#I was trying to find my chili noodles recipe a few months ago and I did!!

[ariadventures]

Tea Eggs!!

You know what I haven't written in a while? A cooking/food post! Someone asked me something on Twitter which got me thinking and I figured I'd finally write about making food again, so I'm pretty happy to have something to post on here again.

Immediately at the start of writing this I understand why recipes come with a background story, because cooking IS personal and at least, since I'm not a recipe blog, what investment do you really have in this if I'm not saying something about it? But I'll put the extraneous details after the recipe. This is far from a formal recipe and just a musing of what I did. I mostly did it to taste but these are some approximate measurements:

6-8 eggs 4 cups of water 4 bags black tea 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce 2 tablespoons regular soy sauce 1 tablespoon sugar 4 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine 1 teaspoon five spice powder

Important to note: Make as many eggs as you want as long as it'll all fit in the marinade you make - it's gotta cover all of the eggs, no peekin' out. If you need less marinade, i.e. you're putting it in a tight ziplock bag, feel free to halve or otherwise divide the ingredients to fit.

Make the marinade in a saucepan with all the ingredients besides eggs. I started boiling the water and put the ingredients in one by one. I cut open the tea bags and dumped it all in. The five spice powder is out of convenience - if you look up all the spices included in it, like sichuan peppercorn and star anise and cinnamon etc., and have all of those on hand, you can use those as well, but this is a simple recipe for a simple person.

After mixed and boiling, let it cool off to the side.

Soft boil eggs in another pot, put them in an ice bath afterwards or run them under cold water for a few minutes, whatever your jam is.

Gently (GENTLY!!) use the back of a spoon or something to crack the eggshells while leaving them on, but not break through too much of the egg. The marinade is pretty strong so you could theoretically just completely peel them and soak them for a shorter amount of time, but I like to make them traditionally.

Put the eggs into the marinade and simmer/warm them for like, an hour. After that, let the marinade cool down again, cover it, and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. That's it!

*Notes*

The dark soy sauce is mostly for the marbling/color of it. If you want a darker marbling, you can add more and reduce the salt. Like I mentioned, I did a lot of it kind of by vibes, so I added in a little more soy sauce and salt myself.

I had a test egg after I simmered them for an hour. Simmer? Warm? As long as it's not boiling, you don't actually want to thoroughly cook the eggs unless you're okay with super overboiled eggs. Tasted good, but did taste so much better after soaking for a day. I note soft boiled above because when you simmer them they do cook a bit again, and traditionally it is hard-boiled, but if you want them not overboiled you should do the soft boil initially.

As seen in the picture above, I marinated it in a saucepan overnight and put some clingwrap over it. My first attempt I only made 3 eggs, and they fit in a mason jar so I just put it all in a mason jar and used maybe half of that recipe above. If you don't want a big ole saucepan, you can also put the marinade in a big ziplock bag that'll stay securely tight. As long as the marinade is covering ALL of the egg!

This is what I mean by marbling! OBVIOUSLY these pictures aren't great (I have never claimed to be a photographer) but this is just to show what the end result should look like. Sometimes the marbling doesn't really come through but it still tastes nice!

I grew up with tea eggs always at the grocery store and able to grab 'em any time I wanted. They were usually always warmed in a crock pot as you grabbed them with tongs, but since I'm not running a crock pot for days as I finish eating them all I have them cold and they're still glorious. You can honestly marinade them 8-24 hours or so, I just like marinading for longer so the color really comes through and for more of the taste to soak in. Marinade them too long and I think they'll get too salty. It's a great subtle flavor, and you can reuse the marinade for another batch if you're making more in a short amount of time (refresh ingredients a lil that may have evaporated) or I know you can theoretically cook meat and vegetables in that marinade so you'll have something tasty from it.

I'm (AS USUAL, everyone moans) having culture feels and been wanting to cook more as a result. Most of it has manifested in veggie soup or varying noodle dishes, but tea eggs are near and dear to my heart and honestly I am so glad they were easier to make than I thought. I have a lot of weird vibes and euughh, trauma 🙄 over being in the kitchen just due to weird family stuff I grew up with so cooking is a real chore for me. Ultimately this uses two small pots (saucepans? pots? whatever they're called) and a tablespoon so the dishes to clean afterwards is minimal.

I really like the tea eggs and I really like that I can make them now, and I wanted to share that. I will probably fixate on them for a hot second! They've got such a nice flavor and my whole apartment smells good after. Let me know if you make any! Thanks for reading.

[asfeedin]

Turn Vegetable Greens and Herb Scraps Into Flavorful Pestos

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

In my old, pre-coronavirus life, I aspired not to waste food, but I’ll admit, I wasted a fair amount anyway. I may have intended to use up the rest of that ginger, or those herbs leftover from that recipe I made a few nights ago, or the bag of limes I was sure I needed for daiquiris that I ended up being too tired to actually make. I may have had noble intentions, but life often got in the way and eventually I’d have to toss my shriveled scraps in the compost.

Today is different. Almost overnight, quarantine living has forced me to become a more efficient home cook. It’s also made it easier to be efficient—I’m home and I’m cooking every meal so I have every opportunity to make the most of what I’ve bought.

As I’ve detailed before, one of the main strategies I’m leaning on at home is what I’m calling “component cooking.” I’m not really following too many fully fleshed-out recipes, but instead am building components: blanched or roasted or pickled vegetables; poached or roasted meats; cooked beans; and condiments aplenty. Then I’m mixing and matching them in as many ways as I can dream up, which keeps meals varied and interesting.

One very easy component we can all make with ingredients we probably have in our fridges are herb sauces in the style of pesto or chimichurri. They’re endlessly variable and versatile.

Fennel-frond pesto. [Photograph: Daniel Gritzer]

Here’s an example: This fennel frond “pesto” I made using the tops of four bulbs of fennel I’d bought. The bulbs themselves ended up in a rich bean stew. The fronds went back in the fridge. In my old life I would have found them there a week later, wilted and yellowing. But in this new existence I actually managed to do something with them before they went bad.

I picked the fronds and got about a quart’s worth. Then I added some garlic cloves, some lemon juice and zest, a dollop of Dijon mustard, and a number of anchovies that almost bordered on being obscene. I topped everything off with a big glug of olive oil and blended it until I had more than two cups of sauce. Was it “pesto”? No, not really, but it had that kind of vibe.

It was bright and herbaceous and salty, and it was great spooned over the fennel and bean stew I made. It also made a really good pasta sauce, and was delicious swirled into fresh ricotta cheese as a snack. It was even better as a dressing for a salad of roasted carrots, fresh parsley, and sliced red onions. I didn’t start out with a plan for how to use it, but it’s been easy to find ways. It would’ve been killer tossed with a plain bowl of beans, but I’m all out now, so I’ll have to try that with whatever herbal concoction and pot of beans I whip up next time.

For one dinner, I tossed sliced roasted carrots, parsley, and red onions with my fennel-frond pesto, then mounded them on top of a potato cake with thinly sliced roasted lamb. This wasn’t a recipe, it was just a creative way to combine components I’d whipped up. [Photograph: Daniel Gritzer]

Here are a few tips for making your own herb sauces with whatever you have on hand, whether during quarantine or any other time.

How to Invent Your Own “Pesto” Sauce

Not every green herb sauce is pesto, but you get the point. [Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

“Pesto” is in quotes here because not every herb purée is a pesto, just like not every soup is chicken noodle. But as a shorthand, it’s probably the most widely understood way to talk about puréed, oil-based herb sauces.

