Mastering the Art of French Cooking...Week One

It seems to me that the Blogosphere has recently blown up, anticipating the arrival of the movie Julie & Julia (and by Blogosphere, I mean us Foodie Types. I doubt the Emo kids or Political Blogs have really jumped on the culinary arts bandwagon.) I, too, have jumped on. I bought my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking a couple of weeks ago, and was thrilled when it arrived last Saturday. I was equally as thrilled to learn that both Kayte of Grandma's Kitchen Table and Helene of la Cuisine d'Helene would be making weekly recipes out of the book as well. So, I think I am going to give it a go! It's outside of my comfort zone, for one, but that means it's a learning experience. I love learning...supposedly it keeps you young, but I guess I am more impressed that it gives me an edge during Jeopardy. :)

It is an unusual cookbook for me to love, for a couple of reasons. One, no pictures. I am a sucker for photos in a cookbook. Typically, I won't buy one if the picture to recipe ratio displeases me. Don't ask me why, I guess I just like to have an idea of what my finished product should look like. Second, the layout of the recipes. Instead of listing all the needed ingredients at the beginning, they are listed as you will USE them, and how you will use them. Kind of different.

While I thought the layout might be an issue for me, I have found that I really do like it. It keeps me better organized, and her descriptions are spot on. She tells you what to look for in a specific cut of beef, how chickens are split, what makes a good green bean. It is really helpful, and I appreciate the extra guidance.

For our first meal from the book, I chose food items we already had in the house since I was still under the Challenge Budget. I had a bag of Bay Scallops that needed used, so I chose the recipe for Coquilles St. Jacques a la Provencale. In Susan's kitchen, once you have said that about 7 times in.a.row to your husband, it becomes ScallopsDammitwithWineandCheeseJustQuitAsking, which works just as well and tastes the same going down. To Accompany the ScallopsDammit, we had Gratin Dauphinois - Cheesy Potatoes. Both recipes were excellent, easy to put together despite their fussy French names, and a really nice way to get out of the rut of our typical everyday meals. One can only eat Hamburger Helper or Grilled Chicken so many times before needing a break. (not ME, but, well, someone, I guess.)

I was very impressed with my results if I do say so myself...it was my first time (gasp) cooking with wine. It was my first French recipe. It was my first time making cheesy potatoes from scratch. And it went QUICK. Now I am excited about making more things from the book...crepes, for one. Souffle. Nice.

So that you can try it yourself, I grabbed the recipe from BigOven for you...

Coquilles St. Jacques a la Provencale

Ingredients
1 ½ pounds scallops (or shrimp) washed
1 ¼ C yellow onions minced (I used white, it was what I had)
6 buttered scallop shells or porcelain or pyrex shell (I skipped this part entirely)
5 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon shallot or green onions minced
1 clove garlic minced
salt and pepper
1 c flour sifted
2/3 c dry white wine (mine wasn't terribly dry, but it worked great)
1 ½ bay leaf
1/8 tsp. thyme
1 ¼ C swiss cheese grated ( Ihad to use Provolone.)


Instructions
Cook yellow onions slowly in 1 T butter in a small sauce pan for 5 minutes, until tender and translucent but not browned. Stir in the shallots or onions, and garlic, and cook slowly for 1 minute more. Set aside.


Dry the scallops (or shrimp) and cut into ¼ inch pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper just before cooking, then roll in flour, and shake off excess flour.
Saute the scallops (or shrimp) quickly in very hot butter and oil for 2 minutes to brown them slightly.


Pour the wine into the skillet with the scallops. Add the herbs and the cooked onion mixture. Cover the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes. Then uncover, and if necessary boil down the sauce rapidly for a minute until it is lightly thickened. Correct seasoning, and discard bay leaf.


Spoon the scallops and sauce into the shells. Sprinkle with cheese and dot with 2 T butter cut into pieces. Just before serving, run under a moderately hot broiler for 3 to 4 minutes to heat through, and brown the cheese slightly.

One of these days I will post the recipe for the potatoes, as I know I will be making them again. Do you have a favorite recipe from the book that I should try? I would love to hear your suggestions!

Get Your Write On

I love Stationary. Don't ask me why, I just do. Perhaps I belong in the 1930s, writing detailed accounts of life on struggling plantation to my Husband, who is off in the city working a meaningless job to make our ends meet until the crops can come in. (You know, kinda like Mel Gibson did in The River, except hopefully I wouldn't be cast as Sissy Spacek, not that there's anything wrong with her, but, well, she's sCarrie.) But I digress. Sissy. I mean, Stationary. I just like the feel of it, the look of it. I love writing on it and I love recieving notes on it, too. Not that anyone I know does that anymore. But we should. Perhaps we Blogger Friends should start u a little twice monthly write-a-thon where we exchange a little handwritten note and maybe a recipe with each other? I'd be sooo in to that. Would you?

Thanks to the folks at MyBlogSpark and Yoplait, I can give you a headstart in the Stationary Department. You see, they want you to try out Yoplait's Thick & Creamy Yogurt, and I can attest to the fact that it is GOOD. I used the plain old Vanilla, and subbed it in one of my cake mixes. Talk about creamy...that was one good cake (and the bite of yogurt was great, too!) Just for leaving me a comment here, you will be entered to win a coupon to try the yogurt for FREE, plus, you'll recieve that fantastic stationary set pictured above! Cool, huh?

So, Comment! Do you have a favorite yogurt flavor I should try? Have you used it in your baking/cooking as a sub for something else? I would love to know! I have 2 of these great prize packs to give away, so COMMENT! (and what about that write-a-thon? Any takers?) I will announce randomly chosen winners on August 4...thanks!

Penny Pinching Pantry Raid...Complete!

How many of you assumed failure from the start? I mean, $100 to feed a family of 3 for 4 weeks does seem, well, outlandish. But guess what? We did it!

When starting this project, it was my goal to try to use up lingering items instead of letting them go to waste, save a little money, and challenge ourselves to MAKE DO. That goal was more than accomplished...and I learned a lot about myself this month.

