Chocolate Pie Crust in a Pinch!

I tried out a new recipe for Silky Chocolate Pie on Sunday.  All was going well until I went to my pantry and discovered that my store bought chocolate crust had some how vanished.  It was Sunday so going to the store was not an option.  What to do?  Here's the recipe for what I ended up making. It was delicious.
Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust
 1 package graham crackers, fine crumbs
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
Direction:  Combine all ingredients.  Press into pie pan.  Bake 7-10 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cool and fill.

Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust



Weight update: 169 Pounds. I have lost 7 pounds in a month.

Yesterday for breakfast we had cold cereal.  Yes, we eat cold cereal at our house on occasion! 
For lunch I ate left-overs: Green salad, tilapia and pasta in a blue cheese sauce.
In the evening, I had a presentation at the West Jordan Library. I made Chorizo Pasta for the participants.  This recipe is in my latest book Quality Cooking at a Fraction of the Cost.

Chorizo Pasta: Total cost $5.27; Adult servings 6

When I got home I needed a little pick-me-up to sip while I washed my dishes from the cooking demonstration.  I decided to make a strawberry lemon frappe.  Here's the recipe:
Juice of 2 fresh lemons
8-10 strawberries (Mine were frozen)
1 cup of water
Sugar to taste.  I like mine on the tart side.
Directions: Pop all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and slushy.

Breakfast- Left over strata.



Lunch- Spaghetti and meat balls with green salad and homemade French bread.  The cost: Entrée- 2 pounds diet lean hamburger $4.94, angel hair pasta 0.99 cents, spaghetti sauce 1.98 cents, 2 eggs 0.16 cents, 1 bun 0.50 and spices; green salad- lettuce 0.99 cents, cucumber 0.35 cents, tomato 0.33 cents, match stix carrots 0.50, green onions 0.29 cents.  Homemade French bread 0.42 cents, 2 cans green beans $1.00.
Serves 10 adults
Total cost- $12.45

Dinner- Meat loaf with green salad, steamed asparagus and fresh pineapple for dessert
2 pounds diet lean hamburger $4.94, 2 eggs 0.16, 1 bun 0.25, and spices.  Green salad green salad- lettuce 0.99 cents, cucumber 0.35 cents, tomato 0.33 cents, match stix carrots 0.50, green onions 0.29 cents and fresh pineapple $3.76.
Serves 8 adults
Total cost- $11.57

What to do with extra buns? Cream Cheese Apple Strata

Today for breakfast I'm creating a Cream Cheese Apple Strata.  Why? To use up the buns I bought a few days ago for the BBQ beef sandwiches.  The cost for the strata is low...it's delicious...and it is something special for the beginning of conference weekend!

Cream Cheese Apple Strata



Cream Cheese Apple Strata
 Butter
4 buns
1 large apple, peeled, cored and sliced to 1/8 of an inch
1-8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, sliced into 1/8 inch pieces
12 eggs
4 cups milk
Sugar to taste, I like about 1 1/2 cups
Cinnamon to taste, I like about 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup chopped almonds

Directions- Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Tear up 2 buns into bite sized pieces and cover bottom of baking dish.  Cover bun pieces with apple slices then cream cheese.  Whisk liquid ingredients together and pour over bread.  Lightly smoosh down mixture with back of a spoon.  I don't think "smoosh" is a word; but, you know what I mean.  Top with chopped almonds.  Cover and let rest for at least one hour or over night in refrigerator.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Servings- 12

Total Cost for 12 servings $6.07!- Buns $1.00, 1 dozen eggs 0.88, 1-8 ounce package cream cheese 0.99 cents, 1 large apple 0.33 cents,  Milk 0.87 cents, Sugar and cinnamon maybe 0.50 cents, and almonds $1.50.

For lunch I will be taking my Sweetheart out to eat between conference sessions.  Trent enjoys Thai food and this place in Syracuse offers a buffet on the first Saturday of each month.  Hope he likes it.

Dinner will be something quick and easy since the men will be heading off to Priesthood session.  I am thinking BBQ blue cheese burgers with caramelized onions, homemade fries and Strawberry Frappes. 

