Bouchons Au Thon (Tuna Cups)...

So I stumbled across this recipe in a book...not a recipe book, exactly...more of an autobiography, actually.  It's from a book called A Homemade Life, by Molly Wizenberg.  The chick who wrote it is obviously inspired by food, and food plays a large part in a lot of her memories, so she recaps stories about making these recipes with family, friends, loves, etc. and then includes the recipe at the end of each story.  There's like, a million tasty looking recipes in there (although this is the only one I've gotten to so far), and it's a really fun, interesting read too.  Check it out if you get a chance :)

Bouchons Au Thon (Tuna Cups)
4 servings, 284 Calories Each

Ingredients:

1 - 6oz. can tuna, packed in water, drained well
1 c. shredded Gruyere
1/3 c. sour cream
3 T. tomato paste
3 eggs
1/4 c. yellow onion, chopped fine
1/4 tsp. salt
2 T. Italian parsley, chopped fine (I've tried Italian seasoning, and also dried parsley, in the past and those both worked fine too...I just happened to try fresh this time, because I was using Peapod for the first time and wanted to check out the produce)

Directions:

Mix everything together in a bowl.  Transfer it to a greased muffin tin (it'll make 8 cups...I usually have 2 per serving).  Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes until they look set on the top and sides.  Let cool for 5-10 minutes before carefully removing from muffin tin.

I'm serving mine with hashbrown parmesan cups (recipe later) for a total of 385 calories.

McCoy Lasagna...

I'm not certain that this lasagna recipe is unique to our household, but I DO know that everytime I make it for someone, they look me like I just fell off the back of a truck on its way to the loony bin. It's non-traditional lasagna, for sure. But I can ALSO say, that every last one of those people who looked at me like I was nuts while I was making it wound up loving it...and most asked for the recipe afterwards. So...yeah. I prefer it to more traditional lasagna with ricotta. Plus it's easier and faster. And I LOVE easier and faster...it's my favorite thing :)

McCoy Lasagna
8 servings, 435 calories each

Ingredients:

- 1 lb. ground beef (the leaner the better...I use 95%)
- 1 can peas
- 1 tub cottage cheese
- 1 bag shredded cheddar
- 1 bag shredded mozzarella
- 1 jar pasta sauce
- 1 pkg. dry lasagna noodles (you're really only using 8 or 9 noodles)
- Seasonings (your preference)

Directions:

Brown the ground beef on the stovetop. Add pasta sauce and seasonings to ground beef (here's where the lean part comes in...if you didn't use super lean, you'll need to drain it first...save yourself a step!) and simmer 10-15 minutes. Now it's time to start layering!




















1st Layer - Dry Noodles....yes, you read that right...dry...we're keeping it fast and easy here!




















2nd Layer - 1/2 of ground beef mixture
3rd Layer - Cottage Cheese (to taste)
4th Layer - Peas (to taste...do not drain peas...the extra liquid is important for helping cook the noodles)
5th Layer - 1/2 bag of shredded cheddar
6th Layer - 1/2 bag of shredded mozzarella
Repeat Layers

Do yourself a favor and put the whole pan on top of a cookie sheet...I promise you from experience, it's no fun if it cooks over in your oven. Cover with foil (make sure to tent the foil, or you'll just melt it into all of your cheese) and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes. And whatever you do, make sure to let it cool before you cut it, or it's going to be a mess!

It's a good size portion, so I'm not adding a side to this one. Enjoy :)

Potato & Corn Chowder...

For a little while in college, I worked at a restaurant.  The chef there periodically made this corn chowder with bacon, and it was amazing...he literally only did it like 1 day every couple of months, and everybody went crazy for it when it actually popped up on the menu, myself included.  But that was a long time ago, and I had since kind of forgotten about corn chowder...until Pinterest arrived :)  So I found this Potato & Corn Chowder recipe on Mama Loves Food and I was competely obsessed with it all winter.  I decided to make it one more time before it starts getting much warmer outside, since it's a happy, cozy little recipe.  Potatoes, corn, bacon...what's not to like?  The original recipe called for celery...I don't really do celery unless it has peanut butter and raisins on it (I know...I'm a child sometimes), so I skipped that.  I also skipped the seasoning salt in the original and added my own seasonings.  Just personal preference :)

Potato & Corn Chowder
8 Servings, 325 Calories Each

Ingredients:

1 box pre-cooked microwave bacon, crispy and crumbled
6-7 sm/med Russet potatoes (don't bother peeling them), diced into 1/4"-ish cubes
8 cups frozen corn
1 med/lg sweet yellow onion, diced fine
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
4 c. chicken stock
2 c. half & half
Seasonings (your choice)

Directions:





















Put everything EXCEPT the half & half into the crockpot, set on low, and let it cook for about 10 hours (the original  recipe says you can do it on high for 6 hours if you don't have that kinda time).  Blend with an immersion blender (or pour it in a regular blender) to the texture you like (I leave mine pretty chunky).  Add the half & half and cook, uncovered, for another 15-20 minutes. 