What did I learn? Namely, eating meals/snacks out is where the biggest amount of waste comes into play. I can't tell you how many times I felt too lazy to make something at home and considered hitting the DQ or ordering a pizza. But I didn't. It was a struggle, though. It made me realize how, without the Challenge, I would have just done it. What if I had succumbed just 5 times (once every 5 or 6 days?) - well, on a low estimate, that would have been at least $60 down the drain. That will pay the phone bill, people. Another issue was wanting to go out to eat once a week. A couple of times, we did. Once early on, after a night at the Fair, and once when my sister was in visiting (and my Dad footed the bill). But the rest of the month, we just stayed in and did our own thing. I feel sure that this is the healthiest we have ever eaten - NO FAST FOOD in a month? It has to be good for you to skip out on that way of life. Is it hard? Kind of. Only because of how convienient Fast Food is. But it isn't impossible. In fact, we have gotten quite used to it - the lunch packing, the staying in. But if you attempt it, don't just assume it's going to be super easy...it takes dedication.

Now, groceries. I mentioned before starting that I have a weakness for habitually hitting the grocery store 3 or 4 times a week, just to grab stuff. Completely unnecessary. I went a few times this month, and each time, I got what I needed. NEEDED. And I even got a few things I WANTED, but only because I took advantage of fantastic sales. Those sales helped me to keep our freezer/fridge/pantry stocked instead of wiping out everything we had, as some people assumed (me included) would happen.

Mostly I learned this...we waste too much and are lazy when it comes to food. Now I know better, and I intend to incorporate this frugal way of living into our lives. We will continue to limit our dinners out, we will certainly limit any fast food, we will continue packing Jon's lunches, and we will NOT go to the grocery store out of habit. Lessons learned.

Now, the money we saved. $502. We spent roughly $98 this month on food, and said we would start with our estimated average $600. Our reward? Tomorrow, we are heading to Williamsburg,Virginia with Seven and the rest of our family to go to Busch Gardens. We'll be staying 3 nights and we have Park Passes for the whole weekend. No new camera this time. Maybe for Christmas? :) - But see? Just being smart in the food department is sending us on a short family vacation. I think that totally outshines a meal or two at Applebee's and Pizza hut, don't you?


Here's what we ended with...can you believe it? This wasn't even a struggle, and I still have most everything. We added things with our $100, used things that needed used, and still have all of this to work with!

In the Freezer:
1 2 pound Pork Loin
1 packs of chicken breasts
3 packs of hamburger
2 packs of deer burger
1 pound Ham
1 Boston Market boxed dinners
Box Shrimp Scampi
1 Bags of Corn on the Cob
1 Bags frozen corn
Homemade puff pastry
1 bag mixed vegetable stirfry
1/2 container of Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Homemade Peach Ice Cream
Homemade Blackberry Sorbet
2 servings Homemade Ravioli


Fridge:
5 eggs
1/3 Gallon Milk
4 bricks cream cheese
2 packs butter
Partial Pack of American Cheese
partial bricks of other cheese
Lots of condiments and jelly
3 bags of Sargento Shredded Cheese
1 bag sliced Sargento Provolone
1 Beer
Hot Dog Weiners
Partial pack of Bologna
1 partial pack flour tortillas
1 cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
2 applesauce

Pantry:
2 cans corn
2 cans diced tomatoes
Peanut Butter & Nutella
Baking Stuffs - flour, sugar, etc - normal amounts
Chocolates for Baking
Seasonings - normal amounts
1 boxes Shells & Cheese
3 cans Cream of Chicken
2 cans Sweetened Condensed Milk
few boxes pasta, less than I had
1 can baked beans
1 can water chestnuts
3 Hamburger Helper
3 RiceaRoni or Zatarains
2 jars Bertolli Sauce
1 jar Alfredo sauce
2 Cake Mixes
1 Brownie Mixes
Lemonade Mix
A few tea bags
2 boxes Jello
3 Gravy Mixes
1 Boxes Scalloped Potatoes
3 Boxes Romanos Macaroni Grill (free)
4 cans of tuna
2 Bags Microwave Popcorn
Partial Loaf of Bread
Half bag of Marshmallows
3 partial boxes of cereal, some stale. :)


Fresh Food -
an apple
fresh cilantro
lots of green peppers
lots of peaches
lots of blackberries
couple of tomatoes
zucchini & squash

I would love to hear what you all think about my Challenge. I have gotten Comments from several people mentioning that they would like to do it now. I am thinking September will be my next OFFICIAL Raid. Anyone want to join me? I would also love to know what other families average on food per month...including meals eaten at school/work/restaurants, etc. How much is normal? I just assume that my family falls into the normal range with $600 - averaging $75-100 a week in groceries, $5-6 a day on lunches for those who work outside the home, and $50 or so a week for meals at restaurants. Typical? Weigh in here. And thanks!

Tuesdays With Dorie...Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Can you believe it? It's Tuesday and I managed to actually participate in the Tuesdays With Dorie Recipe! Even more surprising..I had to buy nothing inorder to participate, which reallllly helps out with the end of my Penny Pinching Pantry Raid! Today is my last day, and we MADE it! With a couple of bucks to spare, even! Tomorrow I will be listing everything left in the fridge/freezer/pantry - and I think you'll be shocked! I was expecting to have emptied everything I own, but that's not the case at all - we have LOTS of things left, and new things as well! So, I guess what I am saying is - stay tuned. I will give you the full rundown and my assessment tomorrow. Maybe after reading it, you'll want to play along the next time I do this! (and believe me, there WILL be a next time.)

Back to the Vanilla Ice Cream. Lynne of Cafe LynnyLu decided on Vanilla Ice Cream on pages 428-429. I don't know why I shun making custards, but I do. I think I imagine the tempering of the eggs to be more trouble than it actually is. Truth be told, I made the custard from start to finish in about 20 minutes, not even paying that much attention to it. And I made it at night, after dinner. Actually, last night to be honest. Nothing like waiting until the last minute. I let it churn in my Cuisinart while Seven was in his bath, and this morning we took pictures of it and ate a little bit for breakfast. (No point in letting the model go to waste, right?)

