In Case You Missed My Cookbook Follow-Up Comment

Will you post sample recipes from the recently finished cookbook Grancook's Favorite Recipes?

No problem! My goodness, I was so eager to get the word out after finishing this big project that I forgot to dot my i's and cross my t's.

You can see sample recipes right now at the cookbook project web site, grancook.com. You can also take a little peak inside the cookbook at its purchase page on Lulu, which is at bit.ly/grancook.

Regardless, I will endeavor to post a few sample recipes here as well. In fact, here is one I particularly enjoy myself from page 77. I make it Gladys's preferred way, which is to use shredded cheddar and to leave out the curry powder, plus I always use the cream of chicken soup instead of golden mushroom. It's not like a typical casserole as there's no major starch, just vegetables covered with lean meat and a thick, savory sauce. No starch in the recipe means you can choose your own based on your mood; I serve it with rice or quinoa on the side for soaking up that sauce. Yum! (P.S. It's the recipe pictured on the back of the cookbook, shown above!)

Chicken Broccoli Casserole
From the book "Grancook's Favorite Recipes"

2 16-oz. pkg. frozen broccoli (or fresh)
2 c. cooked chicken or turkey, cut up
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken or golden mushroom soup
1 c. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. curry powder (optional)
6 slices American cheese or 8 oz. shredded cheese Breadcrumbs
Paprika

Cook and drain broccoli. Place the spears in 11-by-7-inch baking dish with tips pointing toward edge. Top with chicken or turkey chunks. Combine soups, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder (optional), and shredded cheese, if using. Pour over the meat. Top with cheese slices, if using. Sprinkle with crumbs and paprika. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 45 minutes, or until bubbly. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Cookbook Project Complete!

Sorry it's been an eternity since I posted anything, but I wanted to share a link to the big project I've been working on for the past few months:

The big project is finished! We have published the cookbook Grancook's Favorite Recipes today in honor of my husband Scott's grandmother Gladys, who passed away from lung cancer earlier this year. It collects more than 200 recipes from her files, including several dishes famous among friends and family and a huge section devoted to cookies. Proceeds from the book will go to support the Cancer Institute in Lebanon, Indiana, which treated Gladys during her illness.

Please consider supporting the Cancer Institute through purchasing a cookbook if you're interested in having a collection of good old Midwestern-style recipes on your bookshelf! Thanks.

Meals for the Week: Countdown Edition

We're heading out on August 11 for a long visit with the extended family, so meal planning will go on hiatus for about a month after this post. Good for me, sad for you...

I made meatballs again this past Sunday. Ugh. I just can't seem to nail down a good recipe for Italian-flavored meatballs. I can make a decent meatball that's meatloaf-like and I can make nice dumpling-like soup meatballs, but it's hard to master making the sort you expect with spaghetti.

They should be solid enough to hold their round shape and offer a good bite, but still tender, not chewy. They should taste of lightly of garlic and parmesan, not ketchup.

I'm giving up. I liked those sacks of frozen meatballs I used to buy at Bratislava's Ikea. I'm going that route next time.

If you're interested, the recipe I attempted was the one that won the Throwdown episode on meatballs. Clearly this was a recipe scaled down from a commercial kitchen, as all the measurements were by weight.

I'm fine with using my kitchen scale, but I wasn't able to anticipate exactly how much of each ingredient that I usually measure volumetrically that I would need. Turns out that 2 ounces of chopped garlic is more than one full head -- I had to run up to the store for more.

I didn't bother getting the extra half-ounce each of basil and parsley called for, but I don't think that was the reason my meatballs turned out flat and loose compared to the ones I saw on TV. Again -- ugh.

Monday
Meatball subs
Corn on the cob
Tomato salad

Tuesday
Grilled pizzas
Salad

Wednesday
Beef fried rice
Salad

Thursday
Country-fried steaks
Mashed potatoes
Salad

Friday
Grilled sandwiches
Gazpacho

Saturday
Slow-cooked country-style pork ribs with pineapple and ginger
Baked beans
Mac and cheese
Salad

Sunday
Fettucine alfredo
Salad

Monday
Turkey burgers
Baked fries
Salad

Tuesday
Lasagna
Salad

Meals for the Week: Hot, Hot, Hot

Summer has finally arrived in the Pacific Northwest. It stopped to say hello in May, then abandoned us for two months, only to return with a vengeance now in late July.

We're expecting a week with highs in the 90s, so I am attempting to cut back on heating up the apartment with cooking a bit. I'm planning to use the toaster oven for tonight's dinner, and I cooked our rice in the microwave yesterday. If I can dig up the half-size muffin pan I think I have in the back of the cupboard, I should be able to make tomorrow's meal in the toaster, too.

Monday
Red beans and rice with smoked turkey sausage
Spinach and tomato salad

Tuesday
Overnight French toast casserole with sage sausage
Cantaloupe and cherries

Wednesday
Corndog muffins with smoked turkey sausage
Pea salad
Salad

Thursday
Grilled pizza
Salad

Friday
Sandwiches
Chips
Salad

Saturday
Bulgogi
Spicy green beans
Jasmine rice

Sunday
Spaghetti with meatballs and hot Italian sausage
Salad

Meals for the Week: Restarting the Week

Our meals got all shifted around all through last week, and we didn't end up sticking much to our schedule. Thus, this week's meals are largely what I'd planned for last week's meals! Since I didn't post meals for last week, it doesn't make much difference in the end.

Monday
Shells and meatballs with tomato sauce
Garlic bread
Spinach salad

Tuesday
Grilled kielbasa
Potato salad
Spinach salad

Wednesday
Beans and cornbread
Salad

Thursday
Turkey bake
Salad

Friday
Beef and bean tacos
Tortilla chips and salsa

Saturday
Pesto pasta with tomatoes and chicken
Rolls
Salad
(Merry Christmas in July!)

Sunday
Huevos rancheros

Picky Eaters? Tips on How to Introduce Vegetables

New on Associated Content:

I didn't always like vegetables. Sure, I ate kid favorites like french fries and corn on the cob, and I even enjoyed green peas and baked beans. But boy, was I picky about the rest.

I'd eat baked potatoes, but only if I could leave behind the skin. I liked tomatoes one year, then decided they were too squishy the next. I loved salad, if by salad you meant cucumbers topped with cheese, bacon bits, and chow mein noodles.

I wouldn't touch mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, cabbage, and shall I go on, or do you get the point? If it wasn't bread, cheese, or meat, odds are I wasn't interested.

When I grew into adulthood and moved out on my own, I decided it was time to let childhood prejudices go. It was embarrassing to ask my mom if she's eat the broccoli off my plate if I ordered the apricot chicken when I was in my 20s.

Still, while I'd shaken off my aversion to veggies like lettuce and celery years before, taking on the broccoli monster still sounded daunting. George H.W. Bush still hated broccoli in his old age, so who said I would be any different?

Go read the rest! It's delicious.

This article moves away from cooking tips and more into general ideas about disguising vegetables or making them more accessible to the skittish. The point about cutting them very small is the best in my opinion. It's way easier to handle a little bite than a big one because you're not stuck chewing it for a long time in case you don't really like it right away.

Interested in seeing everything I've published on Associated Content? Visit my profile page for the full list.

Cooking Tips to Help Picky Eaters Learn to Love Vegetables

New over on Associated Content:

When you hear vegetables, do you think "Yuck!"?

Do you have a child (or, heaven forbid, spouse) whose veggies always seem to end up in the dog's dish?

Do you put white potatoes next to your chicken and biscuits and call it dinner?

Then these tips are for you. Welcome to the wonderful world of vegetables.

Food neophobia, or the fear of new foods, shouldn't be dismissed as mere pickiness. Studies suggest the condition may be genetic, an impulse born into children to help them survive by being unwilling to try that pretty but poisonous berry growing on the random bush. Kids who turn up their noses at new foods aren't doing so just to annoy you; they're responding to primal instincts.

