Blogging the Recession: Beans and Sausage

I hate beans, like really really.  Unfortunately people just keep telling me how good for you they are and how cheap to make they are and how delicious and filling they are.  Eventually even the staunchest bean hater starts to wonder if she’s missing out.  So in the nature of being open minded, I began plotting a big pot of beans.  It took weeks to settle on the right recipe but Lisa at Homesick Texan never ever steers me wrong.

Click here for the recipe »

Anyone who knows me personally, knows that I am skeptical by nature.  So when a friend of mrChaos first told me that I should put onions on a burn, I told him he was full of it.  He claimed putting a cold sliced onion on a burn would take away the pain, prevent blisters, and heal it faster.  “Of course,” I said,”cold onions, duh.  I’ll just use cold water thank you very much.”   And so it went, he would claim that if I would just use an onion I wouldn’t have so many blisters and scars (I’m a little clumsy in the kitchen) and I would tell him to stuff it and stop talking voodoo in front of my kids-until the night I made cornbread in my huge cast iron skillet.  The cornbread was baking at 450°F for about 20 minutes when I reached in the oven and grabbed the handle of the skillet with a pot holder.  Apparently, I didn’t cover my whole hand because I felt the heat immediately as the handle pressed into my hand.  I jerked away and ran to the sink, taking only a second to see the seared imprint of the skillet handle on my palm before I plunged in into the stream of cold water.

After keeping the cold water running over my hand for about 10 minutes, I was miserable.  It hurt like crazy in the water and I knew how bad it was going to hurt when I had to finally turn the water off.  mrChaos found half of an onion in the fridge and offered it to me simply to have something cold to hold in my hand so I could turn off the water and move around the house.  I took it but my hand hurt so bad that I quickly traded it in for an icepack wrapped in a kitchen towel.  It still hurt and just knowing how bad the blister was going to be-on my right hand!-was grossing me out.  So in walks the friend, who immediately begins insisting that we need to put a fresh chopped onion on the burn-not a cold onion, not a previously chopped onion, a fresh chopped one.  We have a basket of onions and garlic on the kitchen counter at all times; mrChaos grabbed a big one, whacked it in half with the chef’s knife, and handed me one juicy side.  I figured I could at least try it and when it didn’t work I could put my ice pack back on, it couldn’t get worse at this point.

Holy cow but it worked!  The pain went away immediately.  Anytime it started to burn a little I would squeeze out a little more fresh onion juice and it immediately felt better.  After about 30 minutes I was able to take the onion away completely without the burn hurting.  Not only that but the skin over the blister was thicker and more sturdy that any burn blister I had ever had before.  In fact, now two weeks later there is almost no trace I even had a burn.  The blister never broke no matter how I abused it (remember it was in the palm of my right hand), and I was able to wash hot dishes and take a hot shower the next day without any discomfort.  I don’t know why it works but it must have something to do with the fresh onion juice.  Of course for a serious burn, where the skin is broken, I would go to the emergency room but for your general kitchen burns it is an incredible solution.  Try it next time and see if it works for you.

Blogging the Recession

Who says cheap food can’t look good?  I don’t know many people who didn’t grow-up eating some variation of beef and macaroni.  Probably because it is cheap and nutritious and yet familiar and fun enough that kids will give it a try.  Kay at Kayotic Kitchen posted her version of beef and macaroni or Dutch Macaroni and I knew it would be delicious and comforting as well as economical.  I made a few substitutions and it was great.

Beef and Macaroni

• 1 pound ground beef, I used 85/15
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp tomato paste (or 1 small can)
• 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried parsley (or dried basil, I was out)
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 tsp sugar
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles

1. First finely dice the onion, pepper, and carrots.  This works with kids if the pieces are very small and uniform-big chunks of peppers and onions are going to lead to hysterical refusal to eat (“but there’s green stuff on it!”).  Kay puts hers through the food processor.
2. Cook the ground beef, seasoning with salt and pepper. Drain fat and reserve.
3. In the same pan, heat oil over medium heat and add butter.
4. Add the vegetables and garlic and stir to cook several minutes until soft.
5. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring for a minute.
6. Add the un-drained diced tomatoes to the pan and the cooked ground beef.
7. Add the spices and turn down the heat to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for 30 min.
8. While sauce is cooking bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
9. Cook macaroni until tender, reserve 1 cup of pasta water, drain.  Do not rinse.  If your sauce seems to be drying out at any point add in some of your reserved pasta water as needed.
10. Taste sauce and season with salt and pepper.
11. Combine with noodles. Toss to mix well and separate the noodles. Serve.

