DomesticMuse

Eat Mo' Bettah BBQ Shrimp

2011-01-24T22:32:00.000-08:00

Back when I was in grad school in the frozen tundra of Wisconsin, the was-band & I occasionally patronized a fabulous hole-in-the-wall Cajun food take-out place. We loved the BBQ shrimp there, but we could never remember the name of the place. We simply called it "Eat Mo' Bettah," in honor of the Cajun Chef guy on TV. (Y'all remember him?)

The jambalaya there was tasty, too. And one of the most amazing things I have ever eaten in my life was their Cream of Garlic soup. We could never figure out when The Soup Dreams Are Made Of would be on the menu, so it was a happy day indeed when we happened to hit it lucky and wander in on Cream of Garlic day.

The Teeter recently had 2 lb. bags of frozen shrimp on sale, which immediately brought to mind happy memories of BBQ Shrimp. Luckily, I have a recipe that's a dead ringer for the BBQ Shrimp of yore. I discovered it, in of all places, Desperation Dinners by Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross.

This perky little cookbook promises "Home-cooked meals for frantic families in 20 minutes flat" and it mostly delivers on that promise, with mostly good results. Some recipes are fabulous, others, we prefer not to repeat. But most of the recipes are really pretty good. Of course, being the tinkerer that i am with recipes, I often reverse-engineer the recipes to make them a bit slower to prepare but better-tasting.

Happily, the BBQ Shrimp from Desperation Dinners only requires minimal tinkering for fabulous results. It's super-simple, & super-easy-- 3 quick steps!

I have a note on the recipe that says it's not too spicy for DS (added when DS was in kindergarten, i think), so this recipe is even kid-friendly.

DS and I enjoyed our delectable BBQ Shrimp over some Mahatma Saffron Rice, prepared in the microwave.

I was pleasantly surprised at how well the rice turned out! On the side we had some HT Garlic Bread (to sop up all that good sauce!) and a medley of leftover frozen veggies. I can highly recommend both the HT Garlic Bread (from the freezer section) and the Mahatma Rice mix. And both were purchased FREE with coupons (Suh-WEET!!).

As I've mentioned, the BBQ Shrimp is super-easy to prepare. I did a quick-thaw of my frozen shrimp in a sink-full of lukewarm water and had it thawed, peeled, and ready to roll by the time the rice had finished cooking in the microwave.

I put a lb. of shrimp in a ziptop bag and used a glass pie plate to keep it submerged in lukewarm water to thaw.

One of my more fastidious colleagues at the Teeter disdained to purchase the shrimp because it wasn't pre-peeled, but I am here to tell you, when they say "EZ-Peel," they aren't kidding. The shells are pre-slit down the belly of the shrimp and it takes just a second or two to get them off. Plus, the tail part comes intact out of the shell very easily-- which is wonderful, since DS has a "thing" about having ANY shell left on his shrimp. (He hates that little decorative bit of shell restaurants often leave on the tail.)

My thawed, peeled shrimp

There is one ingredient that can't be replaced in this recipe, however--- it's the Chili Sauce.

It is the secret to the whole dish. This isn't some fancy Thai Chili sauce, it's very ordinary stuff kind of like ketchup. In fact, if you've never tried it, you have probably seen it next to the ketchup in the store and just never noticed it. It's great for making quick cocktail sauce for shrimp-- just add a little horseradish, and presto, there you are. I always have a bottle of Heinz Chili Sauce in my fridge.

Here is my slightly adapted recipe for

Eat Mo' Bettah BBQ Shrimp

by DomesticMuse

(I gar-on-tee you gonna love it!)

1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 T unsalted butter (or margarine, if you want to make this dairy-free)
1 T freshly minced garlic (from 5-7 cloves)
1 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. bottled chili sauce (preferably Heinz)
1 t. Cajun seafood seasoning blend (I use Paul Prudhomme's Seafood Magic)
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. dried thyme leaves
Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce to taste
1 lb. raw lg. shrimp, peeled

1. Spray a large, heavy skillet with non-stick spray. Heat over medium heat and add the EVOO and the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the garlic and cook 30 seconds-- don't let the garlic brown.

2. Add the chicken broth and raise the heat to high. Add the chili sauce, cajun seasoning, Worcestershire, thyme, and hot sauce (if using). Boil for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly thickened and the flavors have blended.

3. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring gently, until the shrimp are pink and just cooked-through, about 2-3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and serve the shrimp and sauce over a bed of rice.

The Mahatma Saffron rice was terrific with the shrimp and sauce.

MICROWAVE RICE
Here are the directions for cooking it in the microwave. I think you can follow the same directions with plain rice, just use 1 c. of rice and 2 c. of boiling water.

1. Combine the rice mix, 1 T butter or margarine, and 1 2/3 c. boiling water in a 1 1/2 qt. microwave-safe bowl.
2. Cover and cook on high for 3 minutes.
3. Reduce the microwave power to 50% power and cook, covered, for 17 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Makes 2 1/2 c. cooked rice. (DS and I managed to eat all but about 1 T of the rice-- Zelda was thrilled to eat what was left.)

Here is DS's plate,

BEFORE

and

AFTER

C'mon, Y'all-- try some BBQ Shrimp and eat mo' bettah!

Bon appetit!

Eat Mo' Bettah BBQ Shrimp

<p>This zippy <span class="caps">BBQ</span> shrimp dish is a snap to prepare. It is flavorful, quick, and kids love it. A great taste of Cajun Country in under 30 minutes!</p>

See Eat Mo' Bettah BBQ Shrimp on Key Ingredient.

The Big, Fat Truth

2010-12-11T22:09:00.001-08:00

Tonight, DS wanted to watch, of all things, Morgan Spurlock's 2003 documentary film, Supersize Me.
If you haven't seen it, it's an expose of the health risks associated with the consumption of American fast food with a very personal twist. Spurlock embarks on a 30-day challenge to consume nothing but food from McDonald's. His quest was inspired by a lawsuit filed a group of teenagers claiming that McDonald's was basically responsible for making them fat. Spurlock states:

"After six months of deliberation, Judge Robert Sweet dismissed the lawsuit against McDonald's. The big reason? The two girls failed to show that eating McDonald's food was what caused their injuries. Interesting, in only thirty days of eating nothing but McDonald's I gained twenty-four and a half pounds, my liver turned to fat and my cholesterol shot up sixty-five points. My body fat percentage went from eleven to eighteen percent, still below the national average of twenty-two percent for men and thirty percent for women. I nearly doubled my risk of coronary heart disease, making myself twice as likely to have heart failure."

For someone like me, this stuff really stirs up a lot of angst. You see, I have a confession to make. I'm fat.

No, I don't mean that my body is currently carrying around a lot of excess poundage. In fact, I'm back in most of my "skinny" clothes (including my size 4 jeans, woo-hoo!!). No, I'm talking about who I am, how I see myself and think of myself. And that would be as a fat person.

I was born into a family of fat people that goes back on both sides for generations. I was a scrawny kid who became a chubby teenager and a fat adult. I had one skinny year in high school, but for the most part, I went through my high school experience feeling miserable about myself and my body. In college, I was so busy and active I didn't have much time to think about my weight and by the time I graduated from college, I was a size 5 and had come to think of myself as "normal." This lasted for a few years, until I got married, had a nervous breakdown (literally), was put on an old-school tricyclic antidepressant, and promptly gained 50 lbs.

Fat again. Which is pretty much where I stayed for the next 18 years. My identity as a fat person just became an unassailable truth in my life. I will always be a fat person, no matter how much I weigh or what size clothes I wear. My divorce 5 years ago was such a horrific experience that I literally could not eat a thing for months. I then became something I had never experienced in my adult life: TOO thin. I was skin and bones. Definitely not healthy.

I admit I have a love-hate relationship with food. For the most part, I have learned to co-exist with it. I do have my struggles and know I am maintaining a fine balance. There are days when I eat too much or eat things I know I shouldn't. I don't worry about it much. There's always tomorrow. Then there are times I am just so stressed out and busy I'll get to the end of the day and realize I haven't eaten at all. I have to snap myself out of it, because it gives me such a feeling of power to know that the food does not control me. No, too far the other way!! Balance-- remember??

And now? As for my weight... well, it comes and it goes. I try to eat well, be active, and focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Eventually what goes on comes off.

Over the years I've learned a few things. For example, there are worse things than being fat. A LOT worse. Like being cruel and judgmental. I love clothes and enjoy looking my best, but in the end, as my gramma used to say, "Handsome is as handsome does." If we don't treat others with the dignity, respect, and compassion we all deserve, then it doesn't matter what we look like, we're ugly.

I've learned to have patience with people who have told me, at various times in my life, "Oh, but you'd be so pretty if only you would lose weight!" Yeah, that was almost not a crappy thing to say. Well, guess what? Self-esteem comes in ALL sizes. My boss used to get after me about my weight. I'd tell him, "I come from a long line of distinguished fat people. I embrace my genetic destiny." (And wish I could add, "Why can't you?")

Watching SuperSize Me made me think about a lot of things I haven't thought about in a long time. Because for the last 5 years, basically, when people see me and interact with me, they see me as a THIN person. They don't know I am really a fat person in a thin body. While I still have plenty of memories, I don't actively experience a lot of the things I did when others perceived me as "fat."

