Men's Favorite Salad

3 1/2 oz can French Fried Onions (?)
1/2 head iceberg lettuce ($.44)
5 cups romaine lettuce broken into bite-size pieces ($.89)
1/3 cup Italian Salad Dressing ($.50)
Tomatoes ($1)

Heat can of onions at 350 degreesF for a few minutes until crisp.

In a bowl, Break up both lettuces, add salad dressing & toss lightly. Add warmed onions and some tomato wedges and serve with other veggies & bread & maybe a little meat or beans.

SERVES 6

TOTAL COST: $2.80 + french fried onions - maybe about $4-5

How to Make French Fried Onions

Contributor
By an eHow Contributing Writer
Article Rating: (18 Ratings)
Email Facebook Twitter StumbleUpon
Add to Favorites Print Share.I want to do this! What's This? ..
It is very easy to make French fried onions, and once you have made them you're going to want to serve them often. French fried onions, also known as fried onion rings, make a delicious addition to any meal, and can also be served as an appetizer or an evening snack.
.From Quick Guide: Onions 101 . How to Cook Stuffed Onions

Spicy stuffed onions are part of traditional Indian cuisine. The onions are coated with a mixture of… More
How to Make Creamed Onions

Prepare these creamed onions 1 hour before eating. Serves 10.… More
How to Make French Fried Onions

Difficulty: Easy
Instructions.Things You'll Need:
•1 1/2 cup flour
•1 3/4 tsp. salt
•1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
•2 tsp. sugar
•2 eggs
•1 1/4 cup milk
•1/4 cup vegetable oil
•Measuring cup
•2 Large bowls
•Measuring spoon
•Wire whisk or fork for blending
•A deep frying pan
•Paper towels
•Baking sheet
Prepare the Onions
Step 1
Remove the skin from the onions.

Step 2
Cut the onions crosswise, making slices that are approximately 1/4-inch thick.

Step 3
Separate the onion slices carefully into individual rings.

Step 4
Dry the onion rings thoroughly with paper towels.

Step 5
Dredge the onion rings in flour, coating them thoroughly.

Step 6
Set the coated onion rings aside on a large baking sheet.

Step 7
Repeat the process until you've coated all of the onion rings with flour.

Prepare the Batter and Fry the Onions
Step 1
Place all of the dry ingredients into a bowl and stir until everything is thoroughly and evenly mixed together, then set the bowl aside.

Step 2
Blend the milk, oil and eggs together in a large bowl. Once they are blended, add the dry ingredients to the mixture.

Step 3
Beat the ingredients until the batter is blended and smooth.

Step 4
Heat one inch of oil in a deep pan until it reaches 375 degrees F.

Step 5
Dip the flour coated onion rings into the batter and allow all of the extra batter to drip off. Put the onion rings carefully into the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd them

Step 6
Fry the onions until they turn a golden brown color, then turn them over until they are cooked on both sides.

Step 7
Remove the onions from the hot oil once they are cooked and put them on a paper towel lined baking sheet or wire rack. This will allow all of the excess oil to drain off the onion rings. Repeat the process until all of the onions are cooked.
.

Read more: How to Make French Fried Onions eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2098940_make-french-fried-onions.html#ixzz0sBtlzwsH

Chinese Chicken Salad

4 chicken breast halves ($1.50)
2 Tbsp slivered almonds ($.30)
2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds ($.15)
1 head cabbage finely chopped ($.50)
2 green onions, eliced ($.10)
2 pkg Ramen noddles/chicken flavor ($.50)
2 Tbsp sugar ($.01)
1/2 cup vegetable oil ($.40)
1 tsp salt ($.01)
1/4 tsp pepper ($.01)
3 Tbsp vinegar ($.01)

Cook chicken in small amount of water, covred until tender about 20-30 minutes; skin, de-bone, and dice chicken. Combine with toasted almonds & sesame seeds, cabbage, green onions, and uncooked noodles (crumbled). Set aside.

In a glass jar combine rest of ingredients; shake until well blended. Pour over salad and toss. Cover and put in fridge for at least 2 hours. (Some people use the seasoning in the dressing, some don't - I don't)

*Toasted Sesame Seeds and Almonds
To toast, spread almonds in shallow pan in single layer; bake at 350 degreesF for 2-3 minutes; add sesame seeds and bake another 2-3 minutes.

Serve with fresh fruits and vegetables and bread or muffins

SERVES: 8-10 (it served 6 adults and 4 children easily!)