Nevertheless, you shouldn't resign yourself to a couple decades of hot dogs and chicken fingers. We need to teach kids (and adults who never outgrew childhood tastes) to enjoy nutritious foods to set them on the healthy path in life. It takes persistence and patience, but you can persuade a person to try new foods. Just remember, it can take many attempts before a hesitant bite turns to a favorite treat. Keep at it!

Go check it out! I'd appreciate it.

I published two articles recently on ways to make vegetables more appealing. It's hard for me to recall now what it was like to recoil at the sight of almost all veggies on my plate, but I do remember perfectly well all the tricks I played on myself to get over my vegetable (and other food) fears.

Some of my suggestions may seem counterintuitive (as in, what's the point of getting someone to eat a healthy veggie if it's prepared so unhealthily?), but the point is to offer the medicine with a spoonful of sugar the first few times to make it less scary. Once you know you can eat deep-fried green beans without gagging, you'll be more likely to give them a chance plain.

Interested in seeing everything I've published on Associated Content? Visit my profile page for the full list.

Get Started with Easy Meal Planning to Save Time and Money

New over on Associated Content:

If a tight budget is starting to squeeze your food spending, it may be time to consider a strategy that can save you money and help you maintain a healthy diet: meal planning.

Meal planning is as simple as working out at the beginning of the week what you will serve for dinner each night for the rest of the week. You can then use your plans to formulate a grocery list, helping ensure you buy only what you need when you shop. Plus, if you know what you're planning to cook and have the supplies for the meals on hand, you'll avoid unhealthy takeout.

Please go have a look! It's a basic primer on meal planning, great if you haven't tried it yet or are looking for a simpler approach.

Interested in seeing everything I've published on Associated Content? Visit my profile page for the full list.

Strategies for Eating Out at Restaurants Without Wrecking Your Healthy Diet

I've published a new original article for Associated Content. Here's a snippet to whet your appetite:

Every month or so, my high school dismissed students early to allow teachers time for professional development. At 12:30 p.m., students would pour out the doors, pile into the car of whoever could drive, and fill up the dining rooms of every casual chain restaurant in a five mile radius, giddy with anticipation of afternoon of social fun.

I'd peruse the menu of our chosen restaurant, my waistline and the eyes of a half-dozen friends on my mind, and carefully select a "healthy" salad for my lunch. Sure, it came topped with fried chicken and with a quarter cup of dressing on the side, but it was a salad -- how bad could it be? I'd keep with my healthy theme for dessert and generously split the enormous slice of chocolate cake with a friend. Keeping it all for myself would seem piggish, but if I ate only half I was virtuous!

Read more: Strategies for Eating Out at Restaurants Without Wrecking Your Healthy Diet

Interested in seeing everything I've published on Associated Content? Visit my profile page for the full list.

Meals for the Week: Sick in Bed Edition

Despite being sick, I did plan a full slate of meals this week. Ground beef was on sale, so I'm planning several upcoming meals around it. All this week's meals will be served with salad and bread of some sort for simplicity's sake.

Monday
Pork fried rice with mixed veggies

Tuesday
Tamale pie

Wednesday
Chicken and Rice with Broccoli and Cheddar

Thursday
Cincinnati chili

Friday
Franks and beans

Saturday
Spanish tortilla

Sunday
Crispy Tofu with Sweet Soy-Garlic Sauce

Spiced Banana Smoothie

I've been sick since Friday (which yes, means I spent the Fourth of July in bed rather than at a fun picnic or fireworks show). My nose and throat have picked up some nasty infection that causes me to go through plenty of tissues and tonsil-numbing spray. I need to sit by a vaporizer all day and take antihistamines to get any sleep. And then when I do finally sleep, I end up awaking sometime in the afternoon wondering where everybody is.

Anyway, I've been knocking off cooking a bit. I had others handle Saturday's turkey franks, and I elected to simply roast last night's Cornish hen so I didn't have to baby-sit it.

My appetite is kind of weird. I'm not particularly hungry most of the day, but when I do want to eat, I want something mild or a mostly. I've eaten toast, a danish, half a cinnamon roll, a popsicle, chicken soup -- a lot of sick-person food.

Today, I blended up a breakfast/lunch intended to soothe my achy throat, which hurts most when I first wake up. This Spiced Banana Smoothie is based on a recipe I found on the PBS show Everyday Food's site. I added some cinnamon for extra flavor and frozen yogurt for protein, calcium, and probiotics. And to make it more like a milkshake...

Spiced Banana Smoothie
Adapted loosely from Everyday Food

The measurements are kind of approximate. I started with 1/2 cup milk but it was too thick, so I added some more. The spices I just shook/grated straight into the blender, but you should aim for more cinnamon than nutmeg. Vanilla might not be bad in this, too.

3/4 c. skim milk
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg
1 frozen peeled banana, broken into chunks
2 scoops (about 1/2 c.) Dreyer's/Edy's Tart Honey frozen yogurt

Blend on high until smooth. Pour into a large glass. Enjoy.

MacGourmet Deluxe on Sale

My favorite Mac recipe organizer, MacGourmet Deluxe, is on sale today only for $24.95 as today's MacUpdate Promo. The Deluxe version includes the basic organizer plus the very useful nutrition, meal planning, and cookbook-layout modules.

You can read Macworld's review of MacGourmet on their Mac Gems blog. Incidentally, if you're an iPhone/iPod touch user, the review mentions that you can download a companion app for MacGourmet for $5.

Meals for the Week: Clearing the Cupboards

Sorry I'm a little late this week. I'm going a bit crazy and have lost track of time a bit. Summer kind of throws a wrench in the usual routines.

We're trying to eat down our reserves a bit this week. We've accumulated a few odd cans in the back of the pantry, a lot of extra buns and rolls on the counter, and sad-looking foods in the fridge. I had to do some salad surgery on Monday, tearing my way through the three romaine hearts we had to find the leaves unaffected by shrivel and browning. I salvaged three night's worth of salad for two, which we're eating in quick succession before it can go bad.

Monday
Pulled chicken sandwiches
Corn
Salad

Tuesday
Hamburgers stuffed with reduced-fat cheddar
Roasted potatoes
Salad

Wednesday
Rigatoni with meatballs (can)
Macaroni and cheese (box)
Leftover corn
Salad
(Happy Canada Day!)

Thursday
Spanish tortilla
Bagels
Salad

Friday
Lemon-butter chicken cutlets
Mixed veggies
Potato-leek soup (can)

Saturday
Turkey hot dogs
Chips
Salad
(Happy Fourth of July!)

Sunday
Barbecue Cornish hen
Baked beans
Muffins
Salad

Superfoods Save Your Healthy Day

Superfoods Save Your Healthy Day: "The July/August 2009 issue of Health magazine features a list of nine superfoods for women that provide alternatives to common nutrient-rich foods like blueberries and broccoli. Check out these options:

1. Kiwifruit: Instead of oranges, try these fruits also packed with vitamin C.

2. Mushrooms: If your attitude toward broccoli is similar to the first President Bush’s, you can get nutritious phytochemicals from this meaty vegetable instead."

(Via Well Fed Network.)

I enjoyed that article in Health, as you don't hear sky-high praises for a lot of the foods mentioned all that often. That's not to imply they're unhealthy, just that they're neglected.

Incidentally, the article also mentioned three "superfood" spices:

1. Cayenne pepper: This seasoning not only adds a spicy kick to your food but also can help with an overactive bladder and increase your metabolism.

2. Cinnamon: This one I've heard about a lot in relation to diabetes. Apparently, it helps insulin work better, which keeps your blood sugar more stable. I've also heard it's good for helping you lose weight by suppressing appetite or something; I'm guessing that's related.

3. Turmeric: I've read before that this yellow spice is an anti-inflammatory, and Health confirms that it may fight inflammatory bowel disease and keep away pancreatic cancer. I like to add it to creamed corn to make the whole dish shockingly yellow.

America’s Test Kitchen Seeks Your Questions

America’s Test Kitchen Seeks Your Questions: "Fans of America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country, listen up: The staff of Cook's Illustrated's television franchises wants to hear from you.

The shows already feature questions from viewers sent in via mail or email, as well as the occasional visit by a local 'neighbor' on Cook's Country. Now, though, the shows are asking fans to call in their questions to a toll-free number, with the possibility of being featured on an upcoming episode."