Total Cost for 4 servings - $9.34!  Diet lean hamburger $2.47/pound.  Buns $1.00 for four.  Onions 0.29 cents/pound, blue cheese $1.99 6 ounces, fries made from 2 pounds of potatoes 0.27 cents (I bought 15 pounds of number one potatoes for $1.99) tomatoes 0.66 cents, lettuce 0.25cents, 1 pound strawberries $1.50, 2 lemons 0.66 cents and sugar about 0.25 cents.

A manly picnic and an emergency meal for a neighbor

I was cleaning up after making Spicy Breakfast Crepes Trent asked if I would like to go fishing.  I love to fish!  I jumped at the chance.  Trent told me to get ready and he would make us a picnic. 
We went fishing and had a wonderful time being outdoors.  Trent's picnic consisted of a peanut butter and honey sandwich, Doritos and an apple.  I haven't had a peanut butter and honey sandwich since I was a kid.  It brought back memories and touched my heart knowing that my sweetheart made it for us.

Around 3:30 I needed to make an emergency dinner for a neighbor.  I hopped in the car and drove to the grocery store leaving Trent to fish until 6:00.  Luck was with me because when I got to the store I found many manager specials and reduced items to make a lovely dinner.  I found 20 ounce Buitoni 3 Cheese Tortellini for $4.99 (reduced from $8.99) and fresh grated parmesan cheese for $3.49 for 6 ounces.  Lettuce was 0.99 a head, tomatoes 0.99/pound, and cucumbers were 0.59/ea.
Another woman was going to make dinner rolls, which was a big relief, with no time for dough to rise. For dessert I made Nutella Cookies. They turned out delicious!  A keeper for sure.
Number of servings - 5 adult portions
Total Cost- $10.83 (This doesn't include the price of making the rolls)

Nutella Cookies

Nutella Cookie Recipe
1 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons Nutella
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped hazelnuts

Directions- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugars, add vanilla, Nutella, and eggs. Mix well adding dry ingredients.  When mixed add chocolate chips and scoop onto parchment paper.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Allow cookies to rest for 5 minutes then transfer from cookie sheet to cooling rack.
Makes 36 cookies.

What do I do with a recipe that makes 36 crepes?

Crepe batter can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.  Just stir it up and cook.  You can also freeze crepes.  Simply, cook, cool and separate crepes with waxed paper or parchment and store in an air tight container.  Make sure crepes are completely thawed before separating.  I have had my keep for over 3 months before picking up the freezer taste.  Or you just might like to make what the Snow Family had for breakfast this fine rainy day.

Spicy Breakfast Crepes

Spicy Breakfast Crepes

5 eggs, whisked
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 pound spicy sausage, cooked
Salsa to taste
Garnish: Cilantro
6 crepes, cooked

Directions:
In a 12 inch pan cook sausage.  Place cooked sausage in a bowl.  Wipe out pan with a paper towel.  Mix eggs and cottage cheese together in pan and cook.  Add cooked sausage.  Place in center of crepe and fold.  Top with salsa and cilantro.

Serving size: This feeds our family of four with the men eating two and my daughter and I eating one each.

Loss leader info-  Today my 5 eggs at 0.07 cents each is 0.35 cents.  The cottage cheese was $1.99 for 24 oz., I only needed 4 ounces for that is 0.44 cents in cottage cheese.  The sausage was $1.99 a pound for Jimmy Dean Spicy Sausage and I used half a pound, that makes the cost $1.00.  Salsa was on sale for 0.98 cents a jar; I used 1/4 of a jar so that makes the cost for salsa 0.25 cents.  And cilantro was 0.69 a bunch, I clipped maybe an 1/8 of the bunch; this makes the cilantro cost 0.9 cents.  My crepes were free because I charge my budget for them yesterday.

Cost for 6 breakfast crepes: $2.13
(We also had milk to drink so the cost for the entire meal came to $3.01 for 4 people!)

