meatballs and alternate.  Cover with spaghetti sauce.  Sprinkle with Parmesan and Mozzeralla cheeses.  Bake at 350 for approximately 35 minutes.  Shells with filling can be frozen for future meals.

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Recipes from Mom-A Guest Blog from our loyal follower, Jessica

I honestly never thought of my friend, Jessica, as much of a cook.  She's always running through McDonalds, Wendys, or Taco Bell drive thrus or to Little Caesars to get a $5 fast and ready pizza.  All of the sudden, she's sending me pictures of these amazing dinners she's been making.  An even bigger treat was the day she dropped off a bowl of Mostaccioli, still warm.  Yum!

Now, she's started sending me recipes.  Did she not get the memo?  I'm TRYING to eat healthy which is especially hard with all these temptations.  I'm sure these recipes could be "healthified" with a few substitutions but for those of you that want to go full force, Jessica's sharing the recipes with you!

My taste buds thank you, Jess!



Being a full time teacher and mother of two very wild boys I find it hard to plan out meals and look for them in cookbooks so I turned to my favorite cook for her advice. My favorite cook being my mom. Since I don't live close to my mom (780 miles away) I only get her cooking about 4 times a year. She used to cook the mostaccoli and bring it to all the family gatherings weddings, graduations, and birthdays. My family loves it so much I figured I better get the recipe and start cooking it for them as well. I also have heard her talk about her homemade Chicken Pot Pie so while I was home at Christmas she made it for my family. We loved it so much I came home and within 1 week called her for the recipe. My husband never eats leftovers and he will eat both of these. The last recipe is something that I found at Wal-mart. While picking up my chili seasoning I found these McCormick spices that were pre-packaged and had all the measurements for a given recipe and so I tried it and we love it. Trust me all these recipes are simple to make and very tasty. My kids are picky eaters and they will eat everyone of these meals.
I hope you enjoy these!
Jessica

Mostaccioli

Doesn't this look delicious?  Believe me, it was!



1-jar of spaghetti sauce (I use the large Prego with mushrooms you won't need it all)
1- box of the mostaccioli noodles or you can use penne noodles
1-2 cup bag of mozzarela cheese
Parmesan cheese

1 pack of Johnsonville mild/sweet Italian sausage

Cook noodles as package says. Pre-boil the sausage so that it cooks out the grease. After noodles are cooked put them in a large bowl. Take the sausage out after precooked. Then slice them in pieces. Pour sausage in bowl with noodles and add as much sauce as you desire. Pour in as much parmesan cheese as you wish and mix. You also can add in some mozzarela cheese too. Stir all together in a bowl. Then pour in a baking dish and cover the top with mozzarela cheese. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes covered with foil and then take off aluminum foil and cook until the cheese is a golden brown.

Chicken Pot Pie

2-Pillsbury Soft Pie Crusts (refrigerated kind they don't say soft on them)
2 cups diced chicken
1-can Veg-All (mixed vegtables corn, green beans, peas, and carrots)
2-Cans Cream of potatoes (you can use 1 can cream of chicken and 1 can cream of potatoe she uses the potato for both for more potatoes in the pie)
salt and pepper for taste
little milk to make it creamier

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Put one crust in the pie pan and poke a few wholes in the crust so that air comes through to cook the bottom. Then pour in all the ingredients. Put the other crust on top and wrap the edge with aluminum foil. Cook for 45 minutes on 350 and then take off foil and cook for 15 more minutes. Enjoy!

Everything poured in the bottom crust.

The top crust on and ready to bake.

Ready to Eat!



Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Potatoes2 tsp Paprika
1 1/2 tsp crushed rosemary leaves
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp course black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
3-4 chicken breasts or 6 bone in chicken thighs (whichever you want)
1 1/2 lbs small red potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes

1. Mix oil and all spices in large bowl. Add chicken and potatoes toss and coat well. Arrange chicken and potatoes in single layer foil lined 15 x 10 x 1 inch backing pan sprayed with no stick cooking spray.

2. Roast, uncovered in preheated 425 F oven 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender, turning potatoes occasionally.



This looks pretty healthy and amazing!

Thank you, Jessica!  We are always looking for great meals our kiddos will eat!

