I'm trying to stick to a strict grocery budget this week. Pizza may not come to mind when your living on a budget, but often when you look in your fridge you have the stuff to put one together. This pizza had seasoned hamburger meat (about 1/3 of a pound), about 12 pepperonis, half a green pepper, half an onion, and a bag of Italian blend cheese. It tasted really good.
I don't really follow recipes close and I often just throw things together. I'll give you my recipe for pizza crust to the best of my ability, but I'm not positive of the exact amounts. A lot of this you do by feel.
Preheat your oven to 450.
Mix flour, sugar, and cheese first, then add the olive oil, milk, and garlic. Begin mixing together. Add warm water until dough forms. You may not need a whole cup of warm water. Kneed the dough for about 10 minutes. Cover with a cloth and set aside for 20 minutes. You can roll the dough out with a rolling pin or press it into a pan by hand. I used a pizza pan this time, but it's a good crust to use in a large cast iron skillet for a deep dish pizza. Top pizza as desired and cook for 20 - 25 minutes.
While the dough is setting you can cook your hamburger meat or sausage. I cooked a pound of hamburger meat and put the rest up to make something else with the next day. Pizza is great because you can just throw anything you have on it and it turns out great. I didn't have any pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce so I used medium salsa on it and I liked that better than regular pizza sauce.
Preheat oven to 375
Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until it is creamy. Add the egg and continue beating. Gradually add flour and continue beating. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop the cookies in rounded spoonfuls on a baking sheet.
Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown.
This made us 18 cookies, but will probably make you about 20. I think we ate a few in the dough stage!
I'm planning on freezing a lot of food in the next few months in preparation for the baby and also for busy days with Jamie. I've been collecting recipes from people. I got some great recipes from MoneySavingMom.com. Even after finding the recipes I was a little lost on how to properly store these items or how long it would be okay to store them. To find the answer I did what any computer age mom would do... I googled. I thought I'd share what I found. This is extremely helpful to me. Now I can't wait to get cooking!
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Focus_On_Freezing/index.asp
Foods in the freezer -- are they safe? Every year, thousands of callers to
the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline aren't sure about the safety of items stored
in their own home freezers. The confusion seems to be based on the fact that few
people understand how freezing protects food. Here is some information on how to
freeze food safely and how long to keep it.
What Can You
Freeze?
You can freeze almost any food. Some exceptions are canned
food or eggs in shells. However, once the food (such as a ham) is out of the
can, you may freeze it.
Being able to freeze food and being pleased with
the quality after defrosting are two different things. Some foods simply don't
freeze well. Examples are mayonnaise, cream sauce and lettuce. Raw meat and
poultry maintain their quality longer than their cooked counterparts because
moisture is lost during cooking.
Is Frozen Food Safe?
Food stored constantly at 0 °F will always be safe. Only the quality suffers
with lengthy freezer storage. Freezing keeps food safe by slowing the movement
of molecules, causing microbes to enter a dormant stage. Freezing preserves food
for extended periods because it prevents the growth of microorganisms that cause
both food spoilage and foodborne illness.
Does Freezing Destroy
Bacteria & Parasites?
Freezing to 0 °F inactivates any microbes
-- bacteria, yeasts and molds - - present in food. Once thawed, however, these
microbes can again become active, multiplying under the right conditions to
levels that can lead to foodborne illness. Since they will then grow at about
the same rate as microorganisms on fresh food, you must handle thawed items as
you would any perishable food.
Trichina and other parasites can be
destroyed by sub-zero freezing temperatures. However, very strict
government-supervised conditions must be met. It is not recommended to rely on
home freezing to destroy trichina. Thorough cooking will destroy all parasites.
Freshness & Quality
Freshness and quality at
the time of freezing affect the condition of frozen foods. If frozen at peak
quality, foods emerge tasting better than foods frozen near the end of their
useful life. So freeze items you won't use quickly sooner rather than later.
