Why you should keep a jar of pesto in your fridge.

Whether you make your own or buy it, you should keep a jar of pesto in your fridge. Here's why:

You can...

Toss some with pasta, tortellini or gnocchi
Use it as a sandwich spread
Mix in a spoonful with mashed potatoes
Whisk a spoonful into into tomato or alfredo sauce
Use in potato salad in place of mayo
Make a dip with a spoonful of pesto and some pureed cannellini beans
Spread it on homemade pizza
Mix with a spoonful of mayo and dip with oven fries
Toss a spoonful with steamed vegetables
Whisk with a few tablespoons of white wine vinegar for a salad dressing
Serve it as a sauce with grilled chicken, pork chops, fish or steak
Mix a spoonful with softened butter for pesto butter
Spread it on boiled corn instead of butter
Use it as a topping on baked potatoes
Add a spoonful to steamed rice making pesto rice
Add a spoonful to ground beef for hamburgers
Toss a spoonful with some spaghetti squash
Stir in a spoonful with some vegetable soup or potato soup
Add a spoonful on top of scrambled eggs

Have I convinced you?

Menu Planning and Grocery Shopping 101 - REPOST

I originally wrote this post in January of 2009, but I thought I would put up here again. I get a lot of questions about how to shop for and plan a menu. With a bit of organization and planning, your weekly meals can be a piece of cake. Read on.


This post isn't going to be for everyone. For some of you, this is all old news and you are a pro. But for others, this is going to be revolutionary and you might even save some money. What am I talking about today? The value of a menu plan and the grocery shopping for it.

Convenient that my camera is a fossil
because it fits right into the pocket of my purse.
Thus, I can bring it anywhere!

I recently had a friend ask me about menu planning and how to do it. It might seem like such an elementary concept, but you can be more efficient than you think.

So how do I do it? I will give you the full run-down.

First, set aside one day a week to go to the grocery store. It keeps you more organized that way. My day is Monday. I ALWAYS go to the store with a list in hand. This isn't a list I have jotted down on the back of an envelope. No, this is a list I have prepared the night before and it is in my notebook I keep everything in. On my list are things that pertain to our weekly menu and things I have run out of. And then there is the occasional deodorant and toothbrush.

Van, my constant companion.
Jack was a few aisles over,
begging me for a toy like it was his last day being a child.

When I plan a weekly menu, I sit down with my pile of recipes and cookbooks, which is embarrassingly large. I go through them and decide what sounds good. Chicken taco soup with cornbread or pork tenderloin with green salad and roasted cauliflower. The list goes on. I take a look at the weekly schedule to know what nights we will be home for dinner and the nights we won't. So let's say I have to plan a meal for five nights of the next week. I write down five dinners. Then I go back through the recipes to see what ingredients I am going to need that I do not have. Usually that means fresh produce, cheeses, dairy and fresh meats. Sometimes it will include something I normally have in the pantry, but have run out of, like red wine vinegar or dried oregano. It is so important that I go through each ingredient and write it on the list.

After making the list, a sloppy one at that, I make another nice list and categorize it by type of food. This might sound stupid, but I am saving time in the grocery store by doing this. I write down all the produce together. Then the dairy, meats, frozen and pantry items in separate sections as well. This makes going through the grocery store a breeze. I am wasting less time going back and forth.

Want an example? Well, today is the day you have been waiting for. Behold, example. This is a small sample of my menu last week.

Shrimp creole with brown rice and green salad
1 lb frozen shrimp
green bell pepper
celery
onion
cayenne pepper
romaine lettuce
cucumber
cherry tomatoes
green onions

Braised hunter-style chicken with quinoa with green chilies, cilantro and green onions
chicken breasts
8 oz. button mushrooms
onion
bottle of lemon juice
5 Anaheim chiles
green onions
fresh cilantro

Cocoa Ripple Cake
eggs
walnuts
heavy cream

Random things for snacks, breakfasts and lunches
yogurt
bread
cereal
string cheese
popcorn
fresh salsa
corn chips
fruit- bananas, oranges, grapes

So then categorize it by sections of the grocery store:

Produce
green bell pepper
celery
2 onions
romaine lettuce
cucumber
cherry tomatoes
2 bunches green onions
8 oz button mushrooms
5 Anaheim chiles
fresh cilantro
fresh salsa
bananas
oranges
grapes

Meats
chicken breasts

Pantry
cayenne pepper
bottle of lemon juice
walnuts
bread
cereal
popcorn
corn chips

Frozen
1 lb bag frozen shrimp

Dairy
eggs
heavy cream
yogurt
string cheese

Household
baby formula
body wash

If you stick to a list, you won't waste money. Some weeks you will spend more because you have to stock up on more things, but other weeks you will spend less. The worst thing you can do is go into the grocery store without a plan. You will get home and wonder what you were thinking. But if you have menu and a list for it, you will have a productive week. No wondering what to do for dinner each night. You will have more healthful meals and less "breakfast for dinner". And the best part is that the leftovers are lunch the next day.