Be Open to “Herbal” Possibilities

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

When it comes to choosing herbs to turn into pesto, of course there are the obvious options like basil, parsley, and cilantro, but don’t stop there. Chives, scallions, tarragon, and mint would all be great additions, as are fennel fronds and even carrot tops.

You can lean on softer herbs more fully without worry, like parsley or basil or fennel fronds. Others may be a little too assertive to be the only vegetal component. Woodsy herbs like oregano and sage could be tasty in moderation, but they might come across too aggressively on their own. Ditto for oniony scallions and chives. It of course depends how you use it, but it’s often smart to cut very bold herbs and vegetables with more mild ones. Parsley, spinach, and even kale are all good picks for diluting a more pungent herb’s flavor.

Alternatively, you could go all in on the bolder greens, but then be sure add less of the sauce to your food, or cut it another way (see eggs and nuts below).

One more trick that might come in handy is softening and taming the raw flavor of the greens or herbs by quickly blanching them in boiling water before shocking them in ice water and then puréeing (it even works for basil). You can blanch and blend most any herb or vegetable, but it’s especially useful for tougher, fibrous ones like kale that can seem gritty when processed raw.

Go Nuts (Or Don’t)

Mortar and pestle not required. [Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

True Genovese pesto wouldn’t be pesto without pine nuts, and while you certainly don’t need nuts for a flavorful herb sauce, they’re an ingredient worth considering for their fatty richness and thickening abilities.

If you do add nuts, there’s no need to limit yourself to pine nuts. Pistachios, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, and more can work well. One thing to remember is that roasted nuts tend to be drier and may not blend up quite as smoothly as plump raw ones do.

Cheese Ain’t a Bad Idea

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Once again, classic Genovese pesto serves as a template and its inclusion of finely grated hard cheeses like Pecorino and Parmigiano-Reggiano is another option worth considering. Cheeses add yet more richness and fattiness, but they also add complexity and their own form of tang, thanks to their lactic acid content.

Must you add cheese? No. But you probably won’t regret it either. If you do, it’s better to stick to harder grating cheese like Parm, though you may be able to purée in a soft and spreadable cheese like chèvre with good results. Just skip the semi-soft ones like cheddar and the soft-rind ones like brie.

Don’t Sleep on Eggs

Pesto, pesto, pesto. I know, enough with the pesto. So let’s look at another Italian classic: salsa verde from the Northwestern region of Piedmont. It’s a parsley-based sauce that’s served with many things, including bollito misto, a feast of boiled meats.

There’s a lot that’s great about salsa verde, from its salty and herbal capers to briny, funky anchovies. But perhaps coolest of all is the hard-boiled egg that often gets blended in. Sure, it gives the sauce a subtle eggy quality, but it’s not obvious and I’d wager most blind tasters wouldn’t pick it out. What it really does is help thicken and emulsify the sauce for creamier results.

Punch Up the Flavor

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

There’s no way to list all the ingredients one might decide to add to a sauce like this, so I’ll just rattle off a bunch off the top of my head. I’m sure you can think of more.

Citrus juice and zest (in particular, lemons and limes)

Capers and caper berries

Olives

Anchovies and tuna, or even a splash of fish sauce

Spices (black pepper, coriander seed, cumin, fennel, etc.)

Garlic and other alliums like shallots

Mustard

Chili peppers (fresh, dried, pastes, or pickled)

Some fresh or roasted tomatoes or bell peppers or rehydrated dried peppers (see romesco and pesto alla Trapanese for ideas)

Ginger

Watch Out for Acid

Acid in the form of lemon juice or vinegar can brighten up a bright green oil-based sauce. I added lemon juice in the fennel frond pesto I made. Do watch out, though, because heavier doses of acidic ingredients can turn bright green vegetables a duller army-green color, and you may lose some of that vibrant, fresh green flavor too.

Speaking of Oil

Olive oil is the real star in these sauces, its grassy green flavor pairing perfectly with whatever herbs and vegetables you’re using in your sauce. But if you don’t have olive oil, a fresh neutral oil (read: don’t use that old sticky bottle you’ve been slowly drawing down for months) like canola, grape seed, or vegetable oil can all work. They won’t add much flavor of their own to the sauce, but if you add enough other flavorful ingredients, that’s just fine.

Get Creative

Sicilian Trapanese pesto has tomatoes mashed in. It’s still a type of pesto! [Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Don’t be afraid to experiment. Have an eggplant you don’t know what to do with? Maybe roast it, scoop out the flesh, and mash that into your pureed herb sauce as well. It will be a totally different creation, but… why not?

Wondering if some green tomatillos might find a home in your sauce? Well it works in Mexico, so there’s a decent chance you’ll come up with something good.

Point is, take the time to look through your fridge and pantry, think about what you have and what it might taste like as part of your sauce. Really try to imagine the flavors and textures and how they might go together. You have better instincts than you may suspect, so take the risk. You may stumble on a genius idea.

It’s Okay to Use a Blender

I have a history of blathering on and on about the wonders of the mortar and pestle, and I believe it as much today as I always have. But I’m also a very pragmatic cook, and it’s important to remember that we’re not always trying to create the absolute best-possible thing. Often all we really need is something tasty that we can use to make our meals more pleasurable while using up ingredients that might otherwise go to waste. If using a blender is the difference between you actually doing it and just thinking about it, please plug that sucker in and blend away.

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Tags: Flavorful, Greens, Herb, Pestos, Scraps, Turn, vegetable

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[benjamingarden]

Saving Money On Groceries + What We Eat

By far, the number one question I am asked is "what do you eat?"  I used to share our meal plan's but it was a lot of work and I honestly wasn't sure if it was something that really interested anyone.  Well, apparently it was!  Part of the reason for some of the questions is because my husband and I eat very differently, so some of you are also trying to figure out how to make a similar arrangement work.  Other reasons are that we are all trying to find new ideas.  I find myself wondering the same things and watching other blogger and vlogger grocery hauls and meal planning sessions on you tube. There was a time (long ago) that I didn't pay attention at all to our grocery budget so I would buy ingredients and try tons of new recipes regardless of cost.  Ugh....I don't even like to think about those days.  At that time I was still trying to build my recipe book (although I now realize there was a MUCH more efficient and cost effective way to have done so) so I was making a ton of new recipes.  What I've found is that in the past 10 years we don't try too terribly many new items and as of the past year or two, I actually don't mind eating the same thing multiple times a week. So the way I cook and what we eat has continued to evolve over the years.  At one time I was able to stick pretty closely to a $60.00/week budget.  It now changes on the season.  During the summer and fall I can keep it around $60.00/week because we grow so many of our vegetables.  We do preserve vegetables for use later in the year, but I still buy some fresh from the store in winter so it is anywhere from $60.00 - $80.00/week.  I can share more about that in a later post if you'd like (this one is already quite long). Although I do enjoy cooking for the most part, I don't enjoy spending hours in the kitchen.  Since we work from home it is much easier for me (I can prep ahead, make things in stages, take something out to defrost that I forgot to take out the night before, etc.), but I'm really not interested in spending too terribly long cooking.