Thoughts? It's good. I prefer flavors, but I left this one be just so I could give it a review of it's own. But it's a great Vanilla Ice Cream. Smooth, creamy. Just what you want with a vanilla ice cream. Tonight I intend to pair it with a rich dessert, which is why I think vanilla ice cream was invented...to be a side. But that's just me. Perhaps you crave plain jane vanilla? Or maybe you have a favorite thing to pair it with? Let me know...I have to make something tonight! I need suggestions! Seriously...leave me a comment. I need ideas!

Day 27 Rundown: Spent $0

Breakfast: Seven ate an egg, toast, cheese and a few strawberries. I skipped.

Lunch: Both Seven and I had leftover Pasta Salad. Seven also had a PB & J.

Dinner: Wow, dinner deserves a post all it's own, and I intend to do just that...later this week. As you know, I just got Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, and I made 2 recipes from it for dinner. Oh good grief. That woman knew what she was doing. We had scallops, peas, and cheesy potatoes. That's the English translation, anyway. Oh, we also had deep fried zucchini straws, and I intend to post on those as well. Beyond good. Just beyond. I promise to post soon! This week!

1 Day to Go, $2.16 left to spend.

Daring Bakers Challenge...Marshmallow Cookies

The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.

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Mallows(Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies)

Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network

Prep Time: 10 min

Inactive Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Serves: about 2 dozen cookies

• 3 cups (375grams/13.23oz) all purpose flour

• 1/2 cup (112.5grams/3.97oz) white sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 3/8 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter

• 3 eggs, whisked together

• Homemade marshmallows,or store bought

• Chocolate glaze, recipe follows

1. In a mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the dry ingredients.

2. On low speed, add the butter and mix until sandy.

3. Add the eggs and mix until combine.

4. Form the dough into a disk, wrap with clingfilm or parchment and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.

5. When ready to bake, grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicon mat.

6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

7. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness, on a lightly floured surface. Use a 1 to 1 1/2 inches cookie cutter to cut out small rounds of dough.

8. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.

9. Pipe a “kiss” of marshmallow onto each cookie. Let set at room temperature for 2 hours.

10. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicon mat.

11. One at a time, gently drop the marshmallow-topped cookies into the hot chocolate glaze.

12. Lift out with a fork and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.

13. Place on the prepared pan and let set at room temperature until the coating is firm, about 1 to 2 hours.

Note: if you don’t want to make your own marshmallows, you can cut a large marshmallow in half and place on the cookie base. Heat in a preheated 350-degree oven to slump the marshmallow slightly, it will expand and brown a little. Let cool, then proceed with the chocolate dipping.

Chocolate glaze:

• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate

• 2 ounces cocoa butter or vegetable oil

1. Melt the 2 ingredients together in the top of a double boiler or a bowl set over barely simmering water.

I am anxious to read a few other Daring Baker's results on this recipe...as my results were SO FAR off the recipe mark. The recipe clearly states that it makes about 24 cookies. TWENTY FOUR. And that is if the cookies are cut with a 1 1/2 inch cutter at 1/8 of an inch thick. Mine were cut with a 1 1/2 cutter (perhaps even a tad bigger) and closer to 1/4 to 1/3 of an inch thick. And yet, I had 72 cookies. Whaaaaat? How did this happen?

That being said, I felt my cookies were too thick...and not all that flavorful. The cookie base is pretty boring. It could have benefitted from some vanilla. I also went the easy method and used store bought marshmallows. They worked well and tasted great with the chocolate glaze. I wish the marshmallow to cookie ratio had been higher, but it hasn't stopped me from eating the hell out of them.

I don't own a double boiler, but I own something better. My electric Cuisinart Fondue Maker. We are in love. We don't get together very often, but everytime we do, I promise him we'll be together more and more. I love that it gets to temperature and holds there, never burning, never worrying. Fantastic. Here is a link to where you can buy one for yourself...seriously a great purchase, and currently over half price. Wish mine had been on such a sale when I bought it!

Day 26 Rundown: Spent $1.52. I needed noodles and a cucumber.

Breakfast: Seven didn't eat too much...his teeth are still bugging him. He ate a peach, some ham, and cheese. He also ate a little bit of egg (as did I) and most of a cinnamon roll. I made Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls for Jon and I. Jon ate 5 of them. Good Lord.

Lunch: Because it's Sunday, we go to my folks for lunch. Seven didn't really eat much. We did. :)

Dinner: We left Seven at my parents while we were in the Golf Tournament. There was a Potluck Dinner afterwards, and we took Thai Peanut Pasta Salad. It was pretty much a Pasta Salad Dinner, everyone (but 2) brought Pasta Salad. That's what I bought the pasta and cucumber for. Seven ate with Mom and Dad, some leftovers from lunch.

2 Days to Go, $2.16 left to spend.

Three More Days

Sorry for the boring post, we've been living. You know, work, play. Socializing, etc. I hope you have been too! I promise to be back here tomorrow with an interesting post...my Daring Bakers Challenge! Until then, here's the scoop on the Pantry Raid...

Day 25 Rundown: Spent $0. Thank goodness, right?

Our new friends from the Country Club invited us up to their house for a great Low Country Boil Saturday night, so we ate gooooood! because it's rude to show up empty handed, we took my favorite Spinach Salad and a dessert made of a brownie base and a Nutella & Peanut butter Mousse Topping. I will be posting about that a little later on as my You Want Pies With That entry...so sit tight.

Breakfast: Seven didn't eat too much...Cheerios and a peach. His newest teeth seem to be bothering him. Jon ate a bowl of Cheerios. I didn't eat...I went Yard Sale shopping and then on to work.

Lunch: Seven ate a piece of ham, cheese, bread and more peach. Jon ate a tomato sandwich. I had a little personal pizza from the freezer.

Dinner: We ate the Low Country Boil with friends. What a nice night!

