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How to Save Time, Money, & Make the Perfect Pizza

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

About five years ago, I decided to stop buying pizzas and started making my own at home. We eat pizza every Friday and the kids look forward to it all week long. As I was preparing the dough this past week, I started thinking about the amount of money I have saved for our family on just this simple and lovely tradition of preparing the family pizza.

If you think about it, it is safe to say that we would spend $15 on a pizza for our family of four. If you multiply that number by four, I am saving us $60 each month on this tiny gesture of savings. If you calculate that over the course of a year, it is $720! Then when I think about  the five years that I have been doing this, I realize that I have saved my family, $3,600 on a little moment of effort.

Maybe you have never made pizza before and are a little intimidated by the process- that is okay! I promise that once you find the perfect recipe that creating pizza at home will be easier than you think! The  process takes practice and a little patience, but once you find the best recipe for your family, you will be sailing through the process in no time at all!

Let’s start with some tips to get you started!

It’s All About the Stone– One of the best investments I ever made in my  kitchen was to buy a pizza stone. I have two of them that I use to make our pizza and the other is used for an additional pizza or cheese bread. Mine came from Pampered Chef, which I absolutely love, but there are many examples of stones you can find on Amazon. On occasion, I have also seen them at discount places like TJ Maxx or Marshall’s in the housewares section.

The stone is the only real investment that I have ever had to make in this process. The only other major tool that is nice to have on hand is a bread machine, stand mixer, or food processor for mixing the dough. Extra tools that can be of use are a  pastry brush, a rolling pin (unless you are good at shaping and throwing dough without a rolling pin), a dough scraper, and a pizza cutter are also great tools to have for pizza night.

Buy Your Baking Supplies in Bulk- I don’t use my wholesale club membership very often except for our family’s eye care needs and for the occasional party. I won’t ever let my membership lapse though because with one trip to buy my baking supplies, my wholesale club membership has earned its space in my wallet. I make a trip twice a year to buy all of the necessary supplies for my baking and pizza-making needs.

Don’t believe me? Here is the current prices from my local Sam’s Club:

25 Pounds Bread Flour- $6.59 (needed depending upon the recipe)

25 Pounds All-Purpose Flour- $6.68 (needed depending upon the recipe)

2 Pounds of Yeast- $4.16

Cheese (5 pounds for $10.43) , pepperoni (5 pounds for $11.88), and crushed tomatoes (102 ounces for $2.68) can also be bought at a fraction of the price, but in the past I have lacked the capacity and ambition of storage for all of the ingredients.

Food storage for my baking ingredients though  is easy because I just store the two containers of flour in under-the-bed storage containers and use coffee mugs for scooping into my flour container. I also keep the yeast in a mason jar in the fridge for quick grabbing on pizza day.

As a side note, if you do own a membership to Sam’s Club, they have a wonderful Click ‘N Pull service that you can utilize for your shopping day and they can pull the ingredients right to the front and email you when your order is ready to pick up. This is a fantastic free service for moms with small children or who are short on time!

Bag it Up– Half of the battle for me is getting all of the ingredients out and assembling them for our pizza night. Instead of doing this process once a week, I started bagging four bags of  ingredients at a time and storing them until our pizza nights roll around. Add a label to the front with what liquid ingredients need to be added, and then enjoy a month of Fridays with minimal effort.

To save a little extra money, hang on to those bags and refill them again with a fresh set of dry ingredients instead of discarding them. Not only will this save you a little green, but the effort is an environmentally conscious one too! Other great options for storage could be a reusable container or, depending on the quantity, a large mason jar.

Hit the Salad Bar– If you don’t want to waste money and only need a handful of vegetables for your pizza, consider visiting the salad bar at your grocery store for the toppings. Salad bars are a great place to visit for a colorful splash to your pizza or to make a supreme pizza without making the grocery investment of buying several vegetables that may not get eaten.

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Over the years, I have tried dozens of pizza dough recipes depending on what we had on hand, how many mouths I needed to feed, and just to add a little variation into our routine. I hope that these recipes will give you some ideas for ways to incorporate a homemade pizza night into your routine. Choose your recipe (based on your cooking equipment) and then jump down to the Friday Night Pizza Routine for cooking directions. It is as easy as that!

Basic Pizza Dough For Beginners (Courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen Baking Book)

4- 4 1/4 cups bread flour

1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant or rapid-rise yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups warm water

To make this dough in the food processor: Pulse 4 cups of the flour, yeast, and salt together in a food process (fitted with a dough blade if possible) to combine. With the processor running, pour the oil, then water through the feed tube and process until a rough ball forms, 30-40 seconds. Let the dough rest for two minutes then process for 30 seconds longer. If after 20 seconds the dough is sticky and clings to the blade, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour one tablespoon at a time as needed.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and form it into a smooth, round ball. Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 /2 hours before using.

To make this dough with the bread machine: Add ingredients as follows- warm water, olive oil, flour, salt, and then add yeast at the top. Turn machine on and select the dough setting. When the machine beeps, you can roll out the dough onto your pizza stone/pan.

Now follow the Friday Night Pizza routine below.

Add a side of cheese bread:

Because of the amount of dough this makes, I am able to make one large pizza and an order of cheese bread on the side. To make the cheese bread, just roll out the dough and then brush with olive oil and then sprinkle garlic salt and Italian cheese blend or mozzarella cheese on top. I bake this at 450 degrees for twelve minutes or until the cheese and dough is a nice golden color. Serve with an extra side of sauce, highlighted in the pizza routine below.

