Friday, July 22, 2011

Foodie Friday: Seasoning Mixes

Over the past few years, I have enjoyed learning so much about cooking from scratch (still not all the way there, but it's a process... right?). In this adventure, I began looking into the plethora of ready-made spice mixes and packets from the store. I agree that these are a convenience item, but what's really in them??

To be honest, this started with my desire to find a substitute for the canned cream soups. At the time, my parents were living in Europe and didn't have access to our canned creamed soups. I stumbled upon a few recipes, and it seemed just too easy. I mean, making cream of chicken soup has to be hard... that's why they put it in a can for us... right? Yes, I have an odd way of rationalizing.

I could get the creamed soups at a cheap price around the holidays... matching up the big sales at the grocery stores with doubled coupons. After looking at the homemade recipe, all I needed was butter, flour, chicken broth/stock, and seasonings. Oh, chicken stock... that's got to be hard, too. Later, I learned that it's simple and SUPER cheap to make. Then, it was just a small jump into making all my own cream soups. What a relief!

I also discovered (obviously, one of the last to know) that the manufacturers use MSG to keep the items shelf-stable. The purpose of this post is not to outlaw MSG or condemn food distributors from using them. Instead, I think we should be  educated consumers and vote with our dollars. OK... stepping off my soapbox now.

That got me thinking, I bet I could mix up some of my own seasonings. Of course, my analytical brain started to turn me away: Those packets at the store have tons of different ingredients. There's no way you can do that! After poking around online, I found several awesome sites that have huge lists of spice mix recipes. Some I've taken "as is," but it's given me the confidence to tweak the recipes to my taste and that of my family. So cool!

Here are a couple links of my favorite sites that have become a great resource:

Nervous about buying the ingredients?
Buying all those little containers of herbs and spices seems daunting and expensive. If you're not careful, it can be quite expensive to buy them. However, for me, I've found it cheaper to buy the ingredients from a health-food store (Whole Foods, Fresh Market, EarthFare, etc) in the packets. I can get them for about $2 each. And they contain quite a bit more than the little spice containers.


I also decided to buy some of the spices I use the most from a bulk co-op. I was able to purchase a 1-lb bag of garlic powder for under $6. When a little jar costs $2 to $6, it' a HUGE cost savings.

From there, I store what I need in my spice/herb jars near where I cook.


After mixing up the seasoning mix, I can store them in a plastic container or re-use some glass jars.



I LOVE that I can tailor the heat-factor of each recipe mix. My boys still don't like things too spicy, so I can make a mild mix and just add a little extra heat to hubby's food.

This little step (of making my own recipe mixes) has helped me expand my level of cooking. In the past, I was nervous to deviate from a written recipe. Now, I can look at the recipe and figure out how I can adapt it... and it actually works! Obviously, you don't want to do that with baking.

Do you have some favorite Seasoning Mix recipes? Please share!!

Friday, July 15, 2011

Foodie Friday: The versatility of a pancake recipe

It's no secret, we love breakfast foods in our house. Over 4 years ago, I knew I needed to figure out how to make a good pancake from scratch because the store-bought mixes were too expensive... and full of preservatives.

After fiddling with a few recipes, I came up with my favorite pancake recipe. Now, I like my pancakes fluffy. If you like them thinner, just add an extra egg and a bit more milk. As always, there's an "Almost On Purpose" factor to this mix; and I'll share that in a moment. First, here's the recipe...





Kristy's Favorite Pancake Mix - Basic

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour (choose your favorite and any combination)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp sugar (or 3 scoops pure stevia extract... this is the super powdery stuff, not Truvia)
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 egg
1 1/2 cups milk
1 Tbsp flax seed meal, optional
2 Tbsp rolled oats, optional

Directions
Note: Before I do anything, I start by putting my butter in a small pan on the stove to melt. By the time I'm ready for the butter, it's already melted.
  1. Heat griddle pan to medium heat.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
  3. Using a spoon or the back of a measuring cup, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
  4. Add the egg to the center of the well and break up the egg. 
  5. Add in 1/2 the milk to the broken-up egg and begin to mix into dry ingredients.
  6. Add melted butter and remaining milk and mix in until all batter is mixed. Doesn't have to be smooth.
    Tip: If you let the batter sit a few minutes before placing on the griddle, they taste EVEN better.
  7. Pour or scoop (I use 1/4 cup measure) batter onto griddle. When bubbles form and sides begin to set, flip pancakes and cook until center is cooked through.
  8. Serve immediately or put in oven to keep warm. Serve with your favorite syrup.
Yield: 10-12 4-inch pancakes

Now, for the "Almost On Purpose" part of the story.

