Rouxbe Online Cooking School

As I am sure you can tell cooking is one of my all time passions. Since I was a little girl I just loved the artistic challenge of taking different ingredients and merge them to create a delicious delight.  It is something I never grow tired of.  But there have always been huge learning curves in my cooking history that have led to kitchen disasters.  On more then one occasion a meal has turned out so bad we had to go out to eat.  It happens to everyone, but no matter how much you know that it always is a frustrating situation. For years I toyed with the idea of going to culinary school.  And even now when I drive by the Culinary Institute near my house, or when I hear of a friend making the leap to go I get that ache to go.  But I made decisions in my past that has made it a financial impossibility and that is something I understand.  But it doesn't take away my desire to learn and thankfully for that there are avenues out there that I can turn to.  Sites like allrecipes and reading other blogs has been a huge source of teaching materials for me.  But something that I was introduced to by my friend Kimbery Schaub of Peas on Moss has opened the doors to learning things that I only dreamed of.

Rouxbe is an online cooking school for anyone that wants to learn how to improve their cooking skills.  They provide video tutorials that takes you step-by-step through a process and then provide you with exercises to test you on what you have learned as well as a quiz.  You also have access to the schools team of instructors to ask any questions that you might have.  You get all of the benefits of going to a school but you can do it in your own time, and for a lot less money.  Two of my favorite things.

You wouldn't use a map to teach you how to drive, it is a tool that we use to get to where we are going once we lean the skills needed to drive.  But many people, myself included have relied entirely on recipes to teach them how to cook. Recipes are a wonderful guide that helps us when we are creating our meals.  But what if the recipe calls for you to braise your meat.  Do you know how to properly braise?  How big of a difference would it be to your meals if you knew how to properly saute vegetables so that you have the delicious flavor and not have your veggies overcooked and limp? There is so much to learn and I have barely touched the surface with my subscription.  I challenge you to take a look at the site and see what it can offer you.  Tell them I sent you.

Rouxbe Online Cooking School & Video Recipes

Healthier turkey leftover ideas: Spinach and Mushroom Turkey Tetrazzini

The holidays are often filled with very heavy meals with often just as heavy leftover dishes.  But after all of the sweets and heavy dishes I find that I crave slightly healthier meal options.  One of my favorite leftover dishes that my mother made while I was growing up with Turkey Tetrazzini.  So I decided to take it to task to make a healthier tetrazzini option for our holiday leftovers. So I decided to take it to task to make a healthier tetrazzini option for our holiday leftovers.

How to cook the perfect roast turkey

Have you ever taken a bite of roast turkey only to find it to be so dry you had to drown it in gravy just to get it down?  Probably the number one complain I hear about turkey is the fact that it is so dry.  But I am here to say that doesn't have to be the way it is.  You can roast a turkey that is so juicy and flavorful it will fall off the bones.   All it takes is time and preparation but each bite will be worth it.  A lot of the thanks goes to the website Simply Recipes .  I could never seem to get the cook time and temperatures just right, but after reading this article at Simply Recipes I gained the tools I needed for the perfect turkey.

Little money saving tip

Here is a little money saving tip for you, when you go to restock yourself with things like toothpaste or shampoo buy at least two so you have a spare.  That way you will save yourself from getting into a situation where you run out and have to make that "quick" trip to the store to replenish.  Because no matter how much we tell ourselves that we are just going into the store for shampoo we always walk out with way more then we bargained for and this is often spent on items that we could have done without.  Saving yourself from making unnecessary trips to the store is just a small way to help stop spontaneous shopping that can quickly ruin your monthly budget.

Perfect Vegetable Lasagna every time

Lasagna really is a lot like a dance, there are several steps and really until you learn how to put them in the right order it can be a bit of a mess.  For me when I tried to add veggies to my lasagna it always seemed to turn into a soupy mess.  So after experimenting with several recipes I finally discovered the right steps and the right order to have my lasagna turn out perfect every time.  Now as I have gotten bolder I have tried variations to the recipe but like a dance the essential steps are all there.  It is a longer process but the results are worth it.

Lemony Olive Chicken

I am sure we have all had one of those days when we just needed a simple meal idea that doesn't take too much effort and doesn't require us to have to follow a difficult recipe.  It is always important to have a few recipes in your repertoire that is simple and tasty.  This is one of my standard dishes, it is easy and tastes perfect every time.  I stumbled upon it while browsing allrecipes.com and other then a few tweaks found it to be just the thing I needed for those stressful days when I don't have the time of the energy to prepare a complicated meal. 