Frugality In The Kitchen What we spend on groceries has evolved as well (thankfully).  Our personal goal is not necessarily to eat the dirt cheapest food available, although we've gone through financial times where this was our most important goal.  Instead, we try to eat organic and/or local food when we can while sticking to a moderate budget.  We've also incorporated into our budget a few "treats".  For instance, the 2 teas that I absolutely love are definitely not the most inexpensive brands.  But I make cuts in other places so I can enjoy these teas without any guilt whatsoever. While there are many tactics that I've shared on the blog, the most important "rules" I follow are: 1. Rarely eat out.  It's just too expensive and usually not so healthy.  Besides, when you only go out occasionally, it's more of a treat and not an expectation so it's appreciated as such. 2. Don't purchase lunch, snacks, or coffee out.  Again, this has been a HUGE expense for us in the past and something that is so easy to eliminate.  It's all about preplanning and creating new habits. 3. Stop wasting food.  Have you honestly looked at how much food you throw away?  I did about 12 years ago.  I would write it on a list (along with it's approximate cost) every time I threw something out and it shocked me.  Meal planning is what allowed me to turn that around. 4. Pay with cash.  Although we now pretty much buy the same things so it's not such a struggle coming in at or under budget, this has been an integral part of slashing our grocery budget.  If you set aside your budgeted amount in cash you have no choice but to stick with your budget because when the money's gone, it's gone.

5. Use a meal plan.  You don't have to go through the actual process of meal planning, but having an idea of what you'll be eating the next week is the only way you can accurately purchase all of the food you need and not overbuying.  On this same note, make a list for every single shopping trip and follow it. 6. Have back-up plans on hand.  Yes, plural.  It is inevitable that something will come up at least a couple of times a month.  You forgot to defrost the meat, you don't feel like eating any of the meals you planned, something has come up and you don't have time to cook what was planned, etc.  If you aren't prepared for these times, take-out or eating out will feel like the only options.  Having a few freezer meals, pantry staples, and/or frozen pizza's on hand will be budget lifesavers. The freezer back-ups we currently have on hand are frozen pizza (one vegan and one with meat & cheese, although surprisingly, my husband doesn't mind the vegan version), Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken (can be thrown in the oven while rice cooks in the rice cooker), frozen lentil/bean burgers as well as frozen beef burgers, and frozen vegan chili from a recipe that I made excess of purposely for freezing.  The chili is great because I eat it as is, and I also keep cooked ground beef in the freezer in single batch portions, so I can add burger to some for my husband. If you aren't fond of freezer items, keeping a few ingredients stocked in your pantry for super simple meals also works.  I keep a list of easy meals (that don't necessarily require defrosting) because when I'm standing in the kitchen at 6pm with no plan and we're starving, I don't always think of options.  Some of the meals on our list are: Spaghetti, Veggie Stir-fry with Rice or Millet, Breakfast for dinner, Burger with Mac and Cheese, Szechuan Noodles, Southwest Quinoa, etc.  We almost always have the ingredients on hand and they can all be whipped up within 1/2 hour (same time it takes to get take-out!). 7. Choose your store(s) wisely.  Warehouse stores are great for some things, but not all.  Aldi has great prices but they don't have a large selection.  Trader Joe's has some great exclusive items, but some of their other items may be higher priced than if you bought them at your conventional store.  Paying attention to prices and being willing to shop at multiple stores, when it makes sense, can be a huge budget saver.

Our Typical Meals So, what exactly do you EAT, you ask.  I eat whole food plant-based with no added oil, refined sugar, and very little salt.  Jay eats a pretty standard diet of meat, veggies, dairy, grains & fruit.  We are both fine with gluten so we do not eat gluten free.  I eat almost completely whole grains although Jay is pretty resistant to most whole grains.  We have a set 35 or so meals that we choose from for dinner, and throw in a new one to try from time-to-time. Here is what is typical for our daily meals: Breakfast I almost always eat oatmeal.  It's inexpensive, nutritious, and filling.  While I've begun disliking baked or cooked oatmeal, I have recently fallen in love with eating rolled oats (not quick oats) like cold cereal.  I'm not sure why I never thought of this before.  I was listening to Dr. Esselstyn speak one day and he was saying that every single morning he pours rolled oats into a bowl, adds fruit and then tops it with non-dairy milk.  It was intriguing to me.  So I tried it and loved it!  I add sliced bananas or berries, a tablespoon of chia seeds, and oat milk (plus a little extra) and allow it to sit for 10 minutes (it softens the oats and they soak up some of the milk) and then dig in. Jay either eats cold cereal (with fruit/berries on the side), toast, an egg sandwich, or breakfast burrito & homefries.

Lunch I eat a green salad (using whatever veggies and beans we have on hand) sometimes as the only meal and sometimes as a side to soup, avocado toast, or toast with nut butter.  For the salad dressing, I really enjoy balsamic vinegar, or a mustard/maple syrup/vinegar blend, and I top my salad with a few pepitas and a tablespoon of flax seed.  Quinoa is added frequently as well.  I've come to love salads which is good because it's a great serving of greens (soooooo nutritious), fairly inexpensive and fills me up so I don't eat so much of anything I'm eating the salad with.  I do like to make this chickpea sandwich occasionally - it's really good! Jay usually eats a sandwich, sandwich + soup, or leftovers.  The soups I usually make vegan and oil free and then add meat to his.  Sometimes he requests a salad with chicken as the protein.

Snack Seasonal fruit!  If we have some fruit that was going bad so we threw it in the freezer I'll make fruit smoothies to use that up instead.  I definitely have a sweet tooth so every once in a while we have a small piece of good quality chocolate too.  Popcorn, tortilla chips, or nuts are rare, but also snack items in our house.  Jay very rarely gets potato chips, but does so from time-to-time usually in the summer.  If I've made any baked goodies (very rare) we enjoy them during our mid-day snack rather than eating it later in the evening.

Wintertime Dinners Here is where I try, when it's possible, to make something that both Jay and I can eat and then the additions for him are usually meat and for me are usually salad.  Making 2 separate meals is a pain.  It's why I went from being vegetarian for 14 years to eating meat when we moved in together back in my 20's.  I'm figuring it out though. I'm never in the kitchen for longer than an hour so I make a lot of simple meals or I make full recipes of my meals and I will eat leftovers throughout the week.  For Jay, he only likes leftovers at lunch so I will cook up meat or grain in bulk and use that to build new recipes throughout the week. Some examples of when we can eat some of the same:

Southwest quinoa as my main meal (small salad was my side).  It's quinoa, black beans, cilantro, corn, peppers, and tomatoes.  I added a sprinkling of cheese to his and a baked chicken breast on the side.  Sometimes I eat this on top of greens like a burrito bowl.

Roasted veggies such as sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, cauliflower, squash, mushrooms, onions, and carrots.  I usually have greens on the side and I bake a chicken breast with the veggies for Jay.  I like to drizzle balsamic vinegar over mine.

Broccoli rice (rice cooked with vegetable broth, seasonings, and broccoli chopped and added at the end) as our side and my main is a salad with whatever veggies and beans we have on hand.  Jay's is a sautéed chicken breast.

Mushroom risotto as our side with a green salad for me and steak tips for Jay.  I usually add steamed broccoli or cauliflower.

Spaghetti is made completely vegan and oil free and then I bake pre-made meatballs to add to Jay's and I add beans and greens to mine.  We serve salad as the side.

Taco nights I make beef tacos for him with peppers, fresh salsa, cheese, and guac.  The ground beef is pre-cooked and frozen so I just have to defrost and add to the shells.  I fill mine with refried beans (pre-cooked and frozen or I use canned) along with the same peppers, fresh salsa, and guac.  The side is usually rice.

There are also many meals where I make 2 completely separate meals: Some of Jay's favorites:

Salisbury Steak is beef patties cooked with mushrooms and onions.  I make a gravy and then serve it all over white rice.  I don't eat too much white rice so I usually just make a different dinner for me. 

Skillet pork chop with mac and cheese is another where I don't eat any part of what I cook for Jay.  I usually serve him broccoli or cauliflower on the side, so I do incorporate that in my dinner.

Chicken and dumplings is a great way to use leftover chicken and he LOVES it.  Again, I make something separate for me.

Whole roast chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and a veggie or two on the side.