Left overs:  3 eggs, most of the cottage cheese, salsa, cilantro, and 1/2 a pound of sausage.  Oh, and more crepes!

People have been asking...

Over the last week, I have had four people ask if I would post my daily menu and recipes.  I asked why they wanted my menu plan and they each said they would like to shop using lost leaders.  Well, the problem with their request is even grocery store chains have different advertised specials based on geographical regions i.e. A Davis County Fresh Market will have a different weekly ad than a Fresh Market in Utah County.
So here is my compromise, I will post my menu and ingredient prices for the week and some of my favorite recipes that could not be included in my published books, due to page count limitations.

Breakfast- Crepes filled with Nutella and Banana slices or Sweetened Cream and Strawberries
Strawberries were $1.88 a carton, large eggs 0.88 cents a dozen, whipping cream 0.69 cents, bananas 0.59/pound, and Nutella was $3.99 a jar.

Never Fail Crepes with Sweetened Cream and Strawberries



Never Fail Crepes
(I love this recipe because you do not have to let it rest for an hour before using)
4 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter
2 cups milk
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:  Place in blender and blend until smooth.  Heat Teflon coated 12 inch pan on medium heat, once heated, pour 1/4 cup crepe batter in pan.  Swirl until pan bottom is evenly coated.  Cook about 15 seconds.  Flip using a plastic spatula and cook for about 5 more seconds.  Fill as desired. 
Serving Size- Makes about 35 crepes.  Each of us at 2 crepes for a total of 8 crepes.
Total cost- $2.57
Left overs: I have 1/2 the strawberries left over, most of the crepe batter, 8 eggs, 1/2 the whipping cream and 3/4 of the Nutella jar for another day.


Lunch- BBQ sandwiches from left over roast that I bought for $2.99 a pound.  Buns 12 count for $2.99.  Cole Slaw with mandarin oranges, strawberries and pineapple.  Cabbage 0.29/pound, mandarin oranges 0.65 a can, fresh pineapple $0.79/pound, green onions 0.69 a bunch, match stix carrots $1.29 a bag, dressing $2.99 a bottle and the left over strawberries $1.00.

Dinner- No dinner needed due to attending an Appreciation Dinner.

5 grocery saving tips and recipes too!

http://www.boomerbrief.com/2013/03/5-secrets-to-saving-on-groceries.html

Weigh in

Everywhere I go people are asking how much weight I have lost.  For week one I have lost 3 pounds.  Not bad considering I am only cutting back on portion sizes and eliminating unhealthy snacking.  I am still eating larger portions than I need too.  I am guessing that I will be where I want to be, in terms of portion size, by next week.  Remember, I don't like to be hungry, so I gradually cut back.

When I am sick I crave these two things

When I was young I developed pneumonia and my Grandma Garbett told me to drink the following recipe; it cuts the mucus and soothes the throat. 

Here's Grandma Garbett's hot drink recipe:
1 cup hot water
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon of honey
a good pinch of cayenne pepper


I was told by my good friend Connie that I should add fresh ginger to it.  I like ginger so when I have some ginger root I bruise it and throw it into my cup to steep.  Even tastier and better for you!

I also crave my Spicy Chicken and Navy Bean Soup bag meal found on page 79.
If you don't have my book or can't find it at your library here's the recipe-

2-8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1-16oz can navy beans, drained and rinsed
1-13oz can chicken, drained or 1 pint home canned chicken
4 cups water
1-6.5 can sliced mushrooms

Re-closable bag:
3 TBL. dried onion
1 teas. garlic powder
1/4 cup dried bell pepper
1/2 teas. dried oregano
1/2 teas. dried parsley
1/2 teas. dried basil
1/4 teas. crushed red pepper flakes

Direction-
Mix all ingredients together in a medium pot and simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat.

Well, I'm off to bed with a mug full of hot drink, a mug of soup and a good book.

Book review



Here's a review of my latest book-
http://www.hersutah.com/story/cookbook-helps-you-get-most-bang-your-grocery-buck

Need Stucco Repair?