Tomato Bruschetta with Roasted Peppers

That holidays are often filled with parties, celebrations with friends and family filled with wonderful tasty delights.  This year my focus has been a lot more on healthier, fresh options so I decided to put a new twist on a fresh classic, Bruschetta.  I found inspiration through my favorite recipe website allrecipes and decided that flavor and color would be my main focus with this dish. It is extremely easy to make and everyone will be delighted.

New lunch meat ideas

I am always trying to come up with new ideas that will make my life just a little bit easier but this one I have to give the credit to my husband.  It was something that he had started doing even before we got married and I have continued with it because I think it is a great idea.  So we do packed lunches during the week because if we didn't just the cost of a small sandwich and a bag of chips every day would probably double our budget.  But the challenge for us was to find good quality meat that wasn't expensive.  We don't care for packaged sliced meat, as my husband says, 'It tastes salty water with the texture of tofu'.  And to be honest after looking at the list of ingredients on the packaging, most of which are things I have no idea how to pronounce, I would just rather not know what is exactly in it.  So we instead opt for the in house smoked meats from the meat counter.  But after a while it can get a bit expensive. 

What is that? And what am I meant to do with it: Patty Pan Squash

Ahh it is fall, the wonderful time when the air starts to get crisp and the days start to grow colder.  It is also that time of the year that funny things begin to show up at your grocery store.  You know what I mean, that huge display of those odd looking gourds and squashes.  You know for years I only knew them as decoration, I never really thought about people eating them.  One day at the farmers market I came upon these very odd flower looking squashes that I discovered were called Patty Pan.  Feeling adventurous I decided to buy them and come up with how I was going to prepare them later.  I found out that my mother-in-law was stuffing the squashes with a mince meat filling and was very happy with how that was turning out so i decided to try it myself.  Although keeping with my desire to keep things in my budget I decided to figure out what I had on hand in the pantry.
One of my new favorite beans are small navy beans.  They so flavorful and meaty that I often use them as a meat substitute.  So I decided for them to be my main ingredient in my stuffing recipe.  So with that knowledge I began to scour the internet for help.  Being that this was my first attempt at a stuffed squash I knew that I would need help.  I found that help from a wonderful newly discovered blog Fat Free Vegan.  While I am not a vegan I have found this blog to be filled with wonderful ideas that even a meat lover would enjoy.  I altered her recipe slightly to fit our taste and it turned out gorgeous.  Definitely a keeper.

Crockpot Chicken, Artichoke and Spinach that won't kill the waistline

In response to my first request from my reader Kate Jones, I challenged myself to come up with a new crockpot recipe that was healthy and cheap.  And while this one might tote the line slightly on the healthy part I am so excited to share it with you.   This truly is one of those dishes that will have people going back for more.

When Kate gave me my new challenge my first thought was to look in my pantry and freezer and see what I had on hand, to give me some inspiration.  I saw that I had some chicken and some frozen spinach in my freezer and it got me thinking about one of my favorite appetizers 'Spinach and Artichoke dip'.  So I thought 'what if I could create a version of that dip that was slightly healthier and also make it a meal instead of just a dip'.

So I set off exploring the web for inspiration.  There were a few people that had similar ideas but either the ingredients they used were too fattening or it required more work then I wanted to put into a crockpot recipe so I decided to do what every good cook does, experiment. Not all experiments work well, you can ask my husband about that one.  I have had some dishes that had us going out for a takeaway instead. But you never know until you try. So I bought a few ingredients that I thought would be nice in the dish and threw everything in and waited to discover what I had created and whether or not it would be a disaster or something worth writing about. 

I can truthfully say not only was it a success but it was one of the simplest crockpot dishes I have made in a very long time.

Homemade Chocolate Dipped Granola Bars

So when I want to the store the other day I was disappointed to find that my favorite granola bar was out of stock.  Seeing as how this has become a staple for our picked lunches I had to come up with an alternative solution.  You see I am very picky about the granola bars I buy for my family, ones that are loaded with high-fructose corn syrup are just not okay with me.  So I decided that this time I would try my hand and making them myself.

So after reading a few different recipes but couldn't seem to find anything that sounded right to me.  So I decided to try my hand at creating my own.  For my first attempt I decided to surprise my husband with some chocolate dipped ones.

When the granola finished baking I was sorry to say it wasn't what I had at first wanted.  On its own it wasn't quite sweet enough.  But funny how things work out because once they were dipped in the chocolate I discovered that the combination was perfect.  Having the granola not too sweet made these a delicious treat that wasn't too sickly on the stomach.  Definitely a winner for my husband.