 

I'm having mine with a crescent roll (packaged separately in a ziploc bag, obviously) for a total of 425 calories :)

Tuna Noodle Casserole...

There's always going to be those classic dishes from your childhood that are go-to comfort food items.  For me, tuna noodle casserole is right up there on that list.  I've been harassed on previous occasions about the use of too much processed food in this meal, but you know what?  I don't care.  lol :)  It's yummy, the calories aren't too bad, and it's not like I'm eating it three meals a day, so whatever!  One sidebar before the recipe:  1) Normally I use Roasted Garlic Cream of Mushroom Soup, but I completely forgot when I was ordering my groceries.  It's good either way, but it's nice to have the extra boost of flavor.

Tuna Noodle Casserole
6 Servings, 310 Calories Each

Ingredients:

- 1 Box Mac & Cheese
- 1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 1/4 c. Margaine
- 1/4 c. Milk
- 1 Can Peas, drained
- Seasonings (I usually add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes)

Directions:
Prepare mac & cheese according to package instructions (cook it to the low end of the recommended time, because it'll be going into the oven afterwards).  Into prepared mac & cheese, mix in cream of mushroom soup, peas, and seasonings.  Bake at 350 degrees for about a half an hour, or until the edges are bubbling and it starts to brown a little bit on top. 

As I said in my meal plan post, I'll be serving mine with a crescent roll for a total of 410 calories :)

I Love the Internet...

I love the internet.  I'd say at least twice a day, I thank my lucky stars that it exists.  Besides the excessive amount of Googling I do, there's also Facebook, Pinterest, and a whole host of other social networking sites that I look to for inspiration, creativity, and communicating with people who I don't often get a chance to see due to scheduling and/or distance.  I do a lot of online shopping around the holidays too, because as someone who works retail, my patience with the holiday insanity wears thin pretty quickly if I don't.

So anyway, on to the point of this "I love the internet" rant:  I ordered my groceries from Peapod.com for the first time ever this week.  If you know me, you know that I positively DESPISE grocery shopping (which, incidentally, was part of the incentive in my once a month cooking escapades to begin with).  All other forms of shopping I pretty much love...grocery shopping is like hell on earth for me though.  Sooooo, after talking to a friend of mine who's husband delivers for Peapod, I decided to just do it.

So I typed up my list in the little quick list thing and clicked through to select the items I wanted from the list, all of which took about...15 minutes.  I selected sale items when I could, and after I totalled everything up, I realized it pretty much costs exactly the same as my normal in-store grocery shopping, if not a little less.  I set my delivery time for 8pm-10pm, they texted me about 10-15 minutes before they got here, and when my groceries arrived, they were brought right to my door and unloaded in the kitchen in the span of about 6 minutes.  I gave the delivery guy a $20 tip (it says tipping is optional on the website, but personally, when people deliver stuff to my house because I'm too lazy to go get it myself, I think they deserve a good tip). 

Anyway, it was AWESOME...all in all, including the time to unpack and put groceries away, it was about a 30 minute time investment, as opposed to the normal 2-2 1/2 hours.  The produce and everything looks even better than what I usually buy at the store.  PLUS, even AFTER the tip, I came in $25 under my normal monthly budget.  Winner!  Yep, love the internet.  :)

March Menu Plan...

Well, the time is drawing near for monthly cooking to commence once again.  I'm planning on doing all my cooking Wednesday after I get done getting an oil change, and going to work for a couple of hours on my day off...yep...we'll see if it all gets done.  Anyway, here's the plan...recipes, etc. coming Wednesday or Thursday, hopefully...items with an asterisk(*) I haven't made before, so I'll post an update on success (or lack thereof) after I get done cooking and have eaten them a couple of times.  As always, calories are approximate based on look-ups of individual ingredients at calorieking.com. 

Entrees

Corn and Potato Chowder (325 calories) + Crescent (100 calories) – 425 Calories Total, 8 servings

Taco Cups* (203 calories) + Corn Muffin (170 calories)  - 373 Calories , 12 servings

Tuna Noodle Casserole (310 calories) + Crescent (100 calories) – 410 Calories Total, 6 servings

Lasagna (435 calories) + No Side – 435 Calories Total, 8 servings

Tuna Bouchons (284 calories) + Hashbrown Parmesan Cups* (101 calories) – 385 Calories Total, 4 servings

Breakfast

Apple Pie Oatmeal Breakfast* (115 calories, 8 servings)

Muffin 2 pack (280 calories, 12 servings)

Snacks

15 Wheat Thins + 1 Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge (175 calories)
Cuties Orange (45 calories)


And that's all for tonight :)

Status update on recipes...