Some of my dinners that Jay doesn't eat any part of are:

Baked falafel with a green salad.

Steamed veggies (fresh or frozen) over millet or quinoa.  I drizzle them with either balsamic vinegar, homemade liquid gold sauce (recipe found here) or a Dijon mustard sauce.

Baked potato with broccoli, beans, and homemade "cheese" sauce (it doesn't really taste like cheese but it's delicious) and a side salad.

Veggie pot pie with black pepper biscuits is a dish I have been LOVING for winter.  The recipe is here and she has a gluten-free variation.  The recipes I've tried from her blog have been really really good.

Grain bowl with quinoa or millet usually as the grain and topped with greens, beans, corn, peppers, cilantro, tomatoes, and a drizzle of liquid gold sauce or a chipotle sauce.

Lentil Stew is one of my favorite wintertime treats.  It has lentils, potatoes (sweet or regular), carrots & kale.

Lentil loaf with mashed potatoes and vegan mushroom gravy is also really really good.  I don't make it often but when I do I savor it.

Desserts While we certainly don't have dessert every night, when we do it's usually either "nice cream" (frozen bananas blended with non-dairy milk, a dash of maple syrup, cacao powder & vanilla extract) or fruit.  I do keep a few non-dairy ice creams on hand although we rarely eat them because of the sugar and fats in them.  Lately I've been enjoying a cup of non-dairy hot cocoa (sweetened with maple syrup) from time-to-time.  It's delicious!

Beverages I drink water or hot tea.  I gave up coffee a few months ago and it was really the best choice for me.  I do (rarely) drink decaf coffee and, as noted above, hot cocoa. My husband will only drink sweetened iced tea and coffee.  Try as I might to get the man to drink water, there is just no way to get him to do so.

How about you?  What types of things does your family eat?  What grocery budget tips do you have?

Saving Money On Groceries + What We Eat was originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)

[reclusive-nerd]

Working on a new fan fic! I hope to keep this going.

I'm gonna work on this new fanfiction, but I need motivation to keep going. All comments are appreciated and anything to help motivate me to keep going would be great. Let me know what y'all think. Here's the first chapter.

Obstacles

           Blue eyes looked out a small window, faded, dirty, but clear enough to see. The grass isn't green, there are spots of weeds and brown dying patches. The asphalt walkway is full of cracks and potholes, with a broken fence along one side. The cars in the parking lot to his left are run down and cheap, each one a little older then the next. The outside area on his right is in full sun with all of two picket tables and a single basketball hoop. Even the street leading to the parking lot is cracked, and run down. It's like the whole block is falling apart piece by piece like legos and everyone just seems to ignore it. This is the only place his family can afford though. Better something than nothing, as his family says all the time.

             He sighs, adjusting his seating position so he can wrap his arms around his legs. Letting his fingers fiddle with the plastic bracelet on his left wrist. His heels digging into the chair to keep from slipping.

              One more night. He tells himself. Just one more night, then I can go home. But is home really much better?

               “Hey Castiel,” a familiar voice comes from behind, Dr. Pamela, his most recent therapist. “I just wanted to check in on you before you're released.” Pamela sits down across from him, placing a clipboard on her lap.

               They sit in silence for a minute, looking out the window. “Castiel? I need you to talk. How do you feel about leaving?”

               “Grateful.” Cas says in a low growl.

               “I need more than one word answers honey.”

               “I just want to go home. Get out of here.”

               “Okay. But how do you feel getting released? You've made great progress, it very well could be the last time you have to be here.”

               Cas just chuckles a little and shakes his head. “I don’t think so.”

               “Why's that Castiel?” Pamela sighs.

               “Because.. I've been this way for so long I never thought I'd make it this far.”

               Pamela just stares at him, waiting for him to continue.

               “In high school I… I just didn't think I'd still be here, alive, at this point. So I never made any future plans. Never tried to prove myself or even pass my classes. So I have nothing. Nothing to show colleges what I can do, nothing to give me a future.” He looks at Pamela. “so what's to say I won't be right back here in a month?”

----------------‐----------------------‐----------------------

               Great, another job gone out the window because of his “attitude” and “lack of restraint”. This is bullshit. The customer was being rude, and was wrong about the price anyway, but was mostly just rude. Shit. He'd just finished training too.

                Dean walked down the street grumbling to himself, Jay walking to the store on the corner and nearly getting run over.

               “GET OUTTA THE ROAD IDIOT!” the driver yells out his window.

               “HEY UP YOURS ASSHOLE.” Dean yells back before returning to grumbling to himself.

               The bell on the doorframe jingles as he walks in, and he bumps into a cardboard display right inside the door. His foot kicks an empty box on the floor as he finds his favorite six pack of beer in the first aisle. Grabbing it by the plastic tie, and walking towards the counter, the cans hit the edge of the shelf as he turns. Placing the cans on the counter with a thump and throwing a bag of jerky on the counter with it.

             “You keep throwing shit around my store and I'll kick you out sooner or later.” The gruff voice comments before ringing up his items.

              Dean just groans in response.

             “Not even going to tell me what happened this time?”

              “Bobby… just… let me drink.”

              Bobby pauses, laying the scanner on the counter and crossing his arms. Not finishing the transaction.

               Dean sighs, knowing he wont get shit if he doesn't speak up. “Attitude problems and restraint. Just like the last two.”

                Bobby grumbles something under his breath before scanning his jerky and waving Dean's cash away. Dean doesn't even hesitate before shoving his money back in his pocket. He knows better than to fight with Bobby, he's too tired to care anyway. So he grabs his stuff and heads through the back hallway to the back door.

             The alleyway behind the store is empty and quiet. Dean and his brother set up cheap camping chairs here years ago. Each time Dean comes out, he's a little surprised they're still there. People in this dumb town will steal anything that's not tied down. But Dean's grateful, a little, to sit down in the worn out chair and just drink and smoke. He pulls out his cigarettes and lighter, placing them in the small drink holder in the chair. Grabbing a beer and cracking it open, he takes a swig and stares at the blank walls of other businesses.

              Smoking isn't good, neither is drinking, or eating the unhealthy plates of food Dean scarfs down in a single day. But at this point who cares? He doesn't have a future, he barely has a life. Why not smoke and drink what's left away? It won't matter in the long run. Sammy will be fine, Bobby will be fine, everyone would be just fine without him. Besides, he lost another job. What's to say he won't lose the next one? And be right back here where he ends up, each and every time.

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

        Cas only has a couple things that make him happy. One, obviously being the pills he has to take to be even remotely normal, two writing and reading, since they often go hand in hand, cas claims it as one together. Three, cooking. His family doesn't have much, but the here and there jobs Cas finds, he manages to pay for most of his own ingredients. Which is a welcome to Anna, who lives on soups and noodles when cas is away.

          But he feels bad leaving so often, his parents work the weird hours and they hardly ever see each other, least of all Anna. When Anna leaves for school, parents are just getting off work, and when she comes home, they're either sleeping their last free hours away or getting ready to leave for work again.

           So Castiel has become somewhat of a parental figure for Anna, when he is home of course. But Anna doesn't seem to mind, at least she doesn't show it, she catches him up on the high school drama and curricular activities as well as their parents' jobs. And cas listens. Stirring chili and rolling out cookie dough, he listens. To the petty problems of high school cas once was involved in. The who's who of what group and who told something to someone else. Or what teacher finally broke down and which kids got arrested recently. Its entertaining from the sidelines, and cas hopes Anna never gets dragged into it. It's a tough road to walk through.