3 Days to Go, $3.68 left to spend.

Spending Fool. Yeah, that's me.

Day 24 Rundown: Spent $21.69 - Whoops. Oh well, I wanted this stuff. And I have my reasons.

My Mom and I went shopping on Friday. My Granddad has become obsessed with owning a Garmin, so, I saw that Target was having a sale on one and we went to go buy it for him. While we were out, we stopped to eat, hence, $9.20 for Seven and I to eat. Plus, we stopped by Kroger's so that I could take advantage of their big sale. I spent $12.49 there. Here's what I added to the stock:

• 3 Philadelphia Cream Cheese


• 3 Bags Shredded Sargento Cheese


• 1 Sargento's Provolone Slices


• Cilantro


• 1 Pack Hotdogs


• 1 loaf of bread


• 1 quart of Strawberries


• 1 Bag Baby Spinach

Great deal, I think! I would typically pay over $25 for this on sale, even, so I feel good about it. We are going to a cookout tonight (Saturday) and I am in charge of the salad and dessert, so I neded most of these ingredients. We are also going to a potluck on Sunday as part of another Couples Golf Tourney (dear Lord, who am I?) so I should be covered. I can make it until Tuesday. I think. :)

Breakfast: Seven ate a Peach, Ham and a piece of cheese. I skipped.

Lunch: Jon is back, so I packed him a can of Ravioli, some snack crackers, a peach and some of my Daring Bakers Challenge. Seven and I shared a plate of Tortellini Robusto at Fazoli's. It actually tasted pretty good, and Seven loved the breadsticks.

Dinner: I followed a recipe for Chicken Legs I found over at the Pioneer Woman's new site - Tasty Kitchen. it's a great little site - you should check it out! So we had Chicken Legs, green beans, and leftover Mac & Cheese. For dessert I baked a couple of peaches sprinkled with sugar and butter.

4 Days to Go, $3.68 left to spend.

Now, let me tell you some randomness. Apparantly, whenever you mention real life around here, people perk up. At least they do on Twitter. So here goes:

Today I got up at the ButtCrack of dawn and went yard sale shopping. I lucked onto a practically new (it looks perfect) Eddie Bauer Convertible Car Seat. It's gorgeous. I was currently using one of those crazy buckle/puzzle/Mensa Membership required Car Seats, and Jon has our really nice Eddie Bauer Seat. Well, no fair, I say. I bought the new one today of twenty bucks. Stoked. She charged waaay to little. I also scored a little play tent with Dora and Boots on it, a Little People Fire Truck with the Little People in it, a BackYardigans doodle pad, a book, a John Deere tractor, the CUTEST rubber boots for Seven to splash around in our creek in, a pair of tennis shoes (looked unworn), some crazy Fisher-Price toy with balls in it, and for me, a cake carrier and 2 Cake Doughnut pans. Guess what I gave for ALL of it, including the Car Seat? $29. Yippee.

Today I recieved Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Oh My. Julia?? How is it I have lived without you all this time?? And why must you not have Mastering the Art of Italian Cooking? Or Japanese Cooking? Or Mexican, or American?? I love the way this book is laid out. Simple. Refreshing. It's like someone is there, holding your hand. I can't seem to get away from how many different potato recipes there are! Oh, cheesy, starchy goodness. Look to be seeing lots of Julia Child recipes around here in the next few weeks. Lots. I highly recommend you go ahead and pick up this book while you still can. Once the movie hits, it may be a wait!

Oh really?

Day 23 Rundown: Spent $2.58 - I had to buy Marshmallows & Chocolate Chips. Don't ask why.

Breakfast: Seven ate a Peach, Ham and a piece of cheese. I skipped.

Lunch: Jon is out of town working, and is on a per diem. So no money spent there. Seven had a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich and a string cheese. I ate a peach and a Ham Sandwich.

Dinner: My Grandparents invited all of us up to their house for dinner. I won't tell you what they fed us, you'd be too jealous. :) I also made my Daring bakers Challenge. I ate some of it.

5 Days to Go, $25.37 left to spend.

Okay, Public Service Announcement.

Attention Kmart Shoppers....did you know that Kmart is having a huge One Day Sale tomorrow? As in, Saturday, July 25th? Well, they are!

I have been informed that everything from Grills, to Patio Furniture, to Jewelry is going to be on a huge sale...plus, there are going to be something like 40 Blue Light Specials throughout the day. Sweet. I love when that guy comes over the loud speaker and says "Attention Kmart Shoppers, we are having a Blue Light Special on Aisle 6, Men's Underpants, and on Aisle 14, Tackleboxes." Okay, so maybe I made that part up, but I do love a good sale, don't you? Maybe there will be a big sale on some kitchen appliances? Who needs a mixer? Ohhh, who needs an Ice Cream Maker? I bet some of you do! So head on over and see what kind of deal you can score! Remember, the sale is only ONE DAY. Let me know what you found!

FYI - You can also follow Kmart on Twitter. Not that I Twitter. Ever. Heehee. They are @kmartdealsnnews. Go on now...follow!

Want a sneak peek? Try this...Kmart Bluelight Specials - Have fun! Buy yourself a little something!

Less than a week to go

Have you been voting for me? I hope so!

What? You have no idea what I am talking about? Well, let me clue you in.

The Mixing Bowl. That's a site put together by Better Homes & Gardens. It is a community for sharing recipes. They currently have a Fresh & Fab Peach Recipe Competition, and I am making a name for myself there! I entered my Caramel Peach Cream Cheese Ice Cream, and I have been whittling away the lead a little at a time!

Registering is mandatory to vote, but they ask no personal info...you can hit "Skip this Step" after creating your User Name and Password. It takes less than one minute...and I promise, they won't be sending you junk email. Then, once registered, you can vote once a day EVERYDAY until August 3rd. Won't you be a pal and go there and help me out? The current recipe leader has already won 4 or 5 previous contests...so I think it's time for ME, don't you?

Here's the link! http://bit.ly/unAcu Thanks!

