Meal Plan Around In-Season Produce - Winter

Surprisingly, the first day of winter isn't until December 21st, but if you ask me it begins December 1st. Doesn't it just feel like winter as soon as this month hits? Not to mention the few snowfalls we've had by now...snow is totally an indication of winter in my books.

With the change of season from Fall to Winter, comes a change in in-season produce. If you don't already meal plan around the produce that is in-season, now's the time to give it a try. In-season produce is a lot cheaper, and not to mention it tastes better! The tricky part is knowing what is currently in-season.

So here's a list of produce that is in-season for Winter (December, January, February):
*Information from Suite 101

VEGGIES:

FRUITS:

If you don't have any recipes for using these items a couple good websites for recipes are:

Allrecipes
Foodnetwork
Recipezaar

In all of these websites, you can go to the 'Ingredient' search engine, and type in the ingredient you are looking for. It will give you a bunch of recipes with that ingredient and you can have it sorted by the most highly rated recipes.

Another good one is: Supercook. This website allows you to type in all the ingredients you have on hand, and it does a big search of a few different recipe websites to find recipes with your ingredients. It tells you which recipes you already have all the ingredients for, and which items you still need for other recipes.

So give planning around in-season produce a try...I bet if you took a look at your grocery stores flyer for this week, you would find most of these items in there for way cheaper than usual.

Nearly normal?

It has been a depressing few days for the nation as a whole. We have been as sickened by the sounds of gunshots and explosives as by the incessant voices on the various channels especially those of politicians. It was something you wanted to run away from and yet could not. It seemed that sitting before the television and hoping for the drama to end soon was all you could do to express solidarity to the people who were trapped inside, engulfed in horror and for the brave men who were going about their job unaffected by the cameras and mayhem surrounding the scene of action. Over the 60 hour period, emotions changed from shock to horror to gratitude to relief but catharsis came finally through tears. Copious tears shed for the loss of some of our best officers and the young commando from one's own city, for all those who came to visit this country and never went back and for the staff who took care of their guests till their very last; and for baby Moshe who doesn't know the immensity of his loss and all children for whom living with terror might become a way of life. Heart-breaking stories and tales of real heroism.

It is all finally over but somehow you know your world has changed forever. When you wave goodbye to someone and say 'take care' it is no longer perfunctory, you mean it. When people are unduly delayed or when some one is traveling, you do tend to check the television news often and there is a feeling of unease until they are safely home. Nothing is certain anymore except NOW.

And then there is anger, a lot of anger:

- at the evil gunmen and their masters. Their death came too soon, you want them rot away slowly pleading for mercy. Did the lone survivor say he has no regrets? Oh, we will see about that and by the time we are through with the investigations you will have plenty of that don't worry!

- at those who had intelligence of the plot and chose to ignore it. Why? How could they take something like this lightly? Every false alarm is worth investigation. You can never be too sure considering what the city has suffered recently.

- at the men who groveled for our votes but now choose to sit in their comfortable chairs and say that in a big city such things are bound to happen. Really? So remind us again why do we have a government and why do we pay our taxes?
I'd be happy to see their heads roll and that is not in figurative terms.

- at the politicians who try to get some bandwidth out of a brave young man's death and making a mockery of his funeral disrespecting the sentiments of his grieving family.
No wonder his father could not handle it anymore when the Kerala CM and home minister came visiting. He simply ordered them out of his house.

- at our neighbor - who still refuses to see that it is in its own interest to act on evidence presented and not hide behind rhetoric. How many such incidents do they need to see that terror is no longer a local phenomenon and collective action is needed to confront and quell it or it may be their turn next. How long will they turn a blind eye to it?

- at the media - well not exactly anger but irritation at the way you all went overboard with your reporting. yes,we heard that you were risking your lives to bring us footage of the scene of action. But I am not sure if we needed all the information you gave us. Frankly, what was the need for a minute by minute report - it wasn't a match happening there. So many media persons around might actually have been a distraction and added stress on the administration. Even otherwise, you could just shown us the pictures and let the camera speak. We could have done with less of your incessant chatter. Arnab, Barka and Rajdeep, your lung power is simply amazing. But next time, follow the simple rule: If there is nothing new to report, that is your cue to shut up. And you don't shove microphones before worried and grieving people to give you a sense of what is going through their minds. Not done. ( edited to add: Gnani Sankaran, Tamil writer raises some very important points on the lopsided media coverage of the attack here.)

So did we hear the politicians say that the nation stood united in those moments of terror? That moment is apparently over as they have gone back to their old bickering and pettiness. Calculations must be on to see how this disaster can be converted to votes or seats. Looks like life is back to normal.

Only normal is not so normal anymore for the man on the street.

Won Ton Chicken Salad


When I became a mom I was rather overwhelmed with all the new things my life had to offer, not to mention some of the boredom that ensued that came from hanging out talking to an infant all day. When a group of other mom's that I know decided to get together once a month for "Mom Time" to have a nice lunch, play a game and chat while our kids were taken care of by a babysitter, I was really excited for the "adult" interaction. The first Mom Time we had my friend Lindyl made this salad. It was quite a nice light, but filling lunch and I devoured mine so fast (and gobbled up seconds....and maybe even thirds) I knew I had to get the recipe from her.

While it isn't the most healthiest of salads, it sure satisfies me and knocks the socks off of my husband. And sometimes that's all I'm really looking for ;)

*Recipe from Lindyl Pankonin
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Serves 4


1 head of romaine
3 green onions, chopped
25-30 pork won tons (either frozen ones bought from the store, or homemade)
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Dressing:
2/3 cup oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
Salt to taste

Begin by mixing dressing ingredients in a clean jar. Slice the raw chicken into strips and place in a bowl. Pour a ¼ of the dressing over the chicken, mix and place in the fridge to marinate for 10-15 minutes (or longer). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. When chicken is done marinating, place on baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake 15 minutes or so until the chicken is done.

Heat up a wok on medium heat with about an inch or so of oil. Place the won tons in batches and fry until golden and crispy. Set aside.

Chop up romaine and green onions. Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces when they come out of the oven. Add to salad along with the fried won tons. In a dry pan, toast the almonds over medium heat until toasted. Add to the salad and dress with remaining dressing.

Click here for printable version of Won Ton Chicken Salad
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THE RESULTS?