(Via Edible TV.)

I watch all the shows put out by the Cook's Illustrated folks regularly, but I just don't ever have a question come up that I would think of sending in to them. As far as I'm concerned, there's no mystery in food that can't be solved through referring to my cookbooks or asking Google.

Of course, that probably misses the point these days. I'm guessing that really, no one honestly feels the need to ask a TV show or magazine a question that won't be answered for weeks. They just want the little thrill of getting their name out there to the world.

But even knowing that, I can't formulate any decent questions to submit. Good luck if you're more query-happy than I am.

Meals for the Week: Post Office A-Go-Go

I've been going to the post office every day for the past week or two due to the pull of a small, steady trickle of book sales via Half.com. My cookbook collection has been pared, and I've finally let go of some old textbooks from college that I had to admit I'll never read again. When we move again, maybe we'll have a box or two less than we might otherwise have to carry.

As far as cookbooks go, I've found there are only a few I use with regularity. For baking, I rely on King Arthur Flour's series of books and the America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book. For meals, I turn to other books from the editors of Cook's Illustrated, as well as The Joy of Cooking. Sometimes I refer to How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, too.

But my celebrity chef books? My random, often bargain, cookbooks? They mostly gather dust.

Incidentally, Giada De Laurentiis's cookbook Everyday Italian has retained its value very well on the secondary market. Rachael Ray and Emeril Lagasse books are lucky to sell for 75 cents. Interpret that as you will.

Monday
Hot dogs
Baked beans
Coleslaw

Tuesday
Special anniversary dinner

Wednesday
Risotto with chicken and thyme
Salad

Thursday
Burritos
Tortilla chips and salsa
Slaw

Friday
Loaded baked potatoes
Biscuits
Salad

Saturday
Shells and spinach in cheese sauce
Salad

Sunday
Barbecue pulled chicken sandwiches
Corn
Baked beans
Salad

Thirst-Quenching Tips for Summer

An original article I wrote for the site Associated Content is now available for perusing. Check it out if you're interested suggestions on how to stay hydrated throughout the summer: Avoid Dehydration This Summer with Thirst-Quenching Tips

Here's a small preview:

After college, I moved from the temperate climes of Chicago, Illinois, where summer is more remarkable for its short duration than its intensity, to the heat sink known as Las Vegas, Nevada. Never before in my life had I stepped outside and suddenly understood how a chicken in a convection oven feels.

Temperatures in Vegas can rise to 110 degrees during the day. Thanks to its location in a desert valley, it can drop a full 30 degrees at night, true, but that's still a roasty-toasty 80. It all comes with a blasting wind that, rather than cooling you, just makes the heat more apparent.

Go read the rest!

Meals for the Week: Hawaiian Vacation

Well, not a Hawaiian vacation for us. My brother is gone traveling for the week, so it's just the two of us eating dinner most days. Even with reducing the amount of food I make, I'm still ending up with more leftovers than I would have expected. At least I don't have to make a new salad every night.

Monday
Honey mustard chicken cutlets
Potato salad
Salad

Tuesday
Hot dogs
Baked beans
Salad

Wednesday
Pork chops with applesauce
Macaroni and cheese
Salad

Thursday
Chicken wraps
Corn on the cob
Cucumber salad

Friday
Hamburgers
Roasted potatoes
Coleslaw

Saturday
Grilled bone-in chicken
Mixed vegetables
Biscuits
Slaw

Sunday
Spaghetti with sausage sauce
Rolls
Salad

Summer TV Gets Cooking

Summer TV Gets Cooking: "Here we are in June, with our favorite network series fading into memory as we stare down a summer largely full of reruns and bottom-of-the-barrel reality television. But it doesn’t have to be that way for TV cooking fans: Here’s a list of food-related shows set to premiere this summer that will keep your squawk box simmering through till September.

June Appetizers

Next Food Network Star: The competition is already under way, and at least one competitor has already slunk away in defeat. Will this year’s winner of Food Network’s popular show go on to rival Guy Fieri in popularity, or will we end up with another Amy Finley or Dan and Steve? Or will a runner-up again steal the spotlight, like Adam Gertler? Sundays at 9 p.m. Eastern on Food Network, premiered June 7."

(Via Well Fed Network.)

Incidentally, Food Network doesn't make it simple to discover what's new on their web site. I was going back and forth from a press release to each individual show's web page to determine premiere dates, and I only got Chopped included because I happened to be watching Food Network at the time and saw a promo for the season premiere.

What will I be watching this summer? We don't get IFC, so Food Party isn't going to happen for me. I could watch online, but having come of age in the slow Internet era, I still am prejudiced against Internet video. Truth be told, even with our fast cable connection, it still refuses to start or buffers and skips all lot half the time. I prefer the retro simplicity of the real TV.

I'm looking forward to more episodes of 5 Ingredient Fix. I continue to look out for occasional new episodes of Good Eats (Did you see the parsnips one this week? Now I want to try parsnips.) and America's Test Kitchen.

I'll definitely tune in to see What Would Brian Boitano Make? at least once, if only for the funny title and for curiosity over a figure skater trying to morph into a TV chef. Still, the quirky sense of humor evident in that title is making me think this one will be a Canadian rather than American hit, like The Surreal Gourmet. Too bad if that's the case.

Meals for the Week: Grocery Score

On Sunday, Scott and I made out like bandits at Albertson's. I'd collected a store coupon good for $5 off a $40 purchase, plus there were more coupons in this past week's store flyer good for doubling manufacturer's coupons. Add in a huge sale on mostly Kraft products combined with Kraft giving away tons of coupons in the past month, and we achieved massive savings.

Our receipt, which is about three feet long, rang up $107.90 in purchases (with every item except a small watermelon being on sale). After all our coupons, the total dropped to a mere $63.35. Between the sale savings and coupons, we knocked $152.94 off Albertson's regular (albeit inflated -- this is a regular grocery store, after all) prices.

I have more store coupons I can use at Albertson's, so I may visit again next week if I find another compelling sale. In general, I prefer Costco and Fred Meyer as they offer very good everyday prices in addition to good sales. It took me a few days to strategize the big Albertson's trip for taking maximum advantage of loss leaders, and I'm not keen on putting in so much effort regularly.

I am glad to have access to stores that don't play the typical grocer game of jacking up prices on most items while luring you in with a few huge sale items. I do feel envious of my relatives' access to Aldi, though, which hasn't made it to Seattle. The prices are rock-bottom, and it's just like shopping at the little grocery stores we frequented in East-Central European cities (which makes sense, as there are Aldi stores in Austria and Germany).

Monday
Spaghetti with sausage sauce
Garlic rolls
Salad

Tuesday
Barbecue grilled bone-in chicken breasts
Mixed veggies
Salad

Wednesday
Patty melts
Roasted potatoes
Salad

Thursday
Quesadillas
Corn on the cob
Cucumber salad

Friday
Pork chops and applesauce
Rolls
Salad

Saturday
Risotto with chicken
Salad

Sunday
Cincinnati chili
Spaghetti
Salad

Next on Oprah: A Grain of Salt

Next on Oprah: A Grain of Salt: "The big cover story in this week’s Newsweek is a look at the health information — apparently in most cases, misinformation — propagated by Oprah Winfrey’s signature television talk show:

In January, Oprah Winfrey invited Suzanne Somers on her show to share her unusual secrets to staying young. Each morning, the 62-year-old actress and self-help author rubs a potent estrogen cream into the skin on her arm. . . . According to Somers, the hormones, which are synthesized from plants instead of the usual mare’s urine (disgusting but true), are all natural and, unlike conventional hormones, virtually risk-free (not even close to true, but we’ll get to that in a minute)."

(Via Well Fed Network.)

I don't watch Oprah much myself. I lose interest in daytime television talk shows pretty quickly as they cover lots of topics I'm just not interested in to fill the many, many hours. I have watched the show occasionally, though. It just takes the magical coincidence of me having actually seen a promo for the show during a program I normally watch AND that promo trumpeting a compelling topic.

