bex77 | Entries tagged with food

Due to the extended heat wave I got on a kick of eating cool foods at home. This was a winning situation in five ways:

1) Saved money
2) Less exposure to COVID
3) Less time preparing and eating
4) Better food
5) No blood sugar spikes

I ended up eating 14 meals at home since July 10!

I need to remember to do this more often.

Here are the ten times that worked best:

1) Caprese cucumber salad
2) Seafood salad sandwiches with Cheee Chex mix
3) Lobster rolls with Quaker sour cream & onion rice cakes
4) Ham & dill pickle sandwiches
5) Turkey & Swiss cheese sandwich with Utz Cheese curls
6) Starbucks box with chicken, hummus, pita, carrots and peapods
7) Hot dogs on Martin's long rolls
8) Fancy flavored meatballs, cheese and crackers, carrots
9) Frozen blueberry pancakes & breakfast sausage
10) Fred's Franks kielbasa with kraut and brown mustard on a small bun

The first six required very little prep, and the rest involved a little microwave oven time.

Everything came from Market Basket except the sixth one and the last.

If you have any other ideas for easy cool meals, please let me know!

Here's to dinner innovations!

-B

I cooked four nights in a row this week and ate leftovers the fifth night! I don't think that has ever happened before, and may never happen again. The stars aligned with work being relatively quiet and Hubby out at rehearsals every night, so I took the time to use up supplies on the shelves and satisfy some cravings for dishes I can't delivered!

Monday - Hormel Chili with onions, franks and melted cheese on top

Tuesday - Dinty Moore's Beef stew with garlic, onions and fresh mushrooms over egg noodles

Wednesday - Annie's spiral macaroni with parmesan cheese and diced ham, with a side of buttered sweet peas

Thursday - I turned on the oven! Betty Crocker scalloped potatoes with diced ham and a green bean casserole

Friday - Leftovers from Thursday

Here's hoping that writing it down here will give me a head start if I decide to cook again!

If you have an easy dinner favorite for me to try, please point me to a recipe URL or jot down the details. Thanks!

Crossposts: http://bex77.livejournal.com/179132.html

I was so energetic today! I did two loads of laundry, took my mom out for a nice lunch, then took her to the grocery store. Wow, the new Market Basket in Burlington is gorgeous! and well-stocked. and still wicked cheap! And there were helpful employees around! Wow.

I got the urge to cook. (I know, now you're thinking someone has taken over my blog!)

I bought the fixings for an Italian dinner. They have a lot of chopped up stuff, which makes it really easy. And I came home and cooked!

For my records, here is the recipe:

Beefy mushroom garlic onion spaghetti sauce ( Read more... )
I let it simmer for awhile, then made hot Italian sausages and fresh angel hair pasta. Yum.

Crossposts: http://bex77.livejournal.com/140906.html

I ate dinner at home again tonight! And it was NOT take-out or delivery from a restaurant! This is unprecedented.

Tonight I had two items:

1) Marie Callender's Creamy Chicken & Portobello Risotto $3.73
(white meat chicken, rice, mushrooms, creamy chardonnay sauce)
320 calories, 19g protein, 39g carbs, 10g fat, 2g fiber, 1g sugars
4.5 minutes in the microwave

2) Green Giant Sweet Peas and Onions $1.99
180 calories, 9g protein, 33g carbs, 0g fat, 9g fiber, 9g sugars
5 minutes in the microwave

Total cost $5.72
Calories 500

I mixed them together, and sprinkled on some parmesan cheese. It was still a little bland, but tasted alright.

So I ate less, ate better, saved money and wasn't out in some restaurant during a tornado warning. I feel so virtuous!

Crossposts: http://bex77.livejournal.com/137190.html

I ate dinner at home last night.
And it was NOT take-out or delivery from a restaurant! (Don't faint)

N. and I did a big grocery shopping run yesterday, mostly because the a/c was out at our condo all weekend and we wanted to be somewhere that was cool. We strolled each aisle, to extend our time in the store, and I ended up talking to him about eating at home to save money, be healthier and less hassled. So we picked up four sets of items that could be dinners for the rest of the week.