Awwww yeah. So good. I think that a good salad always has good contrast of textures, so I love when there are crispy bits. This salad has both the crunchy toasted almonds and the crispy won tons, plus the sweet/sour flavor of the dressing...it all comes together so nicely. Not only did this win over the ladies at the luncheon, but I impressed my husband as well.

Slow Cooker Thai Curry


I always hesitate to label something with a cultural label when it really isn't authentic. Like my Mexican Rice that isn't even remotely Mexican. We for some reason, associate certain flavors and flavor combination's with certain cultures and give all dishes with those characteristics that label. I'm sure that's what this curry is like...it really isn't an authentic Thai curry since I've never seen peanut butter used before, but nevertheless, the flavors are reminiscent of Thai cooking.

While it may not be totally authentic it's pretty tasty, and a nice break from boring ol' slow cooker meals.

*Recipe adapted from Sandi Richard
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Serves 6

2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1/3 lb shrimp, shells removed
1/3 cup peanut butter
14 oz coconut milk
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 tbsp red or green Thai curry paste
3 carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 large red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
2 cups frozen peas

Either the morning of, or the night before, cut chicken into chunks. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat with one tbsp of oil and add chicken, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook chicken until no longer pink and slightly browned. Remove from pan and add to crock pot. Also add peanut butter, coconut milk, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, curry paste, carrots, and pepper. Stir and if making the night before, put on lid and store just the insert of the crock pot in the fridge.

The next morning, remove the center insert of the crock pot from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature while you get ready. Before you leave, put the insert into the crock pot base and turn the crock pot on to low and cook 6-8 hours. When you get home, add the shrimp and peas and turn crock pot up to high. Let cook for 20-30 minutes (while the rice is cooking).

Serve over basmati or jasmine rice. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Click here for printable version of Slow Cooker Thai Curry
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THE RESULTS?

My husband and toddler absolutely loved this dish. I thought it was okay. I wasn't able to find Thai curry paste, so I used a can of Thai Green Curry Sauce that already had coconut milk in it, so adding a whole can of coconut milk made it very rich and coconuty. Which is what my husband loved about it, but what I found to be too rich. The cilantro gave it a nice bright pop of flavor and really lightened up the richness of the coconut milk so don't skimp on it (unless you don't like it). It was still a really nice change from ordinary slow cooker dishes, and I will definitely try it again using Thai Curry Paste.

Missing Take-Out?

Love the extra money in your wallet that comes from meal planning, but missing fast food and take out?

I'm always craving restaurant-style food, but instead of eating out I try to re-create my favorite dishes or go looking for recipes that sound similar. It really satisfies those cravings and helps you to not miss take-out so much.

Try these take-out inspired recipes:

Chinese:

Italian:
Start the meal off with bread dipped in balsamic and oil..just like they do in the restaurant.

Japanese:

Vietnamese:

Indian:

North American :


Sometimes, it's not always the food you miss when you don't go to a restaurant, but the company and the time out with friends. Instead try having your friends over for a drink and some appetizers. You'll enjoy it just as much. I promise:

Or make the kids happy with the novelty of having a “Leftover Buffet”. Don't spend your money on one of those expensive buffets with the salad bar, etc, but instead stay at home and use this as a creative way for getting rid of the leftovers that have piled up in your fridge all week. Put everything out on the counter, and the family can dish up their own plate with their favorite dishes from the week. You could even set up your own salad bar with all the fixin's and a few salad dressings. You'll not only save money from not eating out, but you'll save money by not throwing out the leftovers.

(As a little treat you could also surprise the kids with a Make-Your-Own Sundae Bar. Set out ice cream with chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, marshmallows, chocolate chips, sprinkles, peanuts, cherries and whip cream and let them dish up and create their own specialized sundaes. They'll love you.)



Peanut Butter Banana Smoothies


A couple summers ago, my husband and I made these really fancy and delicious smoothies similar to Booster Juice and Juice Fare. We went all out and spared no expense to recreate the smoothies the same way these franchises did: we had our frozen berries and fruit, frozen fruit sorbet and all-fruit juices....each of these ingredients were INCREDIBLY expensive. We didn't keep track of how much it cost, but let me just say we spent a lot of money on those smoothies. We made them so much, we wore out one of our blenders....lucky we did though, because we couldn't afford to keep making those expensive smoothies.

As healthy as smoothies are, I really didn't want to venture into smoothie-making territory for fear of it getting out of control money-wise again. I didn't think you could make a smoothie as delicious as the ones we used to make without getting all those expensive ingredients.

I was happy to discover Money Saving Mom's Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie:
3 inexpensive ingredients = healthy & delicious

Thanks Money Saving Mom.


*Recipe from Money Saving Mom

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Serves 1

3/4 -1 cup frozen banana chunks
1 cup milk
1 tbsp peanut butter

Throw all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Click here for printable version of Peanut Butter Banana Smoothies
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THE RESULTS?
This smoothie is thick, rich and delicious. I make one for myself in the morning and one for my toddler who happens to love both bananas and peanut butter. I make her's a bit thinner by using slightly less bananas and more milk. I put her smoothie in this little travel container that has a straw...so no spilling! We both drink our smoothie's as we are on our way out the door for the day.

So now that it's been proved that you can make a healthy and delicious smoothie without all the fancy frills, I am now on the prowl for more inexpensive smoothies. I've got a couple idea's but...anyone have any suggestions?

Ginger Maple Glazed Chicken


Lately I've been finding huge packages of chicken legs on sale for around a $1 a pound, so I've been scooping them up and storing them in my freezer. I've tried some delicious chicken leg recipes in the last couple of weeks, and wanted something different but just as tasty. This chicken is wonderful with it's sweet sticky glaze.

*Recipe from MaryAlice @ Recipezaar

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Serves 4

8 chicken drumsticks or chicken pieces
1/3 cup flour
2 tbsp oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp dry sherry
2 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Dredge chicken in the flour. Heat a large frying pan over high heat with the oil, and brown the chicken on all sides. Transfer to a baking dish.

Mix together maple syrup, rice vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, sherry, ginger and pepper and pour over the chicken. Bake the chicken for 1 hour and 15 minutes, turning the chicken in the sauce every 20 minutes or so.

Click here for printable version of Ginger Maple Glazed Chicken
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THE RESULTS?