Store all foods at 0° F or lower to retain vitamin content, color, flavor and
texture.
Nutrient Retention
The freezing process
itself does not destroy nutrients. In meat and poultry products, there is little
change in nutrient value during freezer storage.
Enzymes
Enzyme activity can lead to the
deterioration of food quality. Enzymes present in animals, vegetables and fruit
promote chemical reactions, such as ripening. Freezing only slows the enzyme
activity that takes place in foods. It does not halt these reactions which
continue after harvesting. Enzyme activity does not harm frozen meats or fish
and is neutralized by the acids in frozen fruits. But most vegetables that
freeze well are low acid and require a brief, partial cooking to prevent
deterioration. This is called "blanching." For successful freezing, blanch or
partially cook vegetables in boiling water or in a microwave oven. Then rapidly
chill the vegetables prior to freezing and storage. Consult a cookbook for
timing.
Packaging
Proper packaging helps maintain
quality and prevent "freezer burn." It is safe to freeze meat or poultry
directly in its supermarket wrapping but this type of wrap is permeable to air.
Unless you will be using the food in a month or two, overwrap these packages as
you would any food for long-term storage using airtight heavy-duty foil,
(freezer) plastic wrap or freezer paper, or place the package inside a (freezer)
plastic bag. Use these materials or airtight freezer containers to repackage
family packs into smaller amounts. It is not necessary to rinse meat and poultry
before freezing. Freeze unopened vacuum packages as is. If you notice that a
package has accidentally been torn or has opened while food is in the freezer,
the food is still safe to use; merely overwrap or rewrap it.
Freezer Burn
Freezer burn does not make food
unsafe, merely dry in spots. It appears as grayish-brown leathery spots and is
caused by air reaching the surface of the food. Cut freezer-burned portions away
either before or after cooking the food. Heavily freezer-burned foods may have
to be discarded for quality reasons.
Color Changes
Color changes can occur in frozen foods. The bright red color of
meat as purchased usually turns dark or pale brown depending on its variety.
This may be due to lack of oxygen, freezer burn or abnormally long storage.
Freezing doesn't usually cause color changes in poultry. However, the
bones and the meat near them can become dark. Bone darkening results when
pigment seeps through the porous bones of young poultry into the surrounding
tissues when the poultry meat is frozen and thawed.
The dulling of color
in frozen vegetables and cooked foods is usually the result of excessive drying
due to improper packaging or over-lengthy storage.
Freeze
Rapidly
Freeze food as fast as possible to maintain its quality.
Rapid freezing prevents undesirable large ice crystals from forming throughout
the product because the molecules don't have time to take their positions in the
characteristic six-sided snowflake. Slow freezing creates large, disruptive ice
crystals. During thawing, they damage the cells and dissolve emulsions. This
causes meat to "drip"--lose juiciness. Emulsions such as mayonnaise or cream
will separate and appear curdled.
Ideally, a food 2-inches thick should
freeze completely in about 2 hours. If your home freezer has a "quick-freeze"
shelf, use it. Never stack packages to be frozen. Instead, spread them out in
one layer on various shelves, stacking them only after frozen solid.
Refrigerator - Freezers
If a refrigerator freezing
compartment can't maintain zero degrees or if the door is opened frequently, use
it for short-term food storage. Eat those foods as soon as possible for best
quality. Use a free-standing freezer set at 0° F or below for long-term storage
of frozen foods. Keep a thermometer in your freezing compartment or freezer to
check the temperature. This is important if you experience power-out or
mechanical problems.
Length of Time
Because
freezing keeps food safe almost indefinitely, recommended storage times are for
quality only. Refer to the freezer storage chart at the end of this document,
which lists optimum freezing times for best quality.
If a food is not
listed on the chart, you may determine its quality after defrosting. First check
the odor. Some foods will develop a rancid or off odor when frozen too long and
should be discarded. Some may not look picture perfect or be of high enough
quality to serve alone but may be edible; use them to make soups or stews. Cook
raw food and if you like the taste and texture, use it.