Atlanta Snow Day & Weekly Menu Plans

Well, it snowed in Georgia!  That is not a common occurrence here!   This is the second time in two months though.  We got about 4 inches where we live, but in some nearby areas they got closer to 8 inches!  We are supposed to get about an inch of ice on top of this!

For those of you not familiar with Southerners, snow and ice like this is debilitating!  We are in a state of emergency and no one should be on the roads at all.  Why, you ask?  We heard on the news this morning that Georgia has about 15 salt trucks, yep for the entire state!  Our family is used to this as we grew up in Kentucky and lived in Northern Ohio for a few years.

We welcomed the snow today.  It is a reminder that we need to slow down and just enjoy time together.  My husband took the kids out to play (for all of 15 minutes before they started whining about being cold).  I wanted to share some pictures with you.  Evan got tired of being cold and preferred watching the fun from the front door.







We are enjoying being snowed in.  Now for our menu plans for this week!

Shannon is being so good and is having a healthy eating month.  She is working hard to eat healthy foods and is hopeful this will last longer than this month.  I am very proud of her! Plus, her menu is diverse!  Leave a comment if you would like a recipe for any of the items.

Shannon's menu plan
Sunday-Chicken Chili
Monday-Beef Stew
Tuesday-Steak Salad
Wednesday-Grilled Chicken and Veggies on the grill
Thursday-Coconut Curry Shrimp
Friday-Taco Night
Saturday-Baked Tilapia-Thai Style

I, on the other hand, am sticking to my normal foods.  I have a wedding to prepare for in April, but I am not in the mood to diet yet.  One day soon! You may notice some repeats from last week.  We got sick and hit up some Chinese soups so I moved meals to this week. Some of my meals have links to the recipes.  If there is recipe you would like, just leave me a comment.  I will also be adding the recipes from last week that were requested. 

Jill's Menu Plan
Monday-Italian Chicken, broccoli, mashed potatoes
Tuesday-My Crockpot BBQ pork on buns, green beans
Wednesday-leftovers (husband is gone on Wednesday nights)
Thursday-Wayne's Beef Macaroni and Cheese
Friday-Honey Teriyaki (KC Masterpiece marinade)Grilled Chicken, rice, oriental vegetables
Saturday-Baked Ziti, salad, french rolls
Sunday-Ham slice, peas and macaroni & cheese

 Have a great week and stay warm!

Menu Planning: Determining your Menu

Hopefully, you have followed my steps so far on Menu Planning (Setting up a Food Inventory, Making the most of your cookbooks,  and organizing your menu).  Now you are ready to determine your menu and then go shopping!

Using your basic food list, organized cookbooks, budget, grocery ads and a calendar or a fun Menu Board, let's determine this week's menu!

Determine your Menu

• Looking at a week at a time, choose a meal for each day.  Write these on your calendar or Menu Board.
• Don't forget to include side dishes, breads and dessert (if you choose). 
• If you have a day that is particular busy, make it a Crock-pot meal.
• Include a leftover meal if you don't use those up for lunches.
• Remember if the week gets hectic, switch meals around!

Here is my menu plan for this week:

Sunday:  Mom's Beef Barbecue on buns, leftover sides
Monday:  Grilled Kielbasa, seasoned noodles, green beans
Tuesday:  Henri's Crock-pot Beef Roast with mushrooms served on egg noodles, broccoli, homemade sourdough bread (rising as I write)
Wednesday:  BBQ Chicken Pizza leftovers from freezer (it's just the kids and I for dinner)
Thursday:  Chicken Fried Rice with peas & carrots mixed in
Friday:  Ham slice, macaroni and cheese, peas, cornbread
Saturday:  Easy Teriyaki Chicken with oriental vegetables and pineapple over rice

Go Grocery Shopping:

• Make your list and stick to it!  All those extras that aren't needed will bust your budget.  It is okay to buy items for stocking up, just make sure you plan on those before going!

Enjoy a week filled with meals that are planned and save you money!

I hope you enjoyed this series on menu planning.  Share your thoughts, tips and this week's menu!  We love hearing from our readers!   

Happy Menu Planning!

Menu Planning: Organizing your Menu

The cost of food is probably one of the most expensive items on your monthly budget.  You can drastically cut the cost of your food budget by Menu Planning.

Menu Planning should be fun and easy.  It is a chance to make your favorite foods or try out some new recipes.  If you take the steps I have provided (setting up a Food Inventory and making the most of your cookbooks), then the next steps will be an easy process.