Dr. Oz is a pretty interesting guest. I've read recaps of his appearances on Oprah's web site for the "embarrassing" medical questions he's answered. It's not always 100 percent in sync with what I've read elsewhere, but it's generally good and interest-grabbing.

While the article and my post to an extent are kind of down on Oprah, I do in fact have a lot of respect for her and what she's achieved. She is generous to charitable causes and she empowers women. Spirituality and alternative treatments are important and often neglected by conventional medicine, too, though Oprah sometimes seems to take them to an extreme.

In truth, I wish Oprah had taken the time to speak to Newsweek for this article. While it raises valid points, it seriously suffers from a lack of counterpoints from Oprah's side. Guests who appeared on her show and gave bogus info or stayed silent while hearing it are allowed to simply give statements that distance themselves from Oprah and sort of pin the blame for their actions on her in the article without any challenge.

Summer’s Here and the Grilling is Fine!

Summer’s Here and the Grilling is Fine!: "Summer is coming fast, and that fact hasn’t escaped the folks behind the networks’ morning talk shows. Check out some of the tasty outdoor cooking recipes that were shared this past month, most with accompanying video clips so you can see exactly how the cooking’s done."

Click through to the story for all the links to summertime outdoor-eating recipes. Most would be relatively healthy eats, as grilling is generally a low-fat cooking method. Plus, there's a number of cold salads to check out, which are either healthy as-is or can be lightened up with low-fat substitutions.

With the hot weather, I'm surprisingly getting into the idea of grilling. I still don't relish the idea of burnt, charred bits on my food (it tastes like charcoal, yuck), but I like how fast my electric countertop grill cooks food without overheating the apartment.

I'm eying some bone-in chicken breasts to cook via this method. I like bone-in chicken, so that might actually get me to eat more than a couple bites of meat at a meal. The grill is also great for cooking the rare steak and the boys' pork chops.

I might even find a way to move the grill outdoors. Still, considering how quickly it cooks, that might not be necessary.

(Via Well Fed Network.)

Meals for the Week: Stocking Up

I'm doubling up on a couple meals this week to have extra in the freezer for later this month. I'm thinking I'll make twice as much burrito filling (also good for tacos) and double the chili (also good for hot dogs and eggs).

I have lots of boxed macaroni and cheese from a sale purchase at Costco, and I've been looking for ways to jazz it up. It's a little bland on its own. Hot sauce and mustard add zing; shredded cheese ups the flavor, too. This week, I'm trying to also make it healthier by stirring in frozen chopped spinach and replacing the skim milk and butter with evaporated milk.

By the way, assuming you're not a person who hates white, creamy sauces (you know who you are), you should definitely try fresh corn on the cob slathered with this artichoke sauce. I made it for artichokes initially, but having only prepared two 'chokes, we had a lot left over. Taking a cue from Mexican cuisine, we used it in place of butter on our corn later that week. Yum! Tangy and far superior to just butter and salt. It may be a bit lighter, too, as we use reduced-fat mayo and sour cream.

Monday
Asian-marinated pork chops (held over from last week)
Sesame noodles
Salad

Tuesday
Baked beans and smoked sausage
Mixed veggies
Garlic bread

Wednesday
Scrambled eggs and bacon
Cottage fries
Toasted English muffins
Salad

Thursday
Beef and bean burritos
Corn on the cob with mayo/sour cream/lemon sauce
Salad

Friday
Fried cheese
Potato salad
Salad

Saturday
Cincinnati chili
Spaghetti
Salad

Sunday
Grilled pork chops
Spinach macaroni and cheese
Salad

Come On Over, Cupcake!

Come On Over, Cupcake!: "A few weeks ago, the local supermarket put boxes of Pillsbury cake mix on sale, enticing shoppers with a price so low that even I, a girl with an avowed distaste for cakes from a box, couldn’t resist. I snapped up three boxes.

Two disappointing cupcake recipes later, I was ready to go in an entirely new direction with the remaining mix, one for devil’s food cake. I recalled a recipe I’d saved from a long-ago Hungry Girl newsletter for Yum Yum Brownie Muffins, a cupcake concoction that billowed high above the paper cup and yet had less than 200 calories."

(Via Well Fed Network.)

I forgot to mention it in the post that was published: Make sure you refrigerate these if you intend to keep them more than a week. They lasted about that long on the countertop here before going dotty. Two cupcakes were lost.

Next time, I'm going to buy either Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines mix to make this recipe. My mom always has sworn by Duncan Hines, so maybe that's the way to go.

If nothing else, Duncan Hines mix should also work for recipes from the Cupcake Doctor book, unlike Pillsbury mix. Pillsbury mix (as well as Betty Crocker mix) has pudding added, and nearly every recipe in that cookbook specifies mixes without pudding. After forging ahead anyway with two recipes, I ended up with cupcakes with custardy middles, sadly sunken despite a lot of extra baking time.

I might use one less egg were I forced to make them again with pudding cake mix, but frankly, I think the author should have specified how to adjust recipes to accommodate the two types of commercial cake mix. Or accept a sponsorship from Duncan Hines, as they're the only "plain" cake mix in the supermarket. It's also the most expensive of the three big brands, so you can see why it makes me bitter.

However, my issues with the Cupcake Doctor are largely irrelevant here (now that you've read the whole rant . . .). I plan to play around with these low-fat cupcakes to try to create variations with different and stronger flavors. I'll keep you posted.

Meals for the Week: Happy Memorial Day!

Hope your holiday is going great!

Monday
Sloppy joes
Home fries
Salad

Tuesday
Pork chops milanese
Lemon farfalle
Salad

Wednesday
Black bean soup
Bread
Salad

Thursday
Strata
Salad

Friday
Dragon meatloaf
Mashed potatoes
Soup

Saturday
Buffalo chicken salad
Garlic toast

Sunday
Asian-marinated pork chops
Sesame noodles
Salad

Meals for the Week: Breakfast Love

Saturday we had Belgian waffles for dinner (sprinkling chocolate chips directly on the batter on the iron makes for a great treat, incidentally), and tonight we had biscuits and gravy. I have dozens of eggs in the fridge, too, so there's bound to be many breakfast-style meals on our menu.

Scott and I had "breakfast" for all three meals today, actually: cereal for our real breakfast, leftover waffles for lunch, and biscuits and gravy for dinner.

Lest you think we're packing on pounds just before swimsuit season, I made the sausage gravy with a mere half pound of sausage (for the three of us) and skim milk. I'm not nuts, after all.

It's a bit difficult to plan side dishes for breakfast meals. There's potatoes and fruit, of course, but beyond that it gets tricky. I'm open to suggestions.

I'd like to take a moment to direct you to my latest project, if you have an interest in old-fashioned, homestyle cooking: Grancook.com, the web site for the cookbook I'm producing with my in-laws that collects my husband's grandmother's favorite recipes. You can read more about the project there, plus you can sign up to be notified when the cookbook is published if you are interested in purchasing it. We have a blog over on the site, too, with one recipe published so far and more to come.

Monday
Biscuits and gravy
Fruit
Salad

Tuesday
Pork chops and applesauce
Mac and cheese
Slaw

Wednesday
Flat-iron steaks
Edamame and sugar snap peas with garlic pickle
Garlic mashed potatoes
Soup

Thursday
Cheese pizza
Salad

Friday
Macaroni and meat sauce
Rolls
Salad

Saturday
Cornish hens with bacon and onions
Ginger ale carrots
Bread
Salad

Sunday
Kielbasa in a blanket
Corn
Baked beans
Salad

Sandra’s Money Saving Meals

Sandra’s Money Saving Meals: "Sit down, Semi-Homemade haters -- you're in for a shock. Sandra Lee can cook from scratch! OK, not everything Sandra makes on her new show, Sandra's Money Saving Meals, is entirely from fresh, unprocessed ingredients -- it's Sandra Lee, after all -- but she aggressively declares independence from the 70/30 philosophy with ..."