TOTAL COST $3.50

Well . . . we still have to eat MONDAY

Monday, June 28th - Mac & Cheese, Veggies, etc. ($3)

*Wheat Bread

Tuesday, June 29th - HOMECOMING PARTY!!! FRUITY SALAD & Fruit for party ($5+)

*Black Beans

Wednesday, June 30th - Chinese Chicken Salad ($3.50)

*Black Bean Burgers

Thursday, July 1st - Men's Favorite Salad ($4.50) OR Cafe Rio

Friday, July 2nd - Waffles, Eggs, Bacon, Peaches ($3.50)

Saturday, July 3rd - Hamburgers, Potatoes, Carrots ($4.50)

Sunday, July 4th - Another get-together FRUIT - Watermelon, etc. ($7)


TOTAL COST = $31-35 (or about $5/meal)









SHOPPING LIST:
Crushed Pineapple
2 Cottage Cheese
Cool Whip
Cabbage
Green Onion
Slivered Almonds
Lettuce x 2-3
Tomatoes
*French Fried Onions
Hot Dogs

Monday Menu Plan

Crazy weeks - we'll see if I catch up or not.





Monday, June 21st - (PAR-TAY) - French Bread & Drinks ($10)


***WHEAT BREAD***


***Black Beans)





Tuesday, June 22nd -Fiesta Pie, Salad, Milk ($2.00)



Wednesday, June 23rd - Cafe Rio, Rice, Beans ($2.80)



Thursday, June 24th - Taco Salad ($2.50) and Corn


Friday, June 25th - (Wedding) - Pizza, Top Ramen, Soup?? ($1.50)



Saturday, June 26th - Hamburgers, Carrots, Fries ($3.00)



Sunday, June 27th - (Court of Honor) Salmon? Rice, Beans, Rolls, Veggie, and Dessert ($6-7)

Total: $19-21




Grocery List


COKE/Dr. Pepper (1 can)


Check Tomato Sauce?


Garlic Clove

Black Bean Burger

1/2 onion, diced ($.30)

1 can black beans, well-drained - mash until almost smooth ($.50)

1/2 cup flour ($.10)

2 slices bread, crumbled ($.05) I make homemade bread

1 tsp garlic powder ($.01)

1 tsp onion powder ($.01)

1/2 tsp seasoned salt ($.01)

S&P to taste ($.01)

Oil to fry or PAM ($.10)

Saute onion. Add to other ingredients (but add flour a few Tbsp at a time). Mix well. Form into patties. Freeze.

Makes 6 yummy patties.

TOTAL COST $1.09

Fiesta Pie

2 cans black beans (rinsed & drained) ($1.00)

1 cup corn ($.30)

1/2 can green chilies, diced ($.35)

2-3 Tbsp taco seasoning mix ($.25)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup cheese ($1)

2 1/2 cups baking mix ($.50)

2 eggs ($.16)

2 cups milk ($.30)

1 1/2 cups salsa ($1)

Cook beans, corn, chilies, seasoning and water to boiling. Simmer about 10 more minutes (till liquid has evaporated). Divide into 2 greased pie pans.

Whisk baking mix, eggs and milk until well blended. Pour over beef mixture.

Bake at 400 degrees F until topping is browned and toothpick inserted between center & edge comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Cut into wedges & serve with salsa.

12 slices (61 cents per serving) 270 calories, 15g protein, 30 g CHO, 9 g Fat, 6g Sat Fat, 39 mg Cholesterol

Total Cost $5.00 - made 3 pies (about $1.66 per night)

Turkey Meatballs Pitas

Turkey-Meatball Pitas
From Good Housekeeping

Serves: 5

Total Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 15 min

1 pound(s) ground turkey
2 slice(s) low-fat bread, chopped
2 tablespoon(s) grated onion
1 large egg white
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cumin
1 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
5 (6-inch) whole-wheat pitas
1/2 large cucumber, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 container(s) (8-ounce) nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh cilantro, substitute 1 teaspoon dried mint leaves
4 cup(s) thinly sliced romaine lettuce

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray 15 1/2-inch by 10 1/2-inch jelly-roll pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2.In large bowl, with hand, mix ground turkey, bread, onion, egg white, cumin, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 3 tablespoons water.
3.Shape turkey mixture into 25 meatballs. (For easier shaping, use wet hands.) Place meatballs in jelly-roll pan and bake 12 to 15 minutes until cooked through (meatballs will not brown).
4.4. Cut about 1 inch from top of each pita; reserve cutoff pieces for use another day. Wrap pitas in foil. After meatballs have baked 5 minutes, warm pitas in oven until meatballs are done.
5.Meanwhile, mix cucumber, yogurt, cilantro or mint, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
6.To serve, fill pitas with lettuce and meatballs; top with cucumber sauce.