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Basic Pizza Dough (courtesy of “How to Cook Everything,” by Mark Bittman)

1 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more as needed
2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea slat, plus extra for sprinkling
1 to 1 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

Combine the yeast, flour, and 2 teaspoons salt in the container of a food processor. Turn the machine on and add 1 cup water and the 2 tablespoons of oil through the feed tube. Process for 30 seconds, adding more water, a little at a time, until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch. If it is dry, add another tablespoon or two of water and process for another 10 seconds. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead by hand a few seconds to form a smooth, round dough ball. Grease a bowl with the remaining olive oil, and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm draft-free area until the dough doubles in size, 1 to 2 hours. You can cu this rising time short if you are in a hurry or you can let the dough rise more slowly in the refrigerator for six to eight hours.

To make this dough by hand: Combine half the flour with the salt and yeast and stir to blend. Add 1 cup water and the 2 tablespoons olive oil; stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add remaining flour a bit at a time; when the mixture becomes too stiff to stir with a spoon, begin kneading, adding as little flour as possible- just enough to keep the dough from being a sticky mess. Knead until smooth but still quite moist, about ten minutes. Proceed as above.

To make this dough with a standing mixer: The machine must be fairly powerful or it will stall. Combine half the flour with the salt, yeast, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 1 cup water; blend with the machines paddle. With the machine on slow speed, add flour a little at a time until the mix has become a sticky ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl (switch to the dough hook if necessary). Knead for a minute by hand, adding as little flour as possible, then proceed as above.

To make this dough with the bread machine: Add ingredients as follows- warm water, olive oil, flour, salt, and then add yeast at the top. Turn machine on and select the dough setting. When the machine beeps, you can roll out the dough onto your pizza stone/pan.

Now follow the Friday Night Pizza routine below.

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Pizza Hut Style Pizza Dough

1 1/3 cups water
2 tsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp cornmeal
3 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp yeast

To make this with the bread machine: Add ingredients to bread machine, according to manufacturer’s settings, and run dough setting. After the machine beeps, roll out the dough. You can roll the dough into two 9×13″ pizzas,  two medium pizzas, or a large pizza and one order of breadsticks.

Now follow the Friday Night Pizza routine below.

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Now that you have the dough, it is time to make some pizza. Regardless of the dough, my approach towards making the pizza is always the same.

Amy’s Friday Night Pizza Routine

1 ball of pizza dough
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup 5 or 4 cheese blend
Toppings of your choice
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. While the oven is preheating, cook the crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt in a pot over low heat for fifteen minutes. Bake the crust only for eight to ten minutes. Pull the crust out and then top with the crushed tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, 5-cheese blend, and toppings of your choice. Put pizza back in and cook for ten to twelve minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is nicely browned.

Do you make pizza at home? What is your routine and recipes for making this family night favorite?

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Posted in Main Dishes | 55 Comments »

Homemade Fruit Fun-Fetti Cupcakes With 7 Minute Frosting

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

When I have trips out of town,  I let my husband do the grocery shopping for the days I am gone and get all of the fun foods that our grocery budget doesn’t normally allow. When he proudly brought home five pounds of generic fruity o’s on one of his grocery excursions, I tried not to cringe and complain too loudly. Considering I think honey covered oat cereal is a special treat, I had no idea how or why we would ever need that much sugary cereal.

To use up some of this cereal, I decided to make these Homemade Fun-Fetti Cupcakes that were highlighted in this past week’s notebook. I loved the idea of incorporating the crushed cereal to make the fun-fetti and thought it would be a delicious St. Patrick’s Day treat to take to a playgroup.

After giving the batter a little taste, I decided to add one teaspoon of salt to the batter to help cut through a little of the sweetness and it seemed to balance it nicely.

These cupcakes were so moist and delicious and I truly enjoyed the fun-fetti sprinkles throughout the cupcake. They had a harder and light brown exterior with a soft interior that melted in your mouth. I am definitely adding this recipe to my files for future special occasions and birthdays.

I also had no whipped cream on hand so decided to whip up my favorite frosting to go on top.  If you haven’t experienced the amazing no-cook 7 minute frosting, it is to die for! I am one of those weird people that prefers the whipped cream frosting over buttercream and I think that is why this recipe is such a favorite of mine. It is light and delicious and tastes like a little bit of marshmallow fluff on top of the cupcake.

The secret ingredient to this perfectly-perfect pantry recipe is just a  little bit of boiling water.  You stir the water into the egg whites, sugar, vanilla, and cream of tartar, then beat the mixture for seven minutes.  With just these few ingredients, something magical happens and you end up with an amazing amount of frosting… four cups to be exact!

The next time you have no ingredients on hand or simply don’t have the energy to make a big batch of frosting, keep this recipe in mind for the most deliciously light and and easy-as-pie frosting you can ever imagine!

7 Minute No Cook Frosting

3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 unbeaten egg whites

Mix sugar, cream of tartar, vanilla and egg whites. Add boiling water. Beat on high until the mixture forms peaks, which should be just about… seven minutes!

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Posted in Desserts | 10 Comments »

Delicious & Easy Cereal Bars

Monday, March 15th, 2010

I am always looking for quick and easy snacks that will keep my kids satisfied until the dinner hour. I am also looking for things that require no time baking and that can be whipped up on a moment’s notice. Lucky for me, I happened upon a fun little recipe that would be just that.

