Pimento Cheese

I am headed to the beach for a few days and have a love/hate relationship with the entire process.  I love the beach, love the condo, love the washer/dryer in the condo which makes clothes packing extremely easy, but I hate the getting ready part.

In an effort to keep our costs down I generally cook most of our dinners in. Several of the meals will be grilled fish a salad and rolls, which is easy (I mean, we are going to the beach after all and a seafood shop is just a couple of minutes from the condo.)  But I get tired of cooking on my vacation (It is my vacation also, right?) so I try to have a couple of easily totable things prepared that require little more than a quick warm up. (Spaghetti sauce and Picadillo, and yes I know neither of these are beachy sounding but they travel well and are done!)

However, in addition to dinners, I have to have foods for breakfast and lunch, which is something that is not generally on my radar. I will eat whatever is leftover, so if it means salad for breakfast or a teaspoon of green beans, a tablespoon of baked beans and a slice of cheese for lunch that is fine with me.  Having these other people around changes the dynamics and I will need designated and meal appropriate offerings.  Here again I don't mind a little gathering and placing things for these meals, but there is no way I am going to cook.  Cereal, it's the breakfast of champions  and if anyone wants anything hot there is a McD's about a block from the place.

That leaves lunch as the wildcard of the day.  When we get to the beach I will buy some cold cuts and sliced cheese, but TheHub is very finicky about eating cold sandwiches, and I am not cooking at all in the middle of the day, so I will buy smoked tuna dip, and have some shrimp steamed at the seafood shop for him to nosh on. I will take several types of crackers and I made pimento cheese. (Which is the only sandwich that man will willingly eat unheated)

Pimento cheese is a Southern staple and is about the easiest food in the world to make.  The best ones are made of 2 or 3 different cheeses, mayo with no sugar, and chopped pimentos as a base.  After that whatever your personal taste dictates is what you should put in it.

Basic Pimento Cheese

1 pound less 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Monteray Jack cheese
(if i had Gouda on hand I would have added a cup of it and 1 less cup of the cheddar)
1/4-1/3 cup mayo (I use 1/4 but a lot of people like it with more mayo)***
1  4 ounce jar chopped pimentos, drained
pepper to taste


Grate cheese and let it sit covered until it reaches room temp.  With a fork stir in the mayo and pimentos. Keep stirring until it reaches the consistency you like.  This is a very personal preference.  I like mine chunky where you get a real cheese "feel" in each bite. Mom, on the other hand puts hers in her food processor and blends it to a mousse like consistency.  Since I am a tactile eater, hers gives me the creeps, but no judgement on anyone who prefers to eat it this way.


TheHub is a pimento cheese purist so the only thing I added was about 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest.  I prefer mine with minced jalapeno, but I left it out cause I am nice like that.  At various times I have added chopped pecans, chopped bacon, minced olives,minced scallions or a combination of them all. It really is all about what you like and what you feel like adding (or have on hand).  Plop it on crackers or spread it on bread as a sandwich filling. Just a note: Grilled pimento cheese sandwiches are to die for! I have even used it in mac and cheese for a true taste treat.

 Try it and you might like it, but realize if you want to be truly southern while eating it make sure you call it pimmenacheeze.

*** This is best if you use a good quality mayonnaise (Screaming Dukes! Dukes! Dukes! Dukes! ) but it can be made with Miracle Whip (gag me with a spoon!)

p.s. I have no affiliation with any products at all. If I mention a brand it is because I use it regularly and like it. So when I mention the mayo it is because I just truly love Dukes.

Tomato Pie With A Surprise

As most of you who read me semi regularly know, I live in the south.  And because I live here there are a couple of things we eat regularly; tomatoes and pimento cheese. I am pretty sure if I did not eat/love them I would have to surrender my southern card and give up okra, sweet tea and cornbread for life. 

A pimento cheese sandwich on white bread with a thick slice of sun ripened tomato is delicious. so try to imagine a dinner meal with the same deliciousness baked in a pie shell___Nirvana!

 

This is going to be a how to rather than a recipe because there are several ways to go about it.

1 pie crust (pre-baked to a very light brown. Be sure to poke holes with a fork over the bottom before baking. If you have a great pie crust recipe*, make it.  Or it you had rather, just buy one already made. Either the one in the aluminum pan or the Pillsbury type that you put into your own pie plate works )

4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and blotted dry, then blotted dry again (and even a third time if they are still wet)

 2 cups(ish) pimento cheese . You can purchase your pimento cheese but make sure it is a drier variety. Mrs. Strattons absolutely will not work. Palmetto might, but better yet buy it from a deli  or sandwich shop. If you have a Newk's near you, theirs would work very well. But  it is very quick and easy to make. I did mince a little red onion and added it to the pimento cheese just for a little more flavor.

Pre bake the pie crust and let it cool. Arrange the dried tomato slices over the bottom of the crust, stacking them no more than 2 slices high. Dollop the pimento cheese over the tomatoes then spread gently so no tomato bits are showing and the cheese mix is touching the edges of the pie crust.

Pop it into a 350 degree oven and bake for about 30 minutes Remove from the oven and let it cool until it can be easily sliced. 

This, with some chopped romaine and a light oil and vinegar dressing was the perfect summer meal

It was so good. The only change I would make to this would be to have some fresh basil "ribbons" on each slice.

This would work for a vegetarian meal and with slight alterations using vegetable shortening for the crust,  vegan cheese, and veggie mayonnaise could easily be made vegan.

*Pie Crust

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cp lard

5-7 tablespoons cold water (I live in a very humid summertime climate so I start with 5 and add more drops at a time as needed)

Mix the salt and flour, cut the cold butter into small slices, cut the lard into small bits. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the fats into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal (Work fast so the butter will not melt) Add the cold water (I use ice in the water to keep it super chilled) and work it into the mix until the dough is sm both and pliable, being careful not to overwork it. Split it into half and make two balls. On a floured surface roll it out into about a 10 inch circle. (I did not have quite half the dough when I rolled mine out, so I did not have enough of an edge to make the really pretty fluted edge. We lived!

Close But No Cigars

I had a decent week with meals though I did veer off a little. We ate fairly well anyway and I am usually fine when things change. Maybe this time is as close as I will ever get

Planned 

1. Fish sandwich, chips✓

2. Steak, potatoes, salad

3. Veggie meal✓

4. Tuna steak, mashed potatoes, some green veggie, coleslaw✓

5. Out to eat✓

6. Tacos  Forgot Cinco de Mayo was Sunday, so moved this to next week's plan

7. Sandwich meal TBD✓

VS

What We Really Ate

Sunday: We took an unplanned road trip to Decatur, then on the way home Son2 called and asked us to come by their house to see the progress they had made with their reno. By the time we finally were close to home for the night it was later than we I wanted to start cooking. Definitely not our norm but McD's came to the rescue.

Fish sandwich, potato chips, handful of grapes

Monday: I bought beautiful tomatoes, cucumbers and squash at our neighboring produce stand over the weekend. That made a veggie meal very easy.

