What do you think of Rice Cereal?

 I keep a box of Cream of Rice cereal in the cupboard but I hardly ever cook it...I have mixed feelings that stem from the fact that if you try to make it in the microwave it will boil over, no matter how careful you are, plus...cooking! I don't dig cooking in the morning.

Weekends are different though. I can cook breakfast like a mad woman - mostly because breakfast on Saturday is always after 11:00 AM.

 I went nutty today and made 4 servings, in an attempt to have prepared breakfast for the next couple days. Since it's a nightmare in the micro I made it on the stove in the biggest pan I had, just in case it was prone to boiling over. It wasn't...because the directions are different...which I found out afterwards when I decided to read the instructions! Ha ha. Boil the water then add the rice...but it works if you do it all at once. Evidence:

Big pan, little blob of cereal, but 4 days of breakfast - so Yay!

It is surprisingly filling and I found that it really doesn't require as much syrup as say...grits or oatmeal, to taste sweet enough. Probably because rice itself is fairly sweet.

So, I'm on the fence about it. I kind of prefer my instant packet of grits for simplicity but there is just something nice about a soft bowl of warm goo in the morning.

What do you think?

The chili I'll never eat again

Here is a picture of the chili I'll never have again and the quesadillas I made to go with it.

I don't know what it is about this chili, but it hates me or rather, my tummy hates it.  It's delicious.  This is actually one of the recipes from the F$ experiment that I really liked. I made a lot and froze some for later even though I wondered at the time if it might not have settled well.  During the F$ I had several days of not feeling well and could only chalk it up to trying several new things.  You might recall that as a result of the F$ I found out that I'm allergic to chicken (one of the culprits of my unwellness).

Well, leftover chili time came this week - twice.  And twice it upset my tummy, the second time so much that I was in pain and could barely move.  This is a perfect example of what I go through every couple weeks.  There is nothing in this chili that should make me ill.  No gluten, no chicken, nothing I can think of. Nonetheless, I cannot ever eat it again.

If you can though, I'd highly recommend it :)

F$ Report Out aka my month on a food stamp budget

First off, thank you for joining me on my journey. I'm really glad to see that people can certainly live on food stamps, even if they have multiple exceptions to the "typical" American diet. I can only imagine it's difficult because there isn't room for sweets and a lot of pre-mades.

Quick credit where it's due, this is where I found the plan, please go and read it a little, I think it's interesting: http://www.gfcf-diet.talkaboutcuringautism.org/gfcfsf-diet-on-food-stamps.htm

I'm happy to report that I didn't spend a penny over the initial $240 and have lots of leftovers. I barely made a dent in the spices (the $40 portion of that expense) . As for the leftovers in my freezer: 8 servings of chicken, 8 servings of soups and chilies, 2 stuffed bell peppers, mostly full boxes of grits, beans and rice, 1 lb of carrots and celery sticks, loaf of bread and miscellaneous leftover vegetables and fruit.

I don't foresee going to the store for a couple more weeks, at least.

So, what other interesting tidbits do I have to share? Let's start with the maybe, as in I might be persuaded to cook this again:

Meat Stuffed Zucchini

Why? Because it tasted good and would look prettier if I'd have followed the instructions

Why not? Because half of it is on the stove, half in the oven and that's a lot of dishes for me to wash

Then on to the definitelys:

Black Bean Chili

Why? It's always been a fave but the herbs and celery gave it a freshness I luv

Stir fried Rice

Why? because it was fast and tasted so good! Also, because it was better than my 1st and only other attempt

Tacos

Why? Because they were fast and yummy. I'll have to use beef instead of poultry next time

Roast

Why? Do I have to answer that? Easy, healthy, tasty, good way to clean out the crisper...

Cream of Rice Cereal

Why? It grew on me. Truly comforting on a not-so-happy tummy and maple syrup made the difference in taste

Ratatouille

Why? It's fun to say! It's so pretty! It's so fast! Num Num Num!

Breakfast Potatoes

Why? mmm bacon...

Newman's Own Pasta Sauce

Why? Why not?

Then, sadly there are some meals I will have to give a big fat thumbs down.