Mix ahead of time 
I've found that this recipe travels really well, except for the wet ingredients. I have stored one batch of the dry ingredients in container or zip-top bag and taken it with us for an easy breakfast on vacation. I don't have to lug all the dry ingredients. Since most of the measuring is done, I just have to add the wet ingredients, mix, and cook. Everyone is happy to wake up to a warm breakfast. Plus, I feel better about saving a little money on vacation.

Mix-in options
This recipe is super easy to make over into an AMAZING breakfast. My boys LOVE pancakes, but I don't like to give it too them ALL the time. I like to hide things in their pancakes. First, I started with mashed bananas. That was easy to hide. In the summer time, I would peel and grate zucchini and mix it into the batter. So much fun! The pancakes have done amazingly well with all my concoctions. I've decided to list a few of my favorites.

  • Banana nut pancakes: add 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 banana mashed, 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • Blueberry pancakes: add 1/2 tsp almond extract, 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
  • Chocolate chip pancakes (don't do this one very often): add 1tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (min-chocolate chips are also great)
  • Zucchini pancakes: 1/2 medium grated zucchini, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg. These pancakes can be a bit thin because the zucchini gives off some of it's liquid. Just cut back on some of the milk.
  • New idea: Baked apples! Maybe sautee some chopped, peeled apples in cinnamon. After pouring the plain batter onto griddle, scatter some of the apple-cinnamon mixture on top of the pancakes and continue cooking. I'll have to experiment with this one soon!
Serving a Crowd
This is great for a brunch because you can double or trip the basic recipe, then separate into different bowls and create many different pancakes. Anyone is bound to find a pancake they love, and you don't have to spend a ton of time in the kitchen. 

Leftovers
Pancakes are great as leftovers. They are easy to store and easy to reheat in the toaster or oven. Here's some of my favorite ways to store:
  • Fridge: place in single layer in a reusable container. If more pancakes, place plastic wrap, parchment paper, or wax paper between the layers to prevent sticking together. When needed, pop each one in the toaster for a hot pancake. So easy!
  • Freezer: Two options: (1) Flash freeze on baking sheet, then store in zip-top bag. Reheat individual pancakes in toaster. (2) If serving a crowd later in the week, place them all in a foil packet and then into a container or zip-top bag. When you need the pancakes, place the foil packet in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.
This summer, while visiting my parents at the beach, I had made too many banana nut pancakes and had a bunch leftover. Since I hate throwing food away, I saved them and stored them in the fridge. A few mornings later, we decided to have breakfast on the beach. An hour before leaving, I cut the pancakes into 1" strips, packed them in foil packets and put them in a warmed oven. When it was time to go, I packed the pancake packets in a separate cooler and packed two small containers of maple syrup for dipping. We'd also made a batch of iced coffee. It was an AMAZING breakfast!! It helps to have the awesome camping-style tables and picnic setup that my mom has. She's so much fun!


Disclaimer: I did forget the cooler with warm pancakes... on the counter. My dearest father drove back to the house to get them. Thankfully, we had other food to keep the kids happy until the pancakes arrived. In the end, it was still one of my favorite breakfasts on our trip, and I have a hilarious memory of my sometimes (more often than not) scattered brain. The leftover pancakes made for a wonderful "Almost On Purpose" breakfast. Yummy!

Do you have a favorite, versatile food?

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Staying Organized and Under Budget - At the Grocery Store

I don't know about you, but I've been guilty of the following budget-busting shopping techniques:
  • Shop the aisles with an empty stomach
  • Forgot to pack the snacks for the kiddos
  • With a mind like this, who needs a shopping list?
  • I just need a couple things from the store
  • Oh, $2.00/lb is such a great price! This 15 lb bag will last me for a LONG time!
Going to the store without a plan or with an empty stomach equals sticker shock at the register. After having Regus #2 and transitioning to a one-income household (and facing all the debt we'd been stacking up), we realized that our shopping habits had to change. After sulking for several months about having a non-existent food budget, I finally got inspired to use one of my favorite software programs: Spreadsheets!! Oh, the power of data! Yes, I'm a nerd. In a world of diapers, spit up, and sleepless nights, mounds of data was something I could control.

As a little girl, I remember my mom making lots of food from scratch, organizing a health-food co-op, shopping sales, and clipping coupons. She was amazingly resourceful with the money she had for food. With that precious memory, I embarked on my own adventure of saving money for my household.

In this post, I'll cover the basics of how I use spreadsheets to develop my bi-weekly menu plan, enter my shopping list, and stay organized. In future posts, I'll go into more detail about shopping with kids and the benefits of buying in bulk — with a plan.