Safe
Defrosting
Never defrost foods in a garage, basement, car,
dishwasher or plastic garbage bag; out on the kitchen counter, outdoors or on
the porch. These methods can leave your foods unsafe to eat.
There are
three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the
microwave. It's best to plan ahead for slow, safe thawing in the refrigerator.
Small items may defrost overnight; most foods require a day or two. And large
items like turkeys may take longer, approximately one day for each 5 pounds of
weight.
For faster defrosting, place food in a leak proof plastic bag
and immerse it in cold water. (If the bag leaks, bacteria from the air or
surrounding environment could be introduced into the food. Tissues can also
absorb water like a sponge, resulting in a watery product.) Check the water
frequently to be sure it stays cold. Change the water every 30 minutes. After
thawing, cook immediately.
When microwave-defrosting food, plan to cook
it immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and
begin to cook during microwaving.
Refreezing
Once
food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking,
although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through
defrosting. After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is safe to
freeze the cooked foods. If previously cooked foods are thawed in the
refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion.
If you purchase
previously frozen meat, poultry or fish at a retail store, you can refreeze if
it has been handled properly.
Cooking Frozen Foods
Raw or cooked meat, poultry or casseroles can be cooked or reheated from the
frozen state. However, it will take approximately one and a half times the usual
cooking time for food which has been thawed. Remember to discard any wrapping or
absorbent paper from meat or poultry.
When cooking whole poultry, remove
the giblet pack from the cavity as soon as you can loosen it. Cook the giblets
separately. Read the label on USDA-inspected frozen meat and poultry products.
Some, such as pre-stuffed whole birds, MUST be cooked from the frozen state to
ensure a safely cooked product.
LOOK FOR THE USDA OR STATE MARK OF
INSPECTION
The inspection mark on the packaging tells you the
product was prepared in a USDA or State-inspected plant under controlled
conditions. Follow the package directions for thawing, reheating, and storing.
Power Outage in Freezer
If there is a power outage,
the freezer fails, or if the freezer door has been left ajar by mistake, the
food may still be safe to use. As long as a freezer with its door ajar is
continuing to cool, the foods should stay safe overnight. If a repairman is on
the way or it appears the power will be on soon, just don't open the freezer
door.
A freezer full of food will usually keep about 2 days if the door
is kept shut; a half-full freezer will last about a day. The freezing
compartment in a refrigerator may not keep foods frozen as long. If the freezer
is not full, quickly group packages together so they will retain the cold more
effectively. Separate meat and poultry items from other foods so if they begin
to thaw, their juices won't drip onto other foods.
When the power is
off, you may want to put dry ice, block ice, or bags of ice in the freezer or
transfer foods to a friend's freezer until power is restored. Use an appliance
thermometer to monitor the temperature.
When it is freezing outside and
there is snow on the ground, it seems like a good place to keep food until the
power comes on; however, frozen food can thaw if it is exposed to the sun's rays
even when the temperature is very cold. Refrigerated food may become too warm
and foodborne bacteria could grow. The outside temperature could vary hour by
hour and the temperature outside will not protect refrigerated and frozen food.
Additionally, perishable items could be exposed to unsanitary conditions or to
animals. Animals may harbor bacteria or disease; never consume food that has
come in contact with an animal.
To determine the safety of foods when
the power goes on, check their condition and temperature. If food is partly
frozen, still has ice crystals, or is as cold as if it were in a refrigerator
(40 °F), it is safe to refreeze or use. It's not necessary to cook raw foods
before refreezing. Discard foods that have been warmer than 40 °F for more than
2 hours. Discard any foods that have been contaminated by raw meat juices.
Dispose of soft or melted ice cream for quality's sake.
Frozen Cans
Accidentally frozen cans, such as those
left in a car or basement in sub-zero temperatures, can present health problems.