Day 22 Rundown: Spent $15.09 Food Lion got some of my money, but I still feel like I robbed them.

Here is what I added:

• One loaf of White Wheat Bread
• 1 Frozen Pizza
• Large Pack of American Cheese
• 3 pounds of Teriyaki Pork Loin, ready to cook
• 1/2 Pound of German Bologna
• 1/2 Pound of Deli Ham
• couple of Mayo Packs (free)
• Large Pack of Chicken Legs
• 6 pack of KoolAid Burst

See? I robbed them! This will keep us in meat for the rest of the Challenge...even though I still have plenty of money left. And YOU thought I'd never make it.

Breakfast: Seven ate Cheerios, a Peach, Bologna and a couple of Goldfish Crackers. I skipped.

Lunch: Jon is out of town working, and is on a per diem. So no money spent there. Seven had a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich and a string cheese. I ate a peach and a Ham Sandwich.

Dinner: Jon ate out of his per diem allowance. Seven had Ham, green beans and Macaroni and cheese. I had Mac and Cheese as well. We also split a couple of candy bar minis.

6 Days to Go, $27.90 left to spend.

Vanilla Making

Last year, when I started my own blog, I'll admit I was completely clueless. I kept reading all these other bloggers claiming to have made Homemade Vanilla. Yeah right, I thought. That doesn't seem likely. But I did the research, and found it could, in fact, be done...and very easily!

If you already make your own vanilla extract, good for you! You know what I mean when I say how easy it is - and how impressive it tastes, right?! Feel free to leave your comments here on any tricks or tips you might have for any newcomers in the Vanilla Making Department. I'm sure they will appreciate it!



Now, here's the DoughMessTic tutorial on Vanilla Extract Making...I hope you'll give it a shot! Last month I posted this tutorial over at Oven Love as a guest post, but I thought I would share it here, too, in case anyone missed it...I see it come up as a topic pretty often on Twitter!

First, you'll need some good quality Vanilla Beans. You can find them online, but I get mine Here. For $25, you'll get about 50 Grade A Madagascar Vanilla Beans, plus, they will send you close to 30 FREE Tahitian Extract Grade vanilla beans. So you'll be set for quite some time in the Vanilla Bean department! Grocery stores don't come close to competing with these prices - more likely than not, you'll pay close to $5 for one bean. Eeeeek.

Next, secure yourself a big bottle of GOOD vodka. I typically use Skye, but there are lots of choices. The better the quality, the less the taste will interfere with your vanilla beans, so choose wisely.


Find a bottle to pour your vodka into, Walmart sells little bottle with stoppers, or you could simply use something as ordinary as an empty water bottle. I tend to make about 10 ounces at a time. For this size, I cut 6 beans in half then split them lengthwise and place them into the vodka. Do not scrape them. No need for that. Just put them in the bottle and give them a good shake every few days...for the next THREE months. I know, I know...torture. But you'll be so rewarded in the end!




Now that you have so many extra vanilla beans, you may want to up the ante a bit and make your own Vanilla Sugar as well. Why not? You can use the seeds in some icing or whathaveyou, and just place the discarded beans in a container of sugar. Or, go ahead and split a bean and toss it in - you've got plenty now, right? Just be sure to give the jar a shake now and then to spread out the flavor...and feel free to use it at any time. Sure, the longer you let it sit, the better it tastes, but you can use this pretty much immediately. And just keep topping it off with more sugar and empty beans as you get them...the flavor lasts and lasts.

Hope you'll give these a shot and amp up your baking...if nothing else, it gives you something to brag about!

Day 21 Rundown: Spent $5.13 (went to Walmart & grabbed a gallon of Milk and a pack of String Cheese.)

Breakfast: Seven was with Mom & Dad since I was working, so they took care of feeding him. I skipped.

Lunch: Jon is out of town working, and is on a per diem. This happens so rarely, but it does happen a few times a year, sometimes for weeks at a time. This trip is only for 3 days. But anyway, no money of ours was spent for him to eat. Being away from home doesn't allow for us to pack him anything or let him eat home-cooked food. Sev was still at my folks, and Mom brought me a ham sandwich and a brownie to eat. Sweet.

Dinner: Jon ate out of his per diem allowance. Seven had a hot dog, leftover pancake, peaches, strong cheese and goldfish crackers. I ate a leftover pancake, too, and a piece of string cheese.

7 Days to Go, $42.99 left to spend. Only one week to go and a whopping $6.00 a day left to spend if need be!

The Raid...we're getting close to the end

Day 20 Rundown: Spent $6.72

Breakfast: Seven had Cheerios, bologna, yogurt and a peach. I had a peach, too.

Lunch: Jon came home from work reaaalllyy early, due to rain. So, I made us a lunch of Bertolli, some frozen cheese bread, and a salad leftover from the cookout. Seven ate with us, plus he had some green beans.

Dinner: Jon decided he would make us dinner, and therefore, he went to the store. MISTAKE. He doesn't know what things are supposed to cost. At all. He came home with nothing to eat for dinner, but a box of Goldfish Crackers and a 12 pack of Coke Zero. He paid too much for both. I flipped a freaking chicken. But what's done is done. He made us corn and Hamburger Helper with meat from the freezer. It was actually so good - I'd eat it right now if I had some.

We're gonna make it! We will!

8 Days to Go, $48.12 left to spend.

Cookies for a Birthday Boy

So here is one of the orders I did today...for one of my favorite bloggers ever! She was so easy to get along with...so few restrictions!

She was ordering the cookies for her son who is turning 17. He's really into swimming, and is having a pool party for his big day. Also, he swims for a HUGE swim club, whose colors are red, white and blue. So, that's what I went with. I hope he'll be happy!

Day 19 Rundown: Spent $1.75

Breakfast: I got up and made us the fattest pancakes ever. I swear they were almost an inch tall. We all ate them, but Seven added a peach to his.

Lunch: We all shared leftovers form the cookout the night before - kebobs, green beans, and corn on the cob. Oh yeah, and leftover cobbler.