My plan works for me, so I don't want to say: My plan is BEST, so ha! You may dread making a shopping list, so jumping in full-steam-ahead may not be practical. I pray that this post will help get your creative juices flowing to find a fun, exciting way to make a planned shopping trip a fun one. Even better, I'd love for you to share some of your own ideas. I love to find out how other people stay organized and under-budget!

How I make it work
Before I start any shopping list, I refer to my list of my family's favorite meals. I've seen some people go even farther and list all the perishable and non-perishable items needed for each meal. I'm not that good. This list prevents me from getting in a rut of the same meal over and over. Believe me, hubby will let me know. I do like to try out new recipes, so I print those recipes off and keep them in a notebook. Every few weeks, I'll look through those to see if I can add one in the next shopping trip. I do not make a meal plan before I look at all the flyers. Every few months, I'll actually take inventory of my pantry, fridge, and freezer. I've found about 5 extra meals lurking, what a money saver! Back to the topic... I'll take a look at what I have, for reference. Then, I take a look at what's on sale. What can I make with this week's specials on meats and veggies? What can I stock up on for later?

As I see the items on sale, I start entering my meals on the top few rows of my spreadsheet. From there, I start adding items to my shopping list.


I'm using an Open Office spreadsheet. It functions the same as Excel, but you may notice a few differences.

The spreadsheet
For some, the idea of using a spreadsheet is crazy. For others, it may not be scary but odd to use it for household tasks. You don't have to go as geeky as I do. For example, when I told my Dad (super-fan of spreadsheets, too) that I used a spreadsheet to track my groceries and spending habits, he jokingly asked, "Yeah, but do you use pivot tables?" My response, "Yep! And I love it." If you take a few minutes to enter the department and store in your spreadsheet, you can do some basic sorting that will save you time and money in the store. This same additional data will give you some awesome pivot tables, too. You can track how much you are spending and study your trends.

Ok, enough nerdiness. I really think that a plan can help you save hundreds of dollars each month. If you are new to spreadsheets, I've found a series of You Tube video tutorials that do a great job of explaining the basics. Check out theese beginners and the calculations tutorials. They are EXCELLENT! If you want to go even further, there are other great tutorials for spreadsheets, by this same trainer.

Back to my spreadsheet. Here's my plan of attack:

Along the first row after my menus, I list the following column headers:
  • Item. The name of the product.
  • Qty. How many I need to buy.
  • Kr. This is my "store special" column. In this case, Kroger had a promotion to get $5 off your order, if you purchase 10 of the promotional items. By re-entering the qty in this column (for the promotional items), I can add them up at the end of the spreadsheet and see how close I am to the goal of 10. So nice!
  • Cost. This is the cost per item. We'll make a total later.
  • Cpn. This stands for "coupon." I'll enter the coupon face value, if I have one available in my binder.
  •  Dbl? If the coupon can be doubled, I'll enter a "2." If the store doesn't double coupons, then I just enter a "1." This is also great if a store is tripling coupons, then I'd enter a "3,"wohoo!
  • Total. This is my formula!! We'll go more into that in a minute. 
  • Department (dairy, deli, meat, produce, ingredients). Make this generic, because every store is laid out differently. 
  • Store. Where I'm going to buy the item.
The last two categories (department and store) are helpful for sorting. That way, you can see everything you need from one store, even though you don't enter all those stores' items at the same time on your list. Yeah for spreadsheets!!


The formula
My "Total" formula essentially means: =(qty * cost)-(cpn*dbl?). However, I obviously enter the cell numbers, instead of the labels. The labels are just for reference. Once you make the first formula, just hover over the bottom-right corner of the cell until a solid, black cross shape appears. Click and drag that formula down to the end of your list. This will generate the "total" for all the items listed.

The grand total or TOTAL
This is a "sum" formula. You can highlight all the numbers in the "total" column and click the "auto sum button" (Σ). In my spreadsheet, the Grand Total is $162.24. Disregard the "Filter" stuff, that's a small pivot table.

Sorting columns
The secret to sorting in spreadsheets is to highlight the entire chart that needs to be sorted. When I was a Business Analyst at a major publishing company, I had people (who "said" they knew what they were doing and didn't want any help) try to highlight a specific column only and then sort. All I can say is, they had to waste an entire day getting the data back. Ugh... just save your time and highlight the entire chart. Here are the quick steps:

  1. Highlight the table/chart (except for the menu plan). Be sure to include all the headers (ie, item, qty, kr, cost, etc)
  2. From the top menu bar, click "Data," then "Sort.
  3. After a pop-up box appears, select your search criteria. In our case, I've selected "Department" for the first one, then "Store" for the second. Then, click the "OK" button.
Highlight the data and sort each time you add something new to the list or change the store for an item.