I hope this is helpful for some of you readers out there. I know this will help my friend. If you want to add any ideas or suggestions, add away!

Recipes for all of your summer produce

From my inbox...

Reader Jessica: "I have loads of green beans. What can I do besides steam them?"

Reader Lucy: "I need a good recipe for stuffed zucchini. We have so much out of our garden and I need to think of some things to do with it. Any other suggestions?"

Reader Pam: "Corn. Help. I have a ton of it."

Ladies, do not fret. You know me, always out to help a gal. I have come to your rescue with a few recipes ideas as you set out on your summer produce voyage. Let's take advantage of what summer has to give us. Like Julia's quote says above, you don't have to get too crazy with your cooking to make things taste fantastic. Just take some perfect produce and perfect upon it. And here are some ideas for just that...

Corn:
Cindy's Fresh Corn Salad
Red Bell Corn Chowder
Sauteed Corn with Ginger and Mint

Green Beans:
Roasted Green Beans
Green Beans with Bacon and Crispy Garlic Butter
Roasted Sesame and Panko-coated Green Beans

Yellow Squash:
Chorizo and Yellow Squash Tacos
Creamy, Spicy Yellow Squash Soup
Grilled Balsamic Yellow Squash

Zucchini:
Bird's Citrus Zucchini Spaghetti
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Italian-style Stuffed Zucchini
Zucchini and Bell Pepper Enchiladas
Zucchini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Tomatoes:
Cucumber Tomato Salad
Eggplant Pomodoro
Tomato Basil Bruschetta
Roasted Bell Pepper, Corn and Tomato Soup with Spicy Shrimp

LIKE THE JULIA CHILD QUOTE ABOVE? Stay tuned for a giveaway for that print, courtesy of my brilliant sister Megan.

What is so special about free-range, organic eggs?

We have been getting free-range, organic eggs from a farm down the street. They are the prettiest eggs I have ever seen. I always feel bad about using the green ones. They are just the loveliest shade of mint.

Living in a world where eggs are mass-produced and identical, one can easily be skeptical of "those brown eggs". I am here to clear the smoke.

What does free-range mean?
It means that the chickens roam their "home home on the range". They aren't kept in tight quarters with other chickens. That means less chance of them eating chicken poop. They can do what all chickens want to do and peck at the ground aimlessly.

What about organic? What makes eggs organic?
The chickens are fed whole chicken feed. They are not eating anything genetically altered. The ladies consume what they were designed to consume. No funky ingredients, no mystery meal.

What do free-range, organic eggs taste like?
The same as regular eggs, but with a fresher taste. How to describe "fresher taste"? Not sure, just trust me. Anyways, the yolk is more orange, but they are the same otherwise. I have noticed with the free-range organics, Van does get a little red around the mouth and he doesn't with regular eggs. So maybe the lack of antibiotics in the organic eggs makes him more susceptible to an allergic reaction? Maybe. But the redness goes away quickly so I am not worried.

Why buy free-range, organic eggs?
If you are buying free-range, organic eggs, you are mostly likely buying local. Buying local is a good habit to get into. Support your local farmers so they don't have to stop doing what they are doing.

I should probably credit the sources of my research, but I can't remember them. Probably a little Wiki and some other places. Sorry.

Food photography advise from someone totally unqualified

To my fellow food bloggers:

I am totally not qualified to talk about how to take pictures of food. I am no where near having the camera I want. But after taking hundreds and hundreds of pictures of food, I know a few things that will make the food in your pictures look more like food and not some hot tranny mess. Even a little camera can take some awesome pictures. If you have a big, fancy camera, don't read. This is intended for my ladies that have a dinky little thing from Wal-Mart or Best Buy. Truth be told, mine is from Circuit City. May they rest in peace.

Here are a few tips on food pix:

#1- Take food pictures in natural light. This is good news because day light is longer right now. Don't let it be direct sunlight, but maybe just in the shadows. Find a spot in your house that is close to a window that lets in lots of light. Turn the blinds so that the light still comes through, but isn't direct. If you can go outside, even better.

#2- If you have made something awesome and it is too dark outside to take a picture, save it. Stick it in a container in the fridge with a sign that says, "Do Not Eat" (that is vital). I take my blogging pretty seriously and a really bad picture isn't worth the post to me. It is worth it to wait so I can get a good picture. So save that blog-worthy meal and take pix the next day.

#3- Don't use your flash, ever. It casts a weird light on your food and mostly doesn't look like food at all. Turn your flash completely off. If you are taking pictures in natural light, you won't need it anyways.

#4- Use the macro setting. I have a pink Sony Cyber-shot with 7.2 megapixels. See? No where near the camera I really want. But even my little Pinky Girl has a macro setting. On my camera and most little digitals, the macro setting is the little tulip button. Turn that baby on and then you can get really close to the food and the textures.