Before we get started, grab some supplies:  paper, pencil or pen, calendar, your food inventory list, your recipe files and a couple of cookbooks.

If this is your first time organizing a menu, then I highly suggest you start with just one week.  Don't try to make a menu for the whole month.  It will seem like an insurmountable task.  Start small and go from there.

Basic Meal list

• On your paper, jot down basic meals that your family frequently eats, i.e (Spaghetti, grilled chicken, soups, etc).  Don't forget to include side dishes and desserts (if you like).  Having a list of basic meals will be your starting point.

Meeting your budget needs

• If you are on a tight budget, I suggest that you try to eat out of your food on hand.  This is where your Food Inventory can really come in handy.  Choose meals that use up as much of your pantry, refrigerator and freezer items.
• If money isn't an issue this month, stock up on items that you use frequently (cream of mushroom or chicken, soups, baking goods, rice, assortment of noodles, etc).  
• Buy in bulk.  I use a Foodsaver and buy my meats in bulk.  The Foodsaver helps me store my food flat in the freezer (huge space saver) and keep it fresh longer.
• Plan meals based on what is on sale.  Check the grocery ads before making your menu plan for the week.  This will save you money and allow you to stock up on inexpensive items.

Determine your food budget

• Look at your grocery bills from last month.  Add them all up and then divide them by 4.  You can estimate that cost per week for this month.
• Choose a set amount per week and stick to it!  Use cash, you will spend less and when the money is gone so is the opportunity to buy more that week.
• Reward yourself for going under your food budget.  If you have money leftover at the end of the week, you can put it towards next week,  use it for something fun like craft supplies or save up for something you want in the future.

Planning the menu

• Start small.  Just plan your dinners for one week.  If you need to plan breakfast and lunch meals add those the following week, after you've had a successful week.
• Utilize leftovers.  I put leftovers on the menu for at least one night or for a lunch. If you have enough for another meal, freeze it for another week's menu.  I group all our leftovers and make another meal of the combination.  This is a great meal for a busy day when you don't feel like cooking.  If you don't want another dinner of leftovers, use them up for lunch throughout the week. Putting leftovers in the garbage is throwing away your money!
• Don't be afraid to move around your meals throughout the week.  You aren't stuck making soup on Tuesday if it is a warmer day.  Switch it for another day.
• Plan ahead.  If you are making something that a meat needs to be thawed, put it in the refrigerator the night before or early in the morning.  Nothing deters cooking more than not having your supplies ready.
• Make a menu board.   You can write all your meals on this and it will be in an easy place to remind you.  Plus, it's just pretty! This can be hung on the wall or put in a pretty wrought iron holder. 
  
   
  On to Determining your Menu...

Healthy Eating is Living Green-A Guest Post

My cousin, Jennifer, writes a blog about living green: journeytoagreenlife.blogspot.com.  I am really impressed with all she's shared through her blog. Her blog includes great tips for living a healthier life.  I was especially interested in her post about green household cleaners.  They are safer and cheap!

I asked Jennifer if she would be willing to write a guest post for our site.  I know many of us our looking to make healthy changes as our New Year Resolutions.  Jennifer has offered some great suggestions to head us in the right direction. 

After reading this post, remember to head on over to journeytoagreenlife.blogspot.com to get more great suggestions!  Thanks again, Jennifer!

Shannon

Healthy Eating is Living Green, Recipes Included!!

I have been experimenting with only home cooked foods and I am going to share some of my ideas with you. My goal is to not buy anything in a package other than the staples and some hard to produce items.

I have been on a journey to living a more green life. In this journey I have begun changing the eating habits of my family. My interest is piqued any time there is a new health news report on foods or eating habits. Having a son with multiple food allergies has also raised my awareness of the ingredients in the prepackaged foods we purchase. I have found the only way to feed my family the best and control the exact ingredients in the food we eat is to make it myself.
My son Eli was allergic to dairy and soy for the first year and a half of his life (I say "was" because he has since outgrown the soy allergy). He is also allergic to eggs, nuts, and a few other foods. There was only one brand of frozen French baguette's that he could eat because they did not contain any dairy, egg, or soy. This began my "basic foods" home cooking. I started making my own pizza crusts, rolls, and bread so that Eli could enjoy some of what the rest of us were eating. I realized that it was not only easy to bake these basic foods myself but it really didn't take much time either. The taste was unbelievable! It is unnerving the amount of ingredients and preservatives that are in some basic foods such as bread and pizza dough. Anyways this started my experimenting and opened my eyes to some healthy alternatives to pre-packaged foods.