Our home had stucco damage and required some patch work; our realtor told us about Kevin Berube.
Kevin came out and gave us a bid.  Two days later he was here to do the repairs.  The repairs look good and the color match is excellent on the stucco but the lower cement/stucco is a little off.  He warned us before he started that the lower section near the soil would be the hardest to match due to sun, soil and weathering.  Fair enough.

We had about 6 areas that were fixed with the largest being a 1' x 2" section.  He even found some other repairs and didn't increase his bid. Total cost $100.00!  If you need a stucco repair and live in Davis or Weber County, Utah you should call Kevin for a bid;  801-603-5929 we're glad we did.

3rd Day Was Not Stellar :(

Yesterday started out well.  I increased my sit ups, torso twists and kitchen counter push ups to 30 of each.
My diet was good as were my portions. Here's what I ate.
Breakfast- 1/2 cup Steel cut oats, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 cup milk
Morning snack- 1/2 cup fresh fruit slices (strawberries and blueberries)
Lunch- The last 1C. of left-over pasta chorizo and 1 cup green salad
Afternoon snack- 1 medium kohlrabi
Dinner- Grilled ahi tuna, 8 steamed asparagus spears, and 1/2 cup Arizona potato salad

A little hungrier today and had two snacks but that's okay; however, I got an unexpected call and guess who emerged?  Dun, dun, dun, dah...The STRESS EATER.

At 10:00 p.m. I ate 1 sugar cookie and 3 handfuls of Jalapeno cheddar Cheetos.  And could have downed a quart of ice cream in a blink of an eye  IF I had it in the freezer.  Glad I didn't buy any at the grocery store today for the "Kids".  Yeah, right...the "kids".  Well, there's always tomorrow.

Day Two: Will power holding

Last time I wowed it took a bit for my sugar cravings to pass.  This time it's the same story.  Last night we got together with some friends and after our date they kept talking about ice cream.  I LOVE ice cream!  I held strong and didn't indulge, instead we brought them to our house and served cheese cake; something I can easily refuse.
Yesterday was exercise/therapy day for my ankle:
1 hour on the bike with no tension; heel lifts; stork standing
Menu:
Breakfast- 1/2 cup steel cut oats, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 cup milk
Lunch- 1 cup Pasta with Beef Chorizo; 1 small pink grapefruit
Snack- 1 handful fresh blueberries
Dinner- BBQ Brick Chicken leg quarter, 1 cup green salad, 1/2 cup Arizona 4th of July Potato Salad (P.137 Loss Leaders)

My goals for this week are:

1. Reduce sugar in my diet
2. Eliminate fast food
3. Control my portions.  This was difficult yesterday because I love my Arizona potato salad. 
4. Get some form of exercise each day that is within my medical restrictions.  Not as easy as one might think.  Being less active is a struggle for me.  I actually have dreams of skiing, jogging, and riding Sebastian.

I'm Fat Again!

Many of you may not be aware of the fact that I once had severe digestive problems and was very fat.  I developed a diet using the dietary doctrines of the world's leading religions.  I lost weight quickly, felt amazing and my digestive problems went away.  I wrote the WOW Diet book.  Here's a picture of it-

 

In December I had surgery which resulted in 10 weeks of bed rest.  Friends brought many delicious desserts and treats and complete meals.  I ate it ALL!  No exercise, eating anything and everything has made me fat again and I am constipated just like before. I am also addicted to sugar, fast food and large portions of red meat again.  I feel sick and miserable.  I am up to 176 pounds.  My muscles are flabby and I am out of breath.  Time to WOW again.  I began yesterday. 

3/15/13
Breakfast-I ate 1/2 cup raisin bran and 1 cup of milk
Lunch- 1 cup of lettuce, 1/2 cup ground beef with taco seasoning, 2 tablespoons taco cheese, 1 tablespoon green onions, 1/4 cup tomatoes, 2 tablespoons ranch dressing
Snack- 2 handfuls of fresh blueberries
Dinner 3/4 cup green salad, 1 cup Pasta with Beef Chorizo (Page 95 of Loss Leader Book)

Since I no longer live in Kaysville and am not released to ride Sebastian my lifestyle has been significantly altered.  Come June hopefully I will be able to live my life as I once did.  Something to look foreword to I guess.