I didn't really expect to like Sandra Lee's new show. Her old one has cheesy charm, but I could probably count on one hand the number of her recipes I've tried. That's not to say they're all wretched, though a few are (cough -- Chinese Chicken Salad). Rather:

1. They often require shortcut ingredients I don't normally stock in my pantry, like meatloaf seasoning packets or cream soups. I'm not entirely opposed to using these, but I feel like they add extra expense while bringing no extra flavor benefit. It's true that you can mimic things like cream of chicken soup by making homemade velouté sauce, but once you start unpacking all those convenience foods you start making a recipe that little resembles the original anyway.

2. She seems to love mushrooms. We don't.

3. One recipe every show is for a cocktail. We enjoy cocktails, but our bar is not nearly well-stocked enough to make Sandra Lee's concoctions. She must have every flavor of vodka under the sun.

I could probably think of more reasons eventually, but number one is the chief reason. Ironically enough, I find many of her recipes too tiring to contemplate because of the sheer number of substitutions I'd have to make.

As an aside, Rachael Ray's recipes have also gotten tiring over the years. Once she broke out of upstate New York, she discovered all sorts of weird or overly gourmet flavor combos, stuff that requires an ingredient list a mile long.

Maybe if you're Rachael you can make a dish requiring 15 ingredients in 30 minutes, but if you're human you're spending half the time digging out said ingredients plus all the bowls and pans to put them in. Even her Express Lane Meals book has astoundingly long ingredient lists; she gets away with it by establishing upfront that you have to maintain a sizable pantry of her faves that you restock weekly. It was the last Rachael Ray book I ever added to my library.

Anyway, Sandra Lee's new show gets away from her shortcut philosophy, so in the first episode at least we got simple recipes that don't require finding raspberry-walnut vinaigrette or canned chow mein vegetables.

While I was ahead of her on most of the money-saving tips (I regularly check the day-old bread rack and always go generic unless I have a huge coupon), a couple did enlighten even me. Most people aren't so well-informed on grocery shopping strategies (like me a few years ago), and they'll benefit from having someone not only give the info but make the case for following through.

Health Incentives May Be Coming to a Workplace Near You

Health Incentives May Be Coming to a Workplace Near You: "Health care reform has been back in vogue since the last presidential election, and Congress is starting to pull together the legislation that could radically change medical coverage in America.

Or not. We all know how it went down last time there was a charge for universal health care. . ."

Here's hoping this time around Congress can pass a real universal health care plan. It's sad we're so far behind the rest of the Western world in recognizing that health care is not a privilege (or, if you prefer a more economically conservative perspective, that an ounce of regular prevention is worth a pound of catastrophic emergency care that we already shoulder the burden for).

Meals for the Week: Hectic Supermarkets

I've been to the supermarket too often in the last week, and I think I'm going to throw tomatoes at the next set of people who park their carts side by side in the aisle to chat. Or who walk right into my path looking aimless. Or who tailgate me through produce.

And while I'm at it, I think I'll go drip dirty water from my tomato plants onto the balcony below that belongs to the smoker currently polluting my window draft.

Monday
Sausage quiche
Strawberries and bananas
Salad

Tuesday
Lemon pepper pork chops
Corn
Biscuits
Pea salad

Wednesday
Orange fried chicken salad with edamame

Thursday
Spaghetti carbonara
Garlic bread
Salad

Friday
Fresh mozzarella and pesto pizza
Salad

Saturday
Waffles and bacon
Pineapple
Toasted English muffins and jam

Sunday
Crunchy Asian-style pasta salad
Soup

Meals for the Week: Holding Pattern

I had to skip the grocery store today, which mostly means I'm rationing salads until I can make it to Costco again. I've been testing out replacing some salads with canned soup lately anyway. It's pretty positive so far: The cost is similar or less than salad, and it's actually a little more filling.

The only problem, as pointed out by my husband, is that the weather is warming and soon soup might seem less appetizing. Still, there's always cold soup.

I haven't done many soup courses up until now because I've been avoiding canned soup. It tends to be mushy and overly salty. Tonight's condensed alphabet soup fell into that category, and I don't see myself getting that one again soon. On the other hand, Andersen's pea soup with bacon was delicious, even when stretched with some extra water. On the downside, it's significantly pricier than condensed soup.

Monday
Macaroni and cheese and ham casserole
Baked beans
Vegetable alphabet soup

Tuesday
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Beef chimichangas
Taco salad

Wednesday
Pizza with banana peppers and onions
Salad

Thursday
Ham and cheese paninis
Chili

Friday
Cheeseburger potatoes
Biscuits
Salad

Saturday
Baked wagon wheels
Bread
Salad

Sunday
Roasted chicken breasts
Baked beans
Bread
Salad

Fit Fare - » Jell-O Offers a Guilt-Free Rice Pudding

Fit Fare - » Jell-O Offers a Guilt-Free Rice Pudding: "I participate in the Kraft First Taste program, getting the opportunity to try new products from the company in exchange for feedback. Of course, I’m sure the idea is also that I’ll share with my hundreds of close personal friends how much I adore Maxwell House coffee or Oscar Mayer sandwiches, but hey, it’s free food — who am I to say no? Besides, there’s always the chance to discover a new favorite.

Anyway, one recent sample might be of interest to Fit Fare readers: Jell-O Sugar-Free Rice Pudding Cups. You may be familiar with the other smooth, 60-calorie flavors in Jell-O’s waistline-friendly line. At 70 calories, the rice pudding cups are a tad richer, as might be expected with their chewy star ingredient, but still light as desserts go."

I've tried Oscar Mayer's newest sandwiches most recently (the ones they stock by the Lunchables, which, incidentally, have much less obnoxious packaging these days). The Tuscan Chicken was all right, though messy to put together with its shredded cheese. Scott wasn't too keen on the steak ciabatta sandwich he tried. I remember I liked the Steakhouse Cheddar mini sub last time I tried these sandwiches. I'd recommend going with that one if you seek these out.

I was supposed to try the Maxwell House coffee, but the coupon arrived one day before the expiration date. I tried to use it anyway, but my local grocer did not stock any non-instant Maxwell House. As I didn't feel like dashing over to another grocery store that day, I got no free coffee sample. Sadness . . .

Edible TV - » Jon and Kate Plus Recipes

Edible TV - » Jon and Kate Plus Recipes: "Good news for fans of massive-family TV: Jon & Kate Plus 8 returns for season five on May 25. As Kate Gosselin is a enthusiastic cook as well as mothering machine, why not celebrate the resolution of season four’s cliffhanger with some of her family’s favorite recipes?

Kate’s Hearty Meatloaf: This huge, beefy loaf, made with organic ingredients as Kate prefers, makes enough to feed a family as enormous as hers, with leftovers. Budget friendly and, with lots of chopped veggies snuck in, healthy, too. Click through to the Good Morning America site to see the accompanying video featuring Kate and kids."

Took a bit of searching to find recipes that looked authentic to the Gosselins -- there's a lot of people out there looking for Kate's recipes after seeing her cook so much on the show. She ought to consider making her next book a cookbook.

Filthy as it was at first, the kitchen in her new house looks pretty sweet. I don't find my relatively small kitchen to be a hindrance most of the time, but there are occasions when I wish for that kind of storage space.

Cut Energy Use By Cutting Calories

Thinner is better to curb global warming, study says:

(CNN) -- Here's yet another reason to stay in shape: Thinner people contribute less to global warming, according to a new study.
More than 1 billion adults worldwide are overweight, and about 300 million are obese.

More than 1 billion adults worldwide are overweight, and about 300 million are obese.

Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine published a study showing that, because of food production and transportation factors, a population of heavier people contributes more harmful gases to the planet than a population of thin people.

Given that it takes more energy to move heavier people, transportation of heavier people requires more fuel, which creates more greenhouse gas emissions, the authors write.

"The main message is staying thin. It's good for you, and it's good for the planet," said Phil Edwards, senior lecturer at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Cut the calories by reducing meat consumption, and you'll save even more greenhouse gas emissions. Oh, the plague that is cattle flatulence . . .