Collard greens, sautéed squash with onions, cucumber tomato red onion salad

Tuesday: We had decided to go to The Electric for dinner and trivia, but there was nowhere for us to sit. Punted and went to Bluff Park Diner. Not where I wanted to go but it was close, open, and had empty tables.

Catfish*, cabbage and green beans (me) or Baked spaghetti, okra, and black eyed peas (TheHub)

Wednesday: TheHub had lunch at Cracker Barrel again and brought home one of the $5 small meals for us to split for dinner.

Meatloaf, tossed salad, mac and cheese (TheHub) raw cauliflower (me)

Thursday: The beautiful day screamed "Fire up that grill" 

Grilled tuna steaks, mashed potatoes, coleslaw

Friday: We planned on watching the Alabama/Auburn softball game and decided it would be a perfect sandwich night.

Pimento cheese sandwiches, cucumbers and pepper slices or chips

Saturday: We did a lot of running around, then did separate projects in the house before watching The Kentucky Derby. After it was over I did not want to cook so we went out.

Jim and Nick's BBQ. Chicken plate with coleslaw and baked beans (TheHub) Carolina pork plate with coleslaw and collards (me)

What’s possible for this week?

1. Tacos and all the fixings

2. Steak, mashed potatoes, tossed salad

3. Taco salad ( had a lot left over from taco night)

4. Out to eat

5. Grilled fish or scallops, tossed salad

6. Veggie meal TBD

7. Sandwich meal TBD

Have a great week staying on plan, going off plan, or with no plan at all.

p.s. Accidental new lunch favorite.

I don't know about most of you, but for me lunch is always eating  bits and bobs of what is leftover from other meals. Tuesday, I was cleaning out the fridge and found leftover sautéed squash and onions, and about 2 teaspoons of pimento cheese. I nuked the squash on a plate then put the leftover pimento cheese on the other side of said plate. 

The phone rang while I was walking to the table. When I reached to answer it, the plate tipped slightly and the hot squash slid into the pimento cheese. Oh my goodness, it was delicious and something I am going to start having anytime I have leftover squash. (I will try this with other vegetables I have leftover.) 

Luckily I make pimento cheese regularly, especially during warm weather, and always have some veggies left over.

* Catfish is one of my least favorite proteins, but the rest of their offerings looked horrible to me (probably because I had my taste buds set for the Americana salad at The Electric).

Tuesday 4 All About Food Prep

I follow Annie at Tuesday 4. Each week she asks four questions and this week it is all about cooking. Hop over there and join in.

1.  What is the most valuable kitchen utensil you have or one you use often and could not live without?

8 inch chef's knife and a paring knife. I would advise anyone just starting out to buy these two knives and get the best ones you can afford. But it has to "fit" your hand, so you really need to do an in store "test drive" first.

2. Do you have any fancy gadgets like air fryers, etc in your kitchen? How are they working out for you?

I bought an instapot and never used it after owning it for a year and a half. I gave it to Son2, and I am not sure if they have used it or not. 

I have an air fryer and I love it. There is rarely a day I do not use it for one thing or another. 

I have a zucchini spiralizer that I use regularly. 

I also have a kitchen aid mixer, but generally opt to use the hand mixer because it is easier unless I am mixing a huge recipe or making multi recipes I would use a mixer for.

The food saver is great, but I only use it for foods I plan to store in the freezer for long storage

3. Do you have any step or labor saving ideas that make cooking and meal preparation easier?

Make a shopping list the then take a picture of the list. I can't tell you how many times I have left the grocery list on the kitchen table, but I always have my phone with me. The photo of the list has come in handy so many times, and saves me from return trips to pick up what I forgot.

4. What is your favorite recipe of all time? Would you share it with us? 

I am not sure I have a favorite recipe, but I have seasonal favorites

I do make this year round and it is not necessarily a favorite but it is a staple. I make this about 2 times a month.

Pimento Cheese (base recipe)

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 small jar of chopped pimentos, drained

1/3 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise 

couple of drops of hot sauce

ground pepper, optional

Let the shredded cheeses sit on the counter until they have softened a bit. Then use a mixer at slow speed to break up the shreds into smaller pieces. Next add the mayo. This is a matter of personal preference. I like mine with less mayonnaise, but TheHub likes his with heavy mayo. Still using the mixer combine until it is a spreadable consistency. Again this is a preference thing. We like ours with some of the cheese still a bit chunky. My mother liked hers mousse like and would make hers in her food processor so it would be smooth (ick!) 

After the cheese and mayo are thoroughly combined stir in the pimento cheese and hot sauce.

We eat it like this sometimes but I add  any or any combination of the following if I am in the mood.

minced green onions

minced jalapeños

lemon zest

bacon crumbles

minced celery

minced bell pepper

chopped pecans

My personal favorite is a combo of green onion, jalapeño and pecan bits.

TheHub loves it as a sandwich spread on bread (never toast). 

It makes a wicked grilled cheese (my favorite), but I usually eat it on celery sticks or cucumber slices.

It is good on crackers of all kinds and is wonderful stirred into hot mashed potatoes or grits.

It is not good by itself though. It like to have company when it is eaten!

Changes In Form Only

I have been having a little pity party of one lately TheHub has much more than normal going on at work. I do know what it is and why the past few weeks have required so much of his time (including working Saturdays and Sundays). By the time he gets home, he just wants to eat, and veg out until he falls asleep in the chair while watching TV.

I miss having him to talk to in the evenings and try to be supportive. OK supportive might be too strong of a word, but at the very least I try to keep from complaining__out loud, so I am venting here.We have been married such long time that he knows all my "tells", so I know I am not really hiding my frustrations. He did promise that when this mad rush is over we are going away for a little while. I am not holding my breath.

This week I am skipping the daily joy list. I have been so busy being pissy, and doing nothing in particular that I forgot to write things down. Some of you may still be sharp as a tack at recalling the day to day events of the week. That is not my reality right now because other things are taking up brain space. Plus once the day is over, it is over and I really don't dwell on it.

I did not swim as much as I have been, and I sure as shooting' did not clean the house. Lots of reading has been done, as well as some visiting with friends, both in person and via the phone. This week I have to get back to daily long swims, and might need to start doing 2 a day.

Pip was at overnight camp and through the miracles of technology, I could send her a letter each day via email. The payoff was a FaceTime from her as soon as she got home from camp Friday afternoon. She was talking about the letters, sharing everything she did at camp, and thanking me for including camp jokes in each letter. She shared the jokes with her cabin mates.

School has started back, which only affects my morning driving. Since I rarely have to be anywhere the first thing in the morning, the earliest time I will leave my house is after 8:30. We live in a town with a really good school system, but there are no school buses, which means all kids have to be taken and dropped off at school. That is thousands of cars added to the regular drive time traffic. I don't need to add mine to the mix.

Our temps have dropped a little and that is a huge joy and relief. It will jump back up during the week, but I am going to relish the cooler weather while it lasts. The humidity is also down and I can get in the car without my sunglasses fogging up. Simple thrills!