Exercise- Sad to say I could only do the following:
25 sit-ups
25 torso twists
25 kitchen counter push ups.
6 times up and down my basement stairs, before my ankle began to hurt, so I stopped.  My Achilles is where I had surgery.

Deseret News Article

Here's the link for the review of my latest cook book:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865575586/Book-review-Quality-Cooking-shows-consumers-how-to-use-loss-leaders-to-create-gourmet-meals.html

 

 

I have been a busy gal lately!

 

 

First of all, I want to thank all of you that stopped by and said "Hi" at the Barnes and Noble Authorpalooza book signing.  It was so much FUN!

 





In case you missed my Baked Corned Beef segment on Good Things Utah. Here's a link:
http://www.abc4.com/content/about_4/gtu/recipes/story/Baked-Corn-Beef/iQUnuq71lku5Ujg8-bCLqQ.cspx


Baked Corned Beef

And here's my Blue Ribbon Cheese Cake segment on Daily Dish Here's the link:
http://www.abc4.com/content/news/dailydish/story/Blue-Ribbon-Cheesecake/jJh2xnSro0aQRWrk6LRjKQ.cspx



Blue Ribbon Cheese Cake

If you have any questions about either recipe, let me know.  Oh, here's another little tip for you, I use the same glaze, that I use on my baked corned beef, on my baked hams. 

Sort of Italian Cream Cake; but definitely made with love!

The dessert I made for valentine's Day was a special creation for Trent.  He loves the Italian Cream Cake served at Olive Garden.  So I thought I would set out and make one.  Well, it didn't turn out like Olive Garden's but it is a keeper.  So much so that after Trent finished his Valentine's Day Sort of Italian Cream Cake he asked me make a second when we had friends over.

Here's my recipe for Sort of Italian Cream Cake

 

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 T. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter, melted

8 oz. cream cheese

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

 

Butter a spring form pan.  Combine all ingredients.  Pour into a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 65-75 minutes.

 

When cake has cooled to room temperature place in refrigerator and chill for a couple hours.  Slice cake into three layers and fill with the filling below.  Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar and you're done.

 

Filling

 

1/2 pint whipping cream

1/2 cup powder sugar

2 heaping teaspoons lemon curd

6 ounces cream cheese, softened.

Beat the cream and sugar together until it forms peaks; but not to the butter stage.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Chill.

 

 

 



Valentine's dinner at the Snow's

Our son Adam loves Spaghetti and meatballs so for his Valentine's Day meal, you guessed it he got spaghetti and meatballs. 

Here's the recipe

2 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 eggs

Mix in a large bowl.  Roll into 1- 1 1/2 inch balls.  Fry in a little bit of oil until browned on all sides.  Bake for 15- 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Any left over meat balls get made into meatball sandwiches later in the week.

Anyone for French Apple Custard Cake?

The cake was such a hit that Trent ate half of it while I was gone to Cub Scouts!  Here's the recipe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michelle's French Apple Custard Cake

 

Grease a spring form pan with butter.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

 

Toss the following ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

5 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced to 1/8th thickness (I used a mix of Jonathan and Granny Smith)

1/2 cup white sugar

1 1/2 Tbl. cinnamon

 

In another bowl combine the following dry ingredients and set aside.

1 cup flour

1 cup white sugar

1 Tbl. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

 

In food processor combine the following ingredients

1/2 cup melted butter

1-8 oz. package cream cheese

1 C. milk

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

 

Mix cream cheese mixture and dry ingredients to form a batter.

 

Remove 1 cup of batter and set aside.

 

Add 2 large egg yolks to remaining batter.  Stir in apple mixture and spoon into prepared spring form pan.

 

Add 2 Tbl. flour to 1 cup reserved batter and pour on top of apple mixture.

 

Bake for 75 minutes.

 

Cool at room temperature and then refrigerate.