I totally forgot to serve this with some grated Parmesan, but it would be delicious.  This is something we will make often and it would also freeze well for anyone who is making meals ahead (I would undercook the pasta and reheat in the oven).

Cost Analysis:

• 1 pound grass fed Angus beef 85/15: $4.99
• 1 bell pepper: $0.50
• 2 organic carrots: $0.60
• 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes: $1.18 ($0.79 each + 40¢ off coupon)
• 2 cups semolina macaroni: $0.85
• pantry items not included in total: tubed tomato paste (can’t remember how much this was), garlic cloves, spices, oil and butter
• Total cost for 6 servings:  $8.12 or $1.35 per serving

Blogging the Recession: Freezer Food

Getting a good, satisfying breakfast into our bellies is the surest way to start the day right.  It makes it easier to make healthy food choices for the rest of the day when you aren’t starving or the victim of plummeting blood sugar.  This is different for everyone but if fiber does it for you then you are pretty much covered by some high fiber oatmeal or a breakfast bar or some other portable fiber delivery method.  For me, it is protein that keeps me clear headed and satisfied.  I eat fruit and vegetables and whole grains throughout the day but at breakfast I need a quickly deliverable dose of protein.

Breakfast tacos are a great solution to this.  They are completely customizable, easy and cheap, and they are hot and steamy in a few minutes and ready to be eaten on the way out the door.  You can add cooked sausage, hash browns, mushrooms, onions, salsa, beans, whatever you like, but my personal favorite is the basic bacon, egg, and cheese.   Also, feel free to use whole wheat or burrito sized tortillas but I like the soft, homemade fajita sized flour tortillas the tortilleria puts out at our store.

Freezer Breakfast Tacos

• 1 dozen eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 lb bacon (12 slices)
• 6 oz cheese
• 12 flour tortillas

1. First cook bacon or sausage or any other ingredients.  I used this method for the bacon and was able to start the eggs and do all the prep while the bacon cooked.
2. Combine eggs and milk, beat.
3. Pour into hot skillet and scramble.
4. Allow to cool while preparing an assembly line station for making the tacos.
5. Let your ingredients cool  before making the tacos because too much heat will steam them and make them wet.  We aren’t eating them now so it doesn’t matter if its cold-in fact, it is better.
6. Warm up the tortillas (I know I just said it should all be cold, but not the tortillas or they will tear) by heating them in the microwave covered by a damp towel for about 1 minute, until they are soft and pliable.
7. Lay out a tortilla, add a small slice of cheese, a small scoop of egg, and a small scoop of whatever else you are adding, a slice of bacon, etc… Don’t try to over stuff the tortillas or they will rip or leak and you won’t have your handy portable breakfast.
8. Fold in the sides the roll the tortilla up so all the filling is enclosed. Place seam side down to cool. Continue with remaining tortillas and filling.
9. Once tacos are cool roll them up in parchment or wax paper or plastic wrap. Freeze.
10. To reheat:  If wrapped in paper, place in the microwave and microwave in 30 second bursts for about 2 minutes or until hot through.  If wrapped in plastic, remove plastic wrap and wrap in a paper towel to microwave.

Cost Analysis:

• 1 dozen cage free eggs: $2.19
• 1/2 cup organic 1% milk: $0.19
• 1 lb bacon: $3
• 6 oz white American cheese: $2.30
• 12 fresh flour tortillas: $2.21
• Total cost for 1 dozen breakfast tacos: $9.89 or 82¢ per taco.