The groundhog is still robbing the green beans, but he has successfully eaten everything else except the peppers which offend him for some reason. I assume he is pretty content, but I wish he would visit my neighbors across the start. They had a much nicer garden, and it would be like he found himself in groundhog Nirvana.

I have tried a few new to me keto recipes. I find that most of the "breads" or "desserts" use different ingredients, take a ton of time, and almost taste good. My latest experiment was keto pimento cheese biscuits. They were fine, but I make really good pimento cheese and rather than making the "biscuits" with cheese and pimentos in it, I had rather just have a slice of Sola bread (Keto stuff found in the frozen food section of the store) with real pimento cheese spread on it. 

On the other hand, many of the keto entrees are really good. I did make the crustless tomato pie and give it 2 thumbs up! TheHub is not doing Keto, and he had 3 servings of it the night I made it. While tomatoes are plentiful and still delicious it will be in our meal rotation. 

There is nothing else going on in my life, other than some beautiful sunsets, and an incredible moon when we drove in Friday night. I have an wide sky view from one part of the yard, and we often enjoy a little star watching.

I have listened to some glorious music this week, as well as a ton of tunes I listened to as a teen. If some of you use Spotify and have created playlists, check you lists for Discover Weekly. A list of songs, based on your preferences and what you have played is created with a new list generating every Monday. Every week I find something I have never heard before.

TheHub and I were late to the Better Call Saul party and have begun watching it. Why did it take up so long?

And these are last week's joys and frustrations in a nutshell. If I really reflect, good things happened every day and this week I will make sure to make note of them. I also vow to myself to shake this insouciance* effective tomorrow after I have my first cup of coffee. Without coffee I can't shake anything!

May all your weeds be wildflowers,

Anne

* I know all kinds go big words like mayonnaise, and pneumonia and thought I would try to get a few kicks in using one I have never used in anything I have written. As a lark I think it will be fun to use one in every joy post. Using a "scrabble" word will be one of my weekly joys, so don't be surprised to see me work in a  highfalutin word or two.

Easy Make Ahead Appetizer, Marinated Cheese

Several years ago my friend, Jeannie, served this as an appetizer at a book club meeting.  It was so good and she was kind enough to share the recipe with us.  I took the recipe card she gave us and promptly stuck it in the middle of a random cookbook.  That would have been fine, but I have a way too many cookbooks. Years passed and I thought about it but had no idea what I had done with the recipe card.  A few weeks ago as I was culling cookbooks and giving them one last look to see if I had put anything in them before I gave them away.  With a good shake out floated the recipe.  Eureka! My 4th of July appetizer was in the bag.

                                                              Marinated Cheese

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon basil

3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
3 tablespoons minced green onions
2 ounces diced pimento
8 ounces new york sharp cheese, cubed
8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
8 ounces white cheddar cheese, cubed
Assorted crackers or baguette slices

Put cheese cubes in a shallow dish that has an airtight lid.  Try to keep the cheese cubes from being stacked directly over each other.  I try and make a checkerboard pattern with the 2nd level of cubes.

In a medium bowl add the oil, vinegar, sugar, pepper and salt.  Whisk well to blend.  Stir in the basil, garlic, parsley. green onions, and pimento.  Mix thoroughly. Pour over the cheese cubes, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. (Overnight is fine)

Remove the cheeses with a slotted spoon to a shallow bowl or small platter to serve. (Reserve the marinade in case you have leftover cheese)  A few cocktail forks make spearing the cubes easy work. Serve with your choice of crackers, toast points or baguette slices.  I can't even find the words to tell you what kind of deliciousness will happen in your mouth, unless you just don't like cheese. ( I have never tried this with non-dairy cheese so I have no idea how it would work)

This makes quite a bit, so have it for a large party or do what we did with the leftovers.  The day after we had cheese and crackers with salad for lunch, but there was still a lot left.  On day 3 I drained all the marinade from the cheese and made mac and cheese with it.  There was not a morsel remaining!

This is going to become one of my go to dishes.  I can do it ahead of time and it looks and tastes like it took much more effort than it did.

Wow, That Was a Week

1. Grilled scallops, green beans, tossed salad, rolls or keto roll
2. Spaghetti sauce with beef over noodles or zoodles, tossed salad, garlic bread or garlic keto rolls
3.Squash casserole, sliced tomatoes, cucumber spears, coleslaw, corn bread (or not)
4. TheHub has a dinner meeting. I think I might fast that day
5. Grilled pimento cheese sandwiches (Hurrah for the new waffle "bread") coleslaw
6. Hamburger patty, rice or cauli rice, green beans, sliced tomatoes
7. Huge chopped salad, rolls or keto roll

Monday: I have no idea what happened on Monday, except for going to a local farmers market. I had planned to load up on delicious foods, but very few of their items looked very good. I wonder if the early birds only get the leftover veggies from Saturday. I left with a bag of peas, some squash and some tomatoes. Even the cucumbers looked old and wrinkled. I made a mental note to go to a larger farmers market next time.
Squash casserole, coleslaw, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, cornbread (or not)

Tuesday: TheHub did have a business dinner and I had planned to fast all day, but about 7:30 I was getting hungry and decided to eat. I just pulled a hodgepodge of leftovers out of the fridge
Gathering of remnants 

Wednesday: Other than routine laundry, household things and swimming a lot more than I have been, it was a pretty uneventful day! Hooray. All that swimming made me want to eat a pretty healthy dinner
Chopped salad topped with frozen pulled pork

Thursday: Mom had to have a little oral surgery and I am her official taker to all things health and dental related. After waiting for an eternity (OK it just seemed like an eternity, but 5 hours sitting with Mom who either can't or won't do what you tell her to do per Dr.'s orders t does seem like an eternity) Anyhow, I got home later and had nothing made for dinner. I was planning on having the grilled pimento cheese sandwich one night over the weekend, but desperate times and all that!
Grilled pimento cheese sandwiches (thank you new waffle fake keto bread) , pickle slices, coleslaw

Friday: Mom had an eye procedure done butt early in the morning and it leaves her unable to function for about 8-10 hours later. I had her caregiver arrive about 45 minutes after we returned, then when she left  my sister took over until about 5. I went down to take the last shift was finally able to leave her alone at about 7. Normally she is fine by about 4, but she was having a rougher time than normal this month and I had not planned on having to be there later. Consequently I had nothing started for dinner. We decided a local meat and 3 was calling us.
Out to eat veggie plate

Saturday: This was a wild ride of a day. Mom thought she was in the hospital all day, but thought the hospital had copied her home so she would feel comfortable there. My sister and I took turns staying with Mom. She would be fine, fall asleep and we would leave only to get a panic filled phone call when she woke. Fortunately I live 2 minutes from her house.  I did run home and cook and eat while she slept, before going back to spend the night with her, but it meant a terribly quick dinner had to be prepared.
Grilled chicken with an orange ginger glaze, tossed salad