Nutritional Information
(per serving)

Calories 380
Total Fat 11g
Saturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 46mg
Sodium 1,020mg
Total Carbohydrate 44g
Dietary Fiber --
Sugars --
Protein 28g
Calcium --

Menu for the Week

It is summer! It is Hot! It is going to be busy. So . . . what are we going to eat?


Monday, June 7th - Fajitas (with beans), Rice, Salad


*Make Bread & Pitas



Tuesday, June 8th - Broccoli/Rice Casserole, Salad, Corn


*Black Beans cooked


Wednesday, June 9th - Greek Salad, Turkey Pita Meatballs

Thursday, June 10th - Fiesta Pie, Rice, Green Salad



*Make Black Bean Burgers

Friday, June 11th - Hamburgers, Potatoes, Carrots

Saturday, June 12th - Pizza (freeze 1)

Sunday, June 13th - Cafe Rio or Crock Pot Pork Roast

Homemade Graham Crackers

So I wanted to make a cheesecake today with a graham cracker crust, but didn't have any graham crackers, so I found this online - I didn't actually bake the graham crackers first, but have a bit more to make into graham crackers still. Can't wait to see how it tastes. Yummy - Strawberry Cheesecake, here we come!

1 cup (4 ounces) Whole Wheat Flour or Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) vegetable oil
1/4 cup (3 ounces) honey
2 to 3 tablespoons (1 to 1 1/2 ounces) milk (approx.)
additional milk for glaze
cinnamon-sugar (optional

In a mixing bowl, combine whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and baking powder. In a separate bowl, beat egg till light, then add oil, honey and 2 tablespoons milk. Stir into dry ingredients until you have a fairly stiff dough, adding additional milk if necessary. Wrap dough in waxed paper and chill until firm, about 1 hour (or longer, if it's more convenient).

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead gently until it holds together. Roll dough out till it's about 1/16-inch thick; make sure rolling surface is well-floured, or you'll have trouble transferring crackers to baking sheet. Preheat your oven to 375°F.

Cut dough into 3-inch squares, prick each square several times with a fork, and place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Brush the tops with milk, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar if you're so inclined, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until crackers are lightly browned. Remove crackers from oven, transfer to a wire cooling rack, and cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen graham crackers.

Menu Plan for the Week (post holiday)

So, our holiday is done and I've got to get back on task. So . . . what's for dinner tonight? I'd better decide quickly because I don't have much time. Let's see:

Monday, 5/31 - Belgium Waffles with Strawberries & Ice Cream ($3.50)

Tuesday, 6/1 - Hawaiian Haystacks ($3.00), Bread, Salad

Black Bean Burgers

Wednesday, 6/2 - Pasta Alfredo, Salad, Bread ($3.50-$4.50)

Thursday, 6/3 - Cafe Rio, Rice, Beans (Cost for toppings = $2.00)

Friday, 6/4 (Camping) - Mac & Cheese ($4.00)

Saturday, 6/5 - Hamburgers, Potatoes, & Carrots ($3.00)

Sunday, 6/6 - Turkey Casserole, Veggies, Jello, & Special Dessert ($5)

Total: $22.50 for the week's dinners

Last Week's Groceries

I only found WinCo's receipts - will add more if I find them

Milk x 2 1.66
Bananas x 3.30 49 cents/lb
Iceberg Lettuce 87
Cucumbers x 2 at 48/lb = 96
Strawberries x2 at 1.37 = 2.74

TOTAL OOP = 9.80 not any real savings

Pumpkin/Zucchini Muffins

1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
Dash ginger and nutmeg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup oil/applesauce
1 egg
1 cup canned pumpkin/zucchini (shredded)

Mix wet ingredients. Stir dry ingredients until well blended. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just moistened. Lightly coat 12 count muffin tin with cooking spray. Divide mixture between 12 cups. Bake 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Whole Wheat Bread

2 Tbsp yeast
1/2 cup warm water
5 cups hot tap water
14 cups whole wheat flour (or any combo of flour - freshly ground)
1 Tbsp salt
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup gluten flour

In a small bowl, mix yeast into warm water (adding 1 tsp sugar will help it grow). Blend the hot tap water with about half of the flour in a mixing bowl. Add salt, oil, and sugar to mixture. Mix until well blended. Add prepared yeast mixture. Add the rest of the ingredients to make dough just stiff enough to clean the sides of the bowl. Knead on low setting for 10 minutes. On a slightly oiled surface, divide the dough into 4 equal portions; cover with damp towel & let rise till double i nsize. Shape loaves and place in greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until dough has doubled in size again. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes.