This chicken was really yummy. I loved how easy this chicken was to throw together, and once it was in the oven it was very hands-off. I put Japanese sticky rice (calrose rice) in my rice cooker, and frozen peas in the microwave - both totally hands off! The glaze on the chicken is delicious and we spooned any extra glaze over our rice. Our family loved this chicken.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins


Before I had made these muffins, I honestly couldn't remember ever eating zucchini bread or muffins. I'm sure I have since I have such an avid gardening family...maybe when I was a kid my Grandma made them or something. In any case, I could only assume what they would taste like and I was excited. I first made them at the end of summer/beginning of fall when zucchini were in-season and quite inexpensive. Since then, the prices have gone up, but so have my cravings for these chocolately delights, so I just couldn't hold off from buying this little tiny zucchini for $1. It will probably be the last I buy until they come into season again...but it was worth it :)

If summer's bounty has you with a bunch of zucchini these would be a great way to eat them up.

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Makes 12 muffins


1 egg
2/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup grated zucchini
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup chocolate chips (I like to use the mini chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your muffin tins.

In a large bowl beat the eggs. Beat in the sugar, applesauce and oil. Add the vanilla, chocolate chips, zucchini and stir well.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sifting gets the lumps out that will inevitably be in the cocoa powder. Mix well and then add to the wet ingredients and mix until the batter is just moist. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack.

Click here for printable version of Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

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THE RESULTS?
I really enjoyed these muffins. I came up with recipe by combining a couple different ones and then tweaking each batch I made. I think I finally got all the measurements and proportions right for these deliciously chocolatey muffins. Vegetables covered in chocolate? YES PLEASE.

Baking Spree

I'm not normally much of a baker. In the past I strayed from baking except to maybe make a batch of cheese biscuits to go with a pot of soup or Cornbread Muffins for chili. That's it. I like the creativity behind cooking and it's loose measurements...pour a little of this, taste it, pour a little of that see if it needs more. Baking is all about chemistry and proper measurements and I can be such a klutz that I would forget something, drop something, or forget halfway through that I was decreasing the recipe by half and I just added the full amount of something (happened a million times). But lately I've been conquering my baking absence and stepping out of my comfort zone. A couple months ago I baked a batch of Carrot Muffins and the whole family loved eating them on the go for breakfast, savoring them with a cup of coffee or a quick snack for my toddler. I started to realize maybe I was on to something with this baking thing.

Last week I discovered Money Saving Mom and one of the first posts I read was about her Baking Day. She got so much accomplished and stored in her freezer in one day that I thought "I could do that." My husband needs healthy, filling snacks at work since he is a dry waller. He goes through 2 High Fiber Fruit and Nut granola bars a day...in other words: Expensive. A box of 15 lasts a week and a half and costs $6. I realized that this whole baking thing had it's purpose here as well: If I baked a bunch of muffins he could take those to work and cut down on this granola bar expense - about 12 muffins would cost approx. $0.50-$1...much better. So I had my own little Baking Spree on Sunday.


I baked 4 dozen muffins, froze 2 cups of plain yogurt in an ice cube tray for smoothies, and chopped up banana's and froze them for smoothies as well.



It took two and a half hours, and I was exhausted but I came away with some delicious goodies for my family:


It felt good to accomplish so much. My freezer is full, and so is a container on my cupboard full of a dozen assorted fresh muffins. And so are our tummies :)

Meal Plan Week 8

I swear the baby was craving Asian food this week! I couldn't seem to bring myself to plan any meat and potatoes kind of meals, or pasta. The baby wanted Asian flavors with rice and noodles so what the baby wants the baby gets (or more accurately, what I want is what I get :) At least my husband LOVES Asian food, as does our toddler.

Day 1: Szechuan Chicken Wraps
These were an idea I had. There is a chain restaurant in Canada that sells amazing wraps called "Bad Ass Jacks". I love it, but rarely get to have it since we don't have one in our city. I decided to try making them at home.

Day 2: Ginger Maple Glazed Chicken with Japanese sticky rice and peas
How many ways can you cook chicken pieces? I swear I've tried them all, but this is another winner.

Day 3: Beef with Green Beans in Peanut Sauce over Vermicelli
One of our family's all-time favorite recipes.

Day 4: Won Ton Chicken Salad
Not the healthiest of salads, but it sure pleases my family (and my taste buds).

Day 5: Sesame-Crusted Fish with Japanese sticky rice and corn
A new recipe I'm trying out for fish. We always seem to have an abundance of white fish, so I try to keep my eyes peeled for new things to do with it.

Day 6: Slow Cooker Thai Curry
I like slow cooker meals aren't boring, so this one really caught my eye. After a long day at work, this will be so exciting to come home to.


Grocery List:
MEAT
2 chicken breasts
8 chicken legs
1 ½ lbs fish fillets
1 lb top round steak

PRODUCE
1 Carrot
Handful of bean sprouts
Few mushrooms
5 cloves garlic
Ginger
2 green onions
¾ lb green beans

BAKERY
Tortillas

FROZEN
1 ½ cup frozen corn
1 ½ cup frozen peas

DAIRY
4 eggs

CANNED GOODS
¾ cup oil
½ cup chicken broth

DRY GOODS
Thin Chinese egg noodles
1 1/3 cup flour
2 cups calrose rice
1 cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
Vermicelli noodles
¼ cup roasted peanuts

SPICES, SEASONINGS, AND SAUCES
Szechuan sauce (or other favorite sauce)
½ cup maple syrup
2 tbsp cider vinegar
4 tbsp + 1 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sherry
¾ cup + 1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3 tbsp creamy peanut butter
2 tsp sesame oil

German Beef Goulash

Our International Dinner Club decided we should do the warm, comforting and satisfying flavors of Germany this month. What could be more comforting and satisfying than a homey beef stew? This stew intrigued me with it's use of sweet Hungarian paprika and marjoram; two spices I had never used before (nor had I tasted). Served over egg noodles (or spaetzle if you want to be authentic about it), this stew is perfect for an Autumn evening in.


*Recipe from HeatherFeather @ Recipezaar
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Serves 4


1 onion, diced
3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 lb bacon, finely chopped
2 lbs beef shoulder, cut into bite-sized chunks as for stew (trim any visable fat)
2 tbsp oil
2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups beef broth
1 tsp lemon juice
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 green bell pepper, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 tsp dried marjoram
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp cold water

In a large stew pot, heat the oil over high heat. Toss in the meat in batches so that the outsides can get nice and brown. Season with salt and pepper. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl and continue until all meat is browned.