Well, I've been meaning to do this for at least a week now, but I figured I'd post an update on how the new recipes turned out, how they're reheating, etc.

1) Chicken Caesar Sandwiches - Pretty good.  They reheat just fine, and I really like the taste.  I think I almost like them better cold though, so I might just make a half batch next time and eat them for a couple of days in a row instead of freezing them for later.

2) Cheesy Quinoa Casserole  - Eh.  I haven't been able to determine if I'm having such an issue with these because it was originally billed as mac & cheese and they're sooooo not, or if I actually wouldn't like them if I hadn't had any previous expectations.  It tastes fine, and it reheats fine, but I'm just disappointed everytime I take it out of the freezer.  And I'm developing a texture issue with it.  I don't think I'll be making it again, at any rate, and I may or may not toss the last few I have left, although I HATE doing that...I just don't think I can deal with it anymore.

3) Potatoes ala Boulangere - LOVE!  Reheats well, tastes great, definitely making them again.

4) Petite Lasagnas - LOVE!   I really like these, they reheat really well, and they've inspired me to consider more cupcake tin entrees.  I'll definitely be making them again.

5) Corndog Muffins - Yummy comfort food.  Reheats well.  I'll make them again.

6) Baked Oatmeal with Fruit - Very good...I've discovered I'm sort of partial to having it for dessert with a little ice cream on top instead of for breakfast though...whoops!

7) Hummus - As with the quinoa, I think I'm mostly disappointed that it's not exactly what I thought it was going to be.  The more I had, the more it reminded me that it wasn't exactly what I had wanted.  I'll be trying a new recipe next time.

And that's all...just figured I'd let ya'll know how it turned out :)

Another Month Down...

Well, I finally got everything in the freezer, and here's the final look before I pack in the cooking for this month.  If you decide to do this, get used to your refrigerator looking empty all the time....mine's only full 2-3 days a month, max :)  Have a good one!

Homemade Pita Bread...

I figured as long as I had all the ingredients for this recipe, I'd give it a go.  It tastes right.  I think I rolled the dough too thick or didn't knead quite enough  or let it rise too long or something though (I did sort of lose track of time, since I was cleaning and doing errands in between), because they came out way too thick.  Either that, or I misinterpreted the explanation/photos on Under the High Chair where I found this recipe.  I got the impression they were light and hollow.  Either way, they taste really good with the hummus...I just need to cut them all in half to get them to an appropriate thickness...otherwise I feel like I've got a giant piece of crusty bread that I should be putting butter on or something.  Next time I'll roll them out thinner and knead more and see what happens :)  Here's the recipe:

Homemade Pita Bread

Ingredients:

- 1 T. yeast

- 1 1/4 c. warm water

- 1 tsp. salt

- 3-3 1/2 c. flour

Directions:

Put the yeast and water in a bowl, and let yeast sit and dissolve in for about 5 minutes.  Add salt and 1 1/2 c. flour, and mix with the dough hook of an electric mixer.  Keep adding flour until it forms a solid mass that's not too sticky.  Knead for about 8 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.  Add more flour if it's too sticky to work with.  Put dough on a floured surface, cut into 6-10 pieces depending on the size of pita you want.  Form each piece into a ball, and then use a rolling pin to roll it out to about 1/4 inch.  Let rest on floured surface for 30-40 minutes. 

Flip upside down onto baking sheet, and bake 10-15 minutes. 

As I said earlier, I'm having mine with the hummus I made :)





Homemade Hummus...

I thought I hated hummus for a long time.  As it turns out, I just hate grocery store hummus.  My sister and I went to this lovely little coffee shop in Milwaukee, WI, called Brewed one day and ordered hummus, and oh.my.god.  It was amazing.  Warm and delicious and sort of nutty with fresh, hot little pita points.  (Additionally, if you're ever in the Milwaukee area, they also have delicious coffee, pastries, tuna sandwiches, and a bunch of vegan stuff if you're into that).  Anyway, I loved it.  But I didn't really know what was in it or how to make it...and I didn't have a food processor anyway.  Enter Christmas 2011...and I got a food processor for Christmas!  (You know you're getting old when you're legitimately excited about getting kitchen appliances for Christmas).  Anyway, I went to the Food Network website and got Alton Brown's recipes for hummus.  I figure if anyway knows the proper way to make hummus, it's Alton Brown.  So anyway, there's a traditional version, and there's a "turbo" version that's quicker and easier to make.  Since it's my first hummus-making experiment, and I was already a little overwhelmed at the whole prospect, I went with the Turbo Hummus.  Plus, it's cheaper, since it uses peanut butter instead of tahini...an idea that I liked in case the whole process went terribly awry, I wouldn't have a bunch of tahini sitting around with nothing to do.  So I got it all done, and it's good...it's not Brewed good by any stretch, and you do get a little bit of that peanut butter flavor, but it's pretty tasty.  MUCH better than the grocery store version, and every bit the right texture, which is, as it turns out, half the battle with the hummus that I've tried.  Anyway, here's the recipe:

Turbo Hummus

Ingredients:

- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and liquid reserved
- 2-3 T smooth peanut butter
- 1 handful fresh parsley leaves
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- Pinch of pepper
- Pinch of salt
- 1/3 c. olive oil


Directions:

Chop the garlic in the food processor. Add beans and 1/2 of the reserved liquid and process to the consistency of your preference. Add the peanut butter, parsley, lemon zest and juice, salt & pepper. Process until it forms a paste. Drizzle in the olive oil and process until it reaches the consistency of mayonnaise.

