Cut Grocery Bills in Half, Wealth |

October 26, 2015

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How can I save on dog food?

Saving on dog food in the most unlikely place

Saving on dog food in the most unlikely place

How do I save money on dog food? In the most unlikely place

My pup's food and how I save approximately $30 per month

My pup’s food and how I save approximately $30 per month.

We all know how expensive veterinarian bills can be. It’s a good place to stay away from has always been my mantra. One way to avoid cleaning your wallet out is to feed your pop good quality food. True, it’s more expensive at the outset, but the savings in sickness more than pays for itself. After months of try and fail, try and marginal success I found Hachi loves the Purina Pro Plan Savor.

Paying to the tune of $14 per 6 pound bag I went in search of a cheaper option. Forget the pet store chains, there is no saving money there. Grocery store after grocery store came up empty, they just didn’t carry it. Only Dave’s Market seemed to have it. I noticed huge bags of dog food at my vet’s office and learned that the exact same food in a 35 pound bag was priced at $51. You can do the math but I’m saving $30 a year buying this at Greenwich Valley Vet Clinic in West Warwick, RI. $360 a year! 

So, how  do I save money on dog food? Shop around and check your vet’s office. 

Cook & Entertain, Uncategorized |

October 6, 2015

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Oktoberfest Sauerbraten

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Oktoberfest Sauerbraten

Oktoberfest Sauerbraten


Oktoberfest Sauerbraten

Oktoberfest Sauerbraten

This is a German favorite and serves quite a lot of guests.  Basically it’s a pot roast, but unlike any you’ve ever eaten.  It takes 3 days to marinate, so it’s important to plan ahead. I like to make it a little bit mild but if you tend to like it strong, go ahead and add a half cup of cider vinegar to the marinade.

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Cook & Entertain |

October 2, 2015

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Oktoberfest Potato Pancakes

potato-pancakes

potato-pancakes

How can I make easy potato pancakes?

Oktoberfest Potato Pancakes

Oktoberfest Potato Pancakes

 

  • 3 slices bacon fried crisp / reserve drippings
  • 4 medium potatoes
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1/4 cup fine breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Butter
  • sour cream or applesauce to serve

Peel potatoes, wash and grate then with a fine grater. Drain off all the liquid and press in a clean towel to remove remaining liquid.

Grate onion into the potato and mix in the egg, crumbs and spices

Crumble bacon fine and mist into the mixture

Heat 1 Tablespoon of butter and teaspoon of bacon dripping in pan. Drop a large spoonfuls of mixture into pan.  Make as many as will comfortably fit into pan when grease is hot. but not smoking.

Brown lightly on both sides adding butter and bacon drippings as needed.

Cook in batches transferring completed pancakes to a rack on cookie sheet and put in 250 degree oven to keep warm while you prepare the next batch. 

Serve hot with sour cream or if you prefer, applesauce. 

Cook & Entertain |

September 29, 2015

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Oktoberfest Wienerschnitzel

Wienerschnitzel recipe for creating your own Oktoberfest celebration

Celebrating Oktoberfest

How do I make a perfect Wienerschnitzel?

Wienerschnitzel is a rather simple veal dish. A somewhat expensive meat I find that some of the cost can be cut by purchasing a couple of T’bone veal chops and trimming out the bone rather than purchasing the veal scallops. You can achieve close to the same effect by pounding the veal. If the chop is ½ inch thick, put between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound to about double in size and half the thickness. If very thick chop you can use a sharp boning knife and slit them in half lengthwise to the desired ½ inch then proceed to pound.

Wienerschnitzel for creating your own Oktoberfest celebration

As opposed to some of the sharper flavors of Sauerbraten or Rouladen, this dish has a gentle flavor.  It is ideal for the introduction to German food to newbie’s.  Also, it is much simpler to prepare. So, how do I create the perfect Wienerschnitzel?

