Saturday, February 28, 2015

My recipe website

In case you've tried to go to my main recipe website today, and found it was missing, that's because this morning I moved my site to a new host and they said it could take up to two days for everything to be working properly. I'm also having email issues so it might take me a while to reply and I suspect that some emails might get lost in cyberspace.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Menu for the week of 3/1 thru 3/7

THAI PEANUT TURKEY CURRY SKILLET
UNDERCOVER CHICKEN
SUNDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Leftover Tijuana Quiche
Leftover Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers
Leftover Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Leftover Strawberry Almond Crumb Cake

Leftover Egg Salad
Steak (unless there are too many leftovers)

MONDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Thai Peanut Turkey Curry Skillet (will make with ground beef)

TUESDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Leftovers

WEDNESDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Ham & Cheese Quiche
Pork roast

THURSDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Undercover Chicken
Cheese Biscuits 

FRIDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Deep Dish Pizza

SATURDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Leftovers
Basic Chili
CHEESE BISCUITS
DEEP DISH PIZZA
BASIC CHILI


Thursday, February 26, 2015

Shopping List for February 22 - February 28

MONDAY'S SHOPPING

FOOD TOWN (Monday):
Ground beef @ 1.99lb (marked down) - $10.64
Boneless chicken breasts @ 1.77lb - $3.08
2 Boston butt pork roasts @ .99lb - $7.48
4 red bell peppers @ .50 each - $2.00
Onions @ .39lb - $.81
Green onions - $.59

TOTAL - $24.60

ALDI (Thursday):
Cream cheese - $1.29
Coffee - $3.99
1 dozen eggs - $.99
2 tomato paste @ .39 each - $.78

TOTAL - $7.90

WALMART (Thursday):
Thai red curry paste - $2.42
Mildew spray - $2.88

TOTAL - $5.54

KROGER (Thursday):
7 CARBmaster yogurt @ .40 each (minus 10% discount) - $2.52
2 12-pack diet soda @ 2.39 each (minus 10% discount + $.95 coupon) - $3.35
2 bags tortilla chips @ 1.00 each (minus 10% discount + $1.00 coupon) - $.80
2 pounds butter @ 1.99 each (minus 10% discount) - $3.58
2 jars peanut butter @ 1.49 each (minus 10% discount) - $2.68
Napkins @ .97 (minus 10% discount) - $.87
2 ice cream at 2.50 each (minus 10% discount + .40 coupon) - $4.10

TOTAL - $18.32

GRAND TOTAL - $56.36 (over budget by $6.36)

THURSDAY'S SHOPPING
I decided to splurge and get some tortilla chips for my husband since he's been crunchy snack deprived for so long. I couldn't pass them up at 40-cents per bag after my discount and a coupon (I had to buy 2 to use the coupon).

I was so happy to finally see pork roasts for 99-cents pound again after being around $2.50 pound for so long. I'd basically stopped buying pork because it was so expensive. Food Town has them for the same price again in this week's ad so I might buy another one next Tuesday (last day of the sale) and cook it right away. I've tentatively altered my menu for next week to work in a pork roast.

Although I didn't need any eggs, I bought one dozen today because they're still 99-cents at the new Aldi store this week. I made a big batch of egg salad a few days ago and I'll probably make another big batch soon now that I've got a surplus of eggs on hand. I used 10 eggs in the last batch and I might go ahead and use a full dozen next time because egg salad gets eaten very quickly around here.



I bought the cream cheese today to make another Raspberry-Almond Crumb Cake in the next few days. I've still got enough sour cream and strawberry jam left so I figured I might as well because the last one was so yummy. In case you haven't noticed, I've updated the recipe a little after making a few changes to it when I made the last one the other day.


RASPBERRY-ALMOND CRUMB CAKE



Monday, February 23, 2015

Monday's Shopping


 
They're predicting freezing rain for Tuesday morning so I did my shopping today. I didn't want to miss out on the pork shoulder roasts for 99-cents pound. It's been ages since they were that cheap. I bought two small ones but you can't see the second one in the photo. 

Aren't those beautiful red bell peppers? They were the same price as the green ones today and only 50-cents each. I'll be using them to make Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers on Friday. Hopefully they'll keep that long. 
 

Friday, February 20, 2015

Menu for the week of 2/22 thru 2/28


RASPBERRY (STRAWBERRY) ALMOND CRUMB CAKE

RASPBERRY (STRAWBERRY) ALMOND CRUMB CAKE


SUNDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Leftover Salsa Sausage Quiche
Leftover Tuna "Rice" Casserole
Leftover Burger Scramble Florentine
Strawberry Almond Crumb Cake 

MONDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Italian Meatball Burgers

TUESDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Leftovers

WEDNESDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

THURSDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Tijuana Quiche
Leftovers

FRIDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers

SATURDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt and Coconutty Crunch
Leftovers


CHICKEN CORDON BLEU CASSEROLE
SLOPPY JOE STUFFED PEPPERS

TIJUANA QUICHE

If green peppers are too expensive or bad-looking when I shop next week, I'll switch Friday's menu to regular Sloppy Joes on buns for my husband. I'll eat mine with a spoon!