When I grocery shop I pretty much buy the basic staples and anything that I cannot create myself within a reasonable budget and time frame. Anything I buy prepackaged I always check the ingredients to make sure there are not lots of fillers or unneccessary ingredients. Here is a great site you can find info on all those hard to pronounce ingredients and what to look for and avoid:
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/healthy-ingredients
Some of the things I have started making from scratch are tortillas, bread, waffles, pizza crusts, sweets like cookies and pies, and seasonings like chili and taco seasoning. My shopping lists usually consist of staples like flour, sugar, sunbutter, rice, meats, eggs, milk, spices, nuts and seeds and apple juice(this is something I have not found a way to produce better or more efficiently than the manufacturers). I try to buy my produce from local produce stands or farms to keep it green. I have found that in doing this my grocery bill has decreased and the amount of money we spend on eating out. These savings are a great way to buy some organic products that typically cost more.

My next big recipe will be making fresh cheeses. I haven't done so yet but my mindset is "if it can be done, I can do it myself". I am currently looking for somewhere to purchase unpasturized goats milk so that I can make some that the entire family can enjoy. Below you can find some of my recipes and try them out yourself. I do most of my baking dairy and egg free so you can always substitute real eggs and dairy where I use egg substitute and soy or rice milk. I have found that this way of cooking and preparing meals it great for a budget and your health. You will find you can be very satisfied with your meals and at the same time be consuming less calories and sodium than if you were using prepackaged foods or eating out and consuming no nitrates. I even sneak in fresh spinach in my brownies and anywhere else I can hide the vibrant color from my older kids. I always use fresh veggies as my fillers in homemade breads, sauces, soups, and even meatloaf. This is a great way to get picky kid to eat their share of veggies sometimes without even knowing:) Enjoy!

Fresh Salsa
3 fresh tomatoes
1/2 medium onion
1 green chili
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp vinegar
Blend all ingredients in a food processor and serve

Homemade Hamburger Buns
2 tbsp dry active yeast
1 cup plus 2 tbsp warm water
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg replacer
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 to 1 cup of fresh chopped spinach
Dissolve yeast in warm water, stir in oil and sugar - let stand 5 minutes. Add egg replacer, salt, white flour, and 1/2 cup of wheat flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking to your hands. Fold in spinach. Knead 5 minutes. Divide into 8 pieces, shape into a disc. Let rest for 10 minutes. Bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes.

Turkey Chili
1 lb. ground turkey
1 green pepper chopped
1 onion chopped
1 zucchini chopped
1 yellow squash chopped
3 tomatoes chopped
1 can tomato paste (you can substitute tomato soup for a healthier option or homemade tomato sauce))
homemade chili seasoning to taste (recipe below)
Saute turkey and veggies in a dash of olive oil. When cooked thoroughly add tomatoes, and tomato sauce and season. Simmer for at least an hour to let all the flavors meld.


Homemade Chili Seasoning
1 tbsp paprika
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp seasoned pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Store in an airtight container and season chili to taste. You can double or triple the recipe to save on time and have a larger amount on hand.

Pizza Crust
1 cup warm water
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil
3 cups flour
1 pack quick rise yeast
Top with favorite pizza topping and bake at 425 until browned.

Zucchini Lime Carrot Bread
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup sugar
1 cup finely shredded unpeeled zucchini
1 cup finely shredded carrot
1/4 cup olive oil
1 egg substitute
1/2 tsp lime zest
Im a mixing bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, sal, baking powder, and nutmeg. In another bowl combine sugar, shredded zucchini and carrots, olive oil, egg substitute, and lime zest and mix well. Add flour mixture and stir until combined.
Pour batter into a 8x4x2 inch loaf pan and bake at 350 for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Great for a healthy breakfast alternative to pancakes or poptarts.

We would like to thank Jennifer for sharing her wisdom and expertise.  If you have something you'd like to guest blog about, please let us know!

Menu Planning: Making the most of your cookbooks

The next step in your Menu Planning process is to make the most of your cookbooks.  I love cookbooks.  I have WAY too many.  I also love cooking magazines like Taste of Home, Simple and Delicious and Cook's Country.  These are fabulous for new recipes.