Coupons shouldn't be a thing of the past

When I go to the store, with a fist full of my printable coupons I am sad to say most of the check-out attendants comment that I am the only person that they have ever seen use them.  I feel coupons have often been associated with a negative stereotype in our so society.  This idea of someone cutting coupons out of the Sunday paper gives one the idea of poverty.  But I think this negativity around coupons is unfounded and foolish.  Because if someone gave us a buy one get one free for something like an amusement park we would be the first to jump on it but do the same for a coupon for a grocery item and we aren't likely to use it. 

Another reason why people might not use coupons is that the savings might not seem enough to make a difference.  The amount saved might seem small in our instantaneous society but the long term effects of saving money can make all the difference when it comes to saving for the future and paying off debt.  I can personally attest this as my husband and I were able to pay off several large debts this year.  Nothing changed about our income coming in, the only change we made was to our spending.  And what we saved went to paying off debts.  But the trick for actual savings with coupons is using coupons for something that you would already normally buy.

It may take some effort but there are in fact a large amount coupon resource out there.  One that I have used a lot is Coupon.com, I receive an email every day about new coupons and on every day items I purchase like Windex, yogurt and even lotions.

Another trick I use is when I am creating my meal plan and grocery list I build it from looking at what is already on sale at my local grocery store.  I receive circulars from the grocery stores every week and I use them to build my list. But if you can also use SmartSource.com. Smart Source lets you type in your zip code and displays your local grocery's circulars as well as other manufacturers coupons. Planning your meals around sale items is another way to make sure that you keep your food budget on track.

Also never forget Google search. I have Air Wick brand air fresheners in my house and much to my dismay Glade seemed to be the only coupons I could find.  So I Googled Air Wick coupon and low and behold I found several printable Air Wick coupons. You can also check the companies website.  Most of them have their own coupons on their websites or they will have you sign up to recive emails about future coupons.  If you are concerned about spam what I do is give them an email address I created specifically for my coupons sites so that way I don't get inundated with spam on my business/personal address.  I then have it forwarded to my gmail to a specific folder so I don't have to check multipule accounts but I won't get too much into that as it could be a bit overwhelming.  If anyone wants details on how to do that I would be more then willing to answer it.

And of course I must mention another great resource, the coupon queen herself Crystal Paine of moneysavingmom.com. She is a fountain of information and already has a wide list of printable coupons as well as money saving tips that is well worth a look.

If you are looking for more information on ways to save check out this article, on Makeuseof.com it features the top 10 coupon sites and is well worth a read.  Just remember small savings can add up.

Your Comments and Suggestions

We are all different and unique people and our needs reflect that.  I want to address that difference by asking for your tips or requests for posts.  What are your own personal needs when it comes to trimming the fat off your budget?  What kinds of meal ideas are you looking for in your life?  These are things that I would like to know.   Because often times life gets too busy and you find that you don't have the time to look up recipe ideas, meal plan options or even ways to save money.  That is what I want to be here for, so post your requests and let me do the work for you.

What is that? And what am I meant to do with it: Rutabaga

Have you ever walked into a grocery store and seen something that you had no clue what it was, let alone what you are meant to do with it?  The average person doesn't have the time or money to waste buy something that they are unfamiliar with.  But I want to share with you the amazing flavors of some of these things because I believe they can and should be more familiar in our kitchens.

The first food item I would like to share with you is the Rutabaga, also known as Swede.  This wonderful root vegetable is often neglected and is so filled with wonderful nutritional value and a sweet, delicious taste that I think people are missing out on.  They are a very good source of vitamin C, have no cholesterol, very little calories and have less starch and carbohydrates then white potatoes.  They can be steamed, boiled and mashed, sauteed, baked or roasted.

Chef'N Palm Peeler-best peeler you will ever buy

Have you ever come across something that made your life so much easier that you just wanted to tell everyone?  I don't know about you but I have these memories of leaning over a sink during the holidays peeling potatoes or apples for my dad.  We had one of those awful stainless steel peelers that after a while started hurting my little hands.  It would take forever and after it was all done my hands would itch and hurt.  My dislike for peeling things continued into my adulthood.  I wouldn't even buy regular carrots because I didn't want to have to peel them, despite my husband not liking them I would buy the bags of baby carrots to make my life easier.  But one day I came across the Chef'N Palm Peeler and it all changed.

In my opinion Chef'N has some of the best kitchen utensils out there and this is just one of several products that I have personally purchased and love.  The Chef'N Palm Peeler slips over one of your fingers and sits in the palm of your hand.  The movement is so natural and quick; I find that jobs that once took several minutes now take seconds.  There are a lot of kitchen tools out there and not all of them are actually useful.  I mean seriously who actually uses a salad spinner consistently enough to justify buying it.  But this little peeler is seriously the investment I have made so far. 