I have a jar of Smucker's sugar free strawberry jam that's been in the pantry for ages. I found it in the clearance bin so I got it cheap. I'm going to use it in the Crumb Cake on Sunday instead of raspberry jam.


UPDATE: I just realized that I linked to the wrong version of the crumb cake recipe. I was linking to a variation instead of the original, which is the one I'm planning to make.


Thursday, February 19, 2015

Shopping List for February 15 - February 21

TUESDAY'S SHOPPING

FOOD TOWN (Tuesday):
Ground beef @ 1.99lb (marked down) - $4.88
Garlic salt - $1.55
JalapeƱos @ .69lb - $.74

TOTAL - $7.17

HEB (Tuesday):
Nasal strips - $6.88
Shower spray - $1.97
2 ice cream @ 4.48 each (buy 1/get 1 free) - $4.48

TOTAL - $13.49

ALDI (Thursday):
2 Cream cheese @ 1.29 each - $2.58
Colby - $1.79
Coffee - $2.79
4 dozen eggs @ .99 each - $3.96

TOTAL - $11.12

KROGER (Thursday):
7 CARBmaster yogurt @ .40 each (minus 10% discount) - $2.52
2 12-pack diet soda @ 2.39 each (minus 10% discount + $1.00 coupon) - $3.30
Parmesan cheese @ 2.97 (minus 10% discount) - $2.67
16-ounce shredded cheese @ 3.79 (minus 10% discount) - $3.41
8 ounce sour cream @ .99 (minus 10% discount + .40 coupon) - $.49
Foil @ 1.99 (minus 10% discount) - $1.79
Frozen cauliflower @ 1.00 (minus 10% discount) - $.90

TOTAL - $15.50

GRAND TOTAL - $47.28

THURSDAY'S SHOPPING

Food Town only had one package of marked down ground beef or I would have bought more. I stocked up and bought the maximum eggs allowed per purchase at Aldi while they're still 99-cents. When I went to the other Aldi location last week, they weren't 99-cents there so this must still be one of the grand opening deals at the new location.

 

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Tuesday's Shopping


 
I didn't buy a lot today but I did get some good deals. The package of ground beef was marked down, the jalapeƱos were cheap and the ice cream was buy one get one free.
 

Friday, February 13, 2015

Menu for the week of 2/15 thru 2/21

BURGER SCRAMBLE FLORENTINE
HOUSTON CHICKEN

SUNDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt with whipped cream and Coconutty Crunch
Leftover Swiss Onion Quiche
Leftover Roast Chicken
Leftover Sausage-Mushroom Dressing
Leftover Cinnamon Muffins

MONDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt with whipped cream and Coconutty Crunch
Atkins Meatloaf
Green Beans

TUESDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt with whipped cream and Coconutty Crunch
Leftovers

WEDNESDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt with whipped cream and Coconutty Crunch
Burger Scramble Florentine

THURSDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt with whipped cream and Coconutty Crunch
Leftovers
Houston Chicken

FRIDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt with whipped cream and Coconutty Crunch
Salsa Sausage Quiche
Leftovers

SATURDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt with whipped cream and Coconutty Crunch
Tuna "Rice" Casserole

SALSA SAUSAGE QUICHE
TUNA "RICE" CASSEROLE
 

I want to mention something that I've been doing whenever I make roast chicken and my Sausage-Mushroom Dressing lately. After I've roasted the chicken, I pour all of the pan juices into the baked dressing and mix them in. That really boosts the flavor just like putting bread stuffing inside of a turkey or chicken adds tons of flavor to the stuffing.

I also came up with another idea when I roasted some chicken thighs today. I like to remove the bones before roasting them because it's easier to remove them when the chicken is raw. It also makes the chicken easier to eat without having to mess with bones. So this time I had the crazy idea to throw the bones that I'd removed on the pan along with the chicken thighs and roast them together. I froze the bones so that I can use them to make broth another day. The broth will taste so much better than when made from raw bones.
 