Sunday: I woke (after sleeping very little at Mom's since I got up to check on her about every hour) swapped duty with my sister, went home and got ready for church. We had just walked in the door afterward when got a call from my sister that Mom was doing much better, knew where she was and had come to her senses again, so she left and Mom took a nap. When she woke she was in a full blown psychotic state and was positive we had moved her to a facility while she was sleeping. I ran down there and stayed with her until she went back to sleep. Ran home and threw a load of clothes in the washer, did a couple of other chores then waited for the inevitable phone call. It came and as much as I tried to assure her she was at her house, it did not register with her.  Son2 and DIL2 went to her house and she complained to them about me lying and trying to convince her the place she was in was her house. After they left I went to her house, made her get in my car under the ruse that my sister was upset we had not met her new dog. We went to Sis's house, met Riley, the dog, filled up my car with gas, and I drove Mom down streets that were familiar to her. We talked about people she had known who lived in various houses and when we got to her house she knew exactly where she was. It was like the car trip had pushed a reset button in her little noggin. Except__she did want to know who had moved her furniture from the facility so quickly. I lied and told her Son2 and DIL2 were magical and could do things easily. She was satisfied and glad to be back in her real house instead of the doppelgänger house she had been in before we left.  I stayed with her for about and hour afterward just to make sure she was functional and able to be left by herself.(For the record, she woke Monday morning clear headed and even remembered her confusions from the previous 3 days) I needed something really fast for dinner and did not give a fat rat's fanny what it was. I had ground chuck in the fridge so that was that.
Grilled hamburgers, lettuce, cheese, pickles, tomatoes, onions. And not another thing!

I am beginning this week with a little trepidation. Mom's neurologist died suddenly a couple of weeks ago, so I have spent the morning looking for someone new. We really need to get her seen pretty quickly but the nearest appointment I can find (after calling several) is early November?!? WTH!

And now on to meal planning, which may or may not happen. I do have a caretaker for Mom today and am using this time to cook a few things to have just in case all hell breaks loose again.

1. Spaghetti with meat sauce ( sauce done and in the fridge), tossed salad, garlic bread (or none)
2. Ham and cheese frittata (Ham cubed, cheese grated. broccoli steamed and chopped), coleslaw (made)
3. Keto version of chicken divan (chicken cooked and cubed), tomato onion and cucumber salad
4. Veggie dinner, most likely squash, okra, peas, cornbread and coleslaw
5. Grilled chicken, grilled onions and peppers, caulitato salad, sliced tomatoes
6. Sandwich supper (chicken salad is a strong possibility)
7. Keto chicken tetrazzini, asparagus, tossed salad, rolls or keto rolls

Also, if any of you are looking for a truly delicious low carb orange ginger glaze, I found this at Walmart. I think it was about 3.80 a bottle. It declares it is a marinade but I say otherwise. I put some boneless skinless chicken thighs on the grill, cooked them until time to turn them, then  flipped them then brushed some of the marinade on the cooked side. Waited until the chicken was almost through cooking, turned it again and brushed it on that side. I let it cook about a minute and a half (just enough for the marinade to "set" on the chicken) flipped it again and waited another minute and a half. I guess I used about 2 tablespoons of the sauce in total and it was some seriously delicious chicken. I am not affiliated with either the product or Walmart, it is just something I used and really did like. So did TheHub!

Week 2 NO Food Shopping Challenge

Day 8
Breakfast: Coffee*, I forgot to have anything else
Lunch:  Leftover Pimento Cheese and Triscuits
Dinner  Stuffing Filled chicken roll ups, Turnip Greens with Garlic, Onions and Peppers, Cooked Carrots

Used: Remaining pimento cheese, 2 packs frozen chicken, leftover chicken broth, remaining stuffing , 1 package frozen turnip greens, 2 cloves garlic, 1 onion, 1 bell pepper

Day 9
Breakfast: Cold Leftover Chicken Roll Up ( I had taken it out of the fridge to take a picture for the recipe posting) Coffee
Lunch: Grapefruit and Crackers
Dinner: Spaghetti, Salad, super quick yeast rolls

Used: 1 grapefruit, 3/4 pack spaghetti, i jar spaghetti sauce, assorted herbs, 3/4 pound of frozen ground something ( unsure if it was ground pork or turkey), 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 head lettuce, 1/2 pack cherry tomatoes ( last of them) 2 scallions.  (Salad fixings are getting scarce) 3 cups flour, 1 egg,  4 1/2 teaspoons yeast (from a big bag of it kept frozen), oil for salad dressing and dinner rolls.

Day 10

Breakfast Leftover Roll:Grapefruit Half
Lunch: Peanut Butter and Crackers
            Son3 Leftover spaghetti noodles mixed with leftover chicken fried rice
Dinner :Pastitsio, tossed salad

Used: 1grapefruit, leftover roll, few crackers and peanut butter, small frozen container chicken fried rice, leftover spaghetti noodles, 1 pan frozen pastitsio, 1/4 head lettuce, 1 small bell pepper, oil and vinegar dressing


Day 11

Breakfast: Coffee, Grapefruit half
Lunch Son3 and me  Leftover Chicken Roll Up
Dinner:  Tossed Salad with Cheese and Crackers

Used: 1/2 Grapefruit ( down to 1 1/2 grapefruits) 1/2 head lettuce ( down to 1/4 head remaining) 1/2 small pepper. last scallion, 1 tomato, 2 inch cube leftover jarlsburg cheese, remaining chicken roll ups, remaining almond crackers.

Day 12
Breakfast: Blueberry Pancakes, Clementine**, Coffee
Lunch: Dandelion Salad, Tea, Triscuit
Dinner:  Hamburger with Lettuce, Tomato, Onion and Cheese on Home Baked Hamburger Buns, Peach Cobbler

Used: Remaining pancake mix, 1 clementine,  1 tomato, 1/2 onion, 2 slices cheddar cheese, 2 lettuce leaves. 1 pack frozen peaches, 2 tablespoons butter

Day 13

Breakfast coffee
Lunch: B-B-Q Turkey Sandwiches on Home Made Buns
Dinner: Chinese takeout

Used: 2 frozen smoked turkey legs. 2 homemade buns

Day 14

Breakfast: Toast, Clementine
Lunch: Leftover Chinese Food/ Leftover Pastitsio
Dinner: Sunday School Class Dinner

Used: 1 clementine, 1 slice bread, leftovers in fridge




* For Christmas 2012 TheHub gave me a Keurig as a present.  I had griped about not wanting one since I have a perfect brewing system.  What a nut I was for complaining .  It is one of the 10 greatest wonders of this world. I am now a K-cup addict, so you might wonder how I am managing my 4-6 K-cup daily habit and not going to the store.  Several months ago I got tired of the waste from the plastic cups.  If I was using 4 cups a day that was 28 K-cups I was contributing to a landfill weekly.  Doing the math for the yearly total is astounding, so I brought some of the copper mesh refillable K-cups.  Several months ago The Pig was selling coffee that had reached it's "sell by " date for 99 cents a pound.  I bought 10 packages and sealed them with the Seal-A-Meal and stuck them in the freezer.  I still have 3 pounds, so my coffee habit can stay intact and my Keurig addiction has not suffered at all.