Soon to come; a look at purchases that make our lives easier

For the next few weeks I am going to be talking about purchases that not only make our lives easier but can also save us time and money in the long run.  I am going to talk about a few amazing things I found on CSN. CSN is an online retailer with over 200 stores, selling everything from dining room chairs to one of my favorite things food storage containers,  and I am going to share my personal hidden treasures that I found.  I mean seriously people we all need fun things that make our lives easier. 


I am really excited about my first post.  I am going to be talking more about the most amazing peeler you will ever purchase.  Stay tuned for more.

Chinese Brown Sauce- Homemade Chinese food that will make your family ask to stay in

Of course we all know that it is both healthier and cheaper to eat at home then eat out but when you are in the mood for certain foods it can be a bit temptation to go out.  A nice lasagna just doesn't taste right when what you were in the mood for was a nice Chinese meal.  But the thing is when you are busy it isn't always convenient to look up recipes and try to make an exotic meal for the first time.  So I wanted to share a little trick with you.  The key is learning at least one sauce recipe by heart and then when it comes to mastering a Chinese meal you will impress even the pickiest of eaters.  This sauce that I am going to share with you is a typical Chinese Brown sauce.  It is easy to make and can be used in hundreds of ways. 

Homemade Fruit Cups-A cheaper, healthier option for packed lunches

24 hours never seems enough time to get everything done in a day. I guess maybe if we choose to stay awake for all 24 maybe we could complete the to do list, but something tells me that wouldn't be a great idea. Because of the time constraints of life we often find ourselves purchasing things that make our life a little easier.  For example, when you make packed lunches individually wrapped items probably tops the list when it comes to trying to save time and effort.  But the problem with those items is you end up paying sometimes up to double the amount then if you were to package it yourself.  So I challenged myself to overcome this problem and find new ways to deal with it. One item that had become a staple in our packed lunches was small fruit cups, now fruit cup on top of being expensive for what you get are also not very good for you.  So I purchased some small plastic containers and began creating my own fruit cups.

The great thing is you can add what ever fruit is on sale and pre-design it to your tastes.  I usually prepare it on Sunday because I find that the rest of the week is too chaotic. I purchase the items and then set up two cutting boards, one for me and one for my husband.  We either setup in front of the tv or just sit together at the dinning room table.  Have the two of us tacked the fruit helps the task go by faster and to be honest I enjoy my husband and I's fruit cutting time together. Sometimes life can get so busy that you don't find the time to slow down and just do something together. I then fill my small containers with the salad and store them in the fridge.  Then when it comes time to fill lunch boxes I am able to just grab a pre-made salad and focus on other tasks.  I know it has helped make my life easier and I love that it is a much healthier and cheaper option for us. 

Each fruit salad has been different depending on what I find on sale, this is my recipe for my fruit cups.  Enjoy!!

Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble

I think everyone needs a little sweet in their life. Obviously we never want to overindulge ourselves but I find if I never allow myself a little treat every now and then I am more likely to overdue it when I do eat sweets.  So I decided to cook up one of my husband's favorite desserts for our special treat, Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble.  Not only does it taste amazing, it such a very easy dessert to make. And if you have never tried Rhubarb I want to encourage you to be adventurous and try something new.

BBQ Chicken with a Spicy, Sesame Asian glaze- An Asian twist to an American summer tradition

There is something about the smell of charcoal burning on a warm day that floods my head with happy memories of long Summer days as a child. There is something communal about a BBQ, more often then cooking in the kitchen people tend to hang out around the grill.  And for me there you just can't get better flavor in your meat then when you grill it.  Everyone seems to have their own standard to grilling meat, their own secret recipe that makes it turn out just right.  But for me I just can't be pleased with one recipe I love experimenting way too much.  So in preparation for a good-bye party for some friends I decided to throw in an Asian twist to my BBQ.

Small changes can mean big savings

At some point most of us have all come to a place where we found ourselves needing to watch our spending.  So we find little tricks to help us trim the fat off our budget.  Have you ever stopped to think about how much those tricks help you save?  You might surprise yourself as to how much you are helping yourself out in the long run.  What may seem like only fifty cents in savings can end up being so much more at the end of the year.

This year I aggressively took on our grocery budget to try and reduce what felt had become a very unnecessarily large spending hole for us.  While there were some big changes I made there were smaller changes that had just as big of an impact.  One of the big budget killers that I started to notice was buying drinks.  You don't really think about it because it doesn't seem like much; buying a drink at the gas station for a road trip or Chris buying a drink at work, but I think if I actually figured out the total cost it would be embarrassing.  I think if people actually sat themselves down and totaled it up they would find that the few dollars here and few dollars there adds up to a whole lot more then they bargained for.  So one of my small change was to start making our own take away drinks.