Dinner: Seven went to hang out with Mom and Dad while Jon and I played in a Couples Twilight Golf Tourney. I don't golf, but I have cute golf shoes. Believe it or not, we didn't even come in last. Wow. Anyway, Seven ate with my folks, and the Country Club supplied pizza to all the players. I did buy Jon a beer - it was $1.75.

9 Days to Go, $54.84 left to spend.

Keeping Busy

So I lied. I have had no time at all this weekend to dream up some fabulous recipe for you. Maybe this week? Hang in there, will you...I am closing in on the final week of the Pantry Raid, I've had friends and family in, I had a huge Yard Sale and then a golf tourney all in the past 3 days. Time has been limited!

I have a strange week coming up - Jon will be working out of town for 3 days (and thus have a meal per diem), which will help out with the Raid, but also means I will have all the house, chores and the Boy to take care of alone. Those of you with military husbands or husbands that work away alot, I feel for you. Sure, the house doesn't get quite as messy, but it's so nice to have an extra set of hands around and a body to hug. What do you do to make the time go faster? Me? I'll be making a couple of orders of sugar cookies to hip off - one order for an internet friend I aspire to be - she's SO loving and a great Mom...and hopefully, if she's reading, she knows who she is and knows how much her support means to me! (That's right, it's you KG!)

Day 18 Rundown: Spent $5.44 + 2.12 = $7.56.

Breakfast: Seven hung out with Jon on Saturday while I worked the Yard Sale. For some reason, he slept in until nearly 11 (gasp!) which he never does with me. But anyway, they ate Cheerios and fruit. I had a ham biscuit, courtesy of my BIL Nick who went out and bought all of us Yard Salers breakfast. Very sweet.

Lunch: I was still yard sale-ing, and Jon decided to just buy us some lunch. he bought a Pizza Roll, which we split. It was $5.44 including tax. Sev ate a bologna and cheese sandwich when e woke up from his nap.

Dinner: Because my sister and her family are still in from Pennsylvania to visit, we all ate dinner at my house. Mom supplied the meat for kebabs as well as corn on the cob and green beans. We supplied scalloped potatoes (from a box), peppers from the garden, and onions left from when Jon's folks visited. We also supplied the zucchini and squash. I made a cobbler out of fresh peaches, blueberries and blackberries (all from the backyard) and a cake mix and melted butter. SOunds gross but it's delicious. We had my peach ice cream with it, and some blackberry sorbet I made last week. it was nice having everyone up - we actually even played a little baseball with the kids!

The extra $2.12 is money Jon spent on Friday that he forgot to tell me about - for 2 Gatorades. He swears he was sick, and what Gatorade has to do with that, I couldn't tell you.

10 Days to Go, $56.59 left to spend.

All You Get is the Raid Day 17

Day 17 Rundown: Spent $2.00.

Breakfast: Seven spent the night with his Mommaw and Poppy, so he had breakfast there. I skipped breakfast. We were supposed to have had our Yard Sale Friday morning, but just as we got everything out at 6am, it started storming. Big Suck.

Lunch: Jon packed his lunch. He had a can ravioli and a salad made of leftover peanut dressing, tomatoes, peppers and a cucumber from the garden. Seven was still at his Mommaws, I think he had a bologna sandwich and strawberries. Mom brought me a ham sandwich (and I didn't even ask her to!) at work, which was a nice surprise.

Dinner: Because my sister and her family came in from Pennsylvania to visit, we all went out to eat. I knew I had enough money in the budget to cover our meal. Jon didn't go, he stayed home to mow and weed eat, because he's a trooper. Anyway, we went out to eat. Seven and I shared a meal, it would have cost up roughly $12, but just as I was getting ready to pay, my Dad picked up the tab for everyone. So I left $2 tip for Seven and I. That's where the $2 comes in to play. Thanks Dad! Sadly, I didn't get anything for Jon (how awful of me!) but he ate the leftover pork off of my sandwich and a bowl of Cheerios. I am a horrible wife.


11 Days to Go, $64.15 left to spend.

Utter Exhaustion & Some questions

As I type this, it is only 9:35pm...and yet, I can barely see straight.

It started with a thunderstorm rolling through this morning, waking Seven up at 7:30 versus his typical 9:30. So, 2 hours shot there. Then, becuase he didn't get enough sleep, he moaned arounf until I put him BACK in bed at 10:30. Then up again at12:30...just in time for us to start hauling things over to my parents house where we will be having a yard sale at 7:00am on Friday. I am exhausted, and it hasn't even really started yet. Ugh.

Apparantly people, I accumulate a LOT of stuff. Imagine a whole 1 car garage filled with my stuff. Clothes. Baby items. Miscellaneous crapola. Hopefully it will sell. We are arranging to have a guy come on Saturday to carry away anything that hasn't sold...the worst thing about yard sales is figuring out what to do with all of the crap still left sitting. So at the very least it won't be coming back to MY house.

I could probably post a recipe here for you today, but I think I am going to skip a day. You'll still love me, right? I hope so...Promise to be back on Saturday with something yummy for you.

What I have for you now are some questions. Things I have been tweeting about but not everyone Tweets so here you go:

Does anyone watch Glee? I think they only did the one episode so far, but do you like it? Personally, I do. I thought it was cute and well done.

Does anyone shop at Rue La La? I Tweeted about them yesterday, and they act like they want to get in touch with me about my negative tweet...but I have yet to hear from them officially via email. Just wondered if anyone else had an experience with them.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. Anyone have an opinion on it? I ordered it for myself, mostly because of the movie hype going on, but would like to hear what user of the book have to say about it. For that matter, has anyone seen the movie? I heard the book was icky - but Meryl Streep looks like she might pull it off.

I doubt anyone knows more than me about this, but...Antigone Lost. The Blog. I followed her for quite a while, waited for her son to be born healthy, waited for her to pass the LSAT, waited for her divorce to be final...and then she dropped off the face of the Earth. Anyone have a cloe what happened? Is she blogging elsewhere? I would love to know.