In the same pot, turn heat down to medium-high and add the bacon, garlic and onion. Saute until the bacon is cooked and the onion is translucent. Return the meat to the pan and sprinkle with paprika. Add the tomato paste and stir until all the meat is covered. Slowly add a bit of beef broth, stirring to incorporate all the flavors. Add a little more broth and stir to incorporate again. Add the rest of the broth, as well as the lemon juice and marjoram.

Reduce the heat to low, cover and let simmer for about 80 minutes. In the last 20 minutes add the peppers. I thickened my stew at the end by mixing together 1 tbsp of cornstarch and a bit of cold water. I added it to the stew and let it simmer and it thickened nicely, although wasn't super thick. You can add more cornstarch if you like or keep it as a broth. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve over cooked egg noodles or spaetzle.

Click here for printable version of German Beef Goulash
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THE RESULTS?

I loved the addition of bacon, although it does make the stew slightly greasy. The flavors were amazing though, and really satisfying. I surprised one of my International Dinner Club members, Dan, when he commented on the stew asking me how I was able to get the meat so tender. "I dunno" I replied. "Just simmered it for an hour and a half like the recipe told me to" "AN HOUR AND A HALF?!" He exclaimed. "That's it?!" The meat is very, very tender and Dan later told me that I changed his mind about goulash. He had bad memories of his mom making goulash when he was growing up, but he loved mine. He ate two bowls of it and then asked for the recipe.

I've tagged this recipe "Slow Cooker" since it could easily be adapted. Just brown the meat and then toss everything into the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

of primates and parlours

Many of my friends tell me that they find haircuts,facials and pedicure very relaxing. One reason could be the feeling of well being that is born of looking good. Another could be the primitive sense of bonding that dates back to primate life.
“social grooming” is a common practice of primates. They “spend hours each day ruffling through each other’s fur, removing bits of loose skin or burrs caught in the fine hairs”The frequency with which any two individuals groom each other appears to be a reliable index of the closeness of the social bond between them--that is, the extent to which each can count on the other for support.

(source:article here.)

Reading this took me back in time to a long forgotten memory of women of the household combing each others hair, checking for lice and cleaning them in the days when beauty parlours were rare and expensive and even shampooing was considered harmful to the hair. Washing hair was a weekly ritual. Thick and long flowing tresses could not be handled on one's own and usually they helped each other in washing it off. Oiling and combing of hair was usually kept aside for the leisurely afternoons; Snarls would be delicately untangled with least damage and then the hair oiled with pure coconut oil or delicately perfumed Tata oil or the strong keshavardhini or cathredine for special occasions. Finally it would be carefully plaited ensuring that all the hair stayed in place and every plait was of equal tension resulting in a symmetric design. And the finishing touch would be a strand of fresh flowers. All of this was done with ritualistic care and involvement with women of the family helping each other in combing and plaiting. A lot passed between the women during these times - shared gossip, confidences and counsel and plenty of laughter. I had an aunt who would always insist on combing and plaiting my hair whenever she came visiting and my grandmother did this too - this was their way of showing that they cared. Any hair damage that they noticed would meet with severe disapproval and by the end of the stay they ensured that the damage was fixed.
It now occurs to me that they did this only for their favorites - not to all the women and children in the house. Grooming to express alliance!

Have you noticed that it makes you feel good when someone ruffles through your hair? In fact we even have an idiom in Tamil when two people bond closely they are described as scratching each other's backs - yet another allusion to grooming and bonding. With the break-up of joint families and opportunities within the family to bond, we seem to have found the closest alternative in parlours. A famous hairdresser had once said in an interview that a lot of his regular clients confide in him when he treats their hair. Not every one uses the hairdresser as their confidante but there may be a reason why they find grooming relaxing. And the article quoted above tells us why:
Being groomed is reported to be a very pleasurable experience. As Dunbar points out:
"In fact, we now know that grooming stimulates the production of the body’s natural opiates, the endorphins; in effect, being groomed produces mildly narcotic effects."


The article discusses the interesting theory that language evolved as an alternative for grooming in the effort to socialise and form alliances - as grooming was individual bonding and required more time. It seems that language evolved basically to fulfill the urge to gossip. Anthropologists at the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC) in Oxford, UK, say chatting on the phone is the human equivalent of social grooming among chimpanzees and gorillas. Could it be that humans are constantly in search of an alternative to fulfill the early needs met by the act of grooming? perhaps there lies in the deep recesses of our subconscious an unsatisfied urge: ah,If only we could sit in groups and look for lice in each other's hair!!!
So next time you swipe your card at the parlour for that fat bill, don't be filled with guilt. You probably just gave in to a basic primitive instinct - blame it on our common ancestors:


(Pic source :http://www.phpsolvent.com/images/monkeys-grooming-749185.jpg via google images)

Pecan Chicken over Salad with Maple BBQ Dressing


Whenever I find a main course salad that the whole family loves, it sure makes this mom happy. My husband's eyes light up and I swear I have to wipe up a pile of drool when I tell him I am making this for supper. The nuttiness of the pecans, mixed with the fresh citrus, sweet maple and tangy BBQ sauce is a weird but winning combination. The recipe calls for the chicken to be fried, but I find that the pecans can sometimes burn, and it's a whole lot easier and healthier just to pop them in the oven and bake them.

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray
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Serves 4



2 large chicken breasts, cut into long fat strips
Salt and pepper
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup pecans very finely chopped (or ground in a food processor)
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 orange, zested

Dressing:
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup tangy barbecue sauce (whatever your family really likes)
1 navel orange, juiced
Salt and pepper
1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
6 radishes, thinly sliced
6 green onions, chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with tinfoil.

In 3 separate bowls, place flour in one, beaten eggs in another, and mix together pecans, bread crumbs, nutmeg and orange zest in the last one. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, dredge in flour, dip in egg, and roll in pecan/crumb mixture. Place chicken fingers on prepared baking sheet, and drizzle with a bit of olive or vegetable oil. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.

In the meantime, prepare salad bowls with chopped up lettuce, green onions and radishes. In a jar combine the maple syrup, juice of navel orange, and BBQ sauce. Shake well.