The buying in bulk risk

We have all experienced it some time or another.  You walk in to your grocery store and they are having a great sale on meat and you think to yourself 'that is a great deal, I better stock up'.  What better way to save money then buying in bulk, right?  While it is true that buying your meat in bulk can be a huge relief to the budget, but it is best to be done with some forethought.  Because in the same way that it can be a money saving option it can quickly become a costly one. 

When you are buying meat in bulk there are two things to consider.  One, are you cooking for a large group of people, if so you may need to use up all of the meat you are purchasing.  And two, if you aren't going to be cooking up all of the meat at once how much you will use now and how much you should freeze.  A bit mistake I use to make was buying meat and when I got home I would put the entire package in the freezer.  But the problem is once you defrost the meat it really isn't the best idea to then refreeze it.  So you end up having to use up the entire amount.

I wasted so much food cooking it all up and feeding only two people.  So I came up with a method that for me has saved me money and I am pretty sure if do the same for you.

What's in a name

For those of you following my blog you may have noticed some big changes. As time has gone on I have begun to realize the importance in a name in a blog. The name is the first thing people see, your first impression. Sometimes it is humor based and other times sometimes just matter of fact. Either way it brings a sense of clarification for the reader.
So what does this mean for my blog. Well clarity and focus for start, going to a more focus goal of sharing my love for cooking to help inspire, especially for those that struggle when it comes to cooking. I want to bring my readers along in the journey of creative budgeting to help make it so simple that it becomes second nature. Because once it becomes second nature we no longer have to focus and worrying about it, and instead can devote our time to creating mouthwatering delights to share.

Thai tofu curry

So I attempted to make my tofu curry last week and after a few frustrating disasters with ingredients it was put off for a later date. And to be honest that was the best thing that could have happened. While I was waiting for my plane this weekend, I surprised my dad for his 50th birthday, I occupied myself reading several blogs about tofu and curry and happened upon Melissa Ray Davis', How to Cook Tofu Like the Pros: Dry-fry and Marinate Method on Hub Pages.  I was so excited to read her post because tofu has always been the hardest thing for me to master. My first few attempts turned out so bad my husband described it by saying it was like he had just bit into a dish sponge.  Not something a cook ever wants their food described as. Melissa walks through the process of making perfect tofu and I can't wait to try it on even more dishes in the future.

The best part about this experience is the fact that my husband doesn't normally like Thai curries. Having grown up only eating Indian curries he struggled getting use to a curry that was slightly sweet. I can safely say that this was the first Thai curry that he not only liked but asked for seconds. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Thai tofu curry

Cooking Pizza alternative style

Dealing with the Texas summer can be a frustrating battle in many ways but the one that has been effecting me the most lately is our food budget. We live in an old house that is very poorly insulated so my air conditioning unit can't keep the house below 83 during the day and turning our gas stove has just become not even an option. So we have been eating out more often then I can remember us ever doing. So I have had to get creative. Our charcoal grill has become my kitchen and I have tried to find unique ways to use it.

So I had this idea of making a pizza on the grill, on first thought it seemed rather original but after a quick browse on the internet I found that not to be so. But that is the beauty of the internet we read about other people's experiences and we try and take from it and learn. So I set about creating my grilled pizza.

The dough: Well for me that was the easy part because I had a favorite whole wheat pizza dough recipe from Beth Hensperger's book The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook.  I altered the recipe to accommodate those without a bread machine.

Important things to know about sodium and the nutrition label

I am not a nutritionist, but I don’t think that you need to be an expert to learn important nutritional information so that you can make better decisions in your life. In the past 5 years my attention has been drawn very strongly to two things, nutritional information that we have on our food packaging and sodium. I am not entirely sure where it all started, but I do know once the glory the teenage ability to eat whatever I wanted and work off the weight gain easily left me nutrition became very important for me to learn. When I was little I would often read the nutritional information on my cereal as I ate breakfast, not really because I was interested, it was because I was bored and wanted something to read, but it did get me wondering. I mean what good is that information if you don’t know how it affects you, is it good that it has 6% of Vitamin A, what does 6% even mean. So I started researching how to best understand this strange chart that we are given. One of the biggest eye opening moments for me came when I read about the importance of the serving size. I have been guilty of looking on the back of a package and reading the information and thinking to myself oh that isn’t too bad, but careful re-examination of the label I soon realized that I was making terrible choices without even realizing it. Now again I am not an expert so I am not going to try and teach you all of the important things about this subject, this truly is something for either your doctor or nutritionist to really lecture you about. But if you are like me and want to learn what you can without having to pay someone for that information then you can take a look at Mayo Clinic, they have a wonderful interactive guide to learning to read a nutrition label that will help get you on the right path.