            He can still remember when everyone found out he was gay. That's when things really went downhill. The name calling, the pushes, the literal and emotional beat downs. The subtle looks, the loud rejections. Even the teachers gave him side glances. It's unfortunate the world he's forced to live in, and the town he's forced to survive in. No ones exactly accepting here. There is a small LGBT+ group that meets up every month or so. But locations change because people protest their existence, and it's hard to find a contact. All the members that haven't been outed yet hide in shadows, and it takes a secret password and an undercover handshake to even talk to them. Slowly though.. slowly things are changing.

            The taxi that takes him home arrives in front and waits. Cas's eyes watch as the driver gets out and walks inside the main doors.

           10 seconds. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. 0.

             Castiel Novak please report to front desk, it is time to go home. Congrats.

           Cas sighs and stands. Walking towards the desk on this floor. They hand him his notebook, his small backpack of stuff, and his latest batch of pills, all together in a sealed brown bag. The ladies smile and congratulate him on being released. He can only give a small smile in return.

           By the time Cas is home, he almost feels like he should be going back already. Like he has spent too much time in the outside world and needs to return to safety. But seeing Anna waiting by the front door makes the feeling subside for now. Anna smiles as Cas thanks the driver and starts walking toward the door.

          As usual, Anna gives him a big hug and checks his wrist for his bracelet.

          "Only two weeks this time." Anna sighs. "You must be doing better than. They're not being so cautious anymore."

           Cas nods, and they walk inside together. Anna grabs his stuff and runs it to his room, before coming back and giving him another hug.

           "You're going to stay this time right?" Anna asks, mumbling into his shoulder.

           "I'll try." Cas answers in a low tired voice.

           Anna squeezes a hug before letting go and taking his hand, leading him to the kitchen and sitting him down at the table.

            "I've been working on something. Stay here." Anna turns and opens the oven, the heat flying into the air for just a moment before Anna sets a small plate of cookies on the table beside Cas. "I made cookies, from scratch. They're just chocolate chip, but I found a simple recipe and meddled with it before ending on this. The ultimate chocolate chip cookie."

         Cas smiles, I real smile. His fingers pick one up and he takes a taste. He looks back at Anna, she stands there, her hands together in a silent hopeful prayer.

          "These are amazing Anna." He says.

          Anna jumps up and down with excitement clapping for herself. "Yay." Anna laughs.

          Cas can't help but laugh a little too. These cookies are bomb, and he doesn't hesitate to eat just a few more before heading to his room.

           He has to remind himself that he should stay, and build some sort of future for himself. He needs to study. He needs to go to school. Get a job. Do something with his life. For now though … he'll sleep. Real sleep, in his own bed, with his own smells and his own blankets. In peace.

    Cas dreamt of nature. Strangely, green fields over hills with bright blue skies. The wind in his hair and a hand on his back. But it wasn't his own. He couldn't see the face, he could only feel the hand on his back. It was comforting. Relaxing. He felt safe with this mystery hand steadying him. He felt like he could take on the world. Suddenly he faced a cliff. Looking out into the ocean that housed only a few ships. His toes hooked over the edge of the grass, feeling the rocks of a sudden drop down below to boulders. Boulders that created giant waves that washed against the bottom of the cliff. Fear set in. Something was telling him to go forward, to dive between the boulders into the water. To take the leap and the risk. But he couldn't. He closed his eyes. A hand weaved into his, lining up perfectly. A shoulder rested against his, and a pair of feet joined his on the edge. Cas opened his eyes and stared down at the boulders below. A moment ago he was scared and didn't want to jump. But now. A hand holding his, and another life to take the risk too. He didn't feel so afraid. He took a deep breath, and jumped. Diving into the water, but not alone. This other life jumped with him. Holding his hand all the way down.

Cas woke with a sense of relief and comfort. This other life is out there somewhere. He knows it. And his heart is telling him to search for it. So before his memory swipes away this dream, he takes out a notebook and writes. Every detail he can remember. Anything to help him find this other person. This amazing hand that held him and the ability to risk everything with him.

[wellpersonsblog]

7 Easy Salads for Summer

Try these 7 Easy Salads for Summer for quick and easy lunches and dinners. Use Rubbermaid FreshWorks containers to help keep your fruits and veggies as fresh as possible.

Thanks to Rubbermaid for sponsoring this post.

Hi friends!

I’m excited to share some easy salads for summer in today’s post. They are jam-packed with deliciousness. Warm weather is finally here and for a lot of people that means they start craving salads.  They’re light and fresh, but can easily be made into a full meal! Which is why it’s no coincidence May is National Salad Month! I’ve been testing up a storm over the past month and I’ve come up with 7 delicious combos that I can’t wait to share with you.

But first, I want to introduce you to my new storage containers. A few weeks ago, my friends at Rubbermaid reached out to see if I’d be interested in testing out their FreshWorks containers. As someone who buys a lot of fresh produce, I readily agreed. Over the next few weeks, I tested out the various sizes on a variety of fruits and veggies, including lettuce, kale, spinach, strawberries, blueberries, broccoli and more!

I was very pleased with the results and wanted to show you a few side-by-side comparisons. For the comparison, I bought two of everything and left one in the plastic bag from the grocery store and put the other in a FreshWorks container (without washing) and left them in the fridge for at least 4 days before checking on them.

Here are the results for the kale and lettuce:

For the kale, I pulled the leaves off the stems so I could fit them in the container but did not wash or cut them. They stayed crisp and fresh. The kale in the bag was soft and wilted when I took it out to check on it.

For the lettuce, I pulled the leaves off the stem so I could pile them up in the container but did not wash or cut them. The leaves stayed vibrant, crunchy and fresh vs the wilted leaves on the head of lettuce stored just in the plastic bag.

I found less of a difference on spinach stored in FreshWorks versus leaving it in a plastic tub or container that it came in at the store, but the FreshWorks certainly didn’t negatively impact the produce.

I also tested out the smaller FreshWorks containers on strawberries and blueberries. I bought two pints in plastic packaging from the store, transferred one to the Freshworks and left the other for 4-5 days. Here are the strawberry results.

The ones in the FreshWorks container stayed pretty much blemish-free whereas the ones in the original container had several bad or spoiled spots after several days.

Other types of produce you could use these containers for include green beans, broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes, raspberries and more! The storage containers use a lid with patented FreshVent technology to regulate airflow and create the optimal environment for produce. All you have to do is move your produce into the FreshWorks containers after purchasing and refrigerate to help reduce moisture and spoilage. Don’t wash or cut your produce before storing! The CrispTray at the bottom of the container helps elevate the produce away from the moisture and promotes proper airflow to help reduce spoilage. Pretty cool huh?

So now that you know the best way to store all of your nice fresh produce, let’s talk about how to use it to make these 7 delicious salads – one for every day of the week! I tried to include a variety of toppings, proteins and leafy green bases so hopefully, there will be something for everyone!

I often use a mix of spinach and leaf lettuce for my salads, while my husband prefers solely using kale. Feel free to change up the greens in each salad and use your favorites. You could also swap in your favorite fruits and veggies to make a combination more appealing for your personal tastes!

Here’s a run-down of some of the flavor combos we’ve been loving lately:

Barbacoa Taco Salad

I made a big batch of this Slow Cooker Barbacoa and ate it all week long in this Barbacoa Taco Salad. You can prep pretty much all of the components ahead of time so all you have to do is assemble and eat. Here’s what you need:

Barbacoa

Avocado

Tomatoes

Fajita peppers & onions

Black beans

Corn

Red onion

I use my favorite salsa in place of salad dressing on this one! You can also try mixing salsa with some plain Greek yogurt for a creamier dressing!