This recipe is perfect for using up what is in your pantry because the possibilities are endless. I had tried a similar recipe (which I can no longer find on the blog) and I loved that cereal bars were a great way to use up a cereal that bombed for a morning breakfast that could get a shiny new face lift and become an instant favorite snack.

Will my children eat bran flakes or tons of high fiber cereal? No! Will my children eat this cereal cleverly disguised between a little honey and peanut butter? Well, of course! I choose a box of Bran Flakes from Aldi, but you can choose whatever cereal you need to use up in your pantry and you can incorporate peanuts in it, if you would like a nuttier bar. One of our favorites has been the cereal with honey & oats in it. Use what you have or choose something with high fiber that will keep your kids fuller longer.

Whatever you do, be sure to keep an eye on it when it is on the stove. Don’t run downstairs to answer a telephone call or you will have a burnt honey mess on your hands. Cleaning that pot will end up not saving you any baking time in the long run and will frustrate you to no end… You may just have to trust me on that one!

Oat-y or Bran-y Cereal Bars (adapted from All Recipes)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 cups  any kind of cereal (or 4 cups cereal if you skip them peanuts like I did)

1 cup peanuts

Grease a 9×13 inch pan. In a large saucepan over medium heat, stir together the sugar and honey. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter until well blended. Stir in the cereal and if desired, stir in the salted peanuts. Press into the prepared pan. Allow to cool until firm, then cut into bars.

Moms can never have enough after-school snack ammunition! What are some of your kid’s favorite quick and easy snacks? Feel free to share your tips, suggestions, or recipes here!

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Posted in Desserts | 15 Comments »

Boxed Wine: An Eco and Wallet-Friendly Choice

Sunday, March 14th, 2010

Wine Glasses for Boxed Wine

While we both love wine, we don’t necessarily desire the same kind of wine. I am a girl that gravitates more towards a good Chardonnay while my husband is a Merlot fan. Considering we are the only two wine drinkers in the house, the wine would sometimes go to waste because it was not used in the time span it should have. To me, there is nothing worse than throwing money down the drain so I have been looking into other options.

A few months ago, I was watching the Today Show and they had a wine expert on to discuss the comeback of the boxed wine. “Boxed wine? Blech!” I thought. The expert continued on though to point out that these wines have come a long way and that they are a great affordable option for families.

We decided to put this theory to the test and began buying and sampling boxed wines instead. I even had the good fortune to receive a few boxes for my review from a couple of great wine companies, which helped add perspective on the different varieties that are available for families.

Why are boxed wines a better value and better for the environment?

Your Wine Lasts Longer– Remember the scenario that I shared about where I was dumping wine down the drain? Well, that doesn’t usually happen when you buy boxed wine. The wine is stored in a Mylar bag with a spout attached. When you pour from the spout the bag acts as a vacuum, which means the wine doesn’t oxidize. An opened box can last for four weeks rather than spoiling in just a day or two.

Boxed Wine is Better for the Environment– Top wine producers are trying to reduce their carbon footprint — that is, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted in the transportation of wine —and selling the beverage in alternative, lighter packaging instead of heavier glass is one way that they can make that change. These boxes of wine are ideal with some boxes reducing waste by nearly 90 percent of the equivalent bottle.

It Saves Space & Is a Hit at Parties- I took a box of wine to my Bunco night and it was the first thing to go on the table of wines. While some might consider it tacky, that pour spout is quite handy and makes filling your wine glass a breeze. These boxes can hold four bottles or more, but take up a lot less room. If you are short on space or you need something to bring to your next party, I highly recommend the boxed wine alternative.

Wine for Cooking Is Right at Your Fingertips- Many of the dishes I make call for wine in them and these boxes of wine are a cook’s best friend. I no longer have to open a bottle for a dish and let it go to waste, I can now just pour it right out of the box and it costs a lot less than the wine I was buying to cook with.

Boxed Wine is Much More Affordable– You can get a box of wine for a far lower cost than you could get in a bottle. Check the side of the box to see how many bottles are contained within it and then divide that to get your cost per bottle. Some of the best boxed wines I sampled cost roughly $5-6 a bottle, making it much more affordable than even the sale prices on bottled wines.

Top Picks

Now that I have hopefully convinced you that it is a better deal, here are my top picks for best boxed wines on the market.

Of all of the wines that I sampled, the Black Box wines were consistently the best of the best. The Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot are the best that they offer and they are elegantly packaged. The Cabernet Sauvignon has received a Double Gold award and the Merlot was listed in the Top Ten Best Buys by Wine Enthusiast. Best of all, this one was available at our local Walmart and I have also heard that Sam’s Club members can get it for an even lower price. If I was just venturing into the world of boxed wines, the Black Box wines would be a great place to start.

Banrock Station Chardonnay is one of the best bangs for the buck and they now offer their wine in a 3L (the equivalent of four bottles) box. This Chardonnay is an excellent deal for the money and is recommended as a great budget-friendly wine by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Of all of the wines that Banrock Station offers, their Chardonnay is by far the best and is a great wine to bring to parties and a night in with friends. Even someone who is not a wine expert will recognize the hint of green apple and the crisp taste that comes through in the Chardonnay. This wine is particularly great for Pinot fans because this wine seems to mimic many of the flavors you would find in a good Pinot.