* For pitas, use 1 loaf of dough that has risen once, spread corn meal on a cookie sheet, take make 2 inch balls (about 14 per loaf), flatten out to just beyond size of hand. Let rise 30 minutes. Then bake with the rack on the lowest shelf in preheated oven to 500 degrees F (the 500 degrees is a must as it makes the hole in the middle, so be sure to get it back there between pitas). Bake 4-5 pitas at a time for 4-5 minutes. Can bake on a cooling rack. Remove with spatula and put in a ziploc baggie to soften the outsides.

Red Stroganoff

1 lb ground beef ($2)
1 onion, chopped (.25 - .50)
2 tsp Worchestershire sauce (.10)
2 tsp celery salt (.01)
1 tsp salt (.01)
Freshly ground pepper to taste (.10)
3 cups canned tomato juice ($1) or 2 cans tomato paste with 4 cups water ($.60)
1 cup sour cream (.50)
Minced parsle to taste

Brown beef and onion in deep skillet. Add all ingredients except sour cream and parsley. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, stir occasionally. Serve over rice - or you can add 3 cups dry noodles with tomato mixture and cook until tender. Stir in sour cream before serving. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Serves: 6-8

Total Cost = $3.85

White Chicken Chili

2 lb White Beans, rinsed, & soaked ($1)

12 cups chicken broth (or 12 cubes + 12 cups water) ($.50)

2 tsp chicken chicken bouillon (.10)

1-2 onions, chopped (.50-$1)

1-2 Tbsp oil (.10)

1-4 cloves garlic, minced (.10)

2-3 tsp cumin (.10)

1 can diced green chilies (.50)

3 Tbsp lime juice (.25)

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (.01)

*Can also add 2 tsp oregano & 1-2 tsp lemon pepper (.02)

2-4 cups cooked & diced chicken or turkey ($2-3)

Combine beans, brother, bouillon, lemon pepper, & cumin. Bring to boil and cook (simmer) for about 1 1/2 hours. Then saute onions and garlic in oil. Add these to soup, plus spices, green chilies and meat. Simmer another 30 minutes.
Garnish with sour cream, cheese, tortilla chips, chopped green onion, chopped tomatoes, chopped cilantro, green chilies sliced, salsa, or green taco sauce.

Serves 10-12

Total Cost = $4.50 + toppings, so about $6-7; freeze half and you spend about $3.50 per meal

Monday Make-A-Meal Plan

It's Monday again which means, we need a new meal plan:

Monday - White Chicken Chili (Freezer), Salad, Zucchini Muffins ($2 - chili from freezer and counted in cost last week)

Tuesday - Red Stroganoff, Salad, Brown Rice, Corn ($4)

*Make Wheat Bread
*Make Hamburger Patties, when buy hamburger

Wednesday - Baked Potato Bar with leftover Chili, Salad Bar, Bread? ($2)

*Make Black Bean Hamburger Patties

Thursday - Cafe Rio Pork (Freezer), Rice, Beans ($3.50 - need some toppings & tortillas)

Friday - Hamburgers, Potatoes, Carrots ($4)

Saturday - Stuffed Pizza (Freezer) OR Hot Dogs, Chips, Carrots for hike ($3)

Sunday - Teriyaki Chicken, Couscous, Salad, Jello, Stir-Fry Veggies, Fancy Dessert ($8)


Total Cost for the Week = $26.50 (it's a mostly freezer week to stretch the grocery bill a bit - and it saves some time)

Granola Bars (or Breakfast Bars)

This is my best attempt at Homemade Granola Bars and we've liked them so far.

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars


4 c. dry oats (old-fashioned or quick cooking) (.25)
1 1/2 c. flour (.25)
1 c. brown sugar (.25) with other sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon (.01)
1/2 t. salt (.01)
3/4 – 1 c. canola oil (or part to all applesauce) - (.25) used mostly applesauce and that was canned at home and free
4 eggs (.40)
1 1/2 c. raisins (.35)


Dump all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Stir, by hand, just until completely moistened and combined. 3. Press into a greased 13×9 casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into individual bars.

Serves: 15-20 ($1.80 total)

A few notes about this recipe:

~ If your family isn’t too keen or raisins, you can substitute with other dried fruit. Or, chocolate chips or other fun insides might work as well.
~ These bars freeze beautifully. Wrap the cooled and cut bars individually and then freeze. They can be thawed in about 2 hours, or if you’re in a hurry, cook in the microwave on the defrost cycle for about 20-30 seconds, depending on the size of your bars.