Don't have many cookbooks to choose from?  Utilize your local library!  I search their catalog and request cookbooks frequently.  Then I look through them and write down recipes I would like to try.  Cookbooks can be expensive and the library is free!

Cookbooks are a waste unless you are properly utilizing them!  Let me share with you how I make the most of my cookbooks.

1.  Grab a cookbook and some post-it notes.  I like using the longer post-it notes that are lined.
Here is the cookbook that I am using as an example, it is a great one for Southern Cooks.

2.  Now take a few minutes and go through the cookbook.  You don't need to linger on recipes, just browse each page.  Write down the page number and the name of a recipe you would like to try.
3.  Once you have a page filled, put the post-it note on the inside cover of your cookbook.

4.  Go through the entire cookbook and make a listing of all the recipes you would like to try.  Here is a picture of all my post-its.  This was a large cookbook so I had many recipes I wanted to try.  There are about 3-4 post-it pages on each of the front pages of this cookbook.

5.  When you are ready to try some new recipes, you can flip quickly through your post-it notes versus the entire cookbook.
6.  I highlight recipes I have tried and put a note beside them whether it was good, great or a keeper.  If I especially liked it (a keeper), I add it to my recipe files.  If I didn't like the recipe, I mark it out and I know not to try it again.

This process can take some time, but if you sit down and do a couple of cookbooks at a time or one a day, you can easily have all your cookbooks organized and ready to use!  While you are catching up on shows, grab a cookbook and make the most of your time.

I have three challenges for you:

• If you haven't already done so, make a food inventory.  See my post on this:  Menu Planning: Setting up a Food Inventory
• Go through your cookbooks and follow the process above.
• Take one cookbook and make some new meals out of it for the next month (or two, depending on the size of the cookbook).  You will enjoy the new meals and so will your family.  I am taking this challenge as well!

Tomorrow, I will share Menu Planning:  Organizing your menu.

Menu Planning: Setting up a Food Inventory

It's a new year and time to get your budgeting skills a fresh start. In the coming days and weeks, I will share with you how I make the most of our family's money through some simple techniques.

I'm a stay-at-home Mom of 3 kids and I am also married to a Youth Minister.  I must know how to budget or we would be in BIG trouble.  When anyone says that they couldn't possibly afford to stay home with their kids, I remind them what little we live on.  It's possible, but it requires sacrifice and lots of planning.

One of the easiest ways to save money and meet a tight budget is by planning your meals. There are many meal planning services out there. I have done one, but I wasn't impressed with the recipes.  If you plan your meals yourself, you will make meals your family likes and not have wasteful spending. I have some helpful tips to get you started on your way to easy Menu Planning.

Before you think of menu planning and your food budget, you need to take stock of what food items you have in the house. I call this my Food Inventory.

Setting up a Food Inventory
1.  Grab a piece of paper and head to your pantry.  This is a great time to reorganize if you need to.  I don't have a pantry closet, but just two free standing pantries.  I start listing all that I have in my pantry shelf by shelf.  Yes, this is tedious, but it will save you money by not purchasing items you already have in stock.

I am a computer person, so I have my Food Inventory on my stickies on my Mac.  Here is a picture of command central.

Here is a close up of what I list:

I do this for every shelf.
2.  Move to your refrigerator.  List all the essential ingredients you have on hand.  You don't need to list items you always keep in stock such as milk, eggs, butter, ketchup, mayo (unless you need to pick these up).  List the items that you can use up in recipes, such as, green peppers, celery, green onions, carrots, etc.
3.  Now go to your freezer.  List everything you have in your freezer.  I list all the vegetables I have, the quantities of each meat.  Side note:  I use a Food Saver (best thing ever) and buy my meats in bulk.  Therefore I list that I have 5 chicken or 6 ground beef.
4.  If you have a deep freezer, an additional refrigerator or other food storage area, list all your food items in each of those.
5.  I put my list on my stickies so that I can delete weekly or easily add items that I bring home for the store.  If you don't have stickies, you could put your list in a word document. 
6.  Each month or every two months, depending on how well I have kept up with my storage, I go back and update my Food Inventory by going through this process again.

Now you have your first task to complete.  Go take a Food Inventory of everything you have on hand.  Next we will make the most of your cookbooks!