Print your spreadsheet
You may need to do a little formatting to get the spreadsheet onto one page wide. I slip my shopping list behind the clear cover of my coupon book. After my zipper binder broke, I had to move to a regular binder. But I've really liked having the shopping list on the outside... so helpful!



Go shopping!
Now, you are ready to shop... with a plan! As you are shopping, the menu plan reminds you why you are there. The list and prices help you identify a good deal, if you find an unadvertised deal in a store. Plus, it helps me try to find a way to stay under my total.

Don't have a spreadsheet program? Don't worry...
There are a couple, free options for you. I use them both and find them very convenient.*

OpenOffice.org: I highly recommend downloading this suite of programs from Sun Microsystems. It's always free and works just as great as Microsoft Word and Excel. Sometimes, it can be a bit different than Word, but it's free. I've heard Clark Howard talk about it, too. 

GoogleDocs: You can sign up for a free Google account and have access to GoogleDocs. Here, you can create documents and spreadsheets and save them to Google. This is nice because you can keep it completely private, share with a few users, or make it public.

* Disclosure: I've not been paid or compensated in any way. These are my opinions.


What keeps you organized, when you go grocery shopping?

UPDATE (Dec 5, 2011): Here's a FREE download of a grocery shopping spreadsheet.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Learning to be gracious: The art behind good sportsmanship skills

"Mommy, is he still learning to share?"

This is music to my ears. Regus #1 has been teaching me how graciousness and good sportsmanship skills go hand-in-hand.

Let me rewind for a moment. My children, like me and hubby, are natural competitors. I think this is something born in many children; however, (from my perspective) it appears that our society is trying to make everyone winners — no losers. Again, from my perspective, this has the potential to backfire on us all. I say that because, in life, we will all meet obstacles and hardships; and we need to be ready to handle it. As parents, we can choose to guide our children through these trying times or shield them from it. I prefer to help my children understand and learn how to deal with the confusing feelings and emotions of winning and losing. If we don't allow them to experience the feelings of winning and losing, they may first feel it when they get their first job. It may not be pretty to "lose your cool" in front of a boss.

My goal is to teach them that while winning is fun and rewarding, it is not kind to mock the losers. Instead, we need to encourage them and learn from them. At some point in life, we will lose at something. It's not a bad thing. That's how we learn.

Aren't they sweet? A few seconds after this picture was taken, they started tackling each other... Boys!

So, in case you're wondering, I didn't decide to try to become super mom for no reason at all. Like most parents, my parenting stems from handling a behavioral problem. As I mentioned earlier, my boys are very competitive. So much so that they like to make a race of who can get to the bathroom first to brush their teeth. The winner would usually end up gloating in an all-too evil, cartoon-villain way... Seriously!. Then, the loser would fall on the floor crying.

Trying to be the nice mom, I attempted to rig the race. This, too, failed because they now saw that it wasn't a race anymore but just taking turns. When I say "failed," I mean that they didn't learn to be nice to one another. They tolerated letting each other take turns, which really isn't a bad thing. Albeit, it's not the point.

After some thought (and prayer), hubby and I decided that we needed to take a different approach to the winning-losing scenario. At 3 and 5, we thought it was ok to start teaching them about good sportsmanship skills: being a gracious winner, learning from loosing, and being supportive to team mates (in this case, family).

The method:
  • All games were focused on giving a "good job" or high-5 to the winner. In turn, the winner needed to say "thanks." When someone started to feel down about not winning, we just kept encouraging.
  • Started memorizing one of my favorite sayings: "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." 
  • While playing hop-scotch or any kind of running/jumping activity, we cheered (literally, call out their name and say "Woohoo, you can make it!") for the person running or jumping. At the end, we'd all give high-5s.
The result:
  • The winners would beam from ear-to-ear when they got a "good job."
  • There was less grumbling about saying, "If at first you don't succeed..."
  • Everyone was trying harder, when there was a cheering section.
  • Even when someone lost, they came back to cheers from the rest of the family. Then I see him try again the next time.

Finally, I noticed Regus #1 taking it all a step further. As we play with other children that don't yet know how to deal with sharing or playing fairly, he doesn't gloat or get upset. Instead, he comes to me and asks, "Is he (or she) still learning, Mommy?" I respond, "Yes, honey he is. Let's giving him some space."

It is so precious to see this. It is graciousness at it's finest.

Another friend also suggested that I make it challenge to see if everyone can make it to the bathroom before I finish counting. This way, they are encouraging each other to make it there before mommy stops counting — instilling teamwork skills. This idea has been invaluable to us, as well.