Well Fed Network - » Hungry Girl Feeds Good Morning America Hosts

Well Fed Network - » Hungry Girl Feeds Good Morning America Hosts: "If you’re a regular reader of Fit Fare as well as Edible TV, you might just be a fan of Hungry Girl, the daily newsletter featuring product reviews and drastically slimmed down recipes for favorite foods. Lisa Lillien, the Hungry Girl herself, appeared on Good Morning America Thursday to promote her new book, Hungry Girl: 200 Under 200.

As the title implies, it features 200 recipes that all have 200 calories or less per serving. Lillien and her team achieve these astounding nutritional stats through the use of certain Hungry Girl staples (sure to be familiar to readers of the newsletter), such as Tofu Shirataki noodles, Fiber Onecereal, and Vitalicious high-fiber muffins."

Meals for the Week: Abbreviated for Travel

We're leaving tomorrow afternoon for about a week, so the only meal I had planned out was . . . today's. We had my attempt to copy Stouffer's vegetable lasagna, which turned out pretty well except for a salt deficiency.

I thought I had accounted for seasoning all right, adding several pinches of kosher salt to my veggies and breadcrumbs, as well as generously seasoning my cream sauce. I tasted the sauce, and it was delicious on its own, but somehow the flavors became muted when combined into the lasagna.

I blame the noodles in part. Clearly I need to overseason the sauce to make up for the no-boil noodles not having sucked in any of their own salt. Probably the veggies needed more garlic and salt, too.

At any rate, a heavy sprinkle of California-style garlic salt over the top added the missing element for a decent meal. We ate it alongside a tossed salad and the last homemade baguette, which we dipped in delicious seasoned oil.

Incidentally, that oil was seasoned using a mix from the company Herbs for Healthful Living. I can find the whole line of mixes (including the perfect icebox dill pickle mix) at local farmstand/craftsy stores when I'm visiting my family in Pennsylvania, but alas, they apparently have no web site for me to order more from.

I'll have to rely on the old-fashioned method of asking my mom to mail them to me when I need to restock!

Spring Cleaning for Your Fridge

Spring Cleaning for Your Fridge: "The official start of the new year may be January, but it’s only when all this new life buds into being in spring that it feels like a true beginning.

Something about the warm breezes, invigorating showers, and green shoots of spring makes me (and so many others) want to spruce up the house to match the prettiness of the outdoors. It’s spring cleaning time!"

(Via Well Fed Network.)

Meals for the Week: Ham, Ham, and More Ham

Though I purchased the smallest spiral-sliced ham on offer at Fred Meyer, we still came out of Easter with two big tubs of leftovers. Scott's been enjoying ham sandwiches ever since, but I know I have to work some ham into our dinner plans to help make a dent. Some leftovers may still have to migrate to the freezer nonetheless.

On another note, I discovered the perfect tool for filling deviled eggs on Sunday: a small, "teaspoon" cookie scoop
. True, you can spoon the filling into a zip-top bag, snip off a corner, and pipe the yolk mix into the whites, but I was making four different egg fillings and didn't want to muck up four different bags. A mounded scoop from the smallest of my cookie scoops was just the right size to fill each egg, plus it left a smooth, evenly rounded top. I'll post a picture later.

Monday
Salad bar
Biscuits

Tuesday
Omelets
Home fries
Strawberries
Toast

Wednesday
Pasta caprese
French bread
Salad

Thursday
Fried chicken
Baked beans
Biscuits
Slaw

Friday
Baked chili-hoisin tofu
Garlic pickle broccoli
Light sesame noodles
Salad

Saturday
Spaghetti with meat sauce
Garlic toast
Salad

Sunday
Black bean and chicken enchiladas
Tortilla chips
Salad

Easter Candy Madness

Check out this informative post from the Healthy Recipe Doctor on WebMD for info on the caloric wallop packed by your Easter basket. She makes clear, though, that candy is not all bad and that indulgence in moderation is OK.

Here's an interesting excerpt in that vein:

It's better to eat jelly beans than to drink soda! Our bodies appear to be more likely to compensate naturally for the calories in a handful of jelly beans compared to the same calories in a sweetened drink. A Purdue University study found that significant weight gain might occur when carbohydrates are consumed as liquids rather than as solid food because the participants didn't decrease their intake to compensate for the added soda calories but were able to for the additional jellybean calories.

Hurray for jelly beans!

Meals for the Week: Beans and More Beans

Over the next few days, I'm helping us undo the damage of a week of vacation followed by a week of our building's fitness room being closed. We actually didn't gain much weight - I was up maybe a pound, and that's easily within the realm of daily fluctuations - but we do need to get our digestive and muscular systems back on track.

Exercise is so "use it or lose it." I ached terribly after returning to a full 30-minute strength-training routine after getting back to California.

Anyway, this week's meals lean heavily on beans. I stocked up on beans at Costco and Fred Meyer last week, plus I just so happen to LOVE beans. They have a comforting starchy texture and fill your stomach nicely, all without a load of calories or an empty wallet.

Monday
Taco salad with beef and black beans (inspired by Kalyn's Kitchen)
Cornmeal muffins (I might be making this recipe wrong, but I love how the Hillbilly Housewife's recipe turns out muffins that taste like rich disks of polenta)

Tuesday
Whole-wheat macaroni and cheese with chicken and broccoli
Whole-wheat breadsticks
Salad

Wednesday
Baked beans with spicy smoked sausage
Broccoli with cheese sauce
Whole-wheat breadsticks
Coleslaw

Thursday
Chicken lo mein
Asian slaw

Friday
Pizza with pesto, tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella on whole-wheat crust
Salad

Saturday
Spaghetti with meat sauce (from last week's massive batch!)
Garlic breadsticks
Salad

Sunday - Easter!
Spiral-sliced ham
Roasted potatoes
Asparagus (I think)
Deviled eggs
Biscuits
Salad

Meals for the Week: Back in the Kitchen

We have returned from California, and I've thrown myself right back into kitchen work. I have a double pot of meat sauce simmering away on the stove right now, which will go to stock the freezer for later this month, and I have meals all planned out for the week ahead. Let's eat!

Monday
Bacon and eggs
Crepes
Strawberries and grapes

Tuesday
Chicken cutlet club sandwiches
Green beans
Fries
Salad

Wednesday
Turkey pepperoni pizza
Salad

Thursday
Buffalo chicken sausages with onions on rolls
Green beans
Salad

Friday
Bean bowls with toppers: Sour cream, avocado, salsa, tomatoes, onions, cheese, hot sauce, green onions, etc.
Cornbread muffins
Salad

Saturday
Shepherd’s pie
Muffins or rolls
Salad

Sunday
Rice and chili beans with smoked sausage
Broccoli with cheese sauce
Salad

Pie Baking and New Articles for Well Fed

Sorry there was no meal plan this week. I didn't cook this week during our spring break visit to California, though I did stretch my baking skills by whipping up a couple pies.

Ironically, I embarked on my pie-baking project to break my reliance on store-bought pie crusts (expensive and full of unnatural ingredients), but I ended up using store-bought cherry pie filling. Canned cherries cost $5 per 15-oz can, and my recipe called for four cans' worth . . . yeah, I don't think so.

My amped-up rollout-cookie skills helped significantly when it came time to roll pie crust. With chilling, patience, flour, and wax paper, I managed not to make a mess, although I think I developed the gluten too much. Still, I didn't have a food processor this time around; next time it might be easier to keep the pastry tender.

Does baking pies from scratch fit within a healthy diet plan as well as a frugal one? It does allow you to control the ingredients in your desserts, making your treats more wholesome or lower in fat and calories (or both).

I posted a couple of new articles on the Well Fed Network recently, too. Check these out:

Plan Ahead to Eat Smart on Fit Fare

Shhh! Food Network Infiltrates Social Networks with Food2 on Edible TV

Meals for the Week: Bringing on the Irish!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Though it was never a tradition in my Irish-American family to eat corned beef and cabbage on March 17, my English- and Scottish-American husband had it every year growing up.

This was my second year giving it a try, and while I still can't get excited for cooked cabbage, I did think this year's corned beef was much improved. While Scott wasn't so sure about the sweet molasses glaze, he loved how tender the meat turned out. My brother and I both enjoyed the glaze -- having not grown up with corned beef, we don't have such entrenched notions of how salty it should taste, I suppose.