  • 2 half inch veal T’bone chops, bone trimmed and pounded as stated above.
  • ½ cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 egg, whisked in shallow bowl
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper or to taste
  • Dash of nutmeg
  • 3 Tablespoons Butter
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 lemon

Place bread crumbs and flour each on its own piece of aluminum foil. (helps with cleanup)

Prepare wet mixture: egg, salt, pepper and nutmeg. (I like to use the whole nutmeg and grind it on a rasp) Nutmeg has a strong flavor so be careful to add only a tiny bit.

Dip pounded veal in flour, then in egg and finally coat in the crumbs.

Place prepared cutlets on a waxed or parchment paper line plate and refrigerate for a few hours. Overnight is ideal.

Prepare to fry

Take veal out of the refrigerator and let sit until they are room temperature.  (This is something I nearly always do because the cooking can be better regulated.

Melt butter in medium fry pan, add oil and let heat until quite hot. I judge by holding my hand flat over the pan about an inch over the oil. If I I can’t hold it there for more than 3 seconds it’s hot.

Drop the veal into the oil, let sizzle for about 3 minutes per side.  End by squeezing a few drops of lemon over each chop, flip once more and remove to a paper towel lined dish. Serve with a slice of lemon.

Cook & Entertain |

September 25, 2015

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Oktoberfest Red Cabbage

Oktoberfest Red-Cabbage-Cooking

Oktoberfest Red-Cabbage-Cooking

Good food is one focus of Oktoberfest and a German or Bavarian meal is just not complete without red cabbage. It’s delicious, nutritious and adds so much color to your table. Ahhh but there is a secret to preserving that beautiful red color. 

Use enameled or stainless steel equipment because cast iron or aluminum will cause the cabbage to lose its red color and turn an unappetizing blue/grey.

Oktoberfest Red Cabbage Recipe

Oktoberfest Red Cabbage Recipe

  • 1 medium red cabbage, approximately 3 pounds
  • 1 sliced medium onion
  • 1 stick unsalted butter (If salted is used, reduce salt by half that is to be added later)
  • 3 tart apples sliced into Julienne strips
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp of grated lemon zest
  • 1 tsp of grated orange zest
  • 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
  • Tsp salt
  • Tsp black crushed pepper
  • Orange juice as needed

Shred cabbage in thin slivers like coleslaw size.  Slice onions to match the thickness of the cabbage shred. Slice and julienne apples

julienne-apples

julienne-apples

Heat half the butter and put in cabbage and onion, toss until cabbage starts to wilt. (Add remaining butter as you go along.)

Once cabbage is a bit wilted, add remaining ingredients, stir and let simmer until cabbage is soft. I cover the pan with the lid tilted so some steam can escape. Keep some orange juice on hand should the pan dry out add a ¼ cup at a time whenever dry to be sure it doesn’t burn on the bottom.

When cabbage is the texture that you like, some like it very soft, some firm, remove from heat and serve.

Cook & Entertain |

September 20, 2015

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Oktoberfest planning, can you help?

Oktoberfest planning – need ideas for appetizers and desserts; can you help?

As Mother Earth prepares for her last, loveliest bow, leaf peepers will have to wait a bit longer this year. Summer’s warm days prevail, my patio flowers remain lively and most vegetables are harvested.  All that remains is digging potatoes, a chore I’ve been putting off.  

Yet the morning air is crisp and this New Englander can feel the season changing. My thoughts begin to turn toward apple picking, checkered table clothes, baking pies and of course, Oktoberfest.

This year I’ve chosen my favorite Sauerbraten for the annual celebration; paired with red cabbage, potato pancakes and a few other favorites. I need a few other ideas for appetizers and desserts; can you help? I’d love to hear your suggestions.

Oktoberfest beautiful steins

Oktoberfest beauty

Cook & Entertain |

May 7, 2015

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How do you cook a tender lobster?

How do I cook a tender lobster

You follow the recipe perfectly only to find yucky black slime when you twist open your cooked lobster. What you are seeing is the roe, the lobster’s eggs that are not quite cooked. The problem is, if you cook the lobster enough to cook the roe through, it turns a more appetizing bright orange. The downside of that extra cooking is that often the prize tail meat becomes a little over cooked. So how do you cook a tender lobster every time?