Hardys Stamp offers a variety of great tasting budget-friendly boxed wines. While we were not a fan at all of their boxed Riesling, I can say that I truly loved the Merlot. Hardys Stamp Shiraz is also well-known for offering a rich and full flavor. Epicurious shares that the Shiraz, “evokes warm blueberry pie, with hints of vanilla ice cream and toasty American oak, and just enough tannin to balance the ripe berries.” Overall, I would definitely recommend sampling the red wines that are offered by Hardys Stamp because the flavor was such a great surprise and will now be added to my top list of the best of the best in the boxed wine market.

One wine that I really wanted to pass the test was the Target Wine Cubes. We tried several different wines from Target and I just was left feeling disappointed. I loved the chic packaging and I certainly spend enough time in Target to want to pick it up there, but these wines were definitely not my favorite. If you are going to pick up a box of wine at Target, go for the Pinot Grigio because it is the best that they offer. In 2007, the Wine Cube Pinot Grigio won a double gold medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. Again, I love the packaging on the product, but the wines just weren’t my favorite.

If you are a wine drinker, I would definitely recommend giving boxed wines a try! Once I started sampling boxed wines, we have never gone back to the wines in the bottle. I can’t wait to continue our adventures in tasting and I look forward to more boxed wine products from future companies.

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Posted in Drinks | No Comments »

Eating Healthy at Aldi Supermarket? Yes, You Can!

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Eating healthy is a hot topic in America right now and of great concern for so many parents. With the growing epidemic of diabetes and obesity that our children now are facing, what is a parent to do?

The common thread that I see  with families is that they want to eat healthy, but they just don’t feel like they can afford to. It often feels like the fast food choices and convenience foods are a better deal than the fresh produce and good-for-us foods that are available in the supermarket.

There is also a common misconception that shopping at lower priced grocery stores means that you eat food that is bad for you. In fact, I refused to shop at Aldi because of what I remembered about the store from when I was a child. All I remembered was a sea of junk food and soda.  What a surprise to later discover in my life that healthy foods abound at the store and that I am still able to maintain a healthy diet on a budget. In reality, I just needed to maintain an open mind and learn to navigate the store better!

The truth is, you can eat unhealthy in any supermarket in the nation. All stores contain processed convenience foods that don’t do your body justice and that can be potential spending traps in your grocery budget.  Navigating the outskirts of the store and venturing into fresh produce, low-fat dairy, and the frozen sections for out-of-season veggies, fruits, & fish, and delicious whole grains are what will keep your grocery budget and diet on track.

Here is my deep and dark secret as a frugal gal. I love to stay under budget on my grocery shopping, but I am a horrible coupon cutter. For me, coupon cutting equals spending more money  and I usually end up buying things I don’t really need or eat. Call it lack of discipline or call it pure laziness, but I will take bagging my own groceries over coupon cutting any day of the week.  I am still frugal and thoughtful with planning, list-making, and making affordable meals, but I am just not a fan of coupon cutting for groceries. Between the store being much smaller than the superstore (which equals less opportunity to stray away from my list) and the fact that I don’t have a to clip a single coupon, I remain loyal to Aldi!

I hit Aldi last week and thought I would share with you the prices on some of those foods that I buy and the prices here. Dairy, sales, produce, and prices can vary between stores, but it showcases how well you can eat while keeping your budget low.

1 Gallon Skim Milk- $2.19
Low-Fat Vanilla Yogurt (32 ounces)- $1.59
Celery- $1.39
Carrots (32 oz)- $.99
Lemons (4 ct)- $1.49
Navel Oranges (large bag)- $1.39
Russet Potatoes (10 pounds)- $1.99
Bananas (per pound)- $.37
Bagged Flat Leaf Spinach (9 ounces)- $1.69
Mushrooms- $.99
Broccoli- $1.49
Grape Tomatoes- $1.89
Brown Rice (2 pounds)- $1.29
12 Whole Grain Bread Loaves- $1.69
Wild Caught Salmon (Frozen- 1 pound)- $3.99
Tilapia (Frozen- 1.5 pounds)- $3.99
Boneless Chicken Breasts (Frozen- 3 pounds)- $6.29
E-Z Peel Shrimp (Frozen/Medium 300 Count)- $3.99
Hand Selected Jarred Fruit- $1.99
Frozen Green Beans- $1.49
Frozen Blueberries- $2.69

This is just a handful of the items that I purchased, but showcases the healthy options that are available and the affordable prices that can be found.

Whatever store you choose, here are some important tips for staying under on your grocery budget!

Good Research Goes Far

Keeping track of prices is the best way to insure that you get the best deals on the items you buy regularly. I know that this seems like a time consuming process, but it is definitely worth your time if you are trying to stay on budget. Start tracking the prices on the items that you buy regularly and keep this information in a little price book that you can take with you to the supermarket.

Don’t forget to include prices from your wholesale club. For Sam’s Club, for example, you can look online and check the pricing on the items that you buy regularly on their site as well. Armed with this information, you will be able to see if those bigger boxes really pack a better punch or if they actually are costing your family more money and more space.

When you see the prices dip, stock up and up and up on the items you use regularly. If you are a coupon cutter, couple this with your coupons and you will have some killer deals to help to keep your pantry stocked when the deals are leaner. As a side note though, Aldi does not accept coupons so their current prices are their “bottom line” pricing.