Homemade Granola

10-13 cups rolled oats (.75)
1 cup wheat germ (optional - I also cracked wheat) (.50)
1/2 lb. shredded coconut (.50)
Up to 3 cups seeds (sunflower, sesame, chopped nuts) (.50-3.00)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar (or sugar and some molasses) (.25)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup honey (optional) (.50)
1/2 cup molasses (.25)
1 1/2 tsp salt (.01)
2 tsp cinnamon (.02)
3 tsp vanilla (.05)
Raisins or other dried fruit (.50)

Combine oats, coconut, nuts, seeds. Mix well. In saucepan, add remaining dry ingredients. Heat until sugar is dissolved, but do not boil. Pour over dry ingredients. Stir until well coated. Bake at 300 degrees F for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally

*Can also add applesauce in place of honey for an apple cinnamon taste or just dried apples, we also like craisins, raisins or without dried fruit. I am fairly liberal with following this recipe and have tried several variations as you can see from the "up to 3 cups" or 10-13 cups oats - that's a large difference, but I've tried it all because I have about 4 different recipes I've tried and they all work out about the same.

*Storage: 2 large gallon size bags. Yummy for breakfasts or for snacks.

Total Cost: $3.10 - $6.10.
Makes 1 1/2 - 2 gallon bags. Lasts 2-3 months in our house.

Cafe Rio Chicken and Dressing - two recipes

The One I've Used:

1 large pork roast or loin ($5)
1/4 - 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (.10)
2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce (1.00)
1 can caffeine free coke or Dr. Pepper (.33)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar (.25)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced (.01)

Combine ingredients and cook in crock pot on high 4-5 hours or on low 7-8 hours. Serve in burritos, enchiladas or in a salad with beans, rice, tomatoes, guacamole, cheese, tortilla chips, cilantro, a lime wedge and creamy cilantro dressing. (Freezes really well - I usually freeze it in a Ziploc Bag and can use the leftovers 3-6 times to feed our family).

Total Cost = $6.75/5 meals = about 1.35 per meal

Dressing from same recipe:
1 pkg Ranch Buttermilk Dressing ($1)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (.10)
1-2 jalapenos (or 1/2 can green chiles) (.25)

Make Ranch Dressing according to directions or just use a bottle of ranch already made up. Add the cilantro and chiles in a blender. Keeps for up to 3 weeks in fridge (or longer in freezer)

Total Cost = $1.35 (can last for 5 meals too)

Other Recipes To Try:

Cafe Rio Chicken

1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing ($1)
1 Tbsp chili powder (.10)
1 Tbsp cumin (.01)
3 cloves garlic - minced (.03)
5 lbs chicken breast ($7.50)

Cook all together in a crock pot for 4 hours, shred meat and cook 1 additional hour.

Total Cost = $8.75, but can last for 4-5 meals as well, equalling out to about $2.20/meal

The Dressing
1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet (make as per recipe) ($1)
2 tomatillos (tomato like vegetable with a husk around them) ($2)
1/2 bunch of cilantro (.20)
1 clove garlic (.01)
Juice of 1 lime (.10)
1 jalapeno (Use the seeds too if you like it spicy. You could substitute a few drops of green tobasco for the jalapeno) (.25)

Use a food processor to blend all the ingredients well. Refrigerate.

Total Cost = $3.56

Vinagrette (I made this one up from other recipes and what I had on hand)
1/2 cup oil (.40)
1/4 cup vinegar (.10)
3 Tbsp lime juice (.15)
1/2 bunch cilantro (.20)
2 tomatoes or tomatillos ($1)

Mix in blender. Refrigerate.

Total Cost = $1.85. Can last even longer because there is not the creamy base

Mexican Black Beans

Mexican Black Beans

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (or 1 1/2 c. black beans, fully cooked from dry beans) (.25) 1/2 c. frozen corn (.25)
1/4 c. diced red bell peppers (.05)
1/2 c. beef or chicken stock/broth (.05)
1 1/2 t. cumin (.01)
1/2 t. garlic powder (.01)
Salt, to taste
2 T. minced cilantro (.10)

1. Combine black beans, corn and red bell peppers in a skillet. Add stock/broth, cumin, garlic powder and salt to taste.

2. Bring liquid to a boil and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat, adjust salt if needed and stir in cilantro.

*This is a first, so I'll see how it turns out and comment then. According to the recipe, it is good warm or cold.

Total Cost: $0.72 (maybe more with real red peppers, instead of dried)