And you know what? All that stuff came flooding back, and I GOT MAD. FURIOUS, in fact.

I think the one thing that set me off was an off-hand remark from some member of the Food Police. The person said, "In the next 20 years, obesity will become the leading PREVENTABLE cause of death in the U.S."

And here is THING NUMBER ONE I am sick to death of: BLAMING THE VICTIM. (I realize that's probably not what the person meant, but it is what most people think.)

Duh!! Now why didn't I and all the other fat people in America think of this sooner? If we would just get up off our big fat a$$es and lose weight, we wouldn't die from obesity-related complications!

Because I think that if you look around the WORLD at populations who now eat a Westernized high-fat, high-protein diet, you will see that in places where cancer, diabetes, and obesity were formerly unheard of, the incidence of all of these is rising alarmingly. Mexico. Japan. China. And in this country, the Tohono O'odham nation. Does this mean that after centuries of being thin, all the sudden all these people just have no "will-power" or "self-respect?"

The Tohono O'odham have the distinction of being the fattest people in America. Why? Because instead of following the traditional food-ways and life-ways they had observed for many generations, they have been forced to adopt radical lifestyle changes as well as adopting the typical American diet-- a change their biochemistry and genetics have not been able to adapt to. White flour is literally killing them.

To me, this shows 2 key things: 1)Obesity IS a disease, and 2)the causes of obesity are complex and not well understood.

Seriously, people: Who would CHOOSE to be fat? To endure ridicule and scorn on a regular basis? To face the embarrassment of not being able to fit into a chair at a theater or on an airplane? Knowing that being obese will almost certainly end up killing us-- who would CHOOSE that? No one would. Believe me-- you haven't experienced hostility until you've been a fat person assigned to the middle seat in your row on a crowded airplane.

Would you blame someone for getting the flu? "Oh, you silly person. If only you hadn't touched that elevator button someone with flu just sneezed on or if only you hadn't stood next to that person.... etc." No, of course you wouldn't. Then why is it ok to blame someone for being fat? Or for getting diabetes because they are overweight? IT'S NOT OK.

Am I saying that as a fat person I have no responsibility whatsoever for my health? Not at all. Of course I should try to make good choices and to be active. But it's not that simple!! The same diet works fine for some people (most of Western Europe, for example) but causes others to become dangerously obese (Pacific Islanders, the Tohono O'odham). And what helps one person to lose weight doesn't work for someone else.

Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity. I hate to say this, but medical people are some of the WORST offenders ever. They think nothing of making you stand on the scale and then gleefully (yes, I swear, gleefully) repeat the result LOUDLY so everyone in the whole office can hear how much you weigh. If you ask why they need to get your weight, when you were just here last week, can they just answer your question? No. They speak slowly and loudly, as if you have the approximate IQ of a fruit bat AND are deaf too.

Now, I ask you, do you think you would ever hear THIS in a dr.'s waiting room? "But Mr. Smith, we ask ALL our patients with ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION to step on the scale at every visit, to make sure their ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION is not causing other health problems. Surely you can understand why that is necessary?"

If you are a woman, I'm sure you hate your yearly GYN exam as much as I do. Yes, that, and the mammogram, are about as much fun as having your fingernails torn out with red-hot tongs. So you can imagine how very much I appreciated the attitude I received from one very smug female doc (several years ago) who took one look at me and said, "Well, you know your weight is really going to make it hard for me to do your exam." I was speechless. Wish I'd had the presence of mind to say "Well, then I guess I'm lucky you're such a good doctor, not counting your little bedside manner problem."

Which brings me to my last point. In our society, it's ok to be prejudiced against fat people. They're just lazy. They have no self-control. It's their own fault. So what if the airplane seats are too small for them? If they wanted to, they could lose weight and fit into them.

Here's my Christmas Wish: Let's celebrate everything we love about food this year, be grateful for our blessings, and appreciate the fact that people are basically good. And let's make it our goal to counter prejudice with love and compassion. Because we really are ALL ONE.

Diner-Style Chili & Beer Biscuits

2010-11-21T23:40:00.000-08:00

On a chilly evening, what could be more welcome than a nice, hot bowl of chili?

In one of my recent posts, I mentioned that my mom, my sister & I lived with my grandparents the year I was three. I recall my mom making chili throughout my childhood, even in the heat of the Philippines! When we lived in Port Orchard, Mom would occasionally make dinner so Gramma could have a break, and chili was often on the menu on those days. We always had Premium Saltines with our chili.

Unfortunately, I've never been able to duplicate my mom's recipe for chili, which was pretty straightforward, no-frills, American diner-style chili, that was more soupy than stewy. Of course, it's been so many years since she cooked she doesn't remember how to make it.

In May of 1988, I had the rare opportunity to visit Port Orchard. I was living in Wisconsin at the time, and we drove from there to Gramma's house. Sadly, we lost both my dad and Grampa in February of 1987. By then, Gramma was in her eighties. and my Aunt Helen and her three daughters, Nina, Anna, and Amanda, now lived in the little green house with Gramma and took care of her. I was thrilled when Aunt Helen made, guess what! My mom's chili! for dinner one evening, complete with saltine crackers on the side. For whatever reason, I didn't manage to get the recipe.

Recently, I tried Coleen's Turkey and Black Bean Chili and discovered that the flavor is very similar to Mom's chili. Coleen's chili is thicker, but it's just so delicious! If you want a really yummy, easy to fix, no-fuss chili that is not too spicy for kids, Coleen's chili definitely fills the bill.

I especially LOVE Coleen's unique way of serving the chili, which reminds me of the Frito Pie so beloved in the Ozarks. We used to take DS to the Springfield, MO Zoo just to pig out on cardboard dishes of Frito pie.... Anyway, Coleen likes to eat her chili ladled over a bed of fresh greens and Fritos corn chips, topped with sliced grape tomatoes, chopped avocado, sour cream, and shredded cheese. This is HEAVEN-- even without the cheese and sour cream. It's a fun study in contrasts, a cool & hot, tangy & velvety, crunchy & chewy chili salad!

Below is my slight spin on Coleen's chili, which really goes back to basics. It is very quick to prep because all you have to do is chop an onion and some garlic and open a few cans. It does need a a couple of hours to simmer and mellow, but you can of course do other things while you're waiting. Instead of saltines, you may enjoy trying the beer biscuits below, which I find are absolutely perfect with chili (not that you need them if you serve the chili with Fritos, LOL!) A big plus is that this chili is actually a really good use for ground turkey (which in general I'm not crazy about)!

Diner-Style Chili Elsie

by DomesticMuse

2 lb. ground beef or ground turkey

1 T canola oil (more, as needed)

1 onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 T chili powder

2 t ground cumin

5 c. water

1 12 oz. can tomato paste

1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with jalapenos

1 T sugar

1 t. salt

2 15 oz. cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 4 oz. can green chiles, chopped

1. Spray a heavy soup pot with non-stick spray. Add the oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the meat and brown well. Stir until most of the liquid thrown off by the meat has evaporated. If there is excess grease, drain it before proceeding.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the diced onion. Saute, stirring, until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Add the minced garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

3. Add the chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, until the spices have a chance to really soak into the meat and onion mixture.

4. Add the remaining ingredients and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.

5. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours, or until chili is nice and thick. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

DS's plate:

When I met my friend Julia in grad school, I knew I had found a kindred spirit. Julia grew up in Peru, the birthplace of potatoes. She had me in stitches telling me about her first visit to Burger King in the U.S., where she requested a side of mayonnaise with her order. "What for?" the counter dweeb asked. "Why, for my fries, of course!!" Julia replied with offended hauteur, which quickly turned to mortification as she realized that ketchup is the preferred condiment for fries here.

I must confess to a penchant for mayo on my fries, too... but my absolute favorite thing to dip my fries into? Green Goddess dressing, no contest. I love the stuff. Since I am eating my chili sans cheese and sour cream, I was inspired to try a little GG on it. Oh, yeah-- total heaven in my bowl!! I LOVE IT!!

Here's my plate:

Yum-o!!

Here is a closer look at all the scrumptious goodies!

Bubba's Beer Biscuits are the easiest thing in the world to whip up, and are terrific with chili.

This is a completely unadulterated Paula Deen recipe. All I have done is cut it in half so it makes 6-8 biscuits instead of 12-16.

BTW, did any of y'all catch Kristen Wiig's Paula impersonation on SNL last week? I was cracking up as she was going on about all the "boo-ter" and "awl" in the food. Well, for sure don't leave out the boo-ter in the recipe below, or you will end up with brickettes instead of biscuits. NOT a good thing!

Bubba's Beer Biscuits by Paula Deen

2 c. Bisquick or other baking mix

1/4 c. sugar

1 T melted butter

6 fl. oz. beer (any kind will do)

Preheat the oven to 400F. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray. In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Spoon it into the tins. Bake for 15-20 min.

These are not especially pretty, but are so easy and so good.

Buen provecho!

Coupon Index for 11/21

2010-11-21T21:19:00.001-08:00

This week there is only 1 coupon insert, SmartSource.