When chicken is done baking, divide the chicken fingers up among the four salad bowls and place on top of the salads. Drizzle with Maple BBQ dressing.

Click here for printable version of Pecan Chicken over Salad with Maple BBQ Dressing
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THE RESULTS?
Delicious. The BBQ sauce you use can really alter the flavor of this dish, so make sure you use one that you really love. I've made this recipe using Bullseye Grilled Onion BBQ sauce, and that has a really deep rich flavor that my husband really likes. This time I used Diana Honey Garlic BBQ sauce and I liked it better. It was sweeter and lighter tasting. The radishes work well to balance the sweetness of the dressing by adding a little bite of peppery bitterness. I think that pecans are the greatest nut ever created, so this salad always makes me happy. Even my 16 month old enjoyed bites of the chicken dipped in the maple BBQ dressing. Happiness all around.


For more great Rachael Ray recipes visit Taste and Tell's Saturdays with Rachael Ray and for more ideas of using up radishes visit Grow. Eat. Save. from $5 Dinners.

Hummus


I'm really loving Elise's recipes at Simply Recipes these days. It seems she's always catching my eye when I'm searching for a recipe, and not to mention all the one's I've tried so far have been bang on. This hummus recipe is just that...BANG ON.

This was my first time making hummus homemade, and boy do I feel silly that I've never done it before. You know how much work it is to make? So little work you will feel silly too just reading the directions. This would make a fabulous dip to serve to company that pops over unexpectedly...provided you have a can of chick peas and some tahini hangin' around. But I'm sure you will after you've tried this recipe.

Recipe from Elise at Simply Recipes
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Makes about 1 1/2-2 cups



2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup of tahini (roasted, not raw)
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 teaspoon of salt

Dump everything in the food processor and let 'er rip. Serve with pita's, as a side to a Greek meal, as a dip for veggies or as a spread for sandwiches. I could eat this stuff on anything.

Click here for printable version of Hummus
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THE RESULTS?
Are you kidding me?! I will never again buy hummus. Homemade is so fresh and delicious tasting and not to mention it's way more budget-conscious to make it yourself. Wow. So good. After eating this with our lamb souvlaki and pitas, the next day I gorged myself and ate only hummus and pita for lunch.

The only expensive component to this recipe is the Tahini. It was approximately $4.00 and using 1/3 cup means I could make 3 batches of hummus. I think I will experiment with cutting it down to 1/4 cup just to make the tahini stretch a bit further. That's only if it doesn't affect the flavor...because right now it's DANG good!

French Onion Soup

Onions have been really inexpensive this fall and I keep stocking up on them since they are useful in almost every recipe. While I am not a huge fan of onions, I don't cook without them since there would be a void left in most recipes without them. It's mostly just the crunchy texture of them that I'm not okay with, so I soften my onions quite a bit before adding other ingredients. I'm not sure what prompted me this week to make French Onion Soup for supper....cheap food? melted cheese? Whatever it was, I decided I was going to make it and discovered this recipe over at Simply Recipes. I only changed a couple things to keep the recipe inexpensive and to accommodate what I had on hand.


Recipe from Elise at Simply Recipes
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Serves 6-8



6 onions, peeled and thinly sliced.
Olive oil
1/4 teaspoon of sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups of beef stock or chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon of dry thyme
Salt and pepper
8 slices of toasted French bread
1 1/2 cups of grated mozzarella


The deep flavor of French onion soup comes from caramelizing the onions. You have to have patience with this step; you can't skip it or speed it up. In a large pot, heat a good amount of olive oil over medium-high heat then add the onions. It will take approximately 30 minutes to get the onions a nice deep brown color. Keep stirring them occasionally, don't let them burn. Add the sugar about 10 minutes into the process to help with the browning.

Once the onions are soft and a deep caramel color, add the garlic and saute for about a minute. Then add the stock, bay leaf and thyme. Turn the heat down to a simmer and put a lid on the pot so it is partially covered. Simmer for about 30 minutes. You'll notice the longer you simmer, the flavors become more developed and the color of the soup with deepen. Season to taste with salt and pepper and throw out the bay leaf.

When you are ready to eat, heat your oven to broil. Ladle the soup into oven-proof bowls, top with a piece of toasted bread and sprinkle with a good amount of cheese. Put into broiler until the cheese is nice and golden brown.

Click here for printable version of French Onion Soup
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THE RESULTS?

Pretty good. The cheese and crouton on top really makes this soup delicious and filling. I didn't think my 16 month old would enjoy this soup, but I was wrong. She gobbled it up. It's always nice when the whole family can enjoy a meal together. As much as we thought it was good, I'm not sure I would make it again. My husband and I were both on the fence about it: take it or leave it was our attitude. I don't want to put you off from trying this recipe because Elise did a fabulous job....I just think my husband was missing the "meat" portion of this meal, and I am not a huge fan of onions to begin with, so one bowl once a year is fine with me :)

Indian Lemon Rice


Warm, fragrant and utterly beautiful, this rice dish is a perfect accompaniment to any Indian meal.

Recipe from Indian Food
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Serves 4

1 cup basmati rice
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp vegetable oil
½ tbsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Salt to taste
2 cups boiling water


Put kettle on to boil water.

In a frying pan over medium-low heat, heat the vegetable oil and mustard seeds for a couple minutes until the seeds are fragrant. Add the chili flakes and let them heat in the oil for 3o seconds. Add the rice, tumeric, lemon rind and salt. Stir the rice around and let the grains get coated in the spice mixture. Add the boiling water, let come up to to a nice simmer, add a lid and turn to low. Let the rice simmer covered for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered for about 5 more minutes.

When ready to serve, sprinkle with cilantro.

Click here for printable version of Indian Lemon Rice
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THE RESULTS?

This is probably the prettiest rice I have ever eaten. The bright sunny yellow color with flecks of black and green are so appealing to the eye that they become more pleasing to the palate. I thought tumeric was more of a natural food coloring, rather than a spice that was actually spicy, but the tumeric combined with the red chili flakes gives this rice a slight bit of heat that's warm and fragrant.