Tonight we had chicken caesar salad, one of my favorite warm weather meals. This consisted of two items:

1) Fresh Express Caesar salad kit $4.49
includes romaine lettuce, dressing, grated cheese and croutons
420 calories, 9 g protein, 21g carbs, 36g fat, 3 g fiber, 3.5g sugars

2) Perdue "Short Cuts" Italian skinless chicken breast slices $4.49
(usually $6.49 but on sale because it had hit the "sell by" date)
350 calories, 60 g protein, 7 g carbs, 7g fat, 3.5g sugars

Total cost $ 8.98, Cost/ person $4.49
Calories/person 385

Being less hassled and healthier? Priceless!

I ate dinner at home tonight.
And it was NOT take-out or delivery from a restaurant! (Don't faint)

N. and I did a big grocery shopping run yesterday, mostly because the a/c was out at our condo all weekend and we wanted to be somewhere that was cool. We strolled each aisle, to extend our time in the store, and I ended up talking to him about eating at home to save money, be healthier and less hassled. So we picked up four sets of items that could be dinners for the rest of the week.

Tonight we had chicken caesar salad, one of my favorite warm weather meals. This consisted of two items:

1) Fresh Express Caesar salad kit $4.49
includes romaine lettuce, dressing, grated cheese and croutons
420 calories, 9 g protein, 21g carbs, 36g fat, 3 g fiber, 3.5g sugars

2) Perdue "Short Cuts" Italian skinless chicken breast slices $4.49
(usually $6.49 but on sale because it had hit the "sell by" date)
350 calories, 60 g protein, 7 g carbs, 7g fat, 3.5g sugars

Total cost $ 8.98, Cost/ person $4.49
Calories/person 385

Being less hassled and healthier? Priceless!

Current Mood: satisfied

I hope you are safe and warm this snowy morning!

Harvard University is closed today, a rare and wonderful thing, so I am at home causing trouble on the internet. :)

Here's the view out the balcony window of our Wednesday white-out, big warm glops of snow coming down.

And here's the breakfast I cooked (don't faint): ham and cheese omelette, potato wheat toast with European style butter and raspberry jam, slice kiwi and OJ! All four food groups!

Current Mood: chipper

Dunkin Donuts is having a "design a donut" contest in honor of their 60th birthday. They let you put together a new combination of various elements, give it a name and explain why you picked those elements. I clicked around and decided on a jelly donut with pomegranate raspberry filling, chocolate icing and red/purple sprinkles on top. I called it the "Chocolate Raspberry Sensation." A triple treat with the best combo in the world - chocolate and raspberry - jazzed up by the trendy pomegranate in the form of a traditional jelly donut. Somehow, I don't think my future is in donut design.

The web is bringing me British today!

1) Upstairs, Downstairs revival
including some of the original cast like Jean Marsh, creator and actor
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/6284582/Upstairs-Downstairs-returns-to-BBC.html

2) British Food in America web site
Restaurant reviews, recipes, book reviews and a manifesto
http://www.britishfoodinamerica.com/index.php?page=home

Cheerio!

I am newly enamored of Dave's Fresh Pasta on Holland Ave. in Davis Square.

Ok, I know it's been there a long time, and even been expanded for awhile but I finally made my way over there last week. Usually when places change these days, they get rid of everything I used to buy. But Dave's has gone in the opposite direction. It's as if their buyer went out of the way to get items that I can not resist. The new incarnation reminds me a lot of the Wine & Cheese Cask, mixed with the best selection of prepared foods and deli sandwiches I've seen in a long time. The new offerings are so good, I didn't end up getting any pasta or sauce!

( Read more... )

Everything Tastes Better with Bacon: 70 Fabulous Recipes for Every Meal of the Day

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0811832392/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link

When I say "American food" what comes to mind?

I've been charged with providing refreshments for the Inauguration viewing lunch/party at work on Tuesday, and I'm having a mental block. Sure, there's the old "hots dogs, baseball and apple pie" but there must be more or better ideas than that. Help!

We found two new snacks over the holiday break that I highly recommend to you:

1) Turkey Hill Venice Ice Cherry/Lemon
http://www.turkeyhill.com/products/venice-ice.asp

I found this at the little grocery store in Davis Square between the Goodwill and Anna's. It is a delicious Italian ice/sorbet treat. No fat! I was worried about how the cherry and lemon would clash, but it works. Cool, smooth, sweet, tart...YUM!

2) True North Pistachio Crisps
http://www.truenorthsnacks.com/our_products/pistachio_crisps/detail.php

These jumped off the shelf at Target into my cart. They're very nutty, with a texture that's a cross between a cracker and a chip. Lots of protein. Very tasty.

They also make almond crisps, bland in comparison, but still good if you like almond.

Enjoy!