  • Ask your market to select only male lobsters
  • Be sure they are lively and kicking
  • Place your lobsters in the freezer for about 30 minutes prior to cooking
  • Be sure not to over crowd the pot so the lobsters can return to a boil quickly
  • Time carefully and remove with tongs to sink and splash some cold water on them to halt the cooking process

Why? You ask.

Male lobsters do not have the roe and the meat will be tender without risking the black, under cooked roe

Healthy, live lobsters are more tender. In fact, if they are dead, do not use them, you could become very ill

If you are a little squeamish about putting a wiggling creature into a pot of boiling water, the freezer puts them into a sleepy state. They won’t know they are taking the plunge.

Over crowding the pot makes it difficult to bring the water back to a boil. You want to plunge them into the boiling water and have the boil recover quickly.

Splashing some cold water on them halts the cooking process so they won’t over cook

 

 

These few steps will solve your query: How do I cook a tender lobster every time?

For more free cooking tips sign up for my free tips to make home cooks rock!

 

Please post comments and let me know how this works for you.

Cook & Entertain |

April 26, 2015

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Quick Italian Pasta just for me

Quick Italian Pasta

Quick Italian Ingredients

Quick Italian Pasta

Quick Italian Pasta

It’s Saturday night and my family is out of town. I’m kind of lonely and thought I’d make myself some pasta with meat sauce. Sigh, but I thought, it’s only one person. That’s a lot of work. So I decided to whip up one of my cheat sauces.

Yes, I admit it, I sometimes use Ragu. It’s really little more than tomato paste, olive oil, tomatoes and a few spices. By the time I doctor it up, it’s really good. Not as scrumptious as if I used my own fresh tomatoes but suits my taste on a night like tonight. Sometimes it can be a bit sweet, read on for the solution to that problem. 

I always use the Marinara. I want the tomatoes to be as simple as possible, eeeeuuuu I can’t imagine buying a jar with meat in it. I can use my own meat and vegetables and quite prefer it.

Tonight I tested a non-stick skillet and don’t like the non-stick for this dish. There aren’t any toasty bits at the bottom of the pan, sometimes called fond and humorously referred to by Chef Anne Burrell as the crud.  These bits when liquid is added make a rich flavor. 

Now to really make it special I bought a block of Grana Padano cheese. Let me tell you, bring money!  But it’s worth it. You know that green can of Parmesan cheese we all know too well? It’s not even in the same family as far as I’m concerned. That shiny green can isn’t cheap either so I say invest in a small wedge of the best. Go to the hardware store and buy a rasp for grating if you don’t have a grater. Grate that fresh on top of your steaming hot meal and….heaven does exist.

Interesting note: Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano are different cheeses made somewhat differently and aged differently. Taste differences have much to do with the type of grass the cows are fed. Parmesan isn’t actually a cheese variety at all. It’s a generic term for hard cheese that pairs well with Italian food. I believe the term had its birth in the US.

 

Ingredients

  • 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil separated 3 T and 1 T
  • 1 Medium onion, sliced
  • 2 Plump cloves of garlic, sliced thin
  • 1 Beef hamburger patty
  • 2 Medium bay leaves
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 1 Tbsp Gravy Master
  • 1 Jar Ragu prepared sauce (marinara)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • A couple of lemon wedges

Quick Italian Pasta Recipe

Quick Italian Pasta Recipe

Saute your sliced onions in the 3 tablespoons of olive oil until just starting to get transparent. Crumble the hamburger patty in the pan and cook until about medium rare then add the sliced garlic.Saute these ingredients together until pink in the meat has gone away being very careful not to burn the onions or garlic. (Onions and garlic are very sweet when cooked but take on a bitter flavor if burnt) 

Add the hot pepper flakes and the bay leaves along with the Gravy Master. I like this ingredient because it adds some richness to the sauce. Stir together and add your jar of Ragu Marinara. Cover and let simmer for about 1/2 hour. At some point near the end of the half-hour, taste. If the sauce has too much sweetness from the tomatoes, I counter that with a squeeze of a couple of fresh lemon wedges. 