Here is the Coupon Index for the week of 11/21.

(Still having a few technical problems with the tables... thanks for your patience while we work on fixing them.)

11/21/2010

Circular	Item	EXP
SmartSource	Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough $1/3	2/12
SmartSource	Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts, 50 cents/2	2/12
SmartSource	Pillsbury sweet rolls or Grands sweet rolls, 40 cents/2	2/12
SmartSource	Betty Crocker Cookie Mix, 17.5 oz or larger, 40 cents	1/15
SmartSource	Betty Crocker Boxed Potatoes, any except Potato Buds & Betty Crocker Pouch, 50 cents on 2	1/15
SmartSource	Progresso broth, 40 cents	1/15
SmartSource	Toblerone 3.52 oz or larger or Terry’s 6.6 oz or larger, $1/2	12/31
SmartSource	Starbucks Ice Cream, 1 pint, $1	1/15
SmartSource	Starbucks Coffee, 11 oz., 12 oz. or 20 oz. bag, $1	2/28
SmartSource	Starbucks Frappuccino or Double Shot, 4 pk., $1	1/31
SmartSource	Starbucks VIA Ready Brew, 3 or 8 pk, $1	1/31
SmartSource	Kraft Natural Shredded Cheese with a Touch of Philadelphia, $1	12/31
SmartSource	Kraft Natural Shredded Cheese with a Touch of Philadelphia, $2	1/31
SmartSource	Pillsbury Refrigerated Grands biscuits, any size/variety, 40 cents/3	2/12
SmartSource	Pillsbury Frozen Grands biscuits, $1/2	2/12
SmartSource	Pillsbury crescent rolls, 40 cents/2	2/12
SmartSource	Pillsbury crescent rolls, 55 cents/3	2/12
SmartSource	Progresso soups, $1/4	1/15
SmartSource	Wonderful pistachios, 6 oz. or larger, $1	3/31
SmartSource	Classico Alfredo sauces, $1/2	1/15
SmartSource	Eat, Pray Love Blu-Ray or DVD: Save $4 wyb 2 Classico pasta sauce products	none
SmartSource	Cortisone-10 Hydratensive lotion, $1	1/31
SmartSource	Cortisone-10 product, $1	1/31
SmartSource	Duraflame Gold 7 lb. Firelogs, 4-Log case, $2	12/31
SmartSource	Nancy’s Frozen Appetizer, $1	2/28
SmartSource	Motrin PM, $2 (excludes trial size)	12/31
SmartSource	Sinus Buster or Allergy Buster Nasal spray, $3	2/26
SmartSource	Hershey's Kisses, Reese's or Hershey’s miniatures, 8 oz. or larger, $1/2	12/4
SmartSource	Schick Quattro Titanium razor, trimmer, or refill, $1	1/2
SmartSource	Schick Quattro for Women or Intuition Plus Razor or refill, $1	1/2
SmartSource	Schick disposable razor, $1	1/2
SmartSource	Smithfield Bacon, 55 cents	12/31
SmartSource	Skintimate shave gel or cream (excludes 2.75 oz. travel size), 55 cents	1/2
SmartSource	Edge Shave gel (excludes 2.75 oz. travel size), 55 cents	1/2
SmartSource	Rubbermaid TakeAlongs, $1/2	12/31
SmartSource	Philips Sonicare FlexCare+ or FlexCare rechargeable Toothbrush, $15	1/31
SmartSource	Philips SonicCare rechargeable toothbrush (excludes Xtreme models) $10	1/31
SmartSource	Philips SonicCare brush heads or Xtreme toothbrush, $5	1/31
SmartSource	Philips SonicCare rechargeable toothbrush (excludes Xtreme models), $10 MIR	1/31
SmartSource	Scotch-Brite Cook Top or Stainless Steel Cleaner Starter Kit, $1	1/15
SmartSource	Duck brand packaging tape, $1	1/31
SmartSource	Prevacid 24HR product, $4	12/18
SmartSource	Philips Norelco SensoTouch or SensoTouch 3D Razor, $10	1/31
SmartSource	Philips Norelco Speed-XL (8200 series) or Nivea for Men razor, $5	1/31
SmartSource	Philips Norelco replacement head, $5	1/31
SmartSource	i-flex, 120 ct., $5	1/31
SmartSource	i-cool for menopause, $2	1/31
SmartSource	Spot Shot instant carpet stain & odor eliminator product, $1	2/28
SmartSource	Harmony Farms Chicken and Brown Rice Adult dry food for dogs, 17.5 lb bag, $3	2/28
SmartSource	Harmony Farms dry food for cats or variety pack for dogs or cats, $2	2/28

10/24 Coupon Index

2010-10-26T20:24:00.001-07:00

There are 2 coupon inserts this week, RedPlum and SmartSource.

Coupon Index for 10/24/2010

Circular	Item	EXP
RedPlum	9Lives Dry Cat Food, 3.15 lbs or larger, $1	12/25
RedPlum	9Lives Wet Cat Food, (1 12-can variety pack, 12 individual cans, or 3 4-packs), $1	12/25
RedPlum	Alka-Seltzer or Alka-Seltzer Plus product, 10 ct or larger, $1	12/31
RedPlum	Alka-Seltzer Plus Fast Powder Packs product, any, $3	11/30
RedPlum	Axe 8.45 oz, 12 oz. and 18 oz. shower gel or detailer, BOGO	12/19
RedPlum	Hillshire Farm Deli Select lunchmeat, 35 cents	12/19
RedPlum	ICAPS vitamin formula, any, $2	1/31
RedPlum	L'Oreal EverPureShampoo, Conditioner, or Treatment, $1	1/16
RedPlum	L'Oreal EverStrong Shampoo, Conditioner, or Treatment, $1	1/16
RedPlum	L'Oreal Lash Boosting Serum or Power System, $2	1/16
RedPlum	L'Oreal Paris Eye Cosmetic Any, $1	1/16
RedPlum	L'Oreal Preference, any shade, $2	1/16
RedPlum	L'Oreal Revitalift Deep-set Wrinkle product, $2	1/16
RedPlum	L'Oreal Root Rescue Product, any, $1	1/16
RedPlum	L'Oreal Skincare product, any, $1	1/16
RedPlum	L'Oreal Skincare product, any, $3/2	1/16
RedPlum	Mahatma or Water Maid Rice, 50 cents	1/31
RedPlum	Mahatma Rice Mix, 75 cents/2	1/31
RedPlum	Millstone Coffee 10 oz. or larger prepack bag or 1/2 lb. or more bulk or K-Cup portion packs, $2	12/31
RedPlum	Neutrogena Hand & Body Lotion, any, $1	12/31
RedPlum	Newman's Own Pasta Sauce, Salsa, Lemonade, Marinade, or Popcorn, 50 cents	12/4
RedPlum	Newman's Own Thin & Crispy Pizza, $1	12/4
RedPlum	Newman's Own Thin Salad Dressing, 50 cents	12/4
RedPlum	Nicorette Gum 100 ct or larger, mini lozenge 81 ct. or Lozenge 72 ct. or larger, $10	11/28
RedPlum	OPTI-FREE, 2 10 oz. or twin pack, $4	1/31
RedPlum	Pedigree Good Bites treats for dogs, any $1	12/5
RedPlum	Rhodes Warm-N-Serv Rolls, any, $1	1/31
RedPlum	SYSTANE product, any, $2	1/31
RedPlum	Wisk laundry detergent, any, $2	11/21
SmartSource	Air Wick candle, any, $2	12/5
SmartSource	Air wick Freshmatic Compact I-motion starter kit, $2	12/5
SmartSource	Airwick Scented Oil twin refill pack, $1	12/5
SmartSource	Airwick warmer unit, FREE wyb Air Wick Scented Oil refill fragrance	12/5
SmartSource	Argo Baking powder, 12 oz., 35 cents	1/2
SmartSource	Banquet fruit pie, 35 cents	12/15
SmartSource	Bausch & Lomb renu sensitive contact lens solution, $1	12/31
SmartSource	Bausch & Lomb Soothe eye drops, $3	12/31
SmartSource	Betty Crocker Decadent Supreme Cake Mix, 50 cents	12/18
SmartSource	Betty Crocker Warm Delights Bowl or minis bowls	12/18
SmartSource	Birds Eye Steamfresh Lightly Sauced or Whole Grain blends, BOGO	11/30
SmartSource	Chi-Chi's Fiesta Plates, $1	12/19
SmartSource	Chi-Chi's salsa jars, 15 oz.or larger, $1	12/19
SmartSource	Chi-Chi's smackers salsa and cheese cups, 12 oz. or greater, $1	12/19
SmartSource	Chi-chi's tortillas, $1/2	12/19
SmartSource	Colgate kid's toothbrush, 50 cents	11/13
SmartSource	Colgate Kid's toothpaste, 50 cents	11/13
SmartSource	Dulcolax product, any, $1	12/31
SmartSource	Dulcolax stool softener, $1.50	12/31
SmartSource	Eight O'Clock Coffee, $2/2	1/31
SmartSource	Eight O'Clock Coffee, 1 bag, $1	12/31
SmartSource	Finesse product, any, $1	1/30
SmartSource	Finish Quantum, any, $1.50	11/27
SmartSource	Land O Lakes Butter, 50 cents/2	12/31
SmartSource	Land O Lakes Deli Cheese products, 16 oz., $1	12/31
SmartSource	Land O Lakes Deli Cheese products, 16 oz., $1/2	12/31
SmartSource	Land O Lakes spreadable butter products, 40 cents	12/31
SmartSource	Luster 1 hour white, $5	12/31
SmartSource	Luster weekend white, $2	12/31
SmartSource	McCain Purely Potatoes, any, $1	12/31
SmartSource	Perform pain reliever, $2	1/31
SmartSource	Philips SonicCare FlexCare + or FlexCare rechargeable sonic toothbrush, $25	1/31
SmartSource	Philips SonicCare toothbrush or brushhead multipack, $5	1/31
SmartSource	Pillsbury crescent rolls, 40 cents/2	1/15
SmartSource	Pillsbury Simply… Buttermilk Biscuits or Rustic French bread, 35 cents/1	1/15
SmartSource	Pillsbury sweet rolls or Grands sweet rolls, 40 cents/2	1/15
SmartSource	Progresso broth, 40 cents	12/18
SmartSource	Progresso soups, $1/4	12/18
SmartSource	Purina Beggin brand dog snack, 5 oz. or larger, $1	1/23
SmartSource	Purina Busy brand chew treat, any, $1	1/23
SmartSource	Purina Puppy Chow or Purina Dog Chow, 17.6 lb or larger, $1.50	11/20
SmartSource	Purina Puppy Chow or Purina Dog Chow, 4 lb or larger, $1	11/20
SmartSource	Purina Tbonz or Purina TinyBonz, any, $1	1/23
SmartSource	Red Baron pan pizza or pan pasta, $1	1/3
SmartSource	Red Baron Singles product, any, $1	1/3
SmartSource	Trident layers, $1/2	12/18
SmartSource	Viactiv soft chews dietarty supplement, $2	12/31
SmartSource	Weight watchers yogurt cups, 6 oz. $1/5	11/30
SmartSource	White Cloud or White Cloud GreenEarth product, $1	12/31
SmartSource	Woolite detergent, 50 oz. or larger, $3	12/5
SmartSource	Zicam Cold remedy Plus, $2	3/31
SmartSource	Zicam Cold remedy, any, $1	3/31
SmartSource	Ziploc vacuum bag starter kit or refill bags, $1	12/18