I'm serving mine with homemade pita bread too, which will be the next (and final, for this month) recipe. 

Baked Oatmeal with Fruit...

I was so anti-oatmeal for the longest time.  I think it was from years of glue-y textured microwaved packets of oatmeal.  But when McDonalds (yes, McDonalds, I know how bad that sounds) started serving oatmeal last year, I found that with all of that fruit in there, I really like it again.  So I've been seeing oatmeal recipes popping up on Pinterest, and I settled on this one from Annie's Eats for round one.  I'm interested in trying a Steel Cut Oats recipe next time, but for this time I settled on rolled oats (impatient this week...remember?  Steel Cut takes longer to cook).  The calorie counts I'm using are from the original recipe...I changed the fruits I was using, so I'm sure they're a little different, but at least it gives you a general idea.  It turned out really tasty, and I think it'd be good for breakfast or for dessert with a little ice cream (yum!).  I used strawberries and blackberries this time, but next time I'm thinking maybe apples and cranberries...or peaches and blackberries maybe.  Mmmm...so it's pretty versatile...and fresh or frozen fruit works fine.  I used frozen because it was a little cheaper this time of year for what I wanted.  So here's the recipe:

Baked Oatmeal with Fruit
8 Servings, 211 Calories Each

- 1 c. old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/4 c. chopped pecans, toasted (I forgot to toast mine and it was still really good, but it'd probably be even better toasted...I'll remember next time!)
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 c. maple syrup
- 1 c. milk
- 1 egg
- 2 T margarine, melted
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 1/2 c. strawberries
- 1 c. blackberries


Directions:

Mix oats, half the nuts, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk together syrup, milk, egg, margarine, and vanilla.  Grease a 9"x13" casserole dish, and put the strawberries in a layer on the bottom of the casserole.  Put half of the blackberries on top.  Pour dry ingredients evenly over the fruit.  Pour wet ingredients evenly over dry ingredients.  Add the rest of the blackberries and nuts on top. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes until browned and oatmeal is set.  Looks yummy!

I would probably serve it with a little honey on top for breakfast.  Or a little whipped cream or ice cream if you're going for dessert :)





Chicken Caesar Sandwiches...

I love chicken caesar salads.  However, the problem with salads when you're cooking for a month at a time, is that romaine lettuce lasts for MAYBE a week, if you're lucky.  So when I saw this recipe on The Girl Who Ate Everything it intrigued me.  First off, it's intended to be served hot, which is new.  And also, it was originally intended to be a slow cooker meal.  I was feeling majorly impatient this week, so I adapted it to be done on the stovetop instead of the crock pot, but if you're not in a time crunch, feel free to check out the original recipe at the link above to see how that changes cooking times, etc.  The original also calls for dark meat, but I'm not a dark meat girl, so I used white...whichever you want is fine :)  I went ahead and had a sandwich for lunch when I was done cooking it, because I hadn't had a chance to eat yet, and it was delicious.  I had it hot, but I'm sure it would be delicious cold too.  And putting a nice crisp piece of lettuce on top (for as long as you have crisp lettuce, anyway), would top it off great too.  Also, I had a brief memory lapse and forgot I was supposed to be taking pictures, so there's only two for this one...sorry! Without further ado, here's the recipe:

Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
6 Servings, 321 Calories Each

Ingredients:

- 3-4 chicken breasts

- 1/2 c. shredded parmesan

- 1/4 c. chopped parsley

- 1 c. Caesar dresing (I used Ken's Steakhouse Lite Creamy Caesar.  My absolute favorite is Ken's Steakhouse Lite Caesar (not creamy)...but I thought the chicken may get dry in the reheating if I didn't switch to the creamy.)

- Pepper, to taste

- Buns

Directions:

I boiled my chicken breasts in salted water.  You could do them in a skillet if you wanted, but I think they stay a little more moist when you boil them, plus, I've found they're a little easier to shred when you're done.  Once chicken is done, set aside to cool, and empty pot of water.  Shred chicken with a fork and put back into pot.  Add parmesan, parsley, Caesar dressing, and pepper, and mix.  Turn heat on low till everything is warm and parmesan is starting to melt.  Serve hot or cold.