Blueberry Chicken Sausage Salad

This one is packed with all of my favorite things. Chicken sausage comes fully cooked so I like to just sear it in a pan for a couple minutes. I prep the roasted sweet potatoes ahead of time by thinly slicing, misting with avocado oil and sprinkling with paprika and cayenne. Then I roast at 400 for 20 minutes or so, flipping once. When ready to assemble, here’s what you need:

Chicken sausage

Leaf lettuce + spinach

Roasted sweet potato coins

Blueberries

Crumbled goat cheese

Sometimes I add avocado to this one as well, and I like it with a balsamic vinegar dressing.

Mediterranean Chop Salad

This Mediterranean Chop Salad is a vegetarian option that’s super easy to throw together. You can chop the veggies ahead of time and store them in the fridge and you can hard boil some eggs and cook a batch of farro ahead of time as well. When you’re ready to assemble, grab some spinach from your FreshWorks container and add:

Peppers

Red onion

Tomato

Cucumber

Hard boiled egg

Hummus

Farro (or another whole grain)

Everything Bagel seasoning (optional)

Crumbled feta (optional)

I use the hummus as the dressing for this one, but you could also add some Italian dressing if you wanted. Sometimes I swap the plain hummus & everything bagel seasoning for spicy hummus to give it a little kick!

Strawberry Chicken Kale Salad

This Strawberry Chicken Kale Salad is another one that’s super easy to meal prep. We always grill a big batch of chicken on the weekends in the summer and I like to cook a batch of farro or rice to have on hand as well. When ready to serve, I simply massage the kale with a little lemon juice and olive oil and then top it with:

Grilled chicken

Farro

Strawberries

Feta

Pumpkin seeds for an added crunch

This salad is great with Italian or honey mustard dressing!

Warm Bacon Kale Salad with Shrimp

To change things up, I occasionally like to enjoy a warm salad. Shrimp is one of my favorite quick-cooking proteins so this salad comes together in a jiffy. I just saute some bacon, mushrooms and kale for a few minutes. Then once the bacon starts to crisp up, I add tomatoes and shrimp. Once the shrimp are cooked (should take 5 min or less), I add some chopped hard boiled egg and balsamic vinaigrette.

Here’s a recap of what you need:

Bacon

Mushrooms

Tomatoes

Kale

Shrimp

Hard boiled eggs

Balsamic vinaigrette

You could also try eating this one cold and see how you like it and feel free to swap spinach for kale.

Thai Peanut Chicken Salad

This Thai Peanut Chicken Salad is one of my favorites for summer. Again, I use grilled chicken that I’ve cooked previously so it comes together quickly. I just steam some peas and whip up a quick peanut sauce while my rice noodles are cooking. Then I toss the noodles, peanuts, peas, and some red peppers in the peanut sauce, serve over a mix of leaf lettuce and spinach and top with peanuts for a little extra crunch!

No need for extra dressing on this one. The peanut sauce makes the perfect dressing.

To make enough sauce for two salads I use:

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup chicken broth

2 Tbsp sweet thai chili sauce

1-2 tsp ginger

Whisk together in a small bowl and then toss with 6-8 ounces of chopped chicken and however many rice noodles you want. If you want to make more salads or want it extra saucy you can always 1.5 times or double the sauce recipe!

Avocado Tuna Cake Salad

Tuna cakes are another quick and easy protein source that are perfect for salads. I like to fry a couple in a pan (crispy) and serve them over spinach and combine with some previously roasted sweet potatoes (soft) and some freshly chopped peppers, onions and walnuts (crunchy) for the perfect combination of textures and flavors.

To make these tuna cakes for two salads, I just combined:

1 can tuna

1/2 a medium avocado

1/4 cup panko

Mix well and form into 6 small patties. Fry in avocado oil over medium high heat for a couple minutes each side. I like to use flavored tuna (garlic and herb is my favorite) to make it even easier, but if you’re using plain tuna, just throw in a few of your favorite seasonings – curry powder, paprika, cayenne pepper or lemon pepper seasoning all work great!

I like this one with salsa for a dressing as well, but feel free to use your favorite. I have a sesame ginger dressing that I also love that’s great with this combo!

So there you have it! 7 Easy Salad so for summer. Be sure to let me know if you try any of these combos and feel free to leave your favorite salad combos in the comments! I’m always looking for new flavor combos!

To check out all of the Rubbermaid Freshworks containers, check out their website! You can also find them at stores like Target, Meijer, Kroger, Bed Bath & Beyond and on Amazon. And be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!

Enjoy! –Lindsay–

The post 7 Easy Salads for Summer appeared first on The Lean Green Bean.

First found here: 7 Easy Salads for Summer

[lotsofdogs]

The Winning Cornbread Recipe

A sweet, salty and deliciously moist cornbread, this winning cornbread recipe is the perfect accompaniment to a hot bowl of chili or chicken noodle soup. It’s a crowd-pleaser (a chili cook-off winning recipe!) and this easy cornbread recipe is even worthy of serving along with your Thanksgiving dinner!

A few years ago, back when Ryan and I were living in Orlando, we entered Sadie into a neighborhood Doggie Derby competition. We learned about the event from someone at our favorite local dog park who said he thought Sadie would do fantastic in the race. When we heard about the format of the informal race – someone stands at the start line with the dog while another person calls the dog at the finish line – we had high hopes for our little speed demon. Sadie is incredibly motivated by running to me or Ryan when we call her and after several rounds of racing, Sadie ended up winning the entire competition. I’d try to play it cool and say we thought it was no big deal but we were two excited dog parents beaming with pride that day! And guess what? Sadie even got a trophy for her win!

Ever since Sadie’s Doggie Derby victory, Ryan and I have an ongoing joke that she’s going to be the last member of our little family to win any kind of award. Now that I think about it, we should probably stop making this joke since our family has expanded and we now have a toddler. I’m assuming Chase will win something at some point, right? At least a “Best Attitude” award which is what I got when I was on the swim team my freshman year of high school. (That should tell you something about my talent level in the sport.)

Well, the tides turned for the Fagan family last Saturday evening when I shockingly won something. A REAL competition! Well, kind of. I won an annual chili cook off party’s prize for Best Cornbread. Does that count as “real?” Please let me have this one, you guys. There were 50(ish) people there and everyone had to cast votes to determine the best chili and best cornbread of the evening, so I’m going to go ahead and milk this one for all its worth.

Truthfully, I cannot claim the credit for my winning cornbread. I owe it all to you guys because three of you recommended the same cornbread recipe to me when I put a call out on the blog for recipe recommendations before the chili cook off. I personally prefer cornbread that is slightly sweet and a bit salty. I’m not as into the whole jalapeño or cheesy cornbread thing and when I saw three people recommended a recipe involving creamed sweet corn, the recipe immediately caught my eye.

I did some digging and cannot find the original source of the recipe. It just kind of seems to exist on the internet which often seems to be the case with tried-and-true recipe favorites. While I followed the base of the recipes to a tee (Jiffy cornbread muffin mix, sour cream, creamed corn), I added a little more sweetness to the recipe in the form of honey. I also added a bit of pink Himalayan salt both to the batter and on top of the cornbread before baking. I think both of these small additions ended up making a pretty big difference so I wanted to share my version of the recipe with you today!

I know we’re right in the middle of cornbread seasons (is that a thing?), so keep this recipe in mind the next time you find yourself whipping up a batch of chili or chicken noodle soup. It’s the perfect slightly sweet and savory side dish to get you through the chilly fall and winter months!

Also, this may be a little bold, but I think this recipe is good enough to make on Thanksgiving as well. Yep, I said it. And I only said it because when I baked another batch of this cornbread to photograph for the blog, I ended up eating two whole rows of it while I snapped away. I couldn’t stop!