** I was out of all fresh fruit with the exception of 1 apple and 1 1/2 grapefruits (plus a couple of lemons I use mainly for cooking) .  We are having issues with our water right now.  I refuse to drink yellow water.  TheHub stopped by Publix on his way home yesterday to pick up a few gallons of drinking water.  He saw the clementines and knows how much I love them.  They came home with the water.  I did allow for buying some fresh fruit so technically I am still maintaining the no grocery statute, but I personally would have waited until the remaining fruit was gone and I had used the 2 cans of pineapple in the pantry.  Oh well!

Added Bonus!  Son2 has been at the beach for a few days.  When he came home he brought back 2 tomatoes and an additional bag of clementines. Score!

Bought, Used and Made Do One More Time

I have been using food form my food storage budget for the entire month, buying only what is necessary with little help from TheHub who is an after work recreational shopper.  Beginning this week I had a remaining food budget of 14.50. And this is what happened!

March 22
bought
zero

used 
ham (freezer
sweet potato chips (pantry)
green chili salsa (pantry)
pancake mix (pantry)
blueberries (freezer)
sf maple syrup (fridge)

eaten
breakfast: coffee, slice of ham
lunch: sweet potato chips with green salsa, mandarin
dinner: blueberry pancakes, coffee

March 23
bought
zero

used
coffee (pantry)
corned beef hash leftovers(fridge)
sauteed cabbage leftovers (fridge)
mandarin
chicken thighs (freezer)
bbq sauce (fridge)
brown rice (pantry)
squash and green bean leftovers (fridge)
balsamic vinegar (pantry)
olive oil (pantry)
herbs, salt and pepper (pantry)
cukes (fridge)
tomatoes (fridge)

eaten
breakfast coffee, mandarin
lunch leftover corned beef hash, cabbage
dinner: bbq baked chicken thighs, squash and green bean medley, brown rice, cukes and tomatoes in balsamic dressing

March 24

bought
instant potato pouch 1.00, strawberries 2.50, dip 1.99 chips 1.59, bread 1.79, rolls 2.00.  Fat Boy ice cream sandwiches (TheHub) 3.50, bagged salad 2.00, brewed tea 2.00  for a total of 20.21 including tax. We actually spent about 60 dollars at the store, but TheHub (the recreational shopper) was with me and we stocked up on several things (cleaning supplies, crackers, nuts, and super sale soft drinks) for the lake place, so I am not counting it as purchases this week since none of it was consumed or will be used until we start going to the lake regularly

used
coffee (pantry)
leftover burrito (fridge)
porterhouse steaks (freezer)
spring mix (fridge)
cucumbers (fridge)
tomatoes (fridge)
asparagus (fridge)
instant mashed potatoes (bought)
butter (fridge)
herbs, spices, salt and pepper (pantry)
olive oil (pantry)
dressing (fridge)

eaten
breakfast: coffee
lunch: burrito (Son2 ordered one from a restaurant near his work and it had guacamole on it.  Since he is allergic to avocados he brought it to me)  Woo hoo free food!
dinner: steak, potatoes, asparagus, salad, Fat Boys

March 25
bought
zero

used
bread (bought)
butter (pantry)
jelly (pantry)
ham (freezer)
eggs (fridge)
vegetable soup (freezer)
pimento cheese sandwich (1/2 left from TheHubs lunch Friday. Biggest sandwich ever!)
kefir cheese (fridge, made from homemade kefir)
mozzarella cheese (freezer)
parmesan cheese (fridge)
bolognese sauce (fridge)
jumbo pasta shells (pantry)
herbs, spices, salt and pepper (pantry)
tossed salad (leftover from Friday night)
dressing (fridge)
tea (pantry)

eaten
breakfast ham and eggs, coffee, chocolate milk (TheHub)
lunch: soup and 1/4 (each) pimento cheese sandwich
dinner: cheese stuffed pasta shells topped with bolognese sauce, tossed salad


March 26
bought
Recreational shopping (TheHub) chocolate milk 2.59, pork skins 1.99 for a total of 5.04 including tax

used
coffee (pantry)
jam (pantry)
butter (fridge)
tea (pantry)
pack Asian veggies (freezer)
ground beef (pantry)
onion (pantry)
white rice (pantry)
garlic (pantry)
herbs, spices, seasonings, salt and  pepper
oil (pantry)
brownie cookie mix (pantry)
butter (fridge)
eggs (fridge)
oatmeal (pantry)
flour (pantry)
baking soda(pantry)
sugar (pantry)
brown sugar (pantry)
vanilla (pantry)
chocolate chips (pantry)


eaten
breakfast: toast with jam
lunch: fish sandwich (Arby's) tea
dinner: Asian veggies with ground beef and rice, cookie brownie, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

March 27
bought
zero

used
coffee (pantry)
strawberries (bought)
steak (leftover, fridge)
chicken breast (freezer
bag California vegetable mix (freezer)
bag squash (freezer)
onion (pantry)
salad mix (bought)
mashed potatoes (leftover, fridge)
rolls (bought)
butter (fridge)
mayo (fridge)
oil (pantry)
vinegar (pantry)
egg (fridge)
tea (pantry)
salt, pepper, herbs, seasonings (pantry)

eaten
breakfast: coffee
lunch : leftover steak, strawberries, tea
dinner: chicken with veggies. squash casserole, leftover mashed potatoes, salad, dinner rolls

March 28
bought
zero

used
coffee (pantry)
ham (freezer)
strawberries (bought)
leftover squash casserole (fridge)

eaten
breakfast: coffee, strawberries
lunch: ham slices, squash casserole, strawberries
dinner:  book club night, out to eat

This week 20.25 was spent on food which is 10.75 over my proposed budget of 100.00 this month.  I only have to make the food I have last until Friday.  I know I will need some more milk, but should be ok with everything else.  So although I was over budget I am ok with it, but the next time I do a challenge I am going to have to exclude the recreational shopper's excursions and never let him go shopping with me__ever!

New Recipe: Week 16

Over the weekend we drove to Atlanta for lunch. Son3 was there along with some friends. We see him very seldom now, so we thought it would be a good to spend a couple of hours with him. Since they all live in NYC and can't get the good stuff there, the consensus was meeting at a BBQ joint.  We met at Fox's Bbq on Dekalb close to Little Five Points. If you are headed to Atlanta it is a tasty place to eat, but I would advise you to go at an off hour. The place is crowded and there is little parking. Very little parking! You know you are at a popular place when lunchtime on Saturday requires an off duty police officer who is hired to direct traffic OUT of the meager lot. I actually think he is there mainly to tell people where the offsite parking is. (about 2 blocks away)

There were nine of us for lunch and luckily our table was in a small private alcove off the main restaurant. First we ordered several appetizers for the table. (Fried dill pickles, burnt ends of smoked pork belly, and some tater tot concoction that consisted of tots drizzled in Brunswick stew, onions, peppers and cheese than topped with more tots and cheese)

Next came the main meals and except for me it was a parade of meat. I was not interested in eating bbq that early in the day so I opted for a grilled pimento cheese sandwich. Instead the usual slathered in butter and cooked on a flat top sandwich, the bread was lightly oiled and the sandwich was grilled atop a hickory grill. It had a wonderful wood fired smoke taste to it and almost makes me want to build a small version of a wood fired pizza oven in the back yard to have the same results at home. Notice I said almost!