Remembering Sheila: Porc Colombo

2010-10-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

I was shocked and deeply saddened last year when news of Sheila Lukins' untimely death at the age of 66 was reported. I'm a huge fan of Sheila's-- she had a wonderfully original way with food and her recipes never disappoint. Although I have made one or two dishes from Sheila's cookbooks since her death in August of 2009, I've basically surrounded myself in a cocoon of numbness about having lost one of the most inspiring cooks of our times.

According to the NY Times, Sheila's recipes "intrigued, and then guided, the increasingly adventurous palates of New Yorkers." In my opinion, with her 1982 cookbook (written with gourmet shop partner Julee Rosso and Michael McLoughlin) The Silver Palate, Sheila changed the way Americans cook and eat as significantly as Julia Child changed the culinary landscape.

Everyone always said Sheila was the culinary genius behind the Silver Palate, while Julee Rosso was the marketing whiz. That may well have been the case, as I was very disappointed in Rosso's first solo turn, Great Good Food, published in 1993, the year their culinary partnership dissolved.

What I loved about Sheila's work, almost as much as her creativity in the kitchen, was her sense of whimsy and joie de vivre. She was an artist, and her books are filled with her hand-drawn lettering and illustrations, as well as humorous anecdotes. (A particularly funny story concerned the preparation of a roast suckling pig.) The Silver Palate was one of the few cookbooks I owned when I first started cooking. The warmth, whimsy, and sense of fun made me feel I was cooking with a friend in the kitchen.

So, this week when Boston Butt pork roast was on sale in my area, I wondered, what in the heck can you do with a Boston Butt? Then I remembered a pork stew recipe from Sheila's All Around the World cookbook.

Sheila's stew, Porc Colombo, is a rich, West Indian-style curry pork. I also then recalled the comical misadventures suffered by the was-band in procuring the main ingredient. (So I may not want to live with the guy, but he's always had a wonderful sense of humor.)

We had just moved here to Mecca after years of living in the culinary wasteland of the Ozarks. All kinds of ingredients I'd never been able to get were everywhere! I felt like a kid in a candy shop. Sheila's recipe required a mystery (to me) ingredient called boneless pork shoulder. I asked the was-band to please pick some up the next day.

Well, the was-band, being the highly frenetic organism that he is, decided to go to the grocery at 4 or 5 a.m. so as to get a head start on the day. Just being able to go the grocery at that hour was a novelty! Though not necessarily a good idea. The was-band dutifully scoped out the items in the butcher case, but could not find any pork shoulder. There was, however, a mysterious thing called Boston Butt.

He managed to track down the third shift butcher guy and explained that he was looking for pork shoulder. "What's the difference," he asked, "between Boston Butt and pork shoulder?" Meaning, of course, can you pretty much use them for similar purposes?

The butcher guy gave him a puzzled look and said, (I am not making this up) "Sir, it's from the other end of the animal."

O RLY?? I'd never have guessed.

Well, actually, it's not. Boston Butt is also cut from the pork shoulder, but from the blade side as opposed to the arm side. Fat lot that guy knew, eh? I'm not sure what it says about the state of butchering in America when two former vegetarians can figure out that amazing fact in 2 minutes with a web search engine. Don't they teach them that stuff in butcher school?

I figured Sheila's stew would be the perfect use for my super-bargain roast. Somehow, making that wonderful stew, with a main ingredient confusingly called "Boston Butt" seemed as fitting a tribute as any to Sheila. I'm sure she would have gotten a good chuckle out if it!

Here's to you, Sheila! You will always live in our hearts.

Sheila Lukins
November 18, 1942 – August 30, 2009

The recipe below is fabulous. It was inspired by a meal Sheila had at Le Colibri (The Hummingbird) restaurant on Martinique. Although traditionally made with goat, Sheila chose to use pork for her version. My roast, alas, was not boneless, so I had to bone and trim the pork. The stew has some great extra touches. The meat is marinated in fresh lime juice and garlic, and then rubbed with a sugar and spice mixture prior to browning.

The sugar & spice rub for the meat

Sheila includes a wonderful recipe for mixing your own Caribbean curry powder, which I highly recommend. DS hates "curry," but he loved this one. This stew is spicy and flavorful but not spicy-hot, though you could add more cayenne if you'd like to increase the heat. In my bowl was a sumptuous mixture of flavors with the rich, falling-apart tender pork, warm spices, and a medley of carrots, green pepper and sweet potatoes that perfectly played off the sweetness of the spice rub. Sheila suggests serving over rice, though we enjoyed ours plain.

Le Colibri Porc Colombo (Rich Curried Pork) by Sheila Lukins

3 lbs. boneless pork shoulder (or Boston Butt), cut into 2-in. pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. fresh lime juice
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. ground allspice
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
2 T olive oil, or more if needed
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 T Colombo Curry Powder (recipe follows) or best-quality curry powder
6 c. chicken broth
6 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2 in. rounds
12 oz. sweet potato (about 1 1/2-- I just used 2), peeled and cut into 1-in. chunks
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1 in. pieces
2 bay leaves
2 fresh thyme sprigs or 1 t. dried thyme leaves
5-6 cups cooked white rice

1. Combine the pork, garlic and lime juice in a bowl. Cover and let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.
2. Combine the sugar, allspice, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Remove pork from the marinade and coat it with the sugar mixture, rubbing it into the meat well.
3. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the pork in small batches, adding more oil if necessary. Remove the browned pork pieces to a bowl.
4. Add the onion to the pot and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until wilted, 10 minutes. Sprinkle the curry powder over the onion and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add 2 T chicken broth if the onions begin to stick.
5. Return the pork to the pot along with the carrots, sweet potatoes, and green pepper. Add the bay leaves, thyme, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and simmer over medium heat until the pork is tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the fresh thyme (if using) and bay leaves and serve with white rice.
Serves 6-8

Here's my stew, just before adding the chicken broth and simmering.
We were too hungry to take photos of the finished product, but if I get a chance, I'll add one later. (We have leftovers!)

Colombo Curry Powder by Sheila Lukins

1 T. ground coriander
1 t. ground fenugreek
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/4 t. ground allspice
1/4 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground turmeric
1/4 t. ground cardamom
1/4 t. dry mustard
1/8 t. ground mace
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Makes just over 2 T.

This makes the perfect amount for the pork stew above, but if you plan to store it, transfer to an airtight jar and store in a cool dry place.

I actually had all the ingredients for the curry powder on hand, except the ground ginger, which I had run out of and needed to get anyway. I only had whole fenugreek seeds, but it took just a few seconds to grind them in my electric spice grinder (it's really a coffee grinder, but I don't drink coffee). I am embarrassed to admit this, but I bought the seeds for an Indian food fest shortly after we moved here. Evidently I've got a lifetime supply of fenugreek seeds. I love fenugreek leaves (aka Kasoori Methi) and the seeds taste pretty similar-- sort of reminds me of fresh basil.