I'm having mine with an little Cutie's orange for a total of about 400 calories.  Oh, and a tip on the buns, if you keep them in the refrigerator on a wire rack, they'll last easily 3 weeks without getting stale.

Cheesy Quinoa Casserole...

I'd never had quinoa before, but thanks to a pile of delicious looking pictures on Pinterest, I decided to try it this month.  Apparently quinoa is some sort of wonder grain that's supposed to be really good for you.  The part that appeals to me is that it's a "complete" grain, which basically means it has plenty of protein and makes you feel full for longer than, say, white rice (helllooooooo Chinese food...maybe I should have quinoa with that instead of rice...perhaps I wouldn't be ready to eat another meal an hour after dinner!).  If you read my menu plan, you'll notice that it was not called Cheesy Quinoa Casserole on the original list.  The original recipe on Monica Nelson Fitness is called Quinoa Mac and Cheese.  Upon making it though, I think it's definitely more of a casserole than it is a mac and cheese.  It's one of those diet problems, I think...ever had that problem?  You've been eating 100 calorie pack brownies for the last 2 years, and you're finally so far removed from real brownies, that you're sure that's how real brownies really taste?  And then you recommend them to someone who DOES know what real brownies taste like, and tell them they're practically the same thing, and they look at you like you've lost your mind?  (Ahem...not that that's ever happened to me).  So yeah...definitely NOT mac and cheese, but still a yummy casserole.  I think next time I would add some mushrooms and red peppers to take it even further in the casserole direction.  Based on the texture, I'm pretty sure it'll reheat well, but I'll update if there's any issues.  Here's the recipe I made (adjusted a little from the original):

Cheesy Quinoa Casserole
8 servings, 250 Calories Per Serving

Ingredients:



  
- 2 tsp. Olive Oil
- 1 c. Green Onion, Diced
- 1 Green Pepper, Diced
- 1 1/2 c. Quinoa, Rinsed and Drained
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 c. 2% Milk
- 2 Eggs
- 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1 1/2 c. Shredded Cheddar
- Pepper, to taste
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste


Directions:

Heat oil over med/med-high heat in medium-large skillet.  Add green peppers and green onions and cook 4-5 minutes till tender.  Add garlic and quinoa, and cook 3-4 minutes until quinoa starts to become translucent (quinoa is NOT done yet, so don't worry about it looking a little like uncooked rice).  Add 3 c. water, and season with salt and pepper.  Cover, turn down heat to med/med-low for 10-15 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed.  Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes.



In a separate large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and crushed red pepper.  Fold in quinoa mixture and cheese.  Transfer to greased 9"x13" pan.

Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes, until the edges start to brown.

It was easily 8 servings, although the recipe said 6-8...I think you'd probably burst if you only made it into 6 servings.  I'll be having mine with a crescent roll for a total of 350 calories per serving.





Corn Dog Muffins...

Yep, corn dog muffins.  Sounds a little trashy, doesn't it?  But then you think about it a little and think...corn dogs are yummy...and a pain in the butt to make...and way too terrible for you when you get them from the fair!  So THIS recipe, from The Family Kitchen keeps the yum-factor, but gets rid of all that mess and bad-for-you-ness.  Perfect.


Corn Dog Muffins
12 Servings, 220 Calories Each

Ingredients:

- 2 Boxes Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

- 4 Hot Dogs

- 2 Eggs

- 2/3 c. Milk

- Handful of Shredded Cheddar

Directions:

Mix muffin mix, eggs, milk, and cheese together in a bowl.  Grease muffin tin with cooking spray.  Portion out muffin mix into tin.  Chop hot dogs into bite-sized piece and push a few into each muffin. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Let cool and remove from muffin tin.

I'm going to have mine with Wheat Thins (15 are in a serving) and a wedge of Happy Cow Cheese, for a total of 395 calories.  And that's all for this one :)

Petite Lasagnas...

I love lasagna...pasta in general, really.  But my recipe is...shall we say...not figure-friendly.  So when I found this recipe on Can You Stay for Dinner, in individually portioned muffin cups no less, I was thrilled.  They were easy to make, although I think maybe I didn't grease the tin quite enough, because I had some issues getting them out.  I did change a few things from the original recipe, based on what I had on hand.  Here's the recipe:

Petite Lasagnas
12 Servings, 181 Calories Each

Ingredients:

- 12 oz. ground turkey

- 1 onion, chopped

- 1/2 c. mushrooms, chopped

- 14.5 oz. can of crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce, if you want to)

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 1/2 c. part skim ricotta

- 1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella

- 24 small square wonton wrappers

- Salt, to taste

- Pepper, to taste

- Italian Seasoning, to taste

Directions:

Put ground turkey, onions, mushroom, salt and pepper into a skillet, and cook over medium until turkey is browned.  Add garlic, crushed tomatoes, and Italian seasoning to skillet.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, salt, pepper, and oregano and set aside.  Spray muffin tin with cooking spray liberally.  Place a wonton wrapper in each muffin cup, pressing down on the bottom and up the sides.  Put a layer of ricotta, followed by a layer of the meat mixture, and a layer of mozzarella.  Place a wonton wrapper on top of mozzarella, and repeat layers. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted. 