When I went to the store to buy my groceries, I couldn't justify paying $1 for a fresh lemon when I had a bottle of lemon juice at home that I had paid about $2.50 for. I know lemon juice really isn't an exact substitute for lemon rind, since the rind has such pungent lemon oils in it, but I really didn't care. Instead of the lemon rind I used about 1 tsp of lemon juice and it wasn't enough. Our rice really wasn't "lemony" at all. If I use juice as a substitute for rind again, I will definitely up the amount of juice I use to a couple of tablespoons. It was still delicious though. And a perfect accompaniment to the Tandoori Chicken since the chicken doesn't have a sauce.


Need some delicious Indian recipes to serve with the rice? Try these:

Tandoori Chicken



Indian food is very loved around this household. The warm, fragrant aromas coming from the kitchen are so comforting. I think Indian cuisine is brilliant in it's use of very few ingredients, yet mass loads of spices that makes it so delectable....making Indian usually pretty inexpensive to make.

One Indian dish I absolutely love is Tandoori Chicken. That bright red pigmented chicken just wafting of sweet tamarind and spicy ginger and garlic gets me very excited.

Recipe from Indian Food
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Serves 4


For both recipes, you need:
8 chicken drumsticks or chicken thighs
Vegetable oil


There's two ways to do the Tandoori Marinade:
  1. For ease of use you can buy Tandoori Paste which has all the spices and everything all ready to go, as well as some plain yogurt. Follow the directions on the jar for the ratio of paste to yogurt. Mix well, pierce the chicken all over, and marinate for at least a few hours or overnight if you can.
  2. The other way is to make the Tandoori Paste from scratch. I have done it both ways, and unless I ate them both side by side I'm not sure if I could tell the difference. The nice thing about doing it this way, is that it's cheaper to make it yourself. If you are going to make it from scratch, this is the recipe I have used:
1 cup yogurt
2 tsp thinly chopped fresh ginger
2 tsp crushed fresh garlic
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp tandoori masala
Salt to taste
½ tsp red food coloring
1 tbsp tamarind paste


Pierce the chicken all over with a sharp knife. Combine the yogurt, ginger, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt, food coloring, and tamarind paste in a bowl. Mix well and then add the chicken. Let marinate for at least a couple of hours or overnight.

Once the chicken has marinated in either tandoori mixtures, remove from fridge and place on a baking sheet covered in tin foil. Move the oven rack to the middle and preheat the oven to Broil. Place the chicken on the cookie sheet, brush each piece of chicken with a little bit of vegetable oil, and place in the oven. After 10 minutes, turn the chicken, brush with a little more oil and return to the oven. Do this twice more, until the chicken has cooked for a total of about 30-35 minutes. Keep an eye on your chicken since the oven is very hot...you don't want it to burn. Turning the oven to broil helps it to cook similar to the way it would be traditionally cooked in a tandoor oven, but nearing the end of cooking time you definitely want to keep your eye on the chicken.

Click here for printable version of Tandoori Chicken
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THE RESULTS?
Perfect. This was the best part of our whole meal. Tandoori is very subtle in the heat of the spice and a little bit sweet, but so, so delicious.

If you have a craving for more Indian food, try these recipes:

Am I a feminist?

Sujatha asked me to answer this in a tag she passed to me. I have earlier spoken on what feminism means to me and expressed strong views on issues such as female foeticide, virginity, gender bias, rape as a means of subjugation,
genital mutilation, women's sexuality etc.
But this time around the question made me introspect more and honestly define the kind of feminism I practice.
Am I a feminist?
Would I fight for Equality – political, social, economic? yes.
Do I believe in equal opportunities for men and women everywhere? yes.
Do I fight discrimination in every way between genders? – yes
So can I define myself as a feminist and feel good about being on the politically correct side of an issue and go back to playing hangman?
Something was holding me back – a little niggling at the back of my mind. Like an itch in the throat that you can’t reach and scratch.

So I decided to face it headlong. Was I being totally honest?

At fifty, I am at a stage in life where I am fairly independent - economically and emotionally – where I am not often presented with situations where I have to make a feminist choice. Very rarely do I have to interact with people from outside the educated, upper middle-class where people hardly see me as a woman but mostly as a person. In professional dealings too I am fairly high on the food chain to be open to any kind of gender-based discrimination.
So from my comfortable sofa it is easy for me to look at feminism as an issue that is out there, or say what I think is the right position to have if one faces gender-based discrimination.

My early years were spent in a milieu where a girl was considered a responsibility and a boy an investment or asset. Girls were given the same treatment materially but there was a clear difference in attitude. There was definitely less freedom of speech and movement to girls than boys. One did not know there were other ways to live and so the discrimination did not hurt so much. Obviously I was not born with a natural sense of justice because I did put up with this kind of discrimination without even noticing it.

In my twenties and thirties too, as I look back, I think I have taken a lot of crap in relationships. I have been a doormat in some imagining it to be patience and love or sacrifice needed for a greater purpose. I have endured a lot and seen it as bad karma.. Allowing myself to be maneuvered, exploited by people, perhaps reinforcing their belief on why women deserved to be doormats.
I could blame it again on my upbringing but where was my independent thought – I was educated too, wasn’t I? I can only say that I chose to allow them to treat me badly. I did not stand up for my rights or my dignity as a person. I was not confident enough, I needed acceptance at all costs. I wonder if I symbolised reasons why women are considered the weaker sex. So in that sense I probably was not a feminist – but I was the reason why such movements were needed. :)

I believe I became the person that I am only when I turned 35. By this time, I had developed enough confidence and ideas and begun to see me as a person rather than defining myself in terms of others. I am outraged when I see discriminations of any kind – particularly on the basis of gender and let out steam here.I try to talk to younger people and make them see the flaws in their reasoning or areas of weakness in their relationships with men. I try to give them the confidence that they do not need men as emotional crutches but as equal partners in their marriage. And in this space I try to register protest against discrimination when I see it hoping to reach out to a handful of younger minds with my thoughts and hoping to provoke some discussion on sensitive issues affecting women or at least prod them gently to think about these issues.
But by the time I was 35, my life and station had moved to a place where there was less room for exploitation on the basis of gender. Have you noticed that Indian men begin to treat other women in a sexless way when they turn 35 or 40? They do not mind having bosses of a certain age, somehow they do not seem a threat. They do not make passes at them. Not as a norm in any case. They are not objects any more but respectable behenjis and auntys. And I am not complaining. The point is that by the time I was 35 or 40 there was no need to fight for any feminist reasons because there was no cause – no one was looking at me that way. I mean , at least most of the time.