And to all those movers over the years who have scoffed at me for tenderly packing up my spice collection, who's laughin' now??

Memories that Nourish, Tastes of Home

2010-10-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

I know Proust already said it, and lots better than I ever could, but isn't it amazing how one taste or a waft of aroma can instantly transport us to another time and place in our lives? When I smell gingerbread it's Christmas-- and I'm decorating gingerbread men for the tree with DS and the was-band.

For me, popovers are a memory food.

The year that I was three, my mom, my sister, and I lived with my grandparents (my dad's parents) in Port Orchard, Washington.

My grandparents, Elva Isham Brown & Stephan J. Brown, Sr.

My grandmother, in the roaring 20's: a real fashion plate!

My dad had been stationed at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, and there was no housing for us, so we had to stay Stateside.

Dad in the Philippines

My grandparents happily welcomed us into the small, green house that my Grampa built with his own hands, when they left the Reservation for the West Coast during WWII.

Grampa and Great-Grandma Brown (his mom) by the front steps
I only met her once, when I was a toddler. She spoke no English, only Anishinaabemowin

The first floor revolved around a central staircase, and I remember that I used to race round and round the stairs, towing a little wooden dog on wheels by his red plastic leash (my favorite toy) in my wake. Grampa and Gramma never told us to "settle down" when we were playing, and my freedom was exhilarating. 22 years later, on a rare visit to Port Orchard, I felt the most intense thrill of recognition as I glanced into the toy basket by the stairs, and saw my battered little dog on wheels, now beloved by the great-grandchildren!

Gramma & I, at the ocean during a visit
(I was 11, and hated being the tallest person in my class)

That little green house was homely- Grampa never got around to sheetrocking the upstairs bedrooms-- but it was full of love.

Grampa & Gramma next to their house

It was always a magical place for me, and for vagabonds like us-- a new year, a new air base-- it was "home" for a good many years. Gramma and Grampa's door was always open-- and their modest home was frequently a safe haven for friends and relatives who might temporarily be down on their luck. Ironically, my grandparents never got over being homesick for Nett Lake, and to them, the Reservation, not Port Orchard, was always "home."

You never knew who might show up on the doorstep. My Uncle Chipper, home on unexpected shore leave, laden with presents. Maybe somebody's cousin's sister-in-law's brother, home on leave from Okinawa, or just out of jail for a drunk and disorderly, or just off the bus from Minnesota and flat busted broke. Someone was always visiting, and miraculously, there was always room for everyone, and everyone always felt welcome. It was just part of who my grandparents were: they would help anyone in need.

Kind of reminds me of the old Indian Country joke about the success of the post-Powwow 49 party: You know it was a good 49 when... you wake up the next morning and there are 50 strangers in your kitchen, cooking your eggs and bacon and calling you "Cousin!"

Everyone was family at the little green house on Locker Rd.

One of my favorite memories is lying in bed giggling with my sister on Sunday mornings, while the enticing smell of popovers in the oven wafted temptingly up the stairs. Although Gramma usually cooked, Grampa always made Sunday breakfast. And he always made popovers. We'd all sit at the kitchen table and my sister and I would stuff our popovers with jam and lick our sticky fingers. I had to be quick, though-- because in a flash, my mom would drag me over to the the kitchen sink and wash my hands so I wouldn't get jam-prints on the tablecloth. My sister, being older, was trusted to make proper use of her napkin.

My sister & I on Easter Sunday in Port Orchard
I believe there was some notion that I was to wear a hat for Easter Mass.
I promptly vetoed this idea.

My Grampa was the sweetest, kindest person I ever knew. He must have mellowed with age, because it was the stuff of family legend that as a young man, he worked as a cook in a lumberjack camp-- and had a cook's fiery temper, too! The closest thing I ever saw to this was Grampa's hearty exhortation to "Eat it or wear it!" on the rare occasions he made dinner.

Chicken pot-pie takes me back to family suppers on Sunday nights in the North Carolina house my parents proudly bought when my dad retired from the Air Force.

My parents, Stephan J. Brown Jr. & Elsie Brooks Brown,
on their first anniversary
(my mom was holding my sister, 2 weeks old, on her lap)

My parents, my sister, & me, a few months old
(you can see why there are almost no baby pictures of me!)

On Sundays, oh joy of joys-- we were allowed to eat on TV trays in the living room so we could watch Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, followed by The Wonderful World of Walt Disney. I had to rush to get bathed and into my PJs by the time supper was served, because the deal was, I had to go straight to bed after Disney.

After my bath, my mom would safety-pin a towel under my chin to make a super-hero style cape so my long, freshly shampooed hair (thank God for Tame-- remember that stuff?) would not drip on my jammies.

I always loved it best when we got to eat chicken pot pies-- the exotic Swanson's frozen chicken pot pies! I would surgically excise and remove the top crust and eat the filling with relish-- leaving the naked bottom crust untouched in its little tin. Just one bite of chicken potpie, and there I am again, in my towel-cape, listening to Marlin Perkins.

The recipe below is the double whammy of comfort food: Popovers filled with chicken and vegetables in a velvety sauce. It's a great way to use up those little odds and ends in the fridge, and it's quick and easy to make, to boot! I have successfully made both the popovers and the filling with unsweetened almond milk. DS has never noticed.

When the was-band and I lived in Wisconsin, on special occasions, we would eat at a charming restaurant (Quivey's Grove) that had once been a rustic farmhouse. Stuffed popovers were a trademark lunch dish at the restaurant. Kind of a fancy version of chicken and waffles, I guess, sans waffles! My version is below.

Chicken-Pot-Pie Popovers
by DomesticMuse

Popovers: Makes 6 popovers
1 1/2 c. milk
3 eggs
3 T unsalted butter, melted
1 t. salt
1 1/2 c. flour

Chicken-Pot-Pie Filling
2-3 T unsalted butter
3 T flour
1 1/2 c. milk, heated almost to scalding
1 chicken bouillon cube (preferrably Knorr)
1/4 t. dried marjoram
1/2 t. dried thyme leaves
8 oz. cooked, diced chicken
1-1 1/2 c. frozen peas and carrots
Chicken broth to thin the sauce if needed

First, get the popovers going.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Thoroughly grease a popover pan. If you do not have a popover pan, grease 6 glass custard cups and set them well apart on a baking sheet. Space for the hot air to circulate is crucial to success.

In a blender, combine the milk, butter, eggs, and salt. With the motor running, carefully pour the flour in through the hole in the lid (do NOT run the motor with the lid completely off, trust me, you don't want batter in your hair and all over your kitchen.) Blend 2-3 minutes, until there are no lumps. Scrape the sides down with a rubber spatula at least once.

Pour the batter into the popover wells or custard cups, filling them about 2/3 full.

Now, this is important: Bake in a fully pre-heated oven for 30 minutes WITHOUT PEEKING.
If you open the oven door at the wrong time, all will be lost. No one will eat the resulting lumps of styrofoam. I speak from sad experience. A hot oven and undisturbed cooking time is the secret to feathery light, golden popovers.

If you prefer your popovers on the crisp side, briefly slide them out of the oven and poke a hole in each one with a skewer. Turn the oven off and let them sit in it for 5-10 minutes to crisp up.
Otherwise, remove your popovers from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then remove from the pan.

Back to the Filling:
While the popovers are baking, spray a sauce pan with non-stick spray and melt the 2-3 T butter over medium heat.

While the butter is melting, you can pour the milk into a glass measure and heat in the microwave until hot but not boiling.

When the butter is melted, sprinkle in the 3 T flour and whisk vigorously with a flat whisk for 2-3 minutes.

Add the marjoram, thyme, and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Still whisking, pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture all at once. Continue to whisk, breaking up any lumps and being sure to get into the edges of the pan. Add the chicken bouillon cube, and break apart with the whisk (the Knorr ones are large and soft, so easy to incorporate).

The sauce should thicken up in a minute or two.

Voila! It's sauce now!

Add the peas & carrots and chicken to the sauce. Thin to desired consistency with chicken broth, if needed. Cook, stirring from time to time, until heated through. DO NOT COVER. (See NOTE below.)

By now, the popovers should be out of the oven.

For each serving, split a popover in half and gently nudge the insides around to form a hollow for the sauce.

Ladle the sauce over the popover halves. Some chopped fresh Italian parsley or chives sprinkled on top would be nice, but I didn't think of that until now.

DS's plate:

NOTE: There is a small window of time when the peas will be fairly tender yet still vibrantly green. You want to time it so the popovers are coming out of the oven just as you are adding the vegetables to the pan. If you cover the pan, or if you cook or hold the sauce for too long, your peas won't be pretty anymore.

I recall, as a new bride, proudly bringing a rather pretty casserole (or "hot dish" as it was called in Wisconsin) to a church dinner and being horrified upon lifting the lid to discover that my formerly vibrantly green veggies had turned a sad shade of olive drab. "But it was green when I left the house!!" I said. My friend Steve, glancing from the dish to my stricken face, quipped, "How Green Was My Hot Dish!" and quickly moved out of smacking range.