#5- Don't take pictures right above the food. Get down close to it and level with it.

#6- Plate the food on a white plate. I don't always follow this rule, but I should. It does produce the best results almost every time. Think of a fancy restaurant and their serveware. Stark white plates. A white plate lets the food be the centerpiece.

#7- When taking pictures of a few things on the same plate (example: chicken, rice and salad), put them close together and stack them high. Once again, just like a restaurant. This is something my husband did when he would cater big events. And when available, sprinkle on some chopped fresh parsley. A little green makes the biggest difference.

#8- Don't just take one picture. When I make something, I take about 10. And why not? It's digital and that is the best part of digital. Click away and change the angle of the camera or the plate. Out of a bunch, you are bound to get one or two that are post-worthy.

I hope this is helpful to some of you. There are a lot of food bloggers with mad skills and their pictures are ruining it for them. Good luck with trying these tips out!

Green eggs how-to

St. Patrick's Day is next week. In this house, it's a holiday that is celebrated with dedication. My short, sassy Grandma Sally came over from Ireland as a teenager. St. Patrick's Day was important to her, so it is important to us.

The typical St. Patrick's Day breakfast for most includes green eggs and ham. It isn't Irish, but it's fun. Here is how you do green eggs, but not scrambled. They look like the book.


Heat the broiler. Separate an egg, putting the yolk in one bowl and the white in another. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add a few drops of food coloring to the white and stir to combine, but do not over-stir. You don't want the white too foamy.

Once the pan is hot, add a tablespoon of butter. Melt and then add the egg white. Once it has stopped running in the pan, carefully slide the egg yolk on top of the white. Put the pan under the broiler and cook until the yolk is as firm as you prefer.

Stupid Bowl

I am not a fan of the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl has ruined my birthday a couple of times. February 1st is a real gamble. I never know if my birthday will be good or not. This year, I drew the unlucky card and the Super Bowl is on my birthday. There goes my one day a year to be extra special.

Although I am bitter, I know there are some of you that are not and you love the Stupid Bowl- sorry, I mean Super Bowl. It just slips out sometimes.

Here are some ideas for some good eats/man food on Super Bowl Sunday.

Caramel Popcorn
Onion Rings
Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches with Classic Coleslaw
Rookie Cookie's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tater Salad
Bruschetta Pesto Burgers
Obama Family Chili
Brownies for Ice Cream Sundaes
Teriyaki Kababs
Fresh Strawberry Milkshakes
Cindy's Avocado Salsa
Mahogany Chicken Wings
Supreme Pizza Pasta Salad

So enjoy your Super Bowl Sunday. Think of me when Kobe Bryant makes a goal. Or whatever.

Into the mouth of babes...

Today's subject matter:


I understand that this won't apply to A LOT of people, but there are also a lot that it will. If you don't have a baby, move along to the next blog. And have a wonderful day!

So, why make your own baby food? For starters, it is cheaper. I was going to break down a cost by cost comparison for this post, but I can't write down prices and all when I am juggling a baby at the grocery store. I know and you know it is cheaper, so there.


Why else? You know exactly what is going into your baby's mouth. My boys are bottle-fed and it cuts me to the quick. Much to my dismay, nursing is something that my body is terrible at. The Ladies just don't produce sufficient amounts of sustenance for my growing babies. So I bottle feed. For someone who likes to cook from scratch, the thought of bottle feeding is troublesome for me. Putting something into my babies bellies that is so highly processed is a bummer. So when it comes time to start feeding Van real food, making my own is important to me. Like everyone else in my family, I know exactly what is going into his mouth.

So how do you do it? It is incredibly easy. This is what I have so far:


Corn: fresh, canned, frozen. Steam until tender (if frozen or fresh), throw in the food processor and process until smooth. Portion out into ice cube trays. Cover and freeze. Once solid, put into little baggies.

Green beans: same as corn.

Butternut squash: Peel, chop and steam. Process until smooth and into the ice cube trays.

Avocados: mash with a fork or processor. Avocados are great because they stay green in the freezer.

Bananas: Process until smooth. Ice cube and freeze.

After doing a little research online, I have found that baby food lasts about 3 months in the freezer.

As for defrosting, easy. In the morning, I take out whatever cubes I will be feeding to Van that day. I put them in bowls and let them sit on the counter for a few hours. Usually it is mush by the time he is flapping his arms and whining for food. If it isn't defrosted, I put in the microwave and slowly heat it up. If it is too thin, I add rice cereal to thicken it up. If it is too thick, I add warm water.

I know I am not the only one who makes baby food. So mommas, what do you do? Give me some tips. And recipes would be great!

UPDATE 12/14: Here are two sites that have a wealth of recipes and info about baby food.
Thank you Jodi!
Thank you Sweet Pea!