Crush the Condiments

Condiments can be a huge drain to the grocery budget and don’t add any real benefits to your diet. Skip the condiment aisle altogether and learn how to make some simple dressings, homemade meat marinades, barbeque sauce, croutons, and even your own special ice cream sauce for a fraction of the cost. A quick search on the internet should yield some great results for making all of these yummy additions for pennies versus dollars. Not only will you be helping your grocery budget, but you will also have control over the quality of the ingredients and the amount of sugar and salt you put in them. It is a win-win situation!

Hold the Meat

Plan one or two days each week to skip the meat or at least focus a little less on meat in your entrees. We try to plan one night where we do breakfast for dinner and have waffles or pancakes instead of our usual meat and potatoes type of meal. If your family is not open to going meatless one night, try finding dishes that take the focus off of the meat. Pasta dishes or casseroles might have meat in them, but one pound of meat will stretch a lot further than one pound would as a main dish. Stretching or eliminating meat can have a truly positive effect on your grocery budget and you might be surprised that with a little creativity, you won’t miss it at all!

Grow Your Veggies

Gardening season is just around the corner and in some parts of the country, it has begun! I am a novice gardener and began gardening last summer. I had low expectations for what I would be able to grow, but my garden did surprisingly well for a black thumb like myself.

Growing your own herbs and vegetables will save you a ton of money at the supermarket. If you are just beginning gardening, like me, start with a small garden or even just a container garden before making a large investment. Check out books from the library and spend your winter researching ways that you can improve your garden each year. Involve your children in the whole process, as it can be an invaluable teaching tool for them, and make your gardening a family event. It is amazing how much you can the save and learn from just a few plants.

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Research proves that we lean towards buying the brands and products that we have grown up with. It is also known that we tend to gravitate towards stores that are the easiest or most familiar for us because we think it saves us time. Are we really saving any money though when we just pick the most convenient or buy the brand that we have always bought? Probably not! With the grocery prices going up, now is a great time to begin exploring other stores in your neighborhood and trying generic or cheaper brands on the products that you buy. You just might find a new favorite store or brand- you only need to be open to trying it.

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Don’t forget that if you need a little Aldi inspiration you can get inspired through our site. Here are a few of my favorite spots on the site to help with your planning and shopping at the store:

Aldi Supermarket 101

The Aldi Queen Blog

Aldi Menu Planner

35 Ways to Reduce That Grocery Budget

How do you eat healthy and stay under budget on your groceries? Please share your tips, techniques, and strategies for eating the best you can on your budget!

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Posted in Aldi, Frugal, Money & Finance | 41 Comments »

Chicken, Broccoli, & Fusilli in Garlic Cream Sauce

Monday, March 8th, 2010

We had much to celebrate this weekend because my husband’s 31st birthday is this week. We wanted to have a little dinner party with his family for this special day. After all, you only turn 31 once!  His mom brought the cake and I set to work on a special birthday dinner to celebrate my hubby and all that he does for us.

I have had this dish in my recipes forever and thought it would be the perfect choice for our birthday dinner. Over the years, I have changed different ingredients in it, lightened the dish, and added my own spin to the recipe. I paired this with homemade breadsticks, dipping sauce (using my pizza sauce recipe listed in my pizza routine), tossed salad, and pink lemonade.

The garlic cream sauce is light and lovely and just the perfect balance of garlic. Don’t be scared of the amount of garlic that goes into this because as it cooks it just gets sweeter and more delicious. The bits of chicken mixed with the pasta and cheese makes for a yummy combination that is just like something you would eat in any fancy Italian restaurant.

The dish though is surprisingly affordable and I was able to find all of the ingredients at Aldi Supermarket. The only splurge is the cup of wine in the dish, but I just measured some out of the box of wine we keep in the fridge. You could also substitute this with an additional cup of chicken broth, if you would like!


It was a wonderful celebration and the food was a hit… especially with the birthday boy! I hope you can add this to your menu one day- I promise that it won’t disappoint!

Chicken, Broccoli & Fusilli in Garlic Cream Sauce
Adapted from Epicurious.com

5 cups broccoli florets (from about 1 large bunch)
1 pound fusilli or other corkscrew pasta (you could also do a whole wheat rotini)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped garlic (about 8 cloves or 3 tablespoons of jarred minced garlic)
3 large skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2″ strips (see alternate cooking instructions below)
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
1 cup half & half
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the fusilli pasta to the water. Cook as directed, but in the last four minutes throw in the broccoli florets to cook with the pasta for the last four minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add garlic and chicken and sauté until chicken is just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove the chicken. To the same pan, add wine, broth and half & half to skillet and boil until sauce thickens slightly, about 8 minutes. Add pasta, broccoli, chicken and cheese to sauce and toss until mixture is heated through and coated evenly with sauce.

Quick Note About Cooking Chicken in Bulk

I don’t keep a lot of fresh chicken around and prefer to buy the frozen chicken breasts instead. There is money to be saved in buying and preparing whole chickens, but my family only likes white meat  so for convenience sake (and to get them to eat it), we stick to the chicken breasts.

I buy the 3 pound bag of chicken from Aldi and cook and dice all of the chicken for the week. The chicken is then ready to go to be made into wrap sandwiches, fast paninis, a protein addition to my salads for lunch, and it helps me save a step for our dinners for the week.