Happy memories, and Buen Provecho!

Frugal Muse: Coupon Index & Deals for 10/17

2010-10-20T13:58:00.001-07:00

Saving money, especially given the current economic uncertainty, is always A Good Thing.
Even if you don't need to economize, why pay more for mundane stuff like toothpaste and shampoo than you need to? You could do something fun with the money you saved, like buy a Kindle or something!

I've been experimenting with various ways to organize my stash of coupons. Every week, I pull the coupon inserts from the Sunday newspaper and save them. I also save the sales flyers for the grocery stores where I shop, as well as flyers for CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens. I save the coupon inserts indefinitely, but toss the store flyers as they are replaced by new ones each week.

It's a really good idea to save the Rite Aid and Walgreen's flyers, as they issue store coupons in their flyers besides just advertising the sales. Both Rite Aid and Walgreen's will allow you to stack deals by using both a store coupon and a manufacturer's coupon for the same item, which maximizes your savings. Of course, they always have plenty of copies of the flyers at the store, in case you forgot to clip your store coupon. The salesperson will be happy to scan the coupon barcode right from the flyer.

Most weeks, there will be two coupon inserts: RedPlum and SmartSource, which contain manufacturer's coupons. Sometimes more than one version of these will be issued in a week. Once a month, Proctor and Gamble issues their own coupon flyer, P&G Saver. General Mills also will issue flyers periodically. I save all of these.

I generally like to get more than one copy of each coupon insert, as the same item very often will go on sale more than once before its coupon expires. And of course, when your favorite thing goes on sale and is FREE with a coupon, it's nice to have extra coupons so you can get as many freebies as possible.

But what to do with all the inserts you want to save? After several months of experimentation, I have found that what works best for me is to store them in hanging file folders in a file box. I have a plastic Sterilite file box I bought at Walmart that holds a good number of letter-sized hanging folders. That's where I keep the inserts for the most recent 4 months. I keep the older ones in another file box (and yes, I have dug back into them from time to time to get a still-current coupon).

I organize the folders by date. I make a folder for each week and I put all the coupon inserts for that week in the folder. I used to have separate folders for each insert each week, but having all the inserts for the same week in one place is easier for me.

I write the date of issue on the front of each insert. You can also find the date in teeny-tiny letters on the spine of the inserts. You may need a magnifying glass to find it, but it's there!

If you collect more than one copy of each insert every week, you may want to inter-leave them. I pull all the identical pages out and staple them together. Then I put the pages back together to make one big insert. Now, instead of having 4 separate RedPlums, I have one big one. That way, it's easy to see how many of each coupon I've already used, rather than having to page through 4 separate inserts to find that one last Wheat Thins coupon I thought I had. And if you want to clip out all the coupons you have for an item. it's simple to snip once and get them all at the same time.

Even after determining which insert has the best coupon for an item I want, it seems to take me forever to flip through the pages, stalking the elusive coupon.

Being the total librarian data dweeb that I am, I finally started writing page numbers on the insert sheets. I now use an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of each coupon and its page number. As time has gone by, I've added more information to my index. I probably should use Access to create a real relational database for all this stuff since I'm taking the time to gather all these discrete data points, but I have not yet descended that far into data delirium.

Currently, I list the date, the name of the insert, the item and coupon value, the page number, how many copies of that coupon I have, how many I've used, and the coupon's expiration date. I sort by date (most recent first), then insert, then item, alphabetically. Of course, since the data are in Excel, I can search on any of the words, e.g., Kellogg's, to find a Kelloggs coupon. I can also sort the data in various ways, such as by expiration date, or as I have it now, by the date of the coupon insert.

Clearly, I have WAY too much time on my hands.... but it has made it super easy to find and pull the specific coupons I want before heading to the store.

Here is an example:

10/17 | RedPlum | Kellogg's Rice Krispies/Cocoa Krispies $1/2 | p. 3 | 4 (I have a total of 4 of this coupon) | blank (haven't used any of them yet)| 11/28 (expiration date)

So, this coupon is in the Oct. 17 RedPlum; it is for $1 off 2 boxes (total) of Rice Krispies and/or Cocoa Krispies, and it expires on Nov. 28. It's on "page 3" of the insert, and I have 4 of these coupons.

Since I've gone to all the trouble to index the coupon inserts for this week, I figured I might as well share my index with you. There are 2 coupon inserts this week, RedPlum & SmartSource.

Date	Circular	Item	EXP
10/17	RedPlum	Abreva $3	12/15
10/17	RedPlum	AcneFree Kit, any, $3	12/31
10/17	RedPlum	AcneFree non-kit treatment, any, $1	12/31
10/17	RedPlum	Arm & Hammer Clumping Litter & Temptations Treats (up to 3 oz.); treats (up to $2.19) free wyb litter	11/14
10/17	RedPlum	BestLife Butter Spread or Spray 50 cents	12/16
10/17	RedPlum	Breathe Right 12 ct or smaller $1.50	12/31
10/17	RedPlum	Breathe Right 26 ct or larger $2.50	12/31
10/17	RedPlum	Carbona Silver Wipes $1	1/15
10/17	RedPlum	Domino Brown or Confectioner's Sugar, (2) 1 lb. boxes 50 cents	12/31
10/17	RedPlum	Domino granulated sugar, (1) 4 or 5 lb., 40 cents	12/31
10/17	RedPlum	Kelloggs Cereal $1/3	11/28
10/17	RedPlum	Kelloggs Rice Krispies/Cocoa Krispies, $1/2	11/28
10/17	RedPlum	L'Oreal Healty Look haircolor, $2	1/9
10/17	RedPlum	Nivea Body Wash (16.9 oz), $3	11/30
10/17	RedPlum	Nivea Body Wash for Women (8.4 oz-16.9 oz.), $1	11/30
10/17	RedPlum	Nivea Body Wash for Women (8.4 oz-16.9 oz.), $3/2	11/30
10/17	RedPlum	Pedigree Food for Dogs, 8.8 lbs or larger, $1/1	11/29
10/17	RedPlum	Pedigree Jumbone treats for dogs, any, $1	11/28
10/17	RedPlum	Pedigree Marrobone treats for dogs, any, $1	11/28
10/17	RedPlum	PRECISE product by Tylenol, any, $3	12/12
10/17	RedPlum	Slimshots Liquid Portion Control $3	12/31
10/17	RedPlum	SuperPretzel soft pretzel item, any, 50 cents	12/31
10/17	RedPlum	Whiskas Dry Cat Food, any, $1.50	12/11
10/17	RedPlum	Whiskas Multipack, any, $1	12/11
10/17	RedPlum	Whiskas Tray, any, BOGO	12/11
10/17	SmartSource	4-Way Nasal Spray product, any, $1.50	12/31
10/17	SmartSource	Benefiber Orange product, any, $1	12/31
10/17	SmartSource	Benefiber product, any, $1	12/31
10/17	SmartSource	BIC Disposable shaver or BIC Soleil Refillable Razor Handle or Cartridge Refills pack, $2	11/14
10/17	SmartSource	Brita multipack filters, $1	11/28
10/17	SmartSource	Brita pour-through or facuet mount system, $4	11/28
10/17	SmartSource	Bufferin product, $3	12/31
10/17	SmartSource	Chef Boyardee, 1 can Big or Whole Grain pasta, save $1.25 wyb 4 cans Chef Boyardee pasta	11/30
10/17	SmartSource	Clear Care Cleaning & Disinfecting Solution or Aquify Multi-purpose Solution, 12 oz. or larger, $2	2/14
10/17	SmartSource	Clear Care Cleaning & Disinfecting Solution or Aquify Multi-purpose Solution, Twin pack, $5	2/14
10/17	SmartSource	Comtrex product, $1.50	12/31
10/17	SmartSource	EASY BAKE Microwave & Style Deluxe Delights Kit $5	11/8
10/17	SmartSource	El Monterey Mexican Snacks--Taquitos, Tamales, Mini Chimis or Quesadillas, $1/1	1/15
10/17	SmartSource	El Monterey Taquitos $1	1/15
10/17	SmartSource	Excedrin product, 20 ct or larger, $1	12/31
10/17	SmartSource	Excedrin product, 80 ct or larger, $1.50	12/31
10/17	SmartSource	GenTeal, $1.50	2/28
10/17	SmartSource	Glade Automatic Spray Refill, BOGO (up to $5.49)	11/13
10/17	SmartSource	Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper, or Chicken Helper, $1/4	12/11
10/17	SmartSource	Hershey's, Reese's or KitKat snack size bags, 9-22 oz., $1/2	10/31
10/17	SmartSource	HUGGIES Baby Wipes, 320 ct or larger, $2	11/13
10/17	SmartSource	HUGGIES Diapers, $1.50	11/13
10/17	SmartSource	HUGGIES Little Snugglers or Little Movers Diapers, $2	11/13
10/17	SmartSource	i-cool for menopause, $5	12/31
10/17	SmartSource	i-flex, 120 ct., $5	12/31
10/17	SmartSource	JELLO Gelatin or Pudding, 50 cents/2	11/14
10/17	SmartSource	Kraft 100 Calorie Packs Cheese Bites, $1/1	11/17
10/17	SmartSource	Krusteaz Muffin Mix, 50 cents	1/31
10/17	SmartSource	Land O Lakes Seasoning, $1/2	1/31
10/17	SmartSource	LYSOL Fabric Mist, $1	11/16
10/17	SmartSource	LYSOL Neutra Air aerosol can, $1.50	11/16
10/17	SmartSource	Maalox Advanced product, $1	12/31
10/17	SmartSource	Maalox Advanced product, $2.50/2	12/31
10/17	SmartSource	method Cleaning Product, $1	10/31
10/17	SmartSource	Nivea Lip Care Product (1), up to $3.99 value, FREE wyb (1) Triaminic Cold & Cough Product	10/31
10/17	SmartSource	Nivea Lip Care Product (1), up to $3.99 value, FREE wyb (1) Triaminic Cold & Cough Product	11/30
10/17	SmartSource	Orajel product, $1	12/31
10/17	SmartSource	Pepperidge Farm Toast or Loaf Frozen Bread, 40 cents	12/26
10/17	SmartSource	Pert Plus 3-in-1 or 2-in-1 product, $1	11/30
10/17	SmartSource	Pillsbury Refrigerated Baked Goods Products 75 cents/3	1/8
10/17	SmartSource	Pillsbury Sweet Moments Refrigerated Desserts 75 cents	1/8
10/17	SmartSource	Prevacid 24HR product, $2	11/28
10/17	SmartSource	Purina ONE dry Cat Food, any, $2	11/17
10/17	SmartSource	Purina ONE dry Dog Food, any, $2	11/17
10/17	SmartSource	Ricola Cough and Throat Products, $1/2	12/17
10/17	SmartSource	Rug Doctor Machine Rental, $10	12/31
10/17	SmartSource	Scott Extra Soft Bath Tissue, 8 ct or more, $1	11/28
10/17	SmartSource	Scott Naturals Flushable Wipes, 1 tub or refill, 50 cents	11/28
10/17	SmartSource	Scott Paper Towels Long Lasting Rolls or Mega Rolls, $1/4	11/28
10/17	SmartSource	Scott Rags, 200 ct., $1	11/28
10/17	SmartSource	Silk Pure Almond almondmilk, half-gallon, $2/2	12/31
10/17	SmartSource	Sure Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant product, $1	11/30
10/17	SmartSource	Theraflu Max-D Severe Cold & Flu, $2	12/4
10/17	SmartSource	Theraflu product, $1.50	12/4
10/17	SmartSource	Totino's Products, Any, 50 cents/4	1/8
10/17	SmartSource	Yoplait Greek Yogurt cup 30 cents	12/11
10/17	SmartSource	YoPlus Yogurt 4-pack 50 cents	12/11