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Shopping List for February 8 - February 14

TUESDAY'S SHOPPING

FOOD TOWN (Tuesday):
8-pack paper towel - $3.99
Bean sprouts - $.99
Onions @ .49lb - $1.26
Fresh mushrooms @ 2.99lb - $3.28
5 cans tomato sauce @ 5/1.00 - $1.00

TOTAL - $10.81

HEB (Tuesday):
1 quart heavy cream $3.78
Parchment paper - $2.97
2 jars instant coffee @ .25 each (marked down) - $.50
Powder compact @ 4.37 (- $1.00 coupon) - $3.37

TOTAL - $11.14

ALDI (Thursday):
Bread - $.85
Decaf - $2.69
Cream cheese - $1.29
Colby - $1.79
Monterey jack - $1.79

TOTAL - $8.41

KROGER (Thursday):
7 CARBmaster yogurt @ .40 each (minus 10% discount + .40 coupon) - $2.12
12-pack diet soda @ 2.39 (minus 10% discount) - $2.15
Peanut butter @ 1.79 (free coupon) - $.00
Parmesan cheese @ 2.97 (minus 10% discount) - $2.67
3 bags 16-ounce shredded cheese @ 2.99 each (minus 10% discount + .50 coupon + .65 coupon) - $6.92
Kitchen trash bags @ 3.29 (minus 10% discount) - $2.96

TOTAL - $17.24

GRAND TOTAL - $47.60

THURSDAY'S SHOPPING

 

Friday, February 6, 2015

Menu for the week of 2/8 thru 2/14

BASIC ALMOND FLOUR MUFFINS

SUNDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt with whipped cream and Coconutty Crunch
Sausage Quiche
Spaghetti (not low carb)
Leftover BBQ Cheeseburger Pie
Leftover Deep Dish Pizza

MONDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt with whipped cream and Coconutty Crunch
Cinnamon Muffins
Leftovers

TUESDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt with whipped cream and Coconutty Crunch
Quick Asian Pork Stir-Fry

WEDNESDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt with whipped cream and Coconutty Crunch
Leftovers
Chile Relleno Casserole

THURSDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt with whipped cream and Coconutty Crunch
Broiled Tilapia Parmesan
Green Beans

FRIDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt with whipped cream and Coconutty Crunch
Roast Chicken
Sausage-Mushroom Dressing

SATURDAY:
CARBmaster Yogurt with whipped cream and Coconutty Crunch
Swiss Onion Quiche
Leftovers
Pancakes (not low carb)


BROILED TILAPIA PARMESAN

SAUSAGE-MUSHROOM DRESSING

 

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Shopping List for February 1 - February 7

TUESDAY'S SHOPPING

FOOD TOWN (Tuesday):
Boneless chicken thighs @ 1.77lb - $5.89
Pork loin roast @ 1.88lb - $7.31
Carrot - $.19
12-pack toilet paper - $3.99

TOTAL - $17.67

HEB (Tuesday):
2 quarts heavy cream @ 3.56 each - $7.12
Shower spray - $1.97
Sugar free passion fruit drink mix - $1.88

TOTAL - $11.29

ALDI (Thursday):
2 dozen eggs @ .99 each - $1.98
Bread - $.85
Coffee - $3.99
Butter - $2.29
2 cans tomato paste @ .39 each - $.78
1 pound jalapeƱos - $.70

TOTAL - $10.54

KROGER (Thursday):
6 CARBmaster yogurt @ .40 each (minus 10% discount) - $2.76
12-pack diet soda @ 2.39 (minus 10% discount) - $2.15
Peanut butter @ 1.79 (minus 10% discount) - $1.61
Coconut milk (on clearance) - $.99
Colby cheese @ 1.99 (minus 10% discount) - $1.79
Frozen green beans @ 1.00 (minus 10% discount) - $.90
Frozen Asian blend vegetables @ 1.00 (minus 10% discount) - $.90
24-ounce cottage cheese @ 2.00 (minus 10% discount) - $1.80
American cheese @ 3.99 (minus 10% discount) - $3.59

TOTAL - $16.07

GRAND TOTAL - $55.57 (over budget by $5.57)

THURSDAY'S SHOPPING
 

I didn't like the coffee that I bought at Aldi last week but this week I found a winner. The one I bought last week was the Beaumont Coffee "House Blend", which is a medium roast coffee. The flavor wasn't terrible but it left an awful bitter aftertaste. Today I bought the Barissimo "Donut Store Blend", which is a light roast coffee. I tried one of Aldi's light roast coffees a while back and didn't care for it (I don't recall which one) but this one is just right. It's very smooth and mellow with no bitter taste. It has just enough coffee flavor to keep it from being too boring once I add a lot of cream and sweetener. The best part is that it's within my $3.99 maximum coffee price range. This will probably be my last bag of coffee until next winter when it turns cold again. Spring will be here in a few weeks and I don't have much interest in coffee when it's warm out.

I didn't really need any eggs this week but I bought a couple dozen anyway while they're still 99-cents at Aldi. I seem to go through at least a couple dozen per week lately.

I splurged on a nice pork roast on Tuesday. It's been a while since we've had any pork other than ground pork, ham or sausage. At least the price per pound was pretty good, even if it cost over $7.00, and there are no bones in it so there's no waste for the price. I was happy to see that it has a nice thick layer of fat on it which is unusual these days for pork loin roasts. Without that thick layer fat, they can be very dry when roasted.