Winning Cornbread Recipe

Save Print

Winning Cornbread Recipe

Author: Julie

Recipe type: side dish, bread

Prep time:  5 mins

Cook time:  45 mins

Total time:  50 mins

Serves: 16 pieces

  A sweet, salty and deliciously moist cornbread, this winning cornbread recipe is the perfect accompaniment to a hot bowl of chili or chicken noodle soup.

Ingredients

1½ boxes Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix (approximately 12 ounces)

8 ounces full-fat sour cream

1 cup creamed corn

½ cup canola oil

3 eggs

2 tablespoons honey

½ teaspoon freshly ground pink Himalayan salt + more to sprinkle on top

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix together until thoroughly combined.

Pour into an 8x8 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

Sprinkle additional freshly ground pink Himalayan salt on top of the batter. Do not stir. (This will make the top of the cornbread deliciously salty.)

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until top of the cornbread begins to brown and the middle of the cornbread is completely set.

Allow to cool before serving.

3.5.3228

Question of the Day

What was the last award or competition you won? What was the silliest/most random award you’ve won?

[Read More ...] https://www.pbfingers.com/winning-cornbread-recipe/

[riley99craft-blog]

100 Best Vegan Recipes (100 Best Recipes)

Liddon wants to help you glow from the within out with her all-vegan recipes that she promises even meat-lovers will love. Buy my Soups, Stews, & Chilis eBook at its regular price, and get my 2016 Holiday Recipe Guide absolutely free! work, none are specially difficult. I really like this cookbook and I take advantage of recipes from her blog () many times weekly. Fantastic balanced diet and beautiful photography. Gelatine: used in sweets, (particularly chewy ones), natural supplements in capsule form and jellies. Dress Japanese somen noodles in a snappy medley of grated ginger, lime zest, and rice-wine vinegar, and top with scallions and roasted peanuts. If you cannot find somen, you may use vermicelli or thin spaghetti instead. Make this amazing Avocado Hummus for your next party or even to add spice to your burritos or tacos! This recipe comes together in just a short while, is vegan, oil-free and 8 ingredients (+salt and water)! Tasty recipes for all those. My husband and I aren't vegan or veggie and we loved these dishes for full-on flavour and nutrition. Fresh asparagus We've sent a contact with instructions to create a new password. Your existing password is not changed. Viva! welcomes you to definitely the new and improved Vegan Recipe Club! We've re-vamped the web site and we're pleased that you signed up for an account. You are able to share your opinions about the delightful new recipes we've available as well as bookmark your favourite recipes, rate them, and post your comments about them! Are you currently sure you want to report this comment? It will be flagged for our moderators to do this. be healthy, pay up! Oh, and we don't possess kale in any way, only spinach. :P Still, I'll discover a way around this if something is really as delicious as those above look! These noodles are incredibly quick and easy to make, and taste fantastic too. Just the type of dinner we have been eating a lot of since baby #2 arrived six weeks ago. I'm quickly re-learning the art of one-handed cooking, and eating a meal whilst it continues to be hot with both a knife and fork seems a dim and distant memory! I recently discovered your blog and each one of these recipes look absolutely amazing! My hubby & I are both meat eaters, but I'm always tempted by a truly yummy-looking vegetarian/vegan recipe - a few have even earned a place on the coveted when are you causeing this to be again?” list. Especially after a month filled with celebrations, holidays, birthdays and so on, I'm so giving a few of these a try soon!

[benjamingarden]

Saving Money On Groceries + What We Eat

By far, the number one question I am asked is "what do you eat?"  I used to share our meal plan's but it was a lot of work and I honestly wasn't sure if it was something that really interested anyone.  Well, apparently it was!  Part of the reason for some of the questions is because my husband and I eat very differently, so some of you are also trying to figure out how to make a similar arrangement work.  Other reasons are that we are all trying to find new ideas.  I find myself wondering the same things and watching other blogger and vlogger grocery hauls and meal planning sessions on you tube. There was a time (long ago) that I didn't pay attention at all to our grocery budget so I would buy ingredients and try tons of new recipes regardless of cost.  Ugh....I don't even like to think about those days.  At that time I was still trying to build my recipe book (although I now realize there was a MUCH more efficient and cost effective way to have done so) so I was making a ton of new recipes.  What I've found is that in the past 10 years we don't try too terribly many new items and as of the past year or two, I actually don't mind eating the same thing multiple times a week. So the way I cook and what we eat has continued to evolve over the years.  At one time I was able to stick pretty closely to a $60.00/week budget.  It now changes on the season.  During the summer and fall I can keep it around $60.00/week because we grow so many of our vegetables.  We do preserve vegetables for use later in the year, but I still buy some fresh from the store in winter so it is anywhere from $60.00 - $80.00/week.  I can share more about that in a later post if you'd like (this one is already quite long). Although I do enjoy cooking for the most part, I don't enjoy spending hours in the kitchen.  Since we work from home it is much easier for me (I can prep ahead, make things in stages, take something out to defrost that I forgot to take out the night before, etc.), but I'm really not interested in spending too terribly long cooking.

Frugality In The Kitchen What we spend on groceries has evolved as well (thankfully).  Our personal goal is not necessarily to eat the dirt cheapest food available, although we've gone through financial times where this was our most important goal.  Instead, we try to eat organic and/or local food when we can while sticking to a moderate budget.  We've also incorporated into our budget a few "treats".  For instance, the 2 teas that I absolutely love are definitely not the most inexpensive brands.  But I make cuts in other places so I can enjoy these teas without any guilt whatsoever. While there are many tactics that I've shared on the blog, the most important "rules" I follow are: 1. Rarely eat out.  It's just too expensive and usually not so healthy.  Besides, when you only go out occasionally, it's more of a treat and not an expectation so it's appreciated as such. 2. Don't purchase lunch, snacks, or coffee out.  Again, this has been a HUGE expense for us in the past and something that is so easy to eliminate.  It's all about preplanning and creating new habits. 3. Stop wasting food.  Have you honestly looked at how much food you throw away?  I did about 12 years ago.  I would write it on a list (along with it's approximate cost) every time I threw something out and it shocked me.  Meal planning is what allowed me to turn that around. 4. Pay with cash.  Although we now pretty much buy the same things so it's not such a struggle coming in at or under budget, this has been an integral part of slashing our grocery budget.  If you set aside your budgeted amount in cash you have no choice but to stick with your budget because when the money's gone, it's gone.

5. Use a meal plan.  You don't have to go through the actual process of meal planning, but having an idea of what you'll be eating the next week is the only way you can accurately purchase all of the food you need and not overbuying.  On this same note, make a list for every single shopping trip and follow it. 6. Have back-up plans on hand.  Yes, plural.  It is inevitable that something will come up at least a couple of times a month.  You forgot to defrost the meat, you don't feel like eating any of the meals you planned, something has come up and you don't have time to cook what was planned, etc.  If you aren't prepared for these times, take-out or eating out will feel like the only options.  Having a few freezer meals, pantry staples, and/or frozen pizza's on hand will be budget lifesavers. The freezer back-ups we currently have on hand are frozen pizza (one vegan and one with meat & cheese, although surprisingly, my husband doesn't mind the vegan version), Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken (can be thrown in the oven while rice cooks in the rice cooker), frozen lentil/bean burgers as well as frozen beef burgers, and frozen vegan chili from a recipe that I made excess of purposely for freezing.  The chili is great because I eat it as is, and I also keep cooked ground beef in the freezer in single batch portions, so I can add burger to some for my husband. If you aren't fond of freezer items, keeping a few ingredients stocked in your pantry for super simple meals also works.  I keep a list of easy meals (that don't necessarily require defrosting) because when I'm standing in the kitchen at 6pm with no plan and we're starving, I don't always think of options.  Some of the meals on our list are: Spaghetti, Veggie Stir-fry with Rice or Millet, Breakfast for dinner, Burger with Mac and Cheese, Szechuan Noodles, Southwest Quinoa, etc.  We almost always have the ingredients on hand and they can all be whipped up within 1/2 hour (same time it takes to get take-out!). 7. Choose your store(s) wisely.  Warehouse stores are great for some things, but not all.  Aldi has great prices but they don't have a large selection.  Trader Joe's has some great exclusive items, but some of their other items may be higher priced than if you bought them at your conventional store.  Paying attention to prices and being willing to shop at multiple stores, when it makes sense, can be a huge budget saver.