Now onto obsession number two, sodium. I am actually very blessed with a family history of low blood pressure so I never really thought about the dangers of too much sodium in my diet. But one thing I have struggled with was my weight and so I began to read all that I could find about weight loss. One of the things that I read over and over is how having too much sodium in your diet can lead to water retention, and here is the thing. Water retention is not true weight as many of you know, but what water retention can do is discourage you when you are trying to loose weight. It has been proven, if by nothing more then my own experiences, that if you try to loose weight, go on a diet, start working out and you get no results after a decent amount of time then you are far more likely to give up. But I started to think, what if it isn’t so much that my efforts are pointless but that I am counter acting the good with bad habits. So I began to read more about the importance of sodium in our diet and tried to understand how to decrease the amount I was taking it. What I learned has changed how I think about food and cooking in more ways then I could have ever imagined.

Again I am no expert I am only taking information that I have learned over the years and compiling it together to help point you in the right direction, it is very important to also ask a doctor or nutritionist what is good for you. But there is one thing that I learned that I think is important I pass along to you, especially for women. Eating foods that have a lot of sodium may decrease your body’s ability to retain calcium. We need calcium to build strong bones, but if you eat too much salt, a lot of your calcium intake is directed straight out of your body via urination. This is something that I think should concern young women because it is the habits you have when you are young that affect you when you get older. A decrease in calcium absorption can lead to a loss of bone density, which as you know leads to Osteoporosis. Now of course I am not a doctor, I am not even trying to say a diet high in sodium causes Osteoporosis, these are just facts that we need to be aware of so that we can make the right decisions.

One last piece of information, for our bodies to function properly they say an adult needs a minimum of 500 mg of sodium a day, it is recommended that our daily intake not exceed 1,500 to 2,300 mg. This really means nothing to people, like me who really don’t understand what a mg of sodium looks like, so here are some examples of some common foods and their sodium levels. Again educating ourselves is the best resource we have to healthy living, though don’t just take my word for it, multiple sources of information is always the best way to get a more accurate picture.



1 can of Green Giant Green beans-serving size on package says ½ cup that means the whole can is approximately 2 cups, which means if you serve the whole can that is 1,600 mg of sodium.



1 box of Rice-a-Roni Chicken- Serving size is for this prepared is 1 cup, the whole box cooked makes about 2 cups. That means that the entire box prepared contains 2120 mg of sodium.




1 can of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup- the serving size given on the can is ½ cup. There are about 1¼ cups in the whole can. So if you are like me and can eat the entire can in one sitting then you are taking in a whopping 2,220 mg of sodium!!


And because we often just can’t say no to the convenience of fast food-
BK Whopper with Cheese contains 1,430 mg of sodium

Every Penny Counts

As my husband and I embark on this adventure called life the one thing that we struggle with, like so many people, is money. Trying to pay off debts and save up money can be such a struggle, so I am constantly trying to come up with ways to save us money. One of those changes I have talked about before is with our food budget. I have worked really hard to keep our costs down every month and I have no problem cutting out coupons to do that, but I have never really found a good resource for coupons. Finally today I happened upon a site that I am very excited about. And while I normally try to wait to talk about a new product, recipe or service until after I have experimented with it for a while I wanted to share this one right away. www.afullcup.com is not just a place to find coupons it is a community of people who are just like you, trying to save every penny they can. It is full of tips and advice on how and where to go to save money. It has a fantastic forum and a very informative blog about where to go to get the best deals of the week. Trust me there is no better feeling then seeing your debt go down and your savings account go up and by introducing things like www.afullcup.com into your daily routine you can start to see that happen. It takes many small steps to change your financial situation but one thing is true if you do nothing at all then nothing will change. Don't just wish for financial freedom take steps to change bad habits and create good ones.

Sesame Whole-Wheat Rolls

Before I begin let me first say I am sorry to my Gluten-Free Diet friends, this might not be a fun read. Because in keeping with my desire to reduce our waist lines as well as our budget I have turned to baking all of our bread. It was so frustrating going to the store and sifting through all of the bread to find something that not only had ingredients that I could understand but was also healthy. While I am blessed to have a store with a fresh bakery to help with that selection I was still very much out of control over what ingredients were used. Bread is one of the number one issues I hear people complain about when dieting so i knew that if I could find a way to control it for us it would aid in the weight loss goals. It was a bit of a challenge at first as I really hadn't really done much baking. I had always considered it a time-consuming, difficult task that just wasn't going to work in my daily life.