Shepard's Pie

Why not? Too many dishes to wash and not enough yumminess for the bother

Meatloaf

Why not? Personal preference, even though the rice made it bearable, I'm just not ok with ground meat

Soup

Why not? Sadly, because I found out I'm allergic to chicken, otherwise I luv soup and would eat it every single day

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Why not? Lots of dishes, work, time, effort and in the end, I just don't like bell peppers cooked, I only dig em raw

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches

Why not? So sad, the bread made my tummy hurt and I had flashbacks to my childhood filled with PB&J. Not all bad, I thought it was yummy - but I'm not a masochist

And that's my report in a nut shell. Don't forget the menu was filled with breakfasts of scrambled eggs and bacon, Rice Chex, pancakes, French toast and lunches accompanied by cornbread, gf croutons and potato chips. I didn't picture everything here, I mean you know what a hotdog and potato chips looks like, right? If not, leave me a comment and I'll send you a pic ;)

Now, I'm off to watch "Weekend @ Bernie's" with my BFF and have a little dinner. Probably leftover Ratatouille - it's even fun to type!

It's a Chili kind of day - Last of the F$!

Today is a cloudy, cold and dreary kind of day. The rain or snow hasn't started yet. This is the perfect day for a hot bowl of meat and bean chili- just like my mom makes. This recipe called for cumin- I used a little curry powder I had on hand instead. It added a nice twist. Now that my tummy is all full and warm, I feel like taking advantage of the cloudiness and take a nap.

I'm also a little bummed that this will be the last meal post for my F$ project. It was a fun experiment and I'm really glad I did it. Tomorrow, I have a recap planned, so check back to see the good the bad and the bearable.

I'm glad I didn't have to make the chicken nuggets. I just couldn't bear to get out the raw chicken, cut it up, swirl it in eggs and crumbs, and fry it in oil. I'm just too dangerous in the kitchen. The last time I tried frying, I splattered oil all over the ceiling, every appliance and myself. I had to put a cover on the fire and run to a cold shower so I didn't end up with 3rd degree burns!

I know it's a real let down for all of you, my faithful readers, since that was supposed to be the grand finale.

So I'm a bit of a drama queen. My F$ experiment has been completely do-able for any normal (gf) person. I tell you true, I'll finish out the next 5 days on leftovers and return happily to my plain, instant diet though. Even if it's terribly boring because I have a dozen other new projects planned in the coming weeks.

I'll definitely still cook some of these meals, Ratatouille and meat stuffed zucchini were really good and the Newman's pasta sauce was so yummy, it might be worth making the rice pasta to go with it. But others, mostly the poultry, will never see my kitchen again.

Shepard's Pie - Day 21

I promise, it's not burned!! It just looks darker than the nice toastiness that it was.

As far as Shepard's Pie goes, this was not too bad. I dock points because you have to start it on the stove then move it to a baking dish and make the mashed potatoes separately. Then I had much leftover that went into freezer containers for future meals. Too many dishes, so I'm thinking this one hits the cutting room floor as far as future menu planning.

My thoughts:

1. Use instant potatoes for the shepard's pie and leftover meats and veggies to keep the dirty dish count down.

2. I'm going to stock celery more often, it goes so good in things!

One more meal left for me to make - Chili. Do I have to? I don't like regular chili, maybe if I can get some eaters to come over and finish it off for me?

I'm going to go call the parents right now. They like chili and cornbread, I'll just have to invite them over!

I forgot to post the Meatloaf! & my food burning returned

I can't believe I forgot to post the meatloaf! I made this when my cousin was in town and fed it to the family. We all thought it was great! I'm not big on meatloaf...it's usually squishy. This recipe was really tasty though. I subbed out an equal measure of cooked rice for the breadcrumbs (remember the bad bread experience from week 1?). I think the rice was what made it. There was more lightness to it and chewy rather than mushy.

This recipe is definitely going on my favorite list. I had to wear rubber gloves to do the hand-mixing so I didn't get it all under my nails, but that made for quick clean up! Also, I didn't get much in the line of leftovers, very disappointing, so I suggest making a double batch and freeze some for later.

I hesitate to tell you about the sausage with onions and peppers because I have to admit I completely charred the onions and peppers and had to shove them in the trash. I considered not mentioning it, but I think the picture gives me away.

I still fed the sausages to my family though and they loved 'em. I wasn't completely psyched about them myself. I hate caraway seeds and they were plentiful, and usually are, in Italian sausage. That's all I have to say about that.

But, there is more...

Looking ahead to next week's menu, I'm afraid I'll have to peter out on this F$. Since chicken is off my plate, so to speak (yeah, I'm witty baby!) and the next week is poultry heavy, I'd have to substitute (more) and somehow it just doesn't feel right. So... I'll try to finish off with what's left and I have a fabulous wrap-up post planned to share about the entire experiment. Stay tuned :)

I'll be back...