Since the servings were copious and so many different dishes were ordered there was some food swapping and sampling among us. TheHub and I agreed the bbq itself was not the best we have ever eaten even though it was very good. We had bites of about 15 different items though, and there was not a single one that was not  extremely tasty. It is very hard for any restaurant to have dishes that are uniformly good and they hit the nail on the head with everything we tried. We will go back.

CJ, the dude sitting to my right was an Army Brat and from everywhere. He was thrilled to be back in the south for the weekend, and since he had lived in various southern locations he knew how to order. A couple or them, originally from the NYC area had a hard time wrapping their minds around the fact that mac and cheese was on the veggie plate options. For those of you who do not understand it, mac and cheese is decidedly part of a veggie plate in any decent place in the south which offers vegetable plate as an entree. For his "veggies" he chose mac and cheese and a "Frito casserole".  Now I grew up eating mac and cheese but I had never in my life heard of a Frito casserole. Hats off to Fox's with the service visual. His bbq basket came with his bowl of mac and cheese and a snack size Frito's bag  filled with the casserole. We were all impressed with the presentation!

I did take a peek inside the bag but did not taste it, even after CJ said it took him back to when he was a kid, and did offer me a bite. Since he seemed to enjoy it so much I figured it was worth googling to see if I could find a recipe for some home experimentation. Bingo!

                                                      Frito Casserole

1 regular size bag Fritos
1 onion, chopped
1 lb. ground chuck
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can Mexicorn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 4 oz. can chili peppers drained
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I did not use this cause I did not have a can on hand and was not about to go shopping for some)
salt and pepper to taste (I only added pepper)
2 cups Colby jack cheese, grated (I used about 1/2 cup of cheddar)
Sour cream for garnish

Brown the onions and ground beef until the beef loses its color. Toss in the garlic and cook until it is wilted. Throw in the remaining ingredients except for the Fritos and cheese. Heat and stir well to incorporate everything.

Sprinkle a thin layer of Fritos in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Cover with the meat mixture, then top with cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven until everything is bubbly.(About 10 minutes)  Remove from the oven. Put additional Fritos on each plate and spoon the casserole over them then add a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy.

When we were talking about having this, TheHub said he refused to eat it unless it was served in a cute little Frito bag. Now I was not about to buy individual serving bags of Fritos, especially since we buy Fritos only a couple of times a year for him to eat while watching a ball game, Silly boy!  He should know better than to try and out smart aleck a professional smart ass.

I did a few things different other than omitting the cream of mushroom soup. I sliced a medium zucchini into thin slices and tossed it in the pan when browning the beef. I also added a sliced orange bell pepper at the same time. I mainly wanted to add additional veggies to the meal. I did not put the cheese on top of the meat mix and put it in the oven. It was just the two of us and we did not care if it was pretty or not, plus the Frito bag held the heat and the cheese had melted by the time we put it on our plates.  I added some thyme, oregano, a dash of cayenne and some cumin because I like intense flavors and the recipe sounded milder than I prefer.

Neither of us had ever had it so we were not drawn into some nostalgic place, but we agreed it was tasty. I think a family with kids would probably love it because it seems to be more kiddie fare than adult food. Still it was a nice experiment, perfectly fine tasting and easy to make. Will I make it again ? Maybe, especially if we ever have leftover Fritos.  If I do make it again I will add additional spices to it and more vegetables. Grated carrots and some summer squash would be good additions.

Recipe 3 Hot Chicken Salad on Hoe Cakes

I am not only trying new to me recipes, but I am also trying to use up a lot of the bits and pieces I have in the freezer, and trying my best to shop first from home. Consequently, we are having some interesting, possibly less than stellar meals. This weeks new recipe is from a blog I found called Retro Housewife. She has tons of recipes from the 40's-60's and very few of them require exotic ingredients. I had cooked boneless skinless chicken thighs in the freezer, and nearly everything else The only thing I had to purchase for the hot chicken salad was celery and it was just because I was out of it anyway. I have literally copied and pasted her recipe. I don't feel too bad about doing it since she credits it to "Generic Housewife Betty 1954".  At the end of the recipe I will tell you what changes I made.

Hot Chicken Salad in Corn Meal Tulip Cups

Chicken Salad:
3 cups cut-up cooked chicken
2 cups chopped celery
½ cup chopped blanched almonds
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons chopped pimiento
2 tablespoons minced onion
¼ teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup grated Swiss cheese
Combine ingredients for Chicken Salad.

Tulip Cups

3 cups sifted enriched flour
1 cup enriched corn meal
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup shortening
2/3 cup water
Preparation Instructions
 For tulip cups, sift together dry ingredients. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add water a little at a time, until dough will just hold together. Turn out on lightly floured board and knead gently a few seconds. Divide dough in half; roll each half out to form a 10 x 15 inch rectangle, Cut into six 5-inch squares. Place squares in custard cups shaping dough against the sides of the cups and allowing corners to hang over. Fill each pastry-lined cup with chicken salad; place cups on cookie sheet and bake in hot oven (400° F.) 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 12 tarts.

First I will tell you I had no intention of making the corn meal tulip cups. I figured the hot chicken salad could bake perfectly well in the oven in a baking dish (it did), cornbread pancakes would be a perfectly acceptable delivery item (they were) and I was just not willing to put that much time into something that was just going to be a simple supper. (So, I didn't)

I am sure it would be adorable and probably taste very good so if it floats your boat to make them by all means, have at it. Just don't judge me for believing a recipe is just a suggestion for me to play with.

I made the chicken salad recipe more or less, except for a main dish where measurements are not critical I eyeballed the ingredients. I know I was close but not exact. Though I had almonds, mine are raw and I did not want to toast them and skin them, so I left 'em out. I did the same with the pimento even though I had a jar in the pantry. I have 3 packages of cheddar cheese left from the holidays and I had rather make pimento cheese than have the pop of red in the chicken dish. I also added about a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and the zest of 1/2 of a lemon to the chicken. When I read the recipe it just sounded to me like it needed something bright to compliment the earthiness of the curry powder. I also did not mix the cheese with the salad mix. I had about 1/4 lb of jarlsberg cheese which I grated and sprinkled over the top of the chicken salad once it was partially baked.

Mix all the chicken stuff except for the cheese. Put into an 8x8 oven safe pan and bake at 350 until it is hot and the celery has softened (about 30 minutes) Throw the cheese on top and return to the oven until it melts. Serve on top of hoe cakes.

You can call me out on this if you wish. I had a package of corn bread mix in the pantry (one of those that only needs water added) and I essentially made cornbread pancakes on a stove top griddle. Yes it is a cheat and I should feel ashamed but it was just dinner and just for the two of us, so I felt no shame at all. I made the pancakes, put them on a small breakfast plate, scooped out the hot salad and called it done. I meant to serve it with broccoli, but forgot to cook it so we had a bowl of bagged salad on the side instead.