Our Typical Meals So, what exactly do you EAT, you ask.  I eat whole food plant-based with no added oil, refined sugar, and very little salt.  Jay eats a pretty standard diet of meat, veggies, dairy, grains & fruit.  We are both fine with gluten so we do not eat gluten free.  I eat almost completely whole grains although Jay is pretty resistant to most whole grains.  We have a set 35 or so meals that we choose from for dinner, and throw in a new one to try from time-to-time. Here is what is typical for our daily meals: Breakfast I almost always eat oatmeal.  It's inexpensive, nutritious, and filling.  While I've begun disliking baked or cooked oatmeal, I have recently fallen in love with eating rolled oats (not quick oats) like cold cereal.  I'm not sure why I never thought of this before.  I was listening to Dr. Esselstyn speak one day and he was saying that every single morning he pours rolled oats into a bowl, adds fruit and then tops it with non-dairy milk.  It was intriguing to me.  So I tried it and loved it!  I add sliced bananas or berries, a tablespoon of chia seeds, and oat milk (plus a little extra) and allow it to sit for 10 minutes (it softens the oats and they soak up some of the milk) and then dig in. Jay either eats cold cereal (with fruit/berries on the side), toast, an egg sandwich, or breakfast burrito & homefries.

Lunch I eat a green salad (using whatever veggies and beans we have on hand) sometimes as the only meal and sometimes as a side to soup, avocado toast, or toast with nut butter.  For the salad dressing, I really enjoy balsamic vinegar, or a mustard/maple syrup/vinegar blend, and I top my salad with a few pepitas and a tablespoon of flax seed.  Quinoa is added frequently as well.  I've come to love salads which is good because it's a great serving of greens (soooooo nutritious), fairly inexpensive and fills me up so I don't eat so much of anything I'm eating the salad with.  I do like to make this chickpea sandwich occasionally - it's really good! Jay usually eats a sandwich, sandwich + soup, or leftovers.  The soups I usually make vegan and oil free and then add meat to his.  Sometimes he requests a salad with chicken as the protein.

Snack Seasonal fruit!  If we have some fruit that was going bad so we threw it in the freezer I'll make fruit smoothies to use that up instead.  I definitely have a sweet tooth so every once in a while we have a small piece of good quality chocolate too.  Popcorn, tortilla chips, or nuts are rare, but also snack items in our house.  Jay very rarely gets potato chips, but does so from time-to-time usually in the summer.  If I've made any baked goodies (very rare) we enjoy them during our mid-day snack rather than eating it later in the evening.

Wintertime Dinners Here is where I try, when it's possible, to make something that both Jay and I can eat and then the additions for him are usually meat and for me are usually salad.  Making 2 separate meals is a pain.  It's why I went from being vegetarian for 14 years to eating meat when we moved in together back in my 20's.  I'm figuring it out though. I'm never in the kitchen for longer than an hour so I make a lot of simple meals or I make full recipes of my meals and I will eat leftovers throughout the week.  For Jay, he only likes leftovers at lunch so I will cook up meat or grain in bulk and use that to build new recipes throughout the week. Some examples of when we can eat some of the same:

Southwest quinoa as my main meal (small salad was my side).  It's quinoa, black beans, cilantro, corn, peppers, and tomatoes.  I added a sprinkling of cheese to his and a baked chicken breast on the side.  Sometimes I eat this on top of greens like a burrito bowl.

Roasted veggies such as sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, cauliflower, squash, mushrooms, onions, and carrots.  I usually have greens on the side and I bake a chicken breast with the veggies for Jay.  I like to drizzle balsamic vinegar over mine.

Broccoli rice (rice cooked with vegetable broth, seasonings, and broccoli chopped and added at the end) as our side and my main is a salad with whatever veggies and beans we have on hand.  Jay's is a sautéed chicken breast.

Mushroom risotto as our side with a green salad for me and steak tips for Jay.  I usually add steamed broccoli or cauliflower.

Spaghetti is made completely vegan and oil free and then I bake pre-made meatballs to add to Jay's and I add beans and greens to mine.  We serve salad as the side.

Taco nights I make beef tacos for him with peppers, fresh salsa, cheese, and guac.  The ground beef is pre-cooked and frozen so I just have to defrost and add to the shells.  I fill mine with refried beans (pre-cooked and frozen or I use canned) along with the same peppers, fresh salsa, and guac.  The side is usually rice.

There are also many meals where I make 2 completely separate meals: Some of Jay's favorites:

Salisbury Steak is beef patties cooked with mushrooms and onions.  I make a gravy and then serve it all over white rice.  I don't eat too much white rice so I usually just make a different dinner for me. 

Skillet pork chop with mac and cheese is another where I don't eat any part of what I cook for Jay.  I usually serve him broccoli or cauliflower on the side, so I do incorporate that in my dinner.

Chicken and dumplings is a great way to use leftover chicken and he LOVES it.  Again, I make something separate for me.

Whole roast chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and a veggie or two on the side.

Some of my dinners that Jay doesn't eat any part of are:

Baked falafel with a green salad.

Steamed veggies (fresh or frozen) over millet or quinoa.  I drizzle them with either balsamic vinegar, homemade liquid gold sauce (recipe found here) or a Dijon mustard sauce.

Baked potato with broccoli, beans, and homemade "cheese" sauce (it doesn't really taste like cheese but it's delicious) and a side salad.

Veggie pot pie with black pepper biscuits is a dish I have been LOVING for winter.  The recipe is here and she has a gluten-free variation.  The recipes I've tried from her blog have been really really good.

Grain bowl with quinoa or millet usually as the grain and topped with greens, beans, corn, peppers, cilantro, tomatoes, and a drizzle of liquid gold sauce or a chipotle sauce.

Lentil Stew is one of my favorite wintertime treats.  It has lentils, potatoes (sweet or regular), carrots & kale.

Lentil loaf with mashed potatoes and vegan mushroom gravy is also really really good.  I don't make it often but when I do I savor it.

Desserts While we certainly don't have dessert every night, when we do it's usually either "nice cream" (frozen bananas blended with non-dairy milk, a dash of maple syrup, cacao powder & vanilla extract) or fruit.  I do keep a few non-dairy ice creams on hand although we rarely eat them because of the sugar and fats in them.  Lately I've been enjoying a cup of non-dairy hot cocoa (sweetened with maple syrup) from time-to-time.  It's delicious!

Beverages I drink water or hot tea.  I gave up coffee a few months ago and it was really the best choice for me.  I do (rarely) drink decaf coffee and, as noted above, hot cocoa. My husband will only drink sweetened iced tea and coffee.  Try as I might to get the man to drink water, there is just no way to get him to do so.

How about you?  What types of things does your family eat?  What grocery budget tips do you have?

Saving Money On Groceries + What We Eat was originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)