It is a matter of preference how you like to cook your chicken, but I will share my favorite way that I do weekly!

Roasted Chicken Breasts for Bulk Cooking

Preheat the oven for 375 degrees. Spread the frozen chicken breasts out over one or two cookie sheets. Drizzle a little olive oil over the chicken breasts and then sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh black pepper. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Allow the chicken to rest ten to fifteen minutes (to allow the juices to redistribute within the meat). Dice or shred for your recipes for the week.

Do you cook any of your meat in bulk for your recipes? Feel free to share your techniques for bulk cooking here!

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Posted in Main Dishes | 44 Comments »

Simply Delicious Apple Pork Chops

Monday, March 1st, 2010

Have you ever had a recipe in your to-be-tried pile for years and finally get around to it and wonder, “Why the heck didn’t we eat this sooner?” This recipe has been gathering dust in my house and I decided to finally shake the dust off and try a new pork chop dish for a new weeknight meal.

The skeptics in my house were not impressed with my enthusiasm of pairing apples with pork chops and it took a lot of coaxing to take them over to the dark side of this deliciously sweet pork combination. Before the end of the dinner though, I had sold everyone on the idea of pairing these ingredients and decided that this would be a great meal to add to our rotation.

It is a satisfyingly sweet and savory dish that pairs ingredients that I typically have around our house. The brown sugar and cinnamon sauce adds a delicious glaze to this perfectly cooked pork.  Baking the pork helps it to achieve the perfect temperature and my husband couldn’t believe how tender these chops were.

The best part for me about this dish though is the timing of other dishes and being able to cook an entire meal at the same temperature.  Paired with my roasted green beans and a side of baked brown rice, dinner was all baking along together and I was enjoy a magazine reading before the dinner chaos. I love when everything can bake at the same time so I don’t have to stand over the stove!

Simply Delicious Apple Pork Chops (Adapted from Recipezaar)

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 pork chops (1/2-inch thick)
1/2 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper
2 apples, peeled cored, and sliced (I used Granny Smith apples)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup apple juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in large skillet. Brown the pork chops on both sides in oil. Place chops in a baking dish just large enough so they do not overlap and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, apple juice, and and apples. Give them a toss together. Pour the mixture over the chops.
Pour over the chops. Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes. (My chops took about 35 minutes, but it will depend on the thickness of the chops).

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Posted in Main Dishes | 26 Comments »

4 Fun New Ways to Cook Rice

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

I absolutely love rice, but never had a really appreciation for the diversity of this dish until I really started experimenting with it. Much like pasta, it can be made into many different dishes for even the pickiest of palates. Rice can be made into a perfect accompaniment to fish, you can add an Italian or Asian flare to it depending on your main course, and it can even be made into a tasty pudding. The possibilities with this side are endless!

The best part about rice though is that it is so darn inexpensive, making it the perfect dish for the frugal cook. I try to keep a variety of rices on hand and have experimented with different grains and textures from the traditional long grain white rice to a deliciously nutty brown. Even the more exotic rices like aborio or jasmine rice still are inexpensive and can add a different dimension to your meals depending on your main course of the night.

I wanted to showcase today four different ways that you can prepare this dish to add a little bit of fun to your typical side dish fare. These four recipes have stood the test of time in our house and are four of my favorite ways to make rice

When I ran across a recipe in one of my cookbooks for rice with pesto, I knew this would make a lovely side with our herb baked tilapia. I honestly wasn’t sure if the kids would eat it though since it did have a light green color to it. They ended up gobbling it up just like those rice mixes in a box and the pesto added delicious flavor as a side to fish. It felt a little more grown-up than the Rice-A-Roni and we all enjoyed this very much.

Rice With Pesto or Herb Oil (from “How To Cook Everything“)
Serves Four

1 tablespoon canola or other neutral oil
1 1/2 cups basmati or other long-grain rice (I used white long grain rice for this)
2 1/4 cups water
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup pesto or 1 cup fresh herb of your choice: chives, parsley, chervil, or cilantro, 1/4 cup canola or other neutral oil, & 1-2 tablespoons water if needed.

Heat the tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until the rice is coated with oil. Add the water and season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat up a bit and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and turn the heat to medium-low.

After 15 minutes, turn off the heat under the rice, but leave the cover on. Wait 10 minutes, then stir in the pesto or herb oil. Check the seasoning and serve immediately.

If you do not have pesto: While the rice is cooking, rinse the herb and place it in the container of a blender or small food processor. Turn the machine on and gradually add teh 1/4 cup oil. Blend or process until smooth, stopping the machine now and then to stir down the mixture. If necessary, add a tablespoon or two of water to the mixture; it should be the texture of heavy cream.

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I use white rice for this one, but I may need to try this dish with brown rice sometime instead. This is a fun and inexpensive side dish and even our rice-haters ate with great enthusiasm. Serve this with a big platter of chicken enchiladas and don’t forget the homemade enchilada sauce to keep your evening perfectly frugal!

I think this will be a repeat performer in our house!