So the answer to the question ‘are you a feminist?' would be a “yes’ without a trace of doubtsince it is in the present tense. But the point is that I was not one when it could have made a difference to my life. And even today I am not constantly treat one another fairly and without bias.
And would I be a feminist if I had to risk life and limb for it? Would my safety and life be more important to me than my individuality and rights? Would I be a feminist, for example, if I were living in Afganistan today? I am not sure. Would I even notice the discriminations if I were born in Saudi Arabia and lived there all my life? I don’t know. I would be a different kind of person then. And since I know from my experience that a sense of justice is acquired rather than genetic, I cannot answer for the kind of person I would be under different conditions.
So I guess the answer to this question in its entirety would have to be “I DON”T KNOW.”

Beef Barley Soup


Once I had tasted how amazing the Slow Cooker 3-Packet Pot Roast was, as well as how flavorful the broth was I knew I had to turn it into soup. The roast makes way more broth than you can actually eat with the roast, so why not use it up and stretch it into another meal?  Of course if you don't have leftover roast broth, you can just use beef broth.

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Serves 6

2-3 cups leftover Slow Cooker 3-Packet Pot Roast stock (if you don't have leftover roast stock, use 6-7 cups of beef broth and don't add any water)
4 cups water
1/2 cup pearl barley
2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1-2 cups leftover roast beef, diced
1 tbsp oil
Salt and pepper


In a large stock pot, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add diced carrots, celery, onion, garlic and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Saute veggies until soft and onions are translucent about 5-8 minutes. Then add leftover beef, beef stock from the roast, water and pearl barley. Turn heat to medium-low, add a lid and simmer for 35-45 minutes (so the barley can get tender). Stir occasionally. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serve with warm bread or buns.

Click here for printable version of Beef Barley Soup
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THE RESULTS?
This soup was sooooo good. When I told my husband I was making Beef Barley Soup he looked at me and said "meh...not too exciting" (that's what I get for cooking him Indian, Japanese and other ethnic foods!) Once he tried the soup he retracted his statement. He said it was the best Beef Barley Soup he'd ever had. The fabulous flavor definitely comes from the roast stock. It's so yummy! I will definitely be making the 3-Packet Roast again and I will always plan to make this soup the next day.

Yet another hospital experience

I am comfortable only with doctors with a sense of humour - who can make you laugh about your condition by seeing the funny side of it. A friend even goes a bit further and declares that the most successful doctors are those with a sense of humour because in a profession where you deal with so much of suffering, you need it to cope and be successful. I am not so sure because I have come across doctors like the ones you see in films who look at you gravely, remove ther spectacles solemnly for effect and declare that you have Acute viral nasopharyngitis as if it is a terminal illness and you want to know how many days more you have to live.

My trips to hospitals take this to the extreme - I find each experience more hilarious than the other. Not too long ago, I shared this with you and had another of the kind yesterday and today. DIL has been complaining of a pain in the gluteal region and I assumed it was an allusion to her boss. It turned out that she had a huge abscess in that region and the quack she went to initially treated it like a pimple and gave her a couple of painkillers which did nothing to reduce the pain. For a couple of days we waited for it to burst on its own and it just grew worse. So finally we decided to go to one of the fancy hospitals closer to home.

We completed the registration formality and she was sent in to see the doctor while I waited in the waiting area. The doctor examined the affected area and explained that it was an abscess and asked her if she knew what that meant. She replied in the affirmative (Let me kiss the hands that created Google). Then he recommended an I and D procedure to drain the fluids and she said "ok." May be he expected her to panic or react a bit more. The unperturbed OK seemed to have confused him. So he again asked her if she knew what he meant. At this point she thought that probably there was more to it and she did not know what he meant and called me in. But the doctor was too busy initiating the admission procedure to notice my entry on the scene. After several phone calls to surgery, admissions, registrar and back to surgery, he finally noticed me and said "we are admitting her." I asked him why and he explained that the procedure was the only way she was going to be rid of the pain and there was no way the abscess would comply with our wishes and burst on its own. 'But surely there was a way to do it without admission?' I queried.
'Then you won't be able to claim insurance. I am assuming you have insurance?' he said.
"Ok. you go now and get admitted. Don't be fussy about your choice of room. Take whichever they give you. Then you can have it changed tomorrow."
All this seemed like a huge emergency - getting admitted even before we knew who the surgeon was. May be the surgeon was going to be paged to come and perform the procedure right away.
'So when will the procedure be?'
"oh the surgeon will be in tomorrow morning. Dr Bhat will do it."
But of course, Dr.Bhat for an abscess in the butt!

So we went to the admissions counter, still a bit unsure of why she needed to be admitted and what the huge hurry was if the surgeon was coming in only in the morning.
Counter no. 5 or 6 , we were told and we asked the young man the procedure for admission.
"you pay 10000 and get admitted and before surgery you pay 80% of the operation cost" and then he went on to elaborate on the forms required from the insurance guys.
My thoughts went: '10,000 for a boil - ok ok that is trivialising it a little. It is NOT a boil but an abscess but 10 k for an I n D procedure?'
"And can we have the type of room we want?" asked DIL sounding like she was booking rooms in a resort.
"No ma'm, we only have the general room that is shared by 3 people."
"And the bathrooms?" asked DIL probably hoping every bed had a bathroom attached.
"They are shared too."
That was the clincher. We did not want to go in with a boil and pick up more infections sharing rooms with people with other ailments. And certainly not share bathrooms with strangers.
So we decided to have a chat with the surgeon and take a call on the admission while making a booking for a separate room.
We went back this morning and the surgeon simply drained the fluid without so much as local anesthesia and neatly dressed the affected part and told her she could go back to her normal life. Total cost:consultation Rs.350+ RS. 320 toward lab charges for the Pus culture and Rs.303.21 toward cost of medicines.
We still do not know why we were being hurried into admitting her with an advance payment of 10 k. May be the first doctor missed the classes on the day they taught A for abscess. Or may be he gets his bonus based on the income to the hospital from his clients.