I'll provide the recipe below. Grab some corned beef before it's gone and try it!

Next week is our visit to California, so no meal plan. To tide yourself over, check out my articles for Well Fed:

Eliminations Ice the Cake Competition on Food Network

Spiced-Up Healthy Recipe Contest

Monday
Turkey, sausage, and cornbread croquettes
Salad

Tuesday
Molasses and whiskey-glazed corned beef
Beer-braised cabbage
Boiled potatoes
Irish brown soda bread
Salad

Wednesday
Guinness beef stew
Mashed potatoes
Irish brown soda bread

Thursday
French toast with sausage or leftover beef stew

Friday
Grilled cheese
Caesar salad

Saturday
California

And the corned beef! I had a 2.5 pound point-cut brisket, so I reduced the amount of glaze for our dinner. I still ended up with tons of glaze, so I kept basting the meat. With heat, the glaze thickened, making it easier to stick to the meat. I served the meat on the baking sheet with the basting brush available for slathering on extra glaze.

Corned Beef with Molasses-Bourbon Glaze
Source: Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook

Cooker: Medium oval or large round or oval
Setting and Cook Time: LOW for 9 to 11 hours; baked in the oven for 15 minutes to finish

Ingredients:
One 3- to 4-pound corned beef brisket with seasoning packet, rinsed
2 bay leaves
8 black peppercorns
2 allspice berries
1 small cinnamon stick (I used a teaspoon of cinnamon)
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
2 dried chiles de arbol (I used a spoonful of Asian chili-garlic paste)

Glaze:
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (I used light brown)
1 tablespoon dry mustard or Dijon mustard
1/4 cup light molasses
1/3 cup bourbon (I used Irish whiskey)

1. Put the corned beef in the slow cooker. If the meat is too big to lie flat in your cooker, cut it in half and stack the pieces one atop the other. Add water to just cover the brisket. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice, cinnamon, mustard seeds, and chiles (I also added the seasoning packet). Cover and cook on LOW for 9 to 11 hours.

2. Meanwhile, make the glaze by mixing together the brown sugar, mustard, molasses, and bourbon in a medium-size bowl. Cover and refrigerator until needed.

3. When the brisket is tender, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with oil. Lift the brisket out of its cooking liquid and transfer to the baking sheet. Spoon the glaze over the beef to coat the entire surface on both sides. Bake, basting with any leftover glaze, for 15 minutes to set the glaze.

Make sure to slice the meat across the grain. You need a gentle touch and a sharp knife because it does want to fall apart!

Meals for the Week: Favorites and Flashbacks

This week, I included a few well-liked dishes from my days traveling in Europe on our menu. A week or so ago, we found a whole section of Polish foods at a grocery store we don't often frequent, and wonder of wonders, they had a white barszcz mix.

For those who haven't traveled to Poland, it's . . . well, it's hard to say exactly, as I've had trouble finding out how to make it myself. It involves smoked sausage (kielbasa, if you will - but every sausage is "kielbasa" in Eastern/Central Europe) and I think a fermented rye base. Sometimes it comes with a halved hard-cooked egg in it. It's unusual and surprisingly delicious.

We're also having butter chicken. I discovered my love for Indian food in Europe, too, where they're way ahead of the curve compared to us when it comes to appreciating ethnic foods. The slaw I'm making alongside uses garlic pickle, a condiment found with the Indian foods in the store that adds strong and delectable flavor to any veggie.

Friday we'll enjoy a vegetarian version of the traditional English breakfast for dinner. We tucked into something similar every morning when we visited Ireland just after I finished college. It keeps you going for a long, long time . . .

Monday
Enchiladas
Refried black beans
Mexican rice
Salad

Tuesday
Hamburgers
Fries
Thousand island slaw

Wednesday
Butter chicken
Rice
Garlic pickle slaw

Thursday
White barszcz with smoked sausage
Whole-wheat rolls
Salad

Friday
Cheesy eggs
Baked beans
Toast triangles
Sliced tomatoes

Saturday
Turkey breast with gravy
Cranberry sauce
Mixed veggies
Mashed potatoes
Cornbread
Salad

Sunday
Chili
Cornbread
Salad

Meals for the Week: Lasagna Frenzy

I had a craving for lasagna this week, though more for the fun of making it than necessarily for the eating of it. I made said lasagna for tonight's dinner, and I learned a lot about the making of this Italian casserole.

I've made it only once before, and after that time I almost swore off lasagna completely. Boiling the noodles before assembling the casserole is a pain . . . no, that's not it. It's storing the cooked noodles in between boiling and assembly that's just annoying. They're sticky and delicate, so stacking is out of the question. Ample counter space was a must.

Anyway, this time I tried flat, no-boil noodles, and they worked beautifully. Next time, I'll make the sauce a little less loose, as they didn't need a whole lot of moisture to cook.

I kept the lasagna on the healthy side by using only half a box of noodles, part-skim mozzarella, and fat-free cottage cheese (on sale!). I also drained off a lot of fat from the meat. Still, I kept my portion small because I know how indulgent a dish this is.

Monday
Lasagna
Salad
Onion rolls

Tuesday
Chicken fried rice
Salad

Wednesday
Sirloin pork chops braised in sauerkraut
Applesauce
Roasted potatoes

Thursday
Lemon chicken soup
Salad
Rolls

Friday
Pasta primavera
Salad
Bread

Saturday
Turkey pepperoni pizza
Salad

Sunday
BLTs
Potato salad
Salad

Meals for the Week: The Fast Begins

Lent starts this Wednesday, which means I'll be planning more strictly vegetarian meals this coming month. It's true that fish is permitted on Fridays in Lent - look around for all the fast food fish sandwich promotions right now - but I can't stand any and all seafood. Just the smell turns my stomach.

Argue all you want that fresh fish doesn't smell. It just doesn't smell to you. I don't even like the smell of the ocean.

Besides, it always seemed strange to me that I was expected to not call chicken "meat" (it's poultry!), except as far as the "no meat on Fridays" tradition went. In that case, my childhood definition of meat, food from a dead animal, applied, except in the case of fish. Frankly, I didn't see why fish got a pass. I thought my parents were joking at first.

I don't have much problem coming up with vegetarian options. The hardest part is simply remembering to avoid using minor things like chicken broth in soup.

Monday
Bacon omelet sandwiches with cheese
Tater tots
Orange wedges

Tuesday
Meatloaf
Boiled potatoes
Salad

Wednesday
Vegetarian black bean soup
Rolls
Salad

Thursday
Pasta salad

Friday
Veggie burgers
Fries

Saturday
Beef fajitas
Rice pilaf

Sunday
No plan yet. New month, new grocery budget . . .

Meals for the Week: Cooking From the Pantry

I have a large amount of food stocked up now that it's mid-month, which means it's time to stop stocking up for the month. It's tough to turn away from the great deals on products we use regularly, but if I don't keep myself from buying ahead for at least a couple weeks each month I'll end up spending more than I should. After all, what's the point of "saving" when I'm just going to spend more?

Using what I have on hand (basics like chicken breasts and pasta as well as long-lasting pantry items like mayonnaise and hot sauce), I can create enough meals for the next two weeks. That is, with the addition of a little fresh produce for salads.

Monday
Hamburgers
Fries
Salad

Tuesday
Buffalo chicken tacos with blue cheese
Frozen veggies
Salad

Wednesday
Baked potato soup
Rolls
Salad

Thursday
Sandwiches
Creamy tomato soup
Salad

Friday
Bacon and onion pizza
Salad

Saturday
Baked chicken schnitzel
Frozen veggies
Chicken rice
Salad

Sunday
Annie’s Favorite Pasta
Rolls
Salad

Meals for the Week: Joy of Cooking Edition

I've been pouring over my 75th-anniversary copy of Joy of Cooking lately, marking off classic recipes I'd like to try. To me, there seems to be a surprising amount of convenience-food cooking in Joy, but I grew up with the 90s edition in the house rather than the classic version. Our Joy had a culinary-school pedigree that the new version tries to disavow.