Add the oregano and basil, drizzle remaining tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil,  simmer for another 5 minutes, remove from heat and leave covered. Set aside while cooking the pasta.

Prepare your pasta according to the directions on the package. I prefer mine to be a little on the firm side. Italians call that Al Dente. When they get too soft and white it tends to have a mushy texture which is not what you want. 

Drain pasta and serve with sauce over the top. Grate you cheese and enjoy

Quick Italian Pasta Recipe

The last of my 2014 oregano

The last of my 2014 oregano. This is what the abstract guessing game was, a piece of this jar.

Cook & Entertain, Cooking, Cut Grocery Bills in Half |

January 18, 2015

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Muffins for Breakfast

Raspberry Muffins

Personally I love a sweet in the morning. Now I know muffins are basically cake. Yup, that’s the deal. But I do like them so….what do you do about being charged nearly $2 for a single muffin? Well make your own of course.

Really, when my mom wakes up and says “I want a muffin” I dutifully run out to the pink D and D place and pay a buck plus eighty cents for her muffin. While I’m at it I buy one for my self and at the end of the whole transaction, I lose nearly a finsky. The better part of a five dollar bill.

That same cost will feed me muffins for the entire month. OK , let’s put the Pink D execs on a diet and take our five dollars times 30 days in a month….a whopping $150  and  keep that $$ in our checkbooks.

Preheat your over to 400 degrees F.

Butter muffin pan well. I use a muffin pan with 8 muffin capacity. This yields somewhat larger muffins than the traditional 12 per tin.

Measure out all ingredients and set aside:

 

Muffin batter

Combine and mix dry ingredients. Mix liquid ingredients together and then mix with flour mixture.

Crumb Topping: Put ingredients in a bowl and then use a fork or pastry blender to make the butter become like little balls in the mixture. (You can also use a fork, the tool makes it a bit easier.)

 

Divide batter between the muffin tins. Add a bit of chopped nuts on top Push 3 raspberries into each muffin Top with crumb topping

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Test doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean…they are done

Let cool on a rack for a few minutes to set before popping them out of pan.

  • Muffin Ingredients 

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 24 fresh raspberries
  • 1/4 cup pecans

  • Crumb Topping Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flou
  • 1/4 cup butter, semi softened and cubed
  • 1 tsp cinnamin

 

Party and Dining – Etiquette, Tablescapes, Holiday |

November 23, 2014

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How do I cook a Thanksgiving Dinner

Step-by-Step Thanksgiving Dinner

Talking Turkey

Ultimate guide to Thanksgiving dinner

Ultimate guide to Thanksgiving dinner

I was amazed to learn some otherwise kitchen competent peeps are intimidated by cooking a Thanksgiving dinner. Always a guest and never the hostess, why? It’s not that hard. Here is how to pull it off with ease. So, How do I cook a Thanksgiving Dinner? Let’s talk Turkey!

I’m starting with the basics here. Sure I make chutneys, fancy roasted veggies but for this article let’s cater to the kitchen wizard in training, To make life easier I recommend starting your shopping ahead of time. Most things can be purchased well in advance. It helps to avoid the crowds and spreads the cost out over a few weeks.

Cook a Thanksgiving dinner with ease.

Try a fresh butterball this season

For the last few years I’ve bought the expensive fresh turkeys. Last year my 23 pounder rang in at a whopping $69 buckeroobys. After years of flushing my hard earned cash I’ve come to the conclusion that Butterball is as good as any. They claim to be always fresh, never frozen. From their website:

Tender and juicy, Butterball Fresh Whole Turkeys are all natural, never frozen, gluten free, and raised without hormones on American farms, giving you the highest quality turkey for your holiday meal.

Instructions on how to create your Thanksgiving dinner. In our free peek into the membership program

Instructions on how to create your Thanksgiving dinner. In our free peek into the membership program