We do see a lot more cases of surgeries that people undergo these days - I wonder if the instances of surgeries have increased since the availability of insurance claim. At least there are a lot more cases of by-pass surgeries these days. Is surgery becoming the first option in most cases just to be on the safer side? And because insurance covers the costs anyway? What about the side effects of surgery etc?
I do know a lot of people who prefer to get admitted rather than be treated as Outpatients even for simple procedures - so that it is covered by insurance. Otherwise they would have to pay it out of their pocket. No wonder there is such a demand for beds.
And what about cases that really need surgery but where people cannot come up with 10k+ 80% of the cost of operation immediately? It could be a Saturday and banks do not open till Monday or one of those many bank-strike days or festival holidays - what happens then? We could get away laughing about the hilarious encounter but I am not sure it is so funny for many people who go to these hospitals.

Meal Plan Week 7

Last week when I made this plan, I was awfully sick with a nasty cold. My husband and baby were also getting over being sick, so I thought it was a good week for some warm, comforting soups.

Day 1:
Beef Barley Soup
I made this soup from the leftovers from the Slow Cooker 3-Packet Pot Roast that I served at the end of last week's Meal Plan.

Day 2: Indian Night Tandoori Chicken, and Lemon Rice
Our International Dinner Club is doing Indian in December so I am trying out some new recipes so I can wow everyone with a fantastic new dish. We LOVE Indian around here, so it's not really a sacrifice to be testing out recipes ;)

Day 3: French Onion Soup
I'm not a big onion fan, but I figured this soup would be a good way to save some money. I was able to get 6 lbs of onions for $2. I was also able to make some homemade turkey broth after Thanksgiving when I made this turkey, so I didn't even buy the recommended beef stock...I just used my homemade turkey broth.

Day 4: Lamb Souvlaki with Pita, Hummus and Greek Salad
I found Lamb Souvlaki on manager's special 50% off, so each skewer was about $0.80 each which is pretty good for lamb. My husband is a huge lamb fan, so these are for him. The homemade hummus is for me ;)

Day 5: Smoked Salmon Bisque
I had a bit of smoked salmon left in the freezer from making homemade sushi, and 2 salmon fillets as well. With all my leftovers I really only needed a couple ingredients for this soup, but not all meal plans go as planned right? So even though I intended on making this soup, something came up and I had to throw supper together in 10 minutes. I roasted my two salmon fillets with lemon juice, salt, pepper and the fresh dill I bought for the soup at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. I served it with a cucumber salad (I had 1/2 leftover from Greek salad) and pasta noodles tossed with pesto that I had in the fridge. Easy and delicious and only 15 minutes start to finish. Although I don't know how this soup would have turned out, I still posted all the ingredients for it in the grocery list as well as the link to Elise's website at Simply Recipes.

Day 6: Pecan Chicken on Salad with Maple BBQ Dressing
One of my husband's favorite main course salads.

Day 7: German Beef Goulash over Egg Noodles
This month's International Dinner Club country was Germany. All the dishes that everyone brought were incredibly comforting and this beef stew was no exception.

Grocery List:
MEAT
2 cups leftover roast beef
8 chicken drumsticks
4 Lamb Souvlaki Skewers
3/4 lb salmon fillets
2 oz. smoked salmon
1 lb chicken breast
1/4 lb bacon
2 lbs stewing beef (beef shoulder)

PRODUCE
3 carrots
2 celery stalks
10 cloves garlic
2 cups mushrooms
1/2 cup cilantro
2 tbsp dill
2 tbsp parsley
6 lemons
8 onions
1 small cauliflower
3 tomatoes
2 red peppers
1 green pepper
1/2 cucumber
1 leek
1 head romaine lettuce
6 radishes
6 green onions
1 navel orange

BAKERY
French bread
4 Greek-Style Pitas
1 cup bread crumbs

FROZEN
1 cup peas

DAIRY
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups of grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
2 eggs

CANNED GOODS
Jar of Tandoori paste (like Patak's)
12 cups of beef stock
Vegetable oil
Olive oil
1/3 cup tahini
1 can of chick peas
2 cups stewed tomatoes
32 oz. clam juice
3 tbsp tomato paste

DRY GOODS
1/2 cup barley
1 cup basmati rice
1 cup chopped pecans
Egg noodles

SPICES, SEASONINGS, AND SAUCES
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tbsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp tumeric
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon of dry thyme
1/4 tsp greek seasoning
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp marjoram
2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika

Slow Cooker 3-Packet Pot Roast



I've been browsing CrockPot 365 for awhile now and I'm amazed with what the Crock Pot Lady can do with her slow cooker. I had yet to try any of her recipes and I found a cross-rib roast in my freezer (my Dad tends to bring us meat from his freezer, so sometimes I have no idea what I have). I went looking for a pot roast recipe and came across this one. It sounded really interesting so I decided to give it a try. I'm not going to lie...I was a little concerned by the amount of seasoning that goes in to the slow cooker. I did think it would be overpowering, but I trusted the Crock Pot Lady and went for it.

Recipe from The Crock Pot Lady
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Serves 6

3 lb Chuck Roast
1 Packet dry Italian dressing
1 Packet dry Ranch dressing
1 Packet Beef Gravy
1 cup Water + 2 cups Water

Optional: chopped carrots and potatoes

In a frying pan turned to high heat, heat a tbsp of oil. Place the roast in the pan and brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and place in the slow cooker.

Mix together all 3 packets in a bowl and then shake over the beef. Turn the beef over so you can get the seasoning on all sides of it. It will seem like A TON of seasoning, but don't worry...it works. Add 1 cup of water and set the slow cooker to cook on low for 8 hours. You can also add chopped carrots and potatoes in with the beef at this point as well. They really soak up the flavor of the seasoning packets.

A 1/2 an hour before you want to eat, add 2 more cups of water and turn the slow cooker up to high. Serve the beef with the broth ladled over top, but make sure you hang on to the leftovers so you can make Beef Barley Soup.

Click here for printable version of Slow Cooker 3-Packet Pot Roast

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THE RESULTS?
Yep. This recipe is a keeper. I'm generally not too enthusiastic about pot roast in the slow cooker...it's always got an "over cooked" taste and the seasoning is never very fancy. But this one was good. Really good. I planned to put carrots and potatoes in with the roast, but ran out of potatoes. The carrots soaked up the seasoning and were really tasty so I'm sure the potatoes would have been the same. This makes a ton of extra delicious broth so I made Beef Barley Soup with it the next day. The broth is amazing so of course the soup turned out amazing too. Thanks Crock Pot Lady!