Three Movies. I have squeezed in the time to watch 3 movies in like, 3 weeks, and all of them were major suckage. Were they beyond my intelligence, or did they just suck? Opinions? They were -

9 1/2 Weeks, yes, that old movie with Kim Basinger. What the snot? That movie had no point whatsoever, unless I fell asleep and missed something majorly important.

Also, the Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (this movie might not have been so bad if Brad had been partially nude for the duration of the picture, but that was not to be...he just seemed like a combo of his 12 Monkeys Character and Tyler Durden. Snoozefest)

And third - No Country for Old Men. Bawk if you must, but I just did.not.like. this.movie. Come on! You led me through all of that just to ring me to an anti-climatical ending? Whatever.

Thoughts? Enough rambling...time to talk Raid.

Day 16 Rundown: Spent Zero.

Breakfast: Seven had a Yogurt, some berries and a piece of Bologna. Jon & I skipped breakfast.

Lunch: Jon packed his lunch. He had a can of tuna mixed with a cup of instant Velveeta Shells & Cheese, a fruit cup, and 2 packs of those snack crackers I bought on Monday. Seven had a hot dog, a piece of milk bread, and leftover green beans. I had a piece of buttered Milk Bread and a sliver of leftover brownie.

Dinner: Seven stayed over at my parents, so they fed him. I ate apack of Bundino's from the freezer (there's a reason they were on clearance, and that's the truth) and Jon ate a frozen pizza. It was a long day and a long night, we just scrounged up what we could.

12 Days to Go, $66.15 left to spend.

peachy Keen.

The picture above does NOT do this ice cream justice.

Thanks to Anna of Very Small Anna for coming up with quite an inspiration. I tweeted earlier in the day on Wednesday, asking for the best Peach Ice Cream Recipe. She responded with her own Mascarpone Peach Ice Cream (and as a vote of confidence, so did Tiffany of Lorken Food Finery- that was enough to seal the deal for me). So I read the recipe on her blog.

Dear Lord.

The ingredients in her recipe were all good enough to eat on their own...but combined? It could be pee in your pants awesome. But here was my dilemma. Mascarpone, even if I COULD get it here in Giles County, would never fit into the $100 Challenge. But I did have Cream Cheese on hand, as well as the other simple ingredients. So I changed her recipe up a bit, made it my own and well...the results are unbelievable. Creamy. Decadent. Fresh. It's quite possibly the creamiest, most flavorful ice cream I have ever eaten. I love sorbets - they are my weakness, but I can usually take or leave a cream based ice cream - but this? This is otherworldly.

Caramelized Peach & Ginger Cream Cheese Caramel Swirl Ice Cream

makes roughly 2 quarts

16 ounces Cream Cheese

1 cup milk

1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1 cup Vanilla Sugar (regular sugar will do)

3 Ripe Peaches

3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

2 Tablespoons White Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Ginger

1 teaspoon sweet rum

Caramel syrup

Combine the 3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar & 2 Tablespoons White sugar and sprinkle over finely chopped peaches. I left skins on, and really like the consistancy. Place sugared peaches under broiler of oven for 7-10 minutes, until caramelized. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

In stand mixer, whisk vanilla sugar, cream, milk and cream cheese together until smooth. Whisk in spices. Stir in rum and cooled peaches (and their juices) and add to ice cream machine. Follow manufacturers instructions to complete. Near end of cycle, add caramel syrup to ice cream. Freeze and enjoy!

I need your help now. Since I have supplied you with an amazing ice cream to try, I need YOU to name it. That name is too long, but how do you fit all of those tasty elements into ONE name? Help! Leave your comment here, and if I choose it (using a panel of my Tweetie friends and my RL friends and fam) perhaps there will be a little prize involved? Maybe?

Day 15 Rundown: Spent $11.59. It was time to hit the store...things were running a little low. I used several coupons, took advantage of reduced meat, and really took advantage of a Super Sale promo. I spent $11.59 including taxes...normally, this would have cost about $25.00. Here's what we added to our stock:

• 12 Eggs
• 1 Gallon Whole Milk
• Banana Nut Cheerios
• Hungry Jack Scalloped Potatoes
• 1 pound Country Style Pork Ribs
• 5 Cans Starfish Tuna
• Steamables Snow Peas
• Green Giant Frozen Baby Peas

Breakfast: Seven had a Yogurt, some berries and a piece of Bologna. Jon & I skipped breakfast.

Lunch: I packed Jon a lunch he could haul and not have to keep cold - he was working in the field. He had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on Milk Bread, a fruit cup, and 2 packs of those snack crackers I bought on Monday. Seven had turkey (luncheon meat), a piece of milk bread, and peaches. I had a piece of buttered Milk Bread.

Dinner: Seven had green beans, half an ear of corn, and a hot dog weiner. Jon and I had Peach Barbequed Pork with onions, sugar snap peas and instant mashe potatoes, which are gross even when you try to make them better with extra butter and cheese. IMO. Scalloped potatoes from a box I like. Mashed potatoes from a box are only edible, and that's pushing it. Luckily, they were free.

13 Days to Go, $66.15 left to spend.

Suited to a Tea

Hope you like Blackberries. Now that I have a ton of them, you'll see them here at DoughMessTic a lot. Yesterday Seven and I picked a colander full, and I decided to make tea with them. Not just tea, but Blackberry Mint Tea. I'm sure there are other tea recipes out there, but I just did my own thing and got a pretty tasty result...very flavorful and refreshing, and much better the day after making it.

Blackberry Mint Tea
makes 2 Quarts

3 cups fresh blackberries
3 Family Size Tea Bags
3/4 cups sugar
6-7 large mint leaves
Water

Boil water and prepare tea as usual. Add sugar to hot tea, making sure to stir until sugar isdissolved. Tear mint leaves and add to hot tea. Allow to steep for 10-15 minutes. In the meantime, juice the blackberries and strain the seeds. Strain the tea into a pitcher, removing the mint leaves. Add blackberry juice to prepared tea, add enough water to reach the 2 quart line, mix thoroughly, and enjoy.