Black Bean Chili - Day 18

Oh boy, am I a sucker for black bean chili. I usually slack off and just dump a can of beans and some salsa together with a side of warm corn tortillas. I'm a simple chef, remember? :)

This recipe was a little more complicated than that and called for actual spices and celery of all things. WOW! What a difference! It tasted fresh and bright instead of my warm and muddled concoction I've known and loved for so long. Will I be able to go back or will I always keep a stalk of celery in my fridge just for those black bean chili days?

P.S. this is the black bean chili mentioned on the menu from 2 weeks ago that has been calling to me all day long. I'm so happy right now!!

P.P.S. would the chili be even better slow simmered on the stove or in the crock pot (I used the microwave)?

Pasta and Navy Bean soup- day 16

It's nice to have pasta on the menu, although it can be a little pricey. I like Tinkyada rice pasta because I can get it at the grocery store. I've heard about corn pastas but haven't tried them yet because I don't really go out of my way to find stuff. Also, I try to limit corn because I heard it's one of the highest GMOs and is in everything so I really don't want to O.D.

Once again, Newman's marinara. I am really diggin this stuff!

So, we are a smidge over halfway in this month on F$ and I have to say. I haven't been hungry once, there's been a nice variety of foods and it's been super relaxing to be told what to eat every day. This has been a little dream come true for me.

I have found a few foods that don't agree with me and has led me to make an appointment with an allergy specialist. I'm hoping that will help me solve some seemingly random issues. Scary to think I'll have to give up more foods but hopeful that I may have perfect health again soon.

On to the real story today though. Navy Bean soup with ham. Soup is good, I luv soup! I cheated and made this in the microwave and used canned beans. I couldn't imagine making 12 servings of this, simmering for hours...I really don't have the time. Sorry if you're disappointed in me, but it would have been much less frugal for me to have to toss half of this soup in the trash, no?

As it was, I had LOTS of leftover anyway!!
My last confession - I used Bacon instead of ham hocks (once again frugality on my part).

Once I'm done with this experiment, I'm going to have a nice pan of gf brownies, or maybe cupcakes. I have been missing sweets! Not dying without them, but it is one of those things I enjoy from time to time.

Day 15 - Stuffed Bell Peppers

I have never really been a big fan of stuffed bell peppers, but this recipe was easy and I had leftover ground beef cooked from last week, so I figured, "why not"?

As you can see, I cooked them in the crock pot instead of doing the parboil and bake routine, so they may not be exactly like they are supposed to be, but they still taste the same.I would highly recommend the crock pot method over the boil and bake because they only took 3 hours on high and during that time I went to work, but could have done any number of funner things! It seems like a waste to stand in front of the stove for an hour boiling and baking when you can take 10 mins to toss it in the crock and go.

So, the verdict is...I still don't have stuffed bell peppers on my favorites list but I could see making this for 4 people especially since they turned out so pretty. I luv the stuffing, actually. It's the bell pepper outsides that I dislike for some reason. Sometime I'm going to make the filling w/o the bell peppers, I guess that will basically be some kind of rice and beef casserole. Not so impressive, but I'm after content not beauty when it comes to food. :)

Ratatouille! Day 12 - 14 (Not the movie, ha!)

Ok, so this wasn't as fun as the movie. But it tasted great! It was sweet and savory at the same time. I used EV olive oil and the whole dish was scrumptious, if I do say so myself!

I almost ate the whole pan, because I wasn't able to really split it up to only make 1 serving - of this 8 serving recipe. That's ok though, there are leftovers coming up for the rest of this week. I'm actually looking forward to them :)

I saw the movie Ratatouille, and somehow as cute as that rat was, I couldn't get over the fact that he never washed his paws while he was cooking - think of all the sand and dirt that got in the food...gritty! I washed my hands, and the veggies really well - no grit in my food!

P.S. there's no eggplant in here because I'm allergic, I doubled up the Zucchini though, is that ok?

Sad days 10/11

These past couple days have been a little sad for me. Since I discovered my problem with gf bread, I don't feel brave enough to have PB&J sandwiches so I'll be having lunch meat leftovers and veggies. Which is good! Don't get me wrong. Just had to say I was sad about the bread.

I am pretty down with the Cream of Rice cereal. The menu calls for it with sugar and Orange Juice. I wonder, should I stir the juice in with the cereal? Because it's pretty bland and I had to use a lot of sugar.

That's all, since the other meals are repeats all I can really say is that I'm glad for the Soup on these cold winter days!!

Good winter food - Day 6 & 7

So, the roast on Day 6 was easy and tasted good - I made it in the crock pot. I love cooking in a crock pot. Especially mine that the inside comes out to go in the dishwasher. There is nothing better than loading up some ingredients in the morning and coming home to the smell of something delicious! When I walked in, garlicky goodness filled