Mexican Rice

1 cup uncooked rice (not instant rice)
2 tablespoons oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium white onion, chopped (omitted because of personal taste)
2 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (I omitted this ingredient because I didn’t have any tomatoes)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup chicken broth or beef broth (we chose chicken broth)
1 tablespoon chili powder (you can reduce this- I added 1 teaspoon)
3/4 teaspoon salt

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet. Add the rice and stir over medium-high heat until rice is golden brown. Add the garlic and chopped onion, and sauté until the onion just begins to brown. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, chili powder and salt, lower heat and cover. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

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I can admit that in the past I was not a big fan of brown rice. I have tried other cooking methods, but this baked brown rice is my favorite by far. We eat this at least twice a week and my children absolutely love it. I usually throw this brown rice in with some Caesar or Ranch Pork Chops & a tray of lemony green beans since they all cook at exactly the same degree. It is the perfect side to any weeknight meal! If you hate brown rice, you must try it this way!

Alton Brown’s Baked Brown Rice

1 1/2 cups brown rice, medium or short grain
2 1/2 cups water (we substituted this with chicken broth instead)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the rice into an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Bring the water, butter, and salt just to a boil in a kettle or covered saucepan. Once the water boils, pour it over the rice, stir to combine, and cover the dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove cover and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve immediately.

Amy’s Notes- When I package this up for leftovers, I add a tablespoon or two of water or chicken broth to the rice before storing it for later. This seems to help keep the rice more moist and helps it hold it’s texture a little better.

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If you are looking for a great side dish with your fish, then look no further than this fantastic Lemony Rice Pilaf. This rice is sticky and flavorful with a burst of freshness from the lemon, parsley, and garlic. I love to serve this rice alongside baked salmon or as an accompaniment to my herb baked tilapia. It is a recipe that is in constant rotation and tastes like something you would eat at a fancy seafood place. Lucky for you, it costs practically nothing to make!

Lemony Rice Pilaf (Courtesy of Recipezaar)

1 teaspoon vegetable oil, preferably canola oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
3 cups chicken stock (vegetable stock makes this vegetarian/vegan)
1 grated lemon, rind of
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
fresh ground pepper

In a heavy saucepan, heat oil over medium heat and cook onion for 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in rice, then stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover; let simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley; taste and add pepper if you wish. Note: This reheats very well so you can make a double batch for another night, if you like!

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What are some fun ways you dress up this common cooking staple in your pantry? Feel free to share your recipes and/or links!

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Posted in Desserts | 17 Comments »

Comfort Food: Italian Meatloaf With Smashed Red Potatoes

Monday, February 15th, 2010

The weather has been so cold and the snow has been never ending. I won’t complain too loudly though because compared to my friends on the East Coast, I might as well be living in Hawaii.

On cold days like this, there is nothing like a little comfort food to warm your belly.  My go-to comfort food has always been meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and a little cornbread. Even as a little girl, it was my top request for my birthday meal every year. There is just something about those flavors that makes me happy.

Over the years my recipe for meatloaf varies depending on what is on sale and what flavor combination sounds good at the time.  This time I had red potatoes leftover from buying a big bag of them for our fancy steak dinner with rosemary potatoes, and I wanted to incorporate the potatoes in another recipe.  The Italian turkey sausage was on sale and I mixed that in with the ground beef (that was not on sale) to create this delicious combination.

Touching meat seriously grosses me out. I have a gag reflex watching people putting their hands in the bowls to mix ingredients when I watch Food Network. I find my pastry cutter to be a useful tool when mixing meat. This one from Pampered Chef has an extra long  handle and it works beautifully to mix things quickly. I guess I will never be a Food Network star because of this, but I am okay with it!

I hate to keep bringing up a recipe, but there is just no better accompaniment to a meatloaf dinner than a big batch of pumpkin cornbread muffins! If I make a batch of these, I can get my family to eat just about anything because they are so distracted by the bread.  This pretty picture also cancels out that icky picture of meat. I am so sorry about that!

Enjoy a little comfort food tonight and kick your feet up one evening by using your extra meatloaf from the freezer! Give yourself a night off and revel in the deliciousness of great comfort food and all that is warm!

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Italian Turkey Meatloaf (This will yield two meatloaves- one to eat, one to freeze)

2 pounds ground beef
2 pounds Italian turkey sausage, removed from the casings
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3- 8 oz can tomato sauce
2 eggs

In a large mixing bowl, lightly mix turkey, bread crumbs, cheese, 1 can of tomato sauce, and egg. Shape into two loaves in shallow baking dishes. Pour a can of tomato sauce over each of the meatloaves. Sprinkle top with garlic salt.  Bake one loaf uncovered at 350 for 1 1/4 hours. Baste several times while cooking. Freeze the other loaf (uncooked) for another meal later this month.

Side Note: I do not have a big problem with grease with the ground turkey, but grease can be a problem if you buy higher fat content ground beef.  If you are trying to cut back on the fat there is a very easy way to do it. Before patting the meatloaf into the pan, lay down two pieces of bread to soak up the drippings. Pat the ground turkey mixture in, over the bread, and the bread will catch the fat at the bottom. It will also help to keep the shape of the loaf.

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Smashed Red Potatoes (Courtesy of Allrecipes Dinner Tonight Cookbook)

2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, cook until tender but still firm, about ten minutes. Drain and set aside. Add butter, milk, sour cream, and alt and pepper to taste to potatoes. Mash together until smooth.

Disclosure: The cookbook link is an affiliate link and is provided so you can locate the book quickly and easily. Feel free to order a book, but we encourage utilizing the library system and buying me a latte instead.  Wouldn’t that just be so much more lovely?

What is your go-to comfort food? Feel free to share your recipes and links!