It started with the introduction of a bread maker last year, courtesy of my wonderful mother-in-law Sue. Working with the bread maker was so simple that it began to take away some of my fears of baking. As time went on I grew braver in my experimenting and ventured into baguettes and rolls and am even working on making homemade pasta. Not only did I find it easier then I thought it would be, I found ways to incorporate it into my routine without draining too much time. I do my recipe research before hand and make sure that I have all the ingredients I need for either two different styles of bread or two loaves. I choose a baking day and then devote a few hours of my day to baking at least two loaves/rolls, by doing this I am able to make enough bread to last my husband and I almost a month, making in bulk and freezing it. Aside from being cheaper in the long run, as well as healthier, I can attest to it being an absolutely delicious change in my diet.

Making the change to brown rice

Making permanent healthy changes to our diet can be a difficult task but with a little bit of experimenting it doesn't have to be a painful one. For the sake of our health my husband and I have tried really hard to make these changes and what we have discovered is that it doesn't have to be something that you struggle with. There are some wonderful healthy foods out there that make for wonderful substitutes to things that you already love.

Making the final switch to brown rice was very frustrating for me. It never seemed to cook right and I didn't think it always worked with my Asian or Indian dishes. I got myself to the point that I would have brown rice in the house but would use my white rice for certain dishes that I felt were not interchangeable with the new grain. Because I grew up in Asia, rice was just one of those integral ingredients of my life that I was just not wiling to sacrifice, so if it didn't taste right I didn't bother.  Then about two months ago my life change, while restocking my pantry I discovered at the store Brown Jasmine Rice and Brown Basmati Rice. And what a blessing that discovery has been. Because I think the change to healthy eating has to be enjoyable other wise you will never stick to it. Taste and texture are important in good food and one of the problems that I had with brown rice is would turn out chewy and watery. So I started doing more research into it and began to tweek the way I cooked it.  After many attempts I finally came up with a method that has become fail proof for myself. 

Southwest Turkey Chili

One of the biggest budget killers is eating out. We try not to do it but there are days that you just don't feel like cooking. Maybe you had a bad day or you are just exhausted, what ever the reason on those days it is really easy to convince yourself to go out. I know I am guilty of that and so today I am trying to find ways to plan for those days. The biggest thing is making sure that you have items in the house that are easy to throw together so they don't take much effort. I might have a meal plan for the week already but I don't know ahead of time how the day is going to be. And sometimes what was planned for would take way more effort that I can put into. So this afternoon I created a backup plan, Southwest Turkey Chili. You see the great thing about chili is that it freezes really well. This recipe is so easy and once it is done I simply let it cool and put portions in freezer bags and wallah, dinner for those dreaded lazy days.

Spicy lamb-filled pancakes served with a Mediterranean Couscous Salad

Well it is Pancake day and in honor of that I decided to do something special for dinner. While pancakes in the States are traditionally made from a thick batter in England the batter is thinner, more like a crepe. I went for a savory meal tonight and am pleased to share my adventure of making my first ever savory English pancake meal

For the pancakes:

3/4 c. plain flour
Pinch salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup of milk
5 tbps cold water
3 tbps butter, melted
olive oil for frying

For the filling:

2 tbsp olive oil
half a pound of lamb mince
1 onion, peeled, chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled, chopped
2 jalapenos, chopped
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp tomato purée
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup of polenta
1 eggs, beaten, for egg wash



1. For the filling, heat two tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the lamb mince and fry, turning regularly, for 4-5 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside on a warm plate.



2. Add the onion, garlic and chillies to the pan the lamb mince was cooked in and fry for 5-8 minutes, or until softened.


3. Return the lamb to the pan, then add the paprika and tomato purée and stir well. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Continue to cook the filling mixture over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, then set aside to cool.

4. For the pancakes: sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Using your finger, make a hole in the center of the flour mixture and break the eggs into it. Fold the eggs into the flour until well combined. Gradually fold in the milk and water, a few tablespoons at a time, stirring continuously, until the mixture is completely smooth and all of the liquid has been incorporated. Add the melted butter and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Remember the batter not meant to be thick.

5.Add about 4 tbsp of the pancake batter to a hot, oiled pan, swirling the mixture till the batter coats the bottom of the pan evenly. Fry for 30-40 seconds, then turn over and continue to cook the pancake for a further 20-30 seconds, or until pale golden-brown. Place the cooked pancake onto a warm plate and cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper. Repeat the process with the remaining oil and the remaining batter mixture, until all of the batter has been used up and you have a stack of pancakes. Keep warm.

6. Place one of the pancakes onto a clean work surface. Take the beaten egg and lightly coat one side of the pancake, then turn it over. Spoon a line of the filling mixture down the middle of the pancake, leaving the edges free. Roll the pancake up using your hands, folding it in at the edges to form a parcel. Repeat the process with the remaining pancakes and the remaining filling mixture.