Let cool before removing from pan.  I'm adding a piece of garlic bread to complete my meal, for a total of 334 calories.  And that's all for this one :)

Potatoes ala Boulangere...

Well, I needed something to go with my meatloaf...and I AM awfully Irish, so I'll take potatoes whenever I can get them.  I originally found this recipe at Kayotic Kitchen, here.  I changed a couple of things, mostly because I take shortcuts cooking whenever possible.  If there's a way to do it faster or easier, I'm there :)  So here goes:

Potatoes ala Boulangere
8 Servings, 117 Calories each

Ingredients:

- 4-5 Russet Potatoes
- 2 Onions
- 1/3 c. Vegetable Broth
- 1/3 c. Milk
- 2 T. Margarine
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Flakes


Directions:

Thinly slice potatoes and onions.  (In the original recipe, it called for the potatoes to be peeled, and then the peeled slices to be rinsed and dried, but I don't have time for all that, and I don't mind the peels on the potatoes).  Grease a 13x9 casserole dish.  Put down a layer of potatoes, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic flake.  Repeat with slices of onions.  Repeat both layers.  In a separate bowl, heat the vegetable broth in the microwave for about 45 seconds.  Add milk and mix.  Pour milk/broth mixture over pototes/onions.  Cut margarine into small pieces and place on top of potatoes/onions.

Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 40 minutes. 

As I said in my last post, I'm putting these with meatloaf, for a total of 367 calories per serving.  Enjoy!

Meatloaf...

Okay, I know not everybody is a meatloaf person, and to be honest, I didn't used to be either.  Most of the ones I'd had were dry and bland.  But one day, I was making a meatloaf from the package directions, and apparently misread a couple of things and put in the wrong amount of a couple of things, and voila!, meatloaf that I actually liked.  Here's the recipe...

Meatloaf
8 Servings, 250 calories each

Ingredients:

- 1 lb. ground beef (I use as lean as I can...you're putting in a lot of extra moisture, so it doesn't get dry)
- 1 package meatloaf seasoning mix (I use McCormick when I can, but it doesn't really matter.  It seems to be getting harder to find meatloaf seasoning in the suburbs, so I've found that pot roast seasoning works too!)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 small can of tomato sauce (I usually get the garlic, basil & oregano seasoned variety)
- 1/2 cup of milk
- 4-5 slices of bread, ripped into small-ish pieces (I use white, but again, it doesn't really matter)
- Ketchup, to taste

Directions:
Put everything except the ketchup into a mixing bowl.  Now as much as I loathe getting my hands messy, it's really the best way to mix everything up, so get ahead and get in there and mix! 

Shape into a loaf in a casserole dish or cake pan.  Squeeze ketchup on top to taste. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.

I'm making it this month with Potatoes ala Boulangere (the next recipe I'll post), for a total of 367 calories per serving.  And that's all for this one :)

February Menu Plan...

Alrighty, here's my February meal plan (Items I haven't made before are marked with **):


Entrees

Quinoa Mac & Cheese** + Crescent Roll -
   - 6 to 8 servings.  Approximately 434 calories each for 6, 350 calories each for 8.

Meatloaf + Potatoes ala Boulangere** -
  - 8 servings.  Approximately 367 calories each.

Petite Lasagnas** + Garlic Bread -
  - 12 servings.  Approximately 334 calories each.

Chicken Caesar Sandwiches** + Cuties Orange -
  - 6 servings.  Approximately 400 calories each.

Corn Dog Muffins** + 15 Wheat Thins & 1 Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge
  - 12 servings.  Approximately 395 calories each.


Breakfast

Baked Oatmeal with Fruit**
  - 8 servings.  Approximately 211 calories each.

Cranberry Orange Muffins + Blueberry Muffins (Just add water varieties)
  - 12 servings (one of each muffin per serving).  Approximately 280 calories each.


Snacks

Hummus with Pita Bread
  - Haven't gotten around to figuring out calories or serving size, but I'm sure it's not good.

15 Wheat Thins + 1 Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge
  - Approximately 175 calories per serving.

Cuties Orange
  - Approximately 45 calories.


Dessert

Mini Ice Cream Sandwich
  - Approximately 100 calories each.


Other Things I Have on Hand

- Chop Suey with Rice
- Frozen Pizza
- Brats to Grill

A Change in Direction...

Well, I've been busy, and I've obviously not kept up on my blog. But I was thinking today, I think I'm going to expand the scope of my blog, and include my monthly cooking escapades. It would be nice to have a record of it for myself (I've noticed sometimes I make the same thing for months in a row, and wonder why I'm getting tired of it...whoops!). Plus, there've been a few people who have taken an interest in how to take on a month's worth of food at a time, and it would be nice to share some of that info too (it's not really as overwhelming as it sounds).