Here are some of my picks for the week at CVS and Rite AID.

At CVS, when you register for an Extra Care Card, you will be eligible to receive Extra Care Bucks (ECB) to spend towards a future purchase. ECBS print on the bottom of your receipt (so don't throw your receipts away!) and are good for a month. The Extra Care Bucks are included in the amount you will save. As you keep rolling over your ECBs, the amount you will pay at the register will get smaller and smaller! You can also split your purchases into multiple transactions so you can use your ECBs faster.

CVS DEALS (until 10/23)

Schick Hydro 5 Razor: FREE!!
Orig Price: $9.99 Sale Price: $8.99
Coupon: SmartSource 10/3, $4
Store Coupon: $5 Extra Care Bucks on purchase of Hydro (limit of 1)
Sale Price - Coupon = $4.99; -$5 ECB= FREE
% Savings: 100%

Revlon Matte Eye Shadow, single: 49 cents each (must buy 2)
Orig price: $4.99 each
Coupon: SmartSource 10/10, $1
Store Coupon: $7 ECB wyb 2 Revlon Face, Lip, or Eye
Buy: 2
Use 2 coupons.
With 2 coupons: cost of 2 eyeshadows: $9.98 - $2 in coupons= $7.98 - $7 ECB = 98 cents, or 49 cents each
% Savings: 90%
With 1 coupon, price for 2 would be $1.98, or 99 cents each
% Savings: 80%

Os-Cal 500 +D Calcium Supplement, 75 ct: $1.30 each
Orig Price: $8.59 Sale price: BOGO
Coupon: RedPlum 10/10 $3
Buy: 2 (must buy 2 to get BOGO price)
Use: 2 coupons
$8.59- $6 in coupons = $2.59 for 2, $1.30 each
% Savings: 85%

Osteo Bi-Flex Advanced Triple Strength Gelcaps, 40 ct., $4 each
Original Price: 15.99 Sale price: BOGO
Coupon: RedPlum 9/26, $4
Buy: 2
Use: 2 coupons
$15.99-$8 in coupons = $7.99 for 2, $4 each
% Savings: 75%

Rite Aid Deals
Rite-Aid now offers something similar to the ECBs at CVS. They are called +UP (Plus Up) rewards. To get them, you must sign up for a Wellness Plus card. +UP rewards will print on the bottom of your receipt, and are only good for a couple of weeks, so use them fast!
Rite Aid offers fabulous opportunities to stack deals to get the absolute best discount. They offer store coupons, printed in their flyer each week. At their website, they also offer Video Values. If you watch a short video about the product, you will be offered a printable coupon for the item.

Rite Aid (until 10/23)
L'Oreal Preference Hair Color: 99 cents!
Orig. price: $9.79 Sale price: $8.99
Coupon: RedPlum 9/19, $2
Rite Aid flyer coupon: $2
Video Value coupon: $2
+UP: $2
$8.99- $2 coupon -$2 RA coupon -$2 VV coupon -$2 +UP reward= 99 cents
% Savings: 90%

Nivea for Men Body Wash, 16.9 oz.: 99 cents!
Orig. price: $5.99 Sale price: $3.99
Coupon: RedPlum 10/17, $3
% Savings: 83%

Clear Care or AQuify Multi-Purpose contact Solution, 12 oz.: $2.49
Orig. Price: $12.99 Sale Price: $7.49
Coupon: SmartSource 8/22, $3
+UP: $2
% Savings: 81%

Vicks Dayquil or Nyquil, 6 oz. or 12 ct., $1.25 ea ($1 ea with 2 coupons)
Orig. Price: $5.99 Sale Price: 2/$8
Coupon: Proctor & Gamble, 10/10, $1.50
+UP: $3/2
Buy: 2
Use: 2 coupons
$8- $3 coupons=$5-$3 UP= $2
% Savings: 77%

Happy shopping!

And Then That Rooster Came In Our Yard!

2010-10-14T18:08:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, I have eaten so much chicken lately I feel like I'm going to start clucking any minute now!! Don't get me wrong, I love chicken-- but it's getting hard to think up new and exciting things to do with it. It's been on sale a lot lately, and I guess I stocked up more than I realized!

Every time I open the freezer and see still MORE chicken, I think about the old song we used to sing at summer camp. You probably know it too!

We had a chicken, no eggs she laid,
We had a chicken, no eggs she laid.
And I said, "Honey, we're losin' money,
'cause that chicken, no eggs she laid."

And then that rooster came in our yard
And caught that chicken right off her guard!
And we have EGGS now, just like we used to!
Ever since that rooster came in our yard.

Each verse gets more ludicrous, from the cow who gave no milk (and we have EGGNOG, just like we used to...) to the gum tree that gave no gum (and we have CHICKLETS just like we used to...) to the Chinese acrobat who did no tricks (and we have EGGROLLS just like we used to...), thanks to that er, helpful rooster!

I kinda wish that rooster would stay out of my freezer! And take the spirit of Herbert "A Chicken in Every Pot" Hoover with him!

To counteract the "I've Got WAY Too Much Chicken Blues,"

I made an oldie but a goodie from my ancient Cheap Eats cookbook, by the women who used to bring you "30 Minute Meals" in Bon Appetit, Brooke Dojny and Melanie Barnard. (Maybe they still do. My subscription lapsed ages ago.) Rachael Ray probably wasn't even born yet! Well, maybe she was, as I do recall that DS was in his high chair when I acquired this book.

I am rather fond of this little cookbook, which is subtitled "Simple, Sumptuous Meals For Four You Can Make for Under $10." That loud clunk you heard just now was probably Coupon Mom, fainting, since she makes meals for her family of 4 for under $3!! The fun thing about the cookbook is that it's organized by the season of the year and gives complete menus with recipes that are appropriate for the time of the year. Presumably this is because fresh, local and seasonal food would be less expensive. Since dreaming up side dishes is always such a bore, I love the menu feature!

To break out of my chicken rut a bit, I made this simple but unusual recipe from Cheap Eats: Chicken With Garlic Vinegar Sauce. (Shhhhh!! Don't tell anyone, but it's from the Spring section of the book.) DS, who is as fond of intense flavor as I am, loves this recipe. And why not? He was born in the year of (you guessed it!) The rooster!

Despite its humdrum name, this dish is a real change of pace. It's hard to believe something so delicious could come from such simple ingredients. The authors state that "This is an easy-to-make but absolutely stunning dinner for family or special guests. The chicken and the potatoes are inspired by the gutsy, delicious food served in romantic French Bistros."
To me, this dish has a vaguely Spanish flavor. It certainly is gutsy!