If the cans are merely swollen -- and you are sure the swelling was caused by
freezing -- the cans may still be usable. Let the can thaw in the refrigerator
before opening. If the product doesn't look and/or smell normal, throw it out.
DO NOT TASTE IT! If the seams have rusted or burst, throw the cans out
immediately, wrapping the burst can in plastic and disposing the food where no
one, including animals can get it.
Frozen Eggs
Shell eggs should not be frozen. If an egg accidentally freezes and
the shell cracked during freezing, discard the egg. Keep an uncracked egg frozen
until needed; then thaw in the refrigerator. It can be hard cooked successfully
but other uses may be limited. That's because freezing causes the yolk to become
thick and syrupy so it will not flow like an unfrozen yolk or blend very well
with the egg white or other ingredients.
Freezer Storage Chart (0 °F)
Note: Freezer storage is for quality only. Frozen foods remain safe
indefinitely.Item Months
Bacon and Sausage 1 to 2
Casseroles 2 to 3
Egg
whites or egg substitutes 12
Frozen Dinners and Entrees 3 to 4
Gravy, meat or poultry 2 to 3
Ham, Hotdogs and Lunchmeats 1 to 2
Meat, uncooked roasts 4 to 12
Meat, uncooked steaks or chops 4 to 12
Meat, uncooked ground 3 to 4
Meat, cooked 2 to 3
Poultry, uncooked
whole 12
Poultry, uncooked parts 9
Poultry, uncooked giblets 3 to 4
Poultry, cooked 4
Soups and Stews 2 to 3
Wild game, uncooked 8 to 12
Brown meat with 2 teaspoons of red pepper. When done, drain fat from meat and put the meat in the crock pot. Add remaining ingredients. This needs to cook at least four hours on high. You can simmer it all day on low if you want. In my book, the longer the better. I just didn't have time to cook it so long today.
This recipe has less than 30 carbs for the entire pot. It is another one of those recipes that you can have your fill of without too much concern.
I said I wanted to try this recipe with spinach and I am so glad I did. This is my new favorite dish! My husband loved it and he won't eat cooked vegetables. This was so beyond fabulous, even he couldn't resist. I also replaced the half-n-half with heavy cream & only used half an onion to reduce the carb content. I'm not sure what the net carbs are. I didn't count with the changes. It's really low, though. I could eat the whole thing and not mess up my diet!
1 lb. lean hamburger meat
1/2 onion (chopped)
4 slices of crispy cooked bacon
3 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup heavy cream (should have 0 carbs)
8 oz, shredded cheddar cheese
9 oz. fresh spinach
garlic powder to taste
pepper to taste
Brown hamburger meat in skillet with onion. Remove and drain excess grease. Mix in a food processor with bacon using the S attachment until all clumps are broken up and it is a fine, consistent mix. Press into the bottom of a deep dish pie pan or casserole dish.
While cooking the hamburger meat, steam the spinach for about 10 minutes. If you don't have a steamer, you can boil it. I prefer steaming vegetables. Chop it up a bit when you get it out. It will break up when you blend it anyway, but it helps to get it started.
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine eggs, mayonnaise, half-n-half, shredded cheese, spinach, garlic powder, and pepper in a mixing bowl and mix well. Pour mixture into pan on top of the hamburger meat. Bake 40-45 minutes or until top is browned and set. Cool 15-20 minutes before slicing.
Brown hamburger meat in skillet with onion. Remove and drain excess grease. Mix in a food processor with bacon using the S attachment until all clumps are broken up and it is a fine, consistent mix. Press into the bottom of a deep dish pie pan or casserole dish.
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine eggs, mayonnaise, half-n-half, shredded cheese, garlic powder, and pepper in a mixing bowl and mix well. Pour mixture into pan on top of the hamburger meat. Bake 40-45 minutes or until top is browned and set. Cool 15-20 minutes before slicing.
Makes 6 serving with about 2 grams net carbs per serving.
I'd like to try this recipe next time with some fresh spinach in with the filling. I bet that would be fabulous.