For a little over a year, I've been grocery shopping and cooking once a month...a whole month of food ready to go in single serve portions in the freezer, to be heated up later at my convenience. When I used to live with roommates and whatnot, I enjoyed cooking for everyone pretty regularly...now that I live by myself, it's kind of a pain, and it's soooooo easy to just get some take-out instead. So this whole adventure has helped improve my eating habits, free up time in my everyday life, AND is saving me a ton of money every month.

Some tips to get started:

1) This is ALL about meal planning. I plan 5-6 meals, a couple of breakfast items, a couple of snacks, and then I usually have 2-3 random things around the house to make in case I don't feel like eating one of my freezer meals or if I have someone over to visit and want to make something fresh.

2) Make a comprehensive list for the grocery store and STICK TO IT. This was by far the biggest thing for me to overcome. I ALWAYS just picked up whatever looked good in addition to my list when I used to grocery shop. When I first started doing this, I started by limiting myself to five items that weren't on the list. Anymore, I hardly ever grab anything that's not on the list, unless maybe there is some really good fruit on sale or something. This has gotten my grocery bill (and I mean EVERYTHING...paper towels, detergent, etc...not just food) down to $200-250 a month.

3) You have to think about how things are going to freeze and reheat. Let's face it...not everything freezes well...texture can suffer. Things that are heavily cream-based separate, just a solid piece of meat that's not IN something will tend to get dry when you reheat it, things that are supposed to crunch may not upon reheating, etc. Just be conscious of it. A lot of things will reheat better in the oven, but I'm single and busy....and lazy...so I usually microwave everything :) You just have to try it see what works for you.

4) Do yourself a favor and get a really good knife. As a girl who grew up chopping vegetables with a steak knife and not knowing there was a better way....I can honestly say that I used to avoid making dishes that required any real amount of chopping and dicing. That is, until I got myself a really good knife...and the sky opened up, and light shined down, and angels sang...yada, yada....it was amazing. lol :) It makes everything easier and faster...and if you're cooking a month's worth of meals in one day, easier and faster is key.

5) Whenever possible, try to plan meals that aren't all done in the oven or all on the stovetop, etc. That way, you can multi-task and work on multiple dishes at one time. And if you do have to wait to put the next item in, make sure you prep as much as you can while you're waiting. My best time ever for cranking out all of my meals was about 4 1/2 hours...I'm usually pretty comfortable and not feeling like I'm about to spin out of control at about 6 hours though.

6) Wash and re-use whatever dishes you can as you go. I learned this the hard way the first time I did this...I had like 3 dishwasher loads by the time I was finished. If you wash and re-use as you go, it can easily be down to one load (waaaaay better).

7) Just keep going! The first time you do this, it'll feel like you'll be cooking till the end of time before it all gets done. But I PROMISE, when you get to eat a home-cooked meal for lunch at work, and when you get home after work and don't have to cook...every day for like a MONTH...it'll seem like nothing.

8) Know your freezer. There's a few things about the freezer that are important...1) Know how much you can legitimately put in there. I put everything in little gladware containers, because it's easier to just throw in my bag and take to work with me, but if you have limited freezer space, you can save a lot of room putting things in ziploc bags instead. It just takes a little extra consideration when you get to reheating time. 2) You can't put everything in the freezer all at once...it'll drop the temperature too fast, and you'll have unsafe food by the time it actually all freezes.  You'll have to put in small batches every 6-8 hours to keep everything safe and freezing evenly.  (Sidebar:  Don't put anything in the freezer hot...make sure it's all cooled in the refrigerator prior to putting the the freezer).

And I think that's all the info necessary to get started.  I think I'll post all the recipes separately so they're easier for me (or anyone else) to search for and find later.  Enjoy!

Two Kinds of People...

First, I'd like to say my blog has been woefully neglected.  Second, I'd like to say I'm making no promises to do better anytime soon...I'm BUSY!  Work, Christmas gifts, holiday cards, and now I'm working on getting my own jewelry making business started...so yeah...you see my dilemma.  However, I'm feeling inspired today, as the particular topic of this post has played a theme in at least a half a dozen of my conversations in the last week.

I think most people would prefer to avoid wasting time AND money.  However, in all practical terms, you're bound to waste at least one of the two.  The question is, which camp do you fall into?  People who would rather waste time than money?  Or people who would rather waste money than time? 

I fall solidly into the "rather waste money than time" camp.  And yes, it probably makes me come across as a total bitch sometimes.  But I can't help it!  My time is valuable...I fill it up with things that make me happy, that make me feel like I'm accomplishing things, that make me feel like I'm making a connection with friends and family. 