The verdict: It was tasty, uninspiring, and a good way to use some of the frozen chicken. I might or might not make it again. There was nothing objectionable to it, it had enough flavor (and yes it definitely needed the pop of citrus). There was just no wow to it and we do tend to eat more extreme flavors than this, but it really was perfectly fine. Maybe if I had made the bloomin' tulip cups and they were prettier we would not have noticed how basic it really was.

Dinner With or Without Plans

Looking over the list of what I had planned vs. what I actually made means I cooked about half of what I thought I might. Even though eating out was not cooking, it was technically a planned meal! That makes me slightly over 50%

We are headed to the beach at the end of the week and I am making zero plans for then. Who knows what will happen. I am just looking forward to being in Paradise, the salt air, the sun, the water, and some delicious food.

No way I will actually eat a burger at the beach. Scallops, grouper, and snapper all day!

What was supposed to happen:

Hamburgers with fixings, chips or keto cheese curls (not particularly good but crunchy)

Chicken divan, cucumber onion and tomato salad

Veggie meal TBD

Greek chicken, greek green beans, tomato slices

Grilled steak, tossed salad, dinner rolls or keto rolls

Take out or dining out

What did happen:

Monday: We worked outside again and were hot, tired and dirty. After we got nicely cleaned up and looked somewhat human again, we decided to give ourselves a bit of grace and just order some take out BBQ . 

Chopped pork, baked beans or coleslaw

Tuesday: After the long weekend, TheHub went back to work and I worked around the house. We decided to go to Costco at about 7 and had not eaten. We always seem to find the simplest solution to dinner when it gets late.

Pimento cheese sandwiches or pimento cheese stuffed celery.

Wednesday: Got rid of some items from the freezer. Yay!

Chicken divan, coleslaw

Thursday: Oh no! I found some cooked ground chuck in the fridge I had forgotten about, and had to use it immediately

Open face Vesuvian (My sister's somewhat made up concoction of ground beef, onions, peppers and mushrooms on garlic toast), green beans 

Friday: My SIL came to spend the night and we went out to dinner

Out to eat, wedge Salad or flatbreads

Saturday: We went to the produce stand so it was only natural to have a veggie dinner.

Veggie Dinner, squash, okra, cornbread, sliced tomatoes

Sunday: Perfect weather means it is the perfect time for a cookout.

Hamburgers and all the fixings, corn on the cob (or none)

What might happen:

1. Stuffed bell peppers, new potatoes, coleslaw

2. Chicken, rice, green beans, mixed greens

3. Taco salad

4. Toasted cheese, tomato and onion sandwiches, mixed greens

5. Grilled steak, potatoes, tossed salad

6. Beach meal (no idea yet)

7. Beach meal (no idea yet)

Have a great week staying on plan, going off plan, or with no plan at all.

Week 1 No Food Shopping Challenge

Day 1

Breakfast Grapefruit half        

 Lunch crackers and peanut butter
Dinner Turkish  baked chicken breast, squash casserole,cole slaw

Used: 1 grapefruit, crackers ,1 tablespoon peanut butter,1 pack frozen squash, 1 egg, 2 frozen chicken breasts

Day 2 

Breakfast Blueberry pancakes ( not because I wanted them but because I had a box of blueberry complete mix and it took only water to create breakfast.  Glad I had some sugar free syrup in the fridge. grapefruit half

Lunch Son3  2 grilled chicken breasts,  chocolate milk shake. 

Me, leftover broccoli salad

Dinner Cottage pie, steamed asparagus salad, french bread

Used: 1 serving pancake mix grapefruit, 2 frozen chicken breasts, last serving vanilla ice cream, 3/4 lb ground beef, 4 potatoes 1/2 bag frozen mixed vegetables 1 bunch asparagus.

Day 3

Grapefruit

Brunch son3  leftover cottage pie

Lunch p band crackers 

Dinner  (Drats)  Purchased olive oil. (We were at the lake. Thought I had a bottle of olive oil there but didn't.  Would have taken on from home had I realized it was not there)

White BBQ sauced grilled chicken breasts, pasta salad, carrot raisin apple salad  French bread

Used: grapefruit,crackers, 2pks frozen chicken breasts, 2 carrots, 2 apples 1 tablespoon raisins

Day 4

Breakfast Leftover apple carrot raisin salad

Lunch Son2 Son3 leftover grilled chicken, couscous

Lunch me crackers and 1 slice cheese

Dinner pork tenderloin, succotash , leftover couscous, cucumber onion and tomato salad, French bread

Used: 1 box couscous, frozen pork tenderloin, 1 slice cheese, 1 sm pack frozen Lima beans, 1 pint h.c tomatoes, 2 frozen corn on the cob ears, 1 cucumber, 1 tomato, 1/2 onion

Day 5
Breakfast Sausage and Cheese Biscuits, Clementine
Lunch  Chicken Salad and Pimento Cheese Sandwiches on homemade French bread
Dinner Grilled steak, Asparagus, Baked Potato, Tossed Salad Homemade Greek Dressing

Used: 1/4 pound frozen sausage, 1/3 lb cheddar cheese, 1/4 lb Monterey jack cheese, 1 cup Bisquick, 1 clementine, 1 pack frozen cooked shredded chicken, 1 small jar pimento, 2 small packs frozen steaks, 1 bunch asparagus, 1/2 head lettuce, 3 green onions, 1/2 pack cherry tomatoes, 1 small bell pepper, 4 potatoes

Day 6

Breakfast Bacon and eggs
Lunch leftover chicken salad on crackers Son2 and Son3 frozen pizza
Dinner hamburger (purchased at Jack's)

Used: 5 slices bacon, 3 eggs, 4 slices toast, remnants of chicken salad, 1 frozen Pizza

Day 7

Breakfast Blueberry Pancakes, Grapefruit half, Son2 2 slices turkey bacon
Lunch  me Leftover Cottage Pie, Son3 Hamburger on sliced bread ( no buns in the house)
Dinner Sliced potatoes, onions and peppers  with smoked sausage

Used: 1serving pancake mix, 1 grapefruit, 2 rogue slices of turkey bacon (freezer find) 1 frozen hamburger patty ( I buy pounds of ground chuck on sale make individual patties and freeze them on a cookie sheet, then pack into ziplock freezer bags) 2 potatoes, 1 bell pepper, 1 onion 1 pound frozen smoked sausage.

It has been pretty easy to plan meals using what I have here, but a little more difficult to implement them.  It requires planning what I am going to cook in the morning, so whatever we are eating has time to defrost.  I decided I would like a little more flexibility cooking so today I took 4 items out of the big freezer to thaw in the meat section of the refrigerator.  I think by doing it that way I will be able to be a bit more spontaneous with dinner prep.  I never know in the morning what I want to eat at night anyway.