7. Dip the parcels into the polenta and then transfer them to a an oil filled frying pan. Make sure you place the parcel gently with the folded ends first so the frying process seals it shut. Fry for about 5-6 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Repeat the process with the remaining oil and the remaining filled pancakes.



My recipe for Mediterranean Couscous is an adaptation from a recipe on wonderful blog called MediterrAsian Cooking

Mediterranean Couscous:

 1/4 cup lemon juice
 2 tbps olive oil
 3 tbps tahini paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
 salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon tomato purée
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup couscous
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup diced tomato
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
1/4 cup roasted pine nuts

1. Make a dressing by whisking together the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, tahini paste, tomato purée and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Combine the water with 1 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir the couscous into the water; cover for 10 minutes.

3. Take diced peppers, tomatoes and pine nuts and place on a lightly oiled roasting pan and roast veggies until tender. I put them in the oven at 400° F for about 10 minutes. Place the couscous in a large bowl; add chickpeas, roasted vegetables and pine nuts into the couscous. While stirring, slowly pour the dressing into the mixture.


While it took some effort it was all worth it, a delicious treat for a delicious holiday.

Best burger and chips I have ever eaten and it is healthier for me

My husband and I started a diet plan together at the beginning of this year, and while I did get my inspiration from the Sonoma Diet it is a diet that I created especially for us. And for the first time have enjoyed actually sticking to it. It has been an adventure for me to find creative ways to eat the things that we love just healthier. Because being healthy shouldn't just be in the short span that we choose to diet it should be something that we incorporate throughout our whole lives. Now it would be unrealistic of me to say I am never going to eat those foods that I love that are bad for me, in fact that is what my down fall always was. If you tell me I can never have something ever again then that is all I want. No, depriving yourself for life is never the solution. And with my husband and I down 15 pounds between us I should say so far the plan is working.

Last night I felt like i did it again. It had been a while since we were able to enjoy a good old fashion burger and chips so I created an alternative for us that proved to be amazing. It truly was the best burger I have eaten in a long time and while I miss potatoes I was delighted to find that the tofu fries taste fantastic, my husband loves them. 

Portion control: Good for the waist and the wallet

When it comes to helping your budget I can't help but mention helping your waist line. You see that is what started most of this journey for me. My husband and I started gaining weight and we decided that enough was enough we had to change our lifestyle. It was also around the same time that things went, well not so well with me with work. So budgeting was first most in my mind. So I started first looking at what we were consuming and what we were throwing away and there is something that I have noticed that has changed the way I cook. You see there is a time and a place for leftovers and what I have discovered is that it is not in every meal. Yeah when you make that soup or chili it is hard if not impossible to make enough to span several meals and that is okay. You see a dish like that is meant to be enjoyed over time. You are more likely to eat leftover soup then you are to eat the leftover casserole. You might love it the first time around but there are very few dishes that are that good the second time around.

Always learning new tricks to save money

My husband and I, like many others, our finances always seem to be some what strained so I always find myself trying to come up with new ways to save us money. One of the biggest money drainers that I discovered was food. Food waste can be a huge financial issue for any household. So I have started some new tricks to help cut our food bill in half and so far they have worked.

One of the first changes I made is every Sunday I spend about a half hour working on the menu for the next week. This has been one of the biggest changes that has required some work but has saved me so much time and money. By coming up with weekly meal plans I have found ways to utilize things in my pantry so that I am not buying more then we can eat. Every pantry I have ever seen contains random cans and assortment of foods that have been there for probably longer then we would care to admit. Going through the pantry and actually using the items is one of the biggest money savers and it can be fun. When you find odd items that you have no idea what to do with the trick I found was through one of my favorite websites www.allrecipes.com I use the ingredient search engine and search through the different recipe ideas, it is a great way to branch out and try new things and to use up ingredients that you just couldn't seem to go through.

By creating your menu it not only saves money but also can save time. I can't tell you the amount of times dinner time has sneaked up on me with no plans of what I would make. I would spend time going through the cupboards stressing about not having anything in the house to cook. More often then not when I have told my husband that I have nothing to make it isn't so much that there aren't ingredients to make dinner I am just uninspired. So this means either another trip to the store or to a restaurant, both huge money drainers. By having a plan it takes the thinking and stress out of meal time for the rest of the week. It also allows you to plan on using up ingredients so they don't go bad. For example how many times have you purchased that bag or spinach or the broccoli and used it for one meal and then the rest of it spoiled as it just sat in the fridge unused. If you plan your week you can make sure you use up all of your fresh produce and reduce your waste.

Well that is tip number one there are more, but that is for another time.