Combine all ingredients in your crock pot to cook slow or in a 2 quart pot to cook fast. I set my crock pot to cook for 6 hours on high since I was preparing it for dinner.
I've been on my low-carb diet again. I really want to drop some weight before Jamie starts school in the fall. I want to have more confidence when I start meeting other parents. I don't want the first impression to be "fat and lazy". I've been trying to walk every day, though I admit I haven't been following through with that very well. I am doing well on my diet. I did cheat on Mother's Day for that strawberry pie, but I've always believed in permissible cheating on occasion. If you don't allow yourself some indulgence every few months then you won't follow through.
The kids broke my scales a few months ago, so I can't gauge my weight, but I found a method to use in the meantime that is probable a better gauge anyway. I took all my measurements and also tried on a dress I love that is about two sizes too small. I could manage to squeeze into it, but could not zip it. When I tried it on the other day I could zip it, but I'm busting at the seams. I lost two inches off my waist and one off my bust (darn it).
Because of financial restrictions, my diet is not as varied as I would like. I eat plain salad at least twice a day. I eat lean hamburger and chicken for almost every meal. My uncle brought me some great steaks last week and I really loved the indulgence. I'm generally a chicken person, though. I try to keep some snacks like pork rinds and almonds around. Sometimes my husband picks me up some sugar free candy for a treat. He also buys sugar free popsicles for Jamie and I. I also keep stocked on cheese. A couple of days ago he picked me up some low carb wraps. I can only eat one of them a day, but it's great for a change and Jamie loves them, too.
The best part of being on the diet is that I no longer need medication for my diabetes. Keeping my carbs really low keeps my blood sugar in check for the most part. I've had some highs, but nothing higher than one hundred sixty. That's much better than before when I would frequently have blood glucose levels of three to four hundred on medication.
I also have a good baseline to go by medically since I had blood work done about a week before starting the diet. In a few months I'll ask my doctor to check my blood work again and see if my liver enzymes, cholesterol, A1C levels, and blood counts have improved. I'll let you know when I do that. That's a ways off. I want to have been on the diet long enough to see some significant change. I was also weighed, so I'm going to try to stop in and use their scales so I can see my progress. I know I've lost weight, but it helps to see the numbers.
I didn't think I could do this on a budget. It's harder. I can't have all the extras that make this easier. I also didn't think I could do it without Matthew following the diet as well. I think that I've finally become so determined that nothing can bother me. I sit with Matthew and Jamie while they eat things I love but can't have and it doesn't bother me.
I ate the best lunch today. I didn't take a picture, but it's easy and you should definitely try it. I didn't feel much like cooking, but I had a half pound of hamburger meat to cook. I threw it in a skillet and fried it, breaking it up as it cooked. When it was done I added 3 spoonfuls of medium salsa, big chunks of onions, and green peppers. I cooked it just a little bit, leaving the onions and green peppers slightly crisp. It was just so good. I wish I had more.
We've got to run to the grocery store tonight. I'm definitely going to pick up more hamburger meat.
Preheat oven to 300°
Place the Roast in a pan or casserole dish. *I used an eye of round roast.
Slice up an onion and cover the top of the roast, using toothpicks to hold them in place.
Cut up potatoes into hunks and place around the roast. *I remove the
skins because my husband won't eat the skins. You can leave them on if you
want.Season dish as you desire. *I just used salt and pepper this time.
Cover and bake for approximately three hours or until done. *We like our meat well done with no pink. I go for an internal temperature of at least 180°. I cooked this roast for three and a half hours and reached an internal temperature of 200°.
I made the chicken stock a couple of days ago. I boiled a chicken with vegetables in a big pot and when it was done I let the stock cook down so the flavor was stronger. I drained it and put it in the refrigerator intending to make chicken and dumplings with it.
For the inside I sliced carrots, celery, potatoes, and added frozen peas to the stock. I cubed chicken and seasoned with basil, pepper, garlic, and parsley. I added a little milk then mixed all purpose flour with a little bit of oil and added it.