I DO NOT have time to be digging through clearance bins to save $3...I'll spend the extra so I can be on my way and off to doing something I actually LIKE to do.  I DO NOT have time to look through dozens of circulars, clipping coupons, filing them, and remembering to use them appropriately in 17 transactions at the grocery store!  I DO NOT have time to wait in line for an hour to check-out at the sale of the century (in fact, I've been known to get to the front with my purchases, realize there's a huge line, and then decide I don't need any of it that much, and just walk out).  I certainly DO NOT have time to learn how to change the oil in my car or to do minor car repairs to save a few bucks.  In fact, the only reason I learned how to change a tire, is because it takes too long to get somebody from AAA out to change it for me...I don't have that kinda time!  I also DO NOT have time to argue about things that don't matter.  I DO NOT have time to make excuses for people who constantly cancel plans or show up hours late. I DO NOT have time and energy to invest in people who refuse to invest time and energy in themselves.   And over the years, I've discovered that I DO NOT have time to chase people down who claim to be friends, but don't invest THEIR time building the friendship. 

On the other hand, I DO have time to text or call people back within 24 hours of when they call or text me.  I DO have time to find the perfect gift...or to make something personalized to show how much I care.  I DO have time to make cards to send out so the people I care about know I'm thinking about them.  I DO have time to stay up too late to see friends, or karaoke, or have a much needed phone conversation.  I DO have time to make a three hour drive, stay for an hour, and then drive back so I can be at work in the morning, if it means making someone feel better after a horrible day.  I DO have time to be on call 24/7 for work, so I know things are running smoothly and my people feel supported.  I DO have time to plan something special when my family visits, even though I know I don't have to.  And I DO have time to do the things that make me happy, even if it means being short on sleep sometimes. 

I think it's just about making your time "Quality Time."  After all, money is just money.  You're never going to have enough of it anyway.  You can't take it with you when you go.  Do what makes you happy!  And if money IS what makes you happy...then by all means, spend all day clipping coupons, and hunting down the latest, greatest sale.  Just don't be surprised when I totally don't get it.  And for the love of God , please don't try to bring me along...I'd rather pay you the $50 you might save, so you can just pick it up off the neatly organized, non-clearance rack and we can be on our way to do something I might actually enjoy :) 

A Few Things...

Yes, I'm still being horrible about posting on my blog.  No this isn't going to be a real post.  I just wanted to get a few things off my chest.  Here goes:

1) I really want to like The Glee Project, but I just can't.  Those kids are so damn unlikable. 

2) I a-dore Ryan Reynolds, but seriously?  Green Lantern?  What the hell?  I could not be less interested.

3) The Voice has really made me dislike Blake Shelton, which is disappointing. 

4) I'm completely stuck on watching whole marathons of Top Model lately.  How embararssing.

5) I've been sitting here for 15 minutes trying to think of one more thing, because it would irritate me to no end to have a list of 4 instead of 5.  OCD what?

And that's all for this evening...apologies for the crankiness :)

New Sh**t Thursday...

Yes, I'm aware I'm painfully behind on my blog.  Yes, I intend to do a better job of posting in the future.  No, I'm not making any promises.  That said...

Anyone who knew me from the age of 21-26 knows that I used to karaoke at KJs in DeKalb constantly.  My little townie bar, with a bunch of regulars who recognized me...my own personal Cheers!  Anyway, Thursday nights Courtney was running karaoke, and whenever someone sang a song she didn't know, she said it was "New Sh**t Thursday."  Well, the key to New Sh**t Thursday was that the song didn't, in fact, have to be new...just new to her...or new to KJs...or new to anyone, really.  Well, the phrase kind of stuck with me (and a number of us who frequented KJs on Thursday nights), and I still use it when I hear new music I like, or when I'm introducing music that I love to someone else who doesn't know it (and it doesn't even have to be a Thursday!  lol). 

Anyway, the point of this whole thing is that when I got my new car, I also got satellite radio and branched out to a lot of new music again...I had been in quite a country rut.  I was telling my sister about some of it and realized she'd been in a pretty serious country rut too.  Soooo...iTunes to the rescue!  I downloaded a bunch of new music, and made a mix CD to bring her up to speed.  Behold, the...

New Sh**t Thursday Mix

1) Rolling in the Deep - Adele
2) Dirt Road Anthem - Jason Aldean
3) Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons
4) What the Hell - Avril Lavigne
5) Firework - Katy Perry
6) F**kin' Perfect - Pink
7) For the First Time - The Script
8) Jar of Hearts - Christina Perri
9) Fireflies - Owl City
10) Forget You - Cee Lo Green
11) Runaway Baby - Bruno Mars
12) Misery - Maroon 5
13) I Do - Colbie Caillat
14) Rhythm of Love - Plain White T's
15) Haven't Met You Yet - Michael Buble
16) Save Me, San Francisco - Train

And that's it for today!  More soon, hopefully :)