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Posted in Main Dishes | 11 Comments »

The Best Steakhouse Dining Experience on a Poor House Budget

Monday, February 8th, 2010

About seven years ago, we lost the ability to run out and have dinner out whenever we wanted to. It began with a change in income… or a complete lack of income coming into our house. The decision to eat fancy dinners at home was solidified with the birth of our son and later our daughter.

As I became more acquainted with the kitchen though, we soon realized that dinners out just lacked that pizazz that we could easily get from home. The food was a bit better, (if the house was relatively tidy) the atmosphere was better, and we could spend a whole heck of a lot less and get a whole heck of a lot more.

It is funny, now even when we have help to watch our kids, we still gravitate towards eating at home. I remember having a gift card for a fancy restaurant in town and we ended up spending $75 on dinner. I looked across the table at my husband and he said, “It was good, but…I like your tilapia better.” Yeah, the tilapia that I buy for $4.99 a bag and prepare at home tasted better than the $25 of one fillet of tilapia plated in front of my hubby… sickening, isn’t it?

Pictured above is the dinner that my husband and I shared with no children on New Year’s Eve. For these fancy dinners at home, I break out our wedding china (of which we only own four place settings), get out the fine wedding stemware, and I splurge a little at the supermarket on ingredients I wouldn’t normally treat myself to.

As I was picking out our steaks behind the butcher counter, the lady that was weighing them for me told me that she was planning to buy a couple of them herself.

“Yes, we try to avoid dining out on NYE because the crowds are so bad, ” I shared with her as she packaged the meat.

She looked up at me smugly and said, “You know what we call going out to eat on NYE? My husband and I call it amateur night. Who would ever do that?”

We both giggled and I will now refer to NYE and Valentine’s Day dining out as that because it is so not fun to go out on those nights.

Don’t get stuck on amateur night, my friends, but do make it fun for yourself. Play with new ingredients, buy something pre-packaged that wouldn’t normally fit in your grocery budget, try a recipe that you wouldn’t normally “waste” your ingredients or time on, and throw on some good music to cook to.

Don’t make it the same old dinner that you usually do, but make it a delicious experience that you can treasure. I think having great ingredients and new recipes to indulge in makes cooking feel like fun instead of the same old dinner routine that I have to perform.

I am sharing our delicious menu that was absolute perfection for us that I hope will inspire a deliciously wonderful date night with your spouse! My husband said it was one of my finer moments in the kitchen and we still talk about how special that night was for both of us!  This dinner cost about $30 in ingredients (an entire bottle of fancy wine included), but we had enough leftover for two meals. You couldn’t get a dinner like this out for that price!

Steakhouse Steak Marinade (adapted from Recipezaar)

2 steaks (whatever is on sale and looks good)

2 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or white vinegar
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
2 tablespoon soy sauce
Freshly ground pepper

Mix all ingredients together and place steaks into freezer bag with marinade overnight. This makes enough marinade for two large steaks.

Below is an approximate timetable for how long to cook your steaks for a medium steak. I opt for a little shorter cooking time and prefer my meat to be medium rare. If you are unsure, a meat thermometer is the best gauge for the perfect steak!

Grilling Steak Timetable

Filet: 13-18 minutes

Ribeye, Boneless: 6-8 minutes

Ribeye, Bone-In: 9-12 minutes

T-Bone /Porterhouse: 14-16 minutes

Top Sirloin: 13-16 minutes

Strip, Boneless: 10-12 minutes

Cooking steak, to me, is not easy. I know it is not easy to a lot of other people too because I often get asked how to cook the perfect steak. Use the above timetable for steak as a loose guideline for how long to cook it. The best gauge for cooking will always be the scientific approach… a handy meat thermometer.

(Quick temperature guidelines: Rare is 120 degrees, Medium is 125 degrees, and Medium is 130 degrees)

More important than the degrees though is letting your meat rest. Don’t cut into it to check it when you pull it out of the pan. Give it plenty of time to let everything redistribute itself and then slice into it. That is the real secret to a deliciously juicy steak.

I love steak cooked out on the grill, but refuse to venture out there in the cold. Pictured above is my favorite tool for cooking steak and I got it at Goodwill! It is a cast iron grill pan that had rusted and been poorly cared for. I loved it up and got it in much better condition, and this is my favorite tool for cooking a beautiful steak without getting cold. I found one similar to it on Amazon, should you also be in the market for staying warm, and it costs less than $20!

Bella’s Rosemary Red Potatoes (adapted from Allrecipes Dinner Tonight Cookbook)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

8 small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together melted butter and oil; pour into a 9×13″ baking dish. Place the potatoes into the dish and stir until coated. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt, and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Stir potatoes to ensure even cooking. Yields four servings.

Pan-Fried Asparagus (adapted from Allrecipes Dinner Tonight Cookbook)

1/4 cup butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook garlic in butter for one minute, but do not brown. Add asparagus and cook for five to ten minutes or until crisp-tender, turning asparagus to ensure even cooking. Yields two servings.

This dinner was served with a loaf of french bread (on sale), festive bakery cupcakes (on sale), and a bottle of red wine (guess what? ON SALE!!)

Looking for more ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day on a budget? Be sure to read our article on enjoying a frugal Valentine’s Day this year!

Do you dine at home for special occasion or dine out? What recipes do you like to prepare on special occasion nights? Please share!

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