I am not much of a tea person, but my husband really enjoyed this. It adds a flavor in a very summery way - and if garnished with fresh berries and mint leaves, this tea would really make a statement at your next cookout or party!

Since posting about sorbet yesterday,

I never realized how many people out there are living without an Ice Cream Maker! I got a ton of emails asking what kind I use/recommend. Well, I LOVE mine. It's a Cuisinart, and it's fab. Is it Professional? No, but I don't need one that makes 14 gallons at a time. I think the best featureof this one is that it will make 2 flavors at the same time...which means...let's say you made a big batch of vanilla custard and now you want to churn it into ice cream. But the kiddies want to add Reese's Cups and chocolate syrup, and YOU really had cookie dough in mind. Well, It will let you do both! Or, You can make a batch of Blackberry Sorbet and Peach Sorbet at the same time. Whatever you can think of, you can make.

The 2 canisters hold about a quart each. I keep mine in the freezer at all times, just in case the mood to make gelato strikes. I have had nothing but good luck with this machine, and I have had it for going on 5 years now. Best part is, it's very affordable, and Amazon has it on a huge sale with free shipping. If you have any specific questions about it, just email me and I'll help you out!

Day 14 Rundown: Spent Zero. Two full weeks down. I can't believe it! We're half finished!

Breakfast: I had a piece of buttered milk bread. Seven had a fruit cup, a piece of bologna, and a little bit of zucchini bread.

Lunch: I packed Jon a lunch he could haul and not have to keep cold - he was working in the field. He had a fruit cup, 2 mini candy bars, 2 packs of those snack crackers I bought on Monday, and another Tuna Pack. I skipped lunch. Seven had leftover green beans and macaroni, as well as a piece of bread. He snacked in the afternoon on a pack of crackers and a couple of marshmallows.

Dinner: Sauteed chicken with fresh Peach & Apple Salsa, Zucchini "Pizza" made from more leftover hamburger, cheese, peppers and tomoatoes, green beans, and corn on the cob. As I type this, a box mix pan of brownies is in the oven. i screwed around with it, as per usual, adding chocolate syrup and chips. It smells good.

14 Days to Go, $77.74 left to spend.

Blackberry Sorbet...Sweet.

Another Tuesday, another post without Dorie in it. To be quite honest, I have been so busy lately I couldn't even tell you what I was supposed to make this week. As you know from yesterday's post, I was up to my eyeballs in baking last week, and beyond that, I had company, and beyond that... its haawwwt. God Lord is it ever hot.

The only good thing I can see coming out of all this heat is blackberries. Just last week I snooped up behind my house to check the progress of the berries, but none looked even close. Still hard and whiteish - but a weekend of hot sun and afternoon rains gave me a gorgeous surprise on Sunday afternoon - 2 quarts of fresh berries!

I immediately brought them in the house and cleaned them, and waited a couple of hours for them to dry. I knew exactly what I was going to make with the first berries of the season...Sorbet. So I searched the net and looked for recipes that would fit my needs - my needs meaning I don't have to go to the store to buy anything. Luckily, sorbet is about the easiest and freshest thing you can make, using a little bit of nothing,

I settled on David Leibovitz's Blackberry Sorbet from A Perfect Scoop, but I modified it quite a bit. His recipe is quite similar to many other blackberry sorbet recipes, as there are really only so many ways to make a simple sorbet. But here is what I did...(by the way, Thanks David for the Tweet - I appreciate it!)



Blackberry Sorbet
adapted from David Leibovitz's A Perfect Scoop

24 ounces Fresh Blackberries
1 1/3 cup Superfine Sugar
1 cup water
1 1/2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice (I used the bottled variety as it's all I had)

Combine the sugar and water and bring to a rolling boil for around 1 minute. Remove from heat. Combine sugar solution and berries in blender or food processor and process until smooth. Strain mixture through metal strainer to remove seeds (I didn't use to do this in the past, but let me tell you, it's worth the extra effort.) Combine with lemon juice and stir well. Refrigerate or place in freezer to cool, then place in Ice Cream maker to process.

Do you have a favorite Blackberry Sorbet recipe? I am anxious to try David's Blackberry Lime (once I allow myself to buy limes, that is) but I would LOVE to hear YOUR favorite. And any suggestions you might have for all the other blackberries just waiting up there on the vine? I'd love to know your ideas...aside from Jam. Not a fan of Blackberry Jam. Nor any kind of coffee cake. Okay NOW tell me your favorite thing to make!

You all have a great week!

Day 13 Rundown: Spent 75 cents.

I had to go to North Carolina on Monday to buy things for my store...and one of the places we go happened to have packs of cheesey crackers (you know, like from a vending machine). They had 8 packs for 75 cents, so I snagged them for Jon's lunches. No tax. I'm just cool that way. :)

Breakfast: Jon skips breakfast typically during the week. Seven and I were on the buying trip(that started out at 5am), and all food is paid for by the store. We didn't eat fancy...we shared a Bojangles biscuit and BoRounds.

Lunch: I packed Jon a lunch he could haul and not have to keep cold - he was working in the field. He had a fruit cup, snack crackers from 2008 (yeah, I found them while digging in the cabinets under the griddle pan), A Starkist Tuna Pack (again, it was under the grill but still in date, yay!) and a little parfait cup. Sev and I were still on the road, and we stopped to have Carolina BBQ. Again, that's part of the deal for buying merchandise for the store - food's included...no money spent. We do this once a month or so - whenever we really need new items.

Dinner: I concocted a meal out of a leftover grilled cheeseburger from Thursday, a round zucchini, cheese, a tomato, a pepper from the garden and seasonings and butter. I'll post all about that later, but believe it or not, that sucker was GOOD. Seven and Jon also had green beans and leftover mac & cheese. For dessert, Jon & I had a piece of Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Blackberry Sorbet (I'll post the cake recipe soon, its easy and delish!) so - eating on Monday was good!

15 Days to Go, $77.74 left to spend.