The other suggested dishes on the menu include Roasted Parmesan Potatoes, Steamed Asparagus, and Lemon Custard Mousse. I prefer this dish served over a neutral-flavored grain like rice because the sauce is so wonderful you need something to sop it up with! Alas, no asparagus or lemon mousse for us. I served the chicken on a bed of whole grain white rice (?? that's what the label said!) with the frozen veggie du jour.

I forgot to take pictures, but it's no great loss since like many stews, this is not a particularly photo-worthy dish.

Chicken With Garlic Vinegar Sauce
from Cheap Eats

Serves 4

2 1/2-3 lbs. cut-up chicken parts (see note)
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced (I used more, of course!)
1/2 t. dried thyme leaves
1/2 t. dried rosemary
3 T red wine vinegar (see note)
1 16 oz. can stewed tomatoes (good luck finding THAT nowadays! I made do with my 14 oz. can)

1. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken and saute over medium-high heat, turning, for about 10 minutes, or until browned all over. Use tongs to remove the chicken to a plate. Pour off all but 1 T of drippings.
2. Add the garlic, thyme, and rosemary to the skillet and cook over low heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from burning. (Indeed. it can burn slap up quicker than you would think!) Add the vinegar and simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, breaking up large chunks of tomatoes with the back of a spoon. (Hallelujah for canned diced tomatoes!)
3. Return the chicken to the skillet, skin side up, also add any juices that have accumulated on the plate (see note). Partially cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer 5-8 minutes longer, until the chicken is cooked through with no trace of pink near the bone, and the sauce is slightly reduced and thickened. Spoon off any excess fat that may have risen to the surface. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

That's all there is to it!

Here are my notes:

1. I used split breasts for this recipe, but boneless, skinless chicken also works quite well. If you use skinless chicken, the dish is a tad less flavorful, but you won't have to worry about draining or skimming off any excess fat. (It would also make Dr. Oz happier.)
2. I had run out of red wine vinegar, so I used 1 T balsamic vinegar and 2 T white wine vinegar. You could experiment with different kinds of vinegar to see what you prefer. This combination was quite delicious.
3. I also am apparently out of stewed tomatoes, so I used plain diced tomatoes. I added 1 t. of brown sugar to the skillet to compensate.
4. I am sure I don't need to tell you this, but since I would hate for anyone to get food poisoning, I'm going to anyway. Make sure you thoroughly wash the plate the chicken was on in plenty of hot soapy water before using it again-- to avoid the possibility of cross-contamination with other foods. Both the prevalence and virulence of food-borne pathogens is just scary these days!

Er, uh, Bon appetit!

Meal Deal Menu Plan

2010-10-05T04:31:00.000-07:00

(This book looks interesting!)

I'm trying to make better use of leftovers these days, as well as taking advantage of store specials when I plan meals. I also try to plan meals around what's already in the pantry/freezer. This does sometimes really put my ingenuity to the test! I know a lot of you already do this and are really good at it! My domestic education was rather lacking.

I am so envious of Kat and Matt's GENIUS ability to generate really fabulous, creative food based on their weekly CSA box of fresh veggies! Do check out their wonderful blog, A Good Appetite.

I am working on a better system for organizing and keeping track of my pantry & freezer, which should make strategic menu planning a little easier. Also working on an easy way to determine price per serving for my recipes. Now, if I could just remember the little things, like limes for marinating my London broil, while I'm still at the store, rather than at the stove, I'd be in good shape!

The best deals on meats this week in my area are at Lowe's Foods and Kroger. It's a little hard to define "this week" since the sales cycles vary at the different stores. The Kroger shopping week (along with CVS, Rite-Aid and Walgreens) runs from Sunday through Saturday. The shopping week at the Teeter and Lowe's Foods (also Food Lion) runs from Wednesday through Tuesday. I hit Kroger on Sat. and the Teeter yesterday, and will run into Lowe's later today. (They are almost never out of their specials, even on the last day.) We're in a new week at Kroger, but at Lowe's and the Teeter, the specials are still good through today.

At Lowe's, London broil is on sale for $2.49/lb, 58% savings (today only, as prices change tomorrow). At Kroger, the deals (good until Sun.) are boneless pork loin for $1.77 /lb (61% savings) and Tyson boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1.97/lb (51% savings). The boneless pork loin is fantastic, because I can ask the butcher to cut them into thick pork chops, which I can freeze and pull out as I need them for DS and me.

Here's the plan:

Monday: Chicken fried rice (with leftover boneless chicken breast, frozen brown rice, broccoli and mushrooms).
I got the BirdsEye Steam Fresh frozen brown rice on sale last week at Lowe's Foods for 64 cents with a coupon. Monday morning I had to run into the Teeter to pick up bananas and found the mushrooms reduced "for quick sale" to 99 cents for a half-lb. package. They looked and smelled perfectly fresh.

The stir-fry, which I flavored using garlic, onions, soy sauce, dry sherry, and dark sesame oil, was quite tasty. DS is crazy about anything resembling Japanese food, and he cleaned his plate (except for a small pile of sliced onions, oy vey!) Scallions are good in fried rice, too, but DS objects to them. Sigh. After learning what we were having, he inquired hopefully "with egg??" Yes, with egg. I think his favorite part is the beaten-egg "pancake" I slice into strips and toss in at the end. This recipe goes well with egg-drop soup into which a few handfuls of baby spinach are tossed just before serving. Unfortunately, DS's braces and spinach leaves don't get along.

Tuesday: Chicken noodle soup and muffins. (Cook once, eat twice-- see Sunday.)
I'm making homemade soup with a whole chicken that was on sale Sat. at Kroger for $.59/lb., along with a bag of frozen mixed veggies (64 cents at Lowe's last week) and some free egg noodles I got a while ago. I have a few packages of muffin mix in the pantry that I think I got for 17 cents each at Food Lion, but if I have the ingredients, I will make some Brown Bread muffins, which DS likes. DS has the sinus crud and this soup should be just the ticket for him.

Out of my $3 chicken, I will not only be able to make this soup, but also have plenty of homemade chicken stock left for other uses. It does not fit in my teeny-tiny freezer, but we've found anything we shove in the very back of the fridge will freeze. This lovely "feature" lets me hang onto homemade broth for a week or two.

Wednesday: Apple pork loin chops (Coleen's recipe) on brown rice with green beans and baked sweet potatoes.
I just love Coleen's blog. It's a gem, and she is a wonderful cook. I can't wait to try this recipe. When I saw that Granny Smith apples were on sale at Kroger on Sat. (.99/lb), I knew this would be the perfect recipe! I got some Birds Eye SteamFresh green beans for 45 cents with a coupon at Lowe's last week. Birds Eye Steam Fresh veggies are on sale this week at the Teeter (60 cents each with a coupon: SmartSource 9/19, sale ends today)

Thursday: Double tacos (with homemade guacamole & marinated London broil) with rice and beans.
I got the tacos on sale a couple of weeks ago during the SuperDoubles at the Teeter. Kroger has Haas avocadoes ($2.49/4) and slicing tomatoes ($.99/lb) on sale this week. The Teeter has Mahatma rice mix on sale (FREE with a coupon, RedPlum 8/29, sale ends today). I have some Bush's Grillin' beans in the pantry that I got on sale a couple of months ago.
You can see my taco-making technique here.

Friday: split Chicken Breasts with Tomato, Garlic & Vinegar sauce, whole grain white rice, & avocado and tomato salad.
This is a great chicken recipe, sort of vaguely Spanish-style, from an ancient Brooke Dojny & Melanie Barnard cookbook called Cheap Eats. Although it's not especially blogworthy, I will post the recipe and photos Friday or Saturday.

Got the split breasts on sale at Kroger on Sat (.99/lb), as well as the Uncle Ben's whole-grain white rice (75 cents with a coupon). The Teeter has both Del Monte canned tomatoes and Hunts canned tomatoes on sale this week (sale ends today; 60 cents a can for the Del Monte with a coupon: RedPlum 9/19, and 70 cents a can for the Hunts with a coupon: SmartSource 10/3)

Saturday: Idaho sunrise (egg baked in a twice-baked potato) and tomato soup.
The Idaho sunrise recipe is here. It is one of DS's favorites. Born-Free Cage Free eggs are on sale at the Teeter ($1.48 with a coupon: RedPlum 9/12; sale ends today) and I got some Progresso soup on sale with a coupon at the Teeter a couple of weeks ago for 50 cents a can.

Sunday: Chicken "pot-pie" popovers (made with "planned-over" chicken soup from Tuesday) with steamed fresh broccoli and salad.
I love this popover recipe, even if it is a bit "ladies-who-lunch"-ish. It is such a nice way to use up small amounts of cooked chicken and veggies. Lowe's usually has bagged salad mix on sale, so I'll pop in Sunday to pick some up. I do have some frozen broccoli on hand, but the texture of it is rather unpleasant to eat it by itself, though it's LOADS better than frozen broccoli used to be. It works wonderfully in recipes (DS loves it in "quiche"-- I will have to share that super easy dairy-FULL recipe sometime). Zelda also likes it mixed in with her dog food.