I made the crust with 2 cups of self-rising flour, 1/4 cup of canola oil, 1/2 cup of softened butter, and 2/3 cup of milk. I rolled it out and pressed it into a casserole dish, I poured my mixture into the dish and then I cut some dough into strips to make the lattice crust.
I think it would be really fun to make ornaments with Jamie this year. I could try all three recipes and see how they turn out, then he could make gifts for the family with the best recipe! I'll post pictures when we do it.
**** ALL OF THESE ARE NONEDIBLE ****
White Ornament Clay
Cinnamon-Applesauce Craft Dough
- 1 ½ Cups ground Cinnamon
- 1 Cup Applesauce
- ¼ Cup White School Glue
Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Add water if the dough is too stiff, a little at a time (be careful not to overdo it). Knead mixture for five to ten minutes. Return mixture to bowl an let sit for about half an hour. Roll dough to a thickness of ¼ to 1/8 inches. Cut with cookie cutters. Make holes for hanging with a straw.
Cover a wire rack with a paper towel and place ornaments on the towel to dry. Ornaments can also be dried by baking them on a rack (without the paper towel) for two hours at 200 degrees.
Sand dried ornaments with fine sand paper or emery boards. Wipe sanded edges with a damp sponge to relieve discoloration.
We have to live on a very small budget right now. I can take 3 chicken breasts and make three meals out of it for my family of three..
Breast 1.
Cheep Chicken and Dumplings
(My family loves it despite the cheating)
I use this as the first meal so I can use the stock from boiling the chicken. My family only eats white meat.
Boil all three pieces of chicken. I add a can of chicken broth to the water after I'm done boiling and break up one breast by hand into the pot. I put the other two away for the next two days.
Then I use Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits (in the 4 pack rolls) and pinch off little balls and drop them into the pot (while still boiling, but turn to medium heat). I use all four rolls because my family eats a ton of it. I add a bit of salt and pepper and let it cook until the dumplings are done and the broth thickens a little.
Open a can of green beans, makes some stove top, and voila. Dinner is served.
Breast 2.
Chicken Tator Tot Casserole
Preheat Oven to 350
-2lbs Tator Tots
-1 can peas
-Leftover Chicken (even layer)
-1 can cream of mushroom soup
-1 can cream of chicken soup
- grated cheddar cheese (enough to cover pan)
Cover bottom of cake pan with tator tots. Drain the peas and spread them evenly over tots. Add a layer of chicken on top. Mix together your cream of mushroom soup & cream of chicken soup with 1 can of water. Spread evenly over the top of chicken. Top with cheese to taste. Bake until cheese is starting to brown. (approx 30 min)
Breast 3
Chicken Stir Fry
Break the last breast up and make a big stir fry. I usually use broccoli, peppers, and onions. You could buy bagged veggies already mixed for this sort of fry or cut up your own. It's amazing how far that breast will go, but be sure and save a good sized one for this meal.
Steam or boil some rice and you're good to go.
Recipe
2 lbs Hamburger Meat
4 slices of bread torn into little pieces
2 Eggs
1 large or 2 small onions
Ketchup
4-5 Potatoes
Recipe: Meat Loaf & Potatoes
Bake at 400ยบ for 30-45 minutes
Combine in large bowl
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 4 slices of bread torn into small pieces
• 2 eggs
• onions chopped into small pieces (optional)
• Ketchup
Use as much ketchup as you need for a good firm consistency. Form into tennis ball size portions. Place balls into skillet and cover tops with ketchup (amount to taste). I like to just make squiggly lines across the whole dish. My grandmother like to put globs on the individual meatloaf balls. Peal and slice potatoes into small/medium size chunks. Place potatoes around meat loaf balls in cast iron skillet(s) or cake pan(s).
This meal is a big winner with my whole family. It's pretty easy and great for guests, too.