The one thing I will do on a somewhat regular basis is to continue making French bread.  Since it was so easy, all I really need is a day when I will be available to punch the risen dough down a couple of times and a couple of hours for shaping and the final rising.  It really takes only about 15 minutes of hands on work, the rest is simply rising times.
  I cleaned the pantry and the kitchen fridge so I know how much of each thing I have for the rest of the month.  The freezer does not look like even a tiny dent has been made in the food stored there.  I had forgotten how much produce I froze during the summer so I need to be using it a bit more.  Hopefully this week I will use more!

Superdip!

Last week was our anniversary and even though we had already celebrated a joint birthday, birthday, anniversary with dinner out at our favorite restaurant, the day of our anniversary TheHub called and suggested we go somewhere that cost less then our mortgage reasonable for dinner. I had planned to cook but I am not stupid enough to look a gift horse in the mouth. As fate would have it that same day we had an advertising mailer delivered  for a restaurant we had never tried before. It offered a free appetizer with a meal purchase. I looked the menu up online and it was a very casual restaurant with modest prices, so off we went.

We do not normally get appetizers, unless we are going to have those as our meal, but hey, this was free so why not. We chose the Low Country Dip, mainly because we had never had it before and it looked better than any other one on the menu. In addition to the dip we decided to split the pimento cheese burger and a salad. The appetizer came first, naturally, and we decided right then that we should not have gotten the burger. The dip and salad would have been the perfect amount. It was wonderful with all it's cheesy, smoked sausage goodness, both in taste and texture.  I kept taking small tastes with just my fork to try and deconstruct it. Below is my take on the dip

Low Country Dip

2 cups cheddar cheese 

1 8 oz, pack of creamed cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

1/2 pound smoked sausage, chopped finely

1/2 can drained seasoned turnip greens

Mix the cheddar cheese and the cream cheese in a microwave sale bowl. Nuke until the cream cheese is soft. Remove from the microwave and stir to blend. Next  in the mayo, sour cream and hot sauce and stir to blend well. Add the sausage and the turnip greens and stir to mix. Pour into an 8x8 oven safe pan and bake at 350 until it is bubbly and hot. Serve with sliced baguettes or tortilla chips. It is so incredible tasty and makes the perfect dish to gnosh on while watching a football game. I will be making this often. It makes a very full 8x8 pan and we had a lot of it leftover. Son2 and Girlfriend 2 had it the next morning for breakfast, and I still had a lot more left. The good news? It refrigerates nicely. To serve it again just put what you are going to eat in a ramekin and zap it about 35 seconds.

I cooked mine a little too long. I would suggest maybe 10 -15 minutes in a 350 oven. (I forgot about it and left mine in about 30 minutes. ) I will also use white cheddar, but that is purely an esthetic change, not a flavor one. Other than that I will leave it just this way. My mouth is watering just typing this.

Now the biggest problem I have with this is that I have a half pound of sausage left over and no cream cheese. A trip to the store, a football Saturday and I will be in business again. 

Happy eating and Roll Tide!

Wet Hens Have Nothing On Me

I am still having a less than stellar attitude, and now it is time to plan what I don't want to do__cook (especially cook for anyone who is not going to be "present" for the meal). I understand TheHub is not enjoying this push on his time, but I also understand I don't have to like it either. This might be called the "I'm just not feeling it" meal plan.

Warning

This song contains some unacceptable language, so if you are easily offended do not listen. Though none of the particulars of the song apply to my life, the overall attitude is how I am feeling right now

What I had planned on having for dinner this week

1. Asian lettuce wraps, tomatoes and cokes

2.  Fathead dough pizza, tossed salad

3. Squash, green beans, okra, pimento cheese biscuits

4. Tomato pie, mixed greens

5.  Hamburgers with fixings, caulitato salad

6.  Thai chicken salad

7. Take out or out to eat

What really happened:

Monday: Our okra is starting to produce very well, and I had a crisper filled with vegetables.

Sautéed squash, green beans, fried okra (or none) pimento cheese biscuits

Tuesday:  I plan on trying something new to us each week. I have made these before but never like this.

Crustless tomato pie. cucumber slices

Wednesday: The day was gorgeous and gorgeous days scream cook on the grill.

Hamburgers with fixings, caulitato salad

Thursday: Days when meetings and phone calls run ridiculously late scream just grab something out of the freezer, so I did. 

Red bag chicken sandwiches with fixings, or chicken salad (Red bag chicken with all the fried stuff scraped off over greens)

Friday: Late date night

 Chicken, collards, green tomatoes or catfish, coleslaw , fries (I think but don't really remember because it was not my meal)

Saturday: DIL2, Son2 and TGS came over to eat, so we had something we knew TGS loves.

Burgers, baked beans, chips, chocolate cake with peanut butter icing

Sunday: neither of us were hungry and supper was a catch as catch can event.

Slice of crustless zucchini pie rewarmed from the freezer or peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

I am totally changing the way I plan meals this week. TheHub has no idea when he will be getting in, we are eating between 8 and 9 pm, and there is no way I am going to be stuck cleaning up the kitchen that late. Instead I am going to make life easier on myself. Most days the meals I prepare will be things that can be made in advance and held until TheHub gets home. The only exception will be veggie night, because okra had to be cooked and eaten immediately, and we have okra coming out of our ears right now. 

I will also be throwing a couple of things on the grill.

What might happen:

1 & 2. Mexican pot roast: Will turn into (meal 1) beef burrito bowls and (meal 2) empanadas, with the leftovers frozen for chili in the fall, side salads or coleslaw

3. Veggie meal: Squash (leftover) , okra, green beans (already cooked), keto cornbread (made and frozen) coleslaw.

4. TheHub has a dinner meeting so ?

5. Meatsauce over spaghetti, tossed salad

6. Grilled tuna steak*, tossed salad, new potatoes(?)

7. Out to eat

*The only reason I have steak on the meal plan is speed. We have a gas grill right off the kitchen door, so having a hot grill is a piece of cake. TheHub calls every evening on his way home from work.  I can start it an have it ready to cook on as soon as he walks in the door. 

We cook the steak for 2 minutes on one side, flip and cook for 1 1/2. If I make the new potatoes they will be cooked in advanced and nuked to warm.

I know my mood will be better, but right now I am wallowing in the pits. What I used to do as a stress reliever was to bake. There is something seriously soothing to me about baking. It is automatic and thoughtless, with delicious aromas and tasty rewards afterward.  Since I am doing keto there is not the same reaction to baking. Keto baking is not as familiar to me, and the end product is never truly satisfying.

Instead I am trying to find some other way to lift my spirits. 

I tried cleaning and that was a big no! I hate housework! 

Swimming works but just while I am swimming

Volunteering takes me to a happy place for just a day.

Reading, yes I really love reading but it is just reading.

I thought about running off and joining the circus, but there are none in town to join.

I thought about drinking heavily, but I am one of those people who can have two glasses of wine and fall asleep at the table.

Maybe I should hang out by the pool shed and try to domesticate the groundhog that lives underneath it?

I am wide open for suggestions!!!!

Have a great day staying on plan, going off plan or with no plan at all.