I don't care much either way, honestly. Some days, I feel strongly the importance of using natural ingredients, and those days I stock my freezer with homemade rolls and meatballs. Other days, when I just would rather not devote two hours to making dinner from scratch, I feel grateful for frozen fries and canned creamy soup.

Monday
Whole-grain pancakes
Turkey breakfast sausage
Navel, Cara Cara, and blood oranges
Baked tater tots

Tuesday
Turkey meatball soup
Rolls
Salad

Wednesday
Crepes with chicken, apples, and blue cheese (a Joy recipe)
Frozen veggie mix
Salad

Thursday
Beef tacos
Mexican rice
Black and kidney bean salad

Friday
Sandwiches
Crinkle fries
Salad

Saturday (Valentine's Day)
Rib steak
Potatoes au gratin
Creamed corn
Rolls
Caesar salad

Sunday
Creamed chicken and broccoli over rice
Salad

Fixed Links for the Numbers Template

Oops.

Apparently, the links for my Numbers meal planning templates were sending up errors. Thanks to the folks who let me know!

The links are now updated and should allow you to download the ZIP files. Visit the Numbers meal planner post to download them.

Monday Meal Planning: Second Tuesday Edition

I've built up a big store of sale meats in the freezer, so it's time to stop frequenting the firesale section of the meat department, I think.

I'm making a concerted effort still to use what I have so I can continue buying just sale items (aside from produce). The tough part is thinking up recipes that don't require just one or two more items. That's how spending sneaks up on me.

Monday
Tofu stir-fry
Rice
Egg drop soup

Tuesday
Pot roast
Carrots and onions
Mashed potatoes
Salad

Wednesday
Macaroni and cheese
Veggie mix
Salad

Thursday
Chicken and rice soup
Rolls
Salad

Friday
Tomoto-garlic pizza
Salad

Saturday
Deconstructed lasagna
Garlic bread
Salad

Sunday
Baked salsa and bean frittata
Sweet potato fries
Salad

Monday Meal Planning: Birthday Edition

Almost forgot!

This week's plan includes a birthday dinner for my brother, who requested fried chicken. To keep it healthier, I'm using only bone-in breasts. I'll chop each breast half in half, so that I get two servings from each massive piece in the package. I'm also going to pull off the fatty skin before breading it. Then, I'll fry the chicken in a blend of peanut and vegetable oils rather than shortening or lard.

No, it'll never be diet food, but it's certainly possible to indulge in traditional comfort foods as long as you keep an eye out for ways to lighten them and, most important, keep the portions small.

Monday
Chicken parmesan (baked, not fried)
Angel hair with chunky tomato sauce
Salad

Tuesday
Hoppin' John
Chicken-flavored rice pilaf
Salad
(Bonus info: Grains + beans = a complete protein.)

Wednesday
Fried bone-in chicken breasts
Biscuits
Baked beans
Salad

Thursday
Frittata
Roasted potatoes
Gazpacho

Friday
Pioneer Woman's ranch-style honey mustard chicken
Corn
Salad

Saturday
Slow-cooker macaroni and cheese
Veggie mix
Salad

Puppy Bowl Sunday
Cincinnati-style chili over French fries
Snacks

Monday Meal Planning: Torture-Free Edition

My husband insists that I'm violating the Geneva conventions when I make a slow-cooked pasta sauce like yesterday's meat sauce. This week's meals call for no all-day simmering sauces (though I may elect to keep the meatballs for subs hot in a small slow cooker after I heat them).

I'm still under $400 for this month, budget-wise, and the only purchases I'll have to make between now and the end of the month are for perishables like fruit, salad fixings, and milk. I think we're shaping up well.

Monday
Home fries with eggs and bacon
Mini-bagels
Fruit

Tuesday
Rice and beans with turkey kielbasa
Corn
Salad

Wednesday
Basil-parsley-almond pesto pasta with diced tomatoes and feta cheese
Garlic bread
Salad

Thursday
Chicken sausage and cheddar waffles
Greek salad

Friday
Meatball subs
Sweet potato fries
Salad

Saturday
Greek pasta bake (Every Day with Rachael Ray recipe)
Dinner rolls
Salad

Sunday
Bacon and onion pizza
Sweet potato fries
Salad

Calorie Counts Let Loose in the Real World

Let me direct you to my husband's blog, where he wrote recently about encountering New York City's calorie-posting law.

Thoughts on NYC « Springtime for Dubcek … and Slovakia!: "And it definitely affected my lunch decision. I had thought about just grabbing the Philly cheesesteak combo, but decided against it when I saw the nutritional damage would be more than 1,300 calories for the sandwich and fries (by point of reference, when I’m not traveling or celebrating the holidays, I try to limit my daily intake to 2,000 calories). The hot dog combo was about half that, with the small fries packing about 400 calories (and earning my blame for the indigestion I felt after eating) versus 297 calories for the hot dog."

Incidentally, just this past week we went shopping at Target and stopped in the store café for a snack (the popcorn and drink combo is a great deal at $1.50!). The store had put up a new price board since we'd last visited, and it now features calorie ranges for every item on the menu.

The popcorn, fortunately for us, turned out to be a reasonable two-person snack with only about 300 calories (if you get a calorie-free beverage), but some meals had surprising stats. The hot dog and chicken fingers meals are surprisingly good bets for a light meal, but the healthy-sounding sandwiches pack a hefty punch.

Having seen calorie count-enhanced menu boards, I now definitely support their implementation nationwide. Sure, we can make estimates now, and we can even do research before heading out if we feel especially motivated, but there's nothing like having that information right in front of our eyeballs right when we need it. I hope other restaurants follow Target's lead.

Monday Meal Planning: Post-Holidays Edition

I've had a hard time motivating myself to blog after the holiday blogging binge I had in December here and at The Cookie Book, but now that I've returned home and restarted my meal planning, I should share!

I do have new posts up at Edible TV and Fit Fare, and sometime I will post extra info on both for your edification and enlightenment.

And with that, this week's meal plan, designed to use up a lot of pantry stock from the sales:

Monday
Grilled chicken
Sesame noodles
Salad

Tuesday
Garbanzo bean cutlets
Cheesy veggies
Herb and butter rice
Oil and vinegar slaw

Wednesday
Spaghetti and turkey meatballs
Garlic bread
Salad

Thursday
Tofu potstickers (Alton Brown’s Vegetarian Steamed Dumpling filling)
Green and wax beans
Salad

Friday
Bean burritos
Sweet potato fries
Gazpacho

Saturday
Chicken schnitzel
Corn
Roasted baby potatoes
Salad

Sunday
Penne with turkey bolognese
Dinner rolls
Salad

Small Changes for Big Results?

Does this sound like you?

5 small changes to help you lose weight - CNN.com: "Inspired, Kassouf made radical changes in his diet.

'That would last about a day,' he said.

So he moved on to Plan B: small changes. That worked. Four years after he got mad at his girlfriend, Kassouf weighs 200 pounds, down from 245, mostly by focusing on a few parts of his diet without changing everything.

'What I started to realize is, it didn't have to be all or nothing,' he said.

There's actually a name for what Kassouf did: It's called the 'small changes approach.' James Hill, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, is the father of the movement, and in this month's American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, he writes about how 'small changes are more feasible to achieve and maintain than large changes.'

For Kassouf, small changes started with soda.

'I was probably drinking 10 Cokes a day,' he said. By switching out those Cokes for water, Kassouf saved 1,400 calories a day."

Alas, it sounds nothing like me. If only weight loss were as simple as switching from Coke to water.

Giving up sugary drinks is too often cited by women's magazines and soft news stories like this as a quick route to weight loss, but honestly, how many people striving to take off five pounds are still drinking Dr. Pepper?

Of course, if I'm being entirely too judgmental about this, and there are some tips that apply to you, please forget everything I just said.

Small changes do make a big difference to people who haven't considered weight-loss strategies before. It helped my husband to give up Coke in favor of Coke Zero and sugarless iced tea. As for myself, I don't think I've consumed sugary soft drinks more than once every few months since high school.

If you're searching the web today for inspiration for first-time New Year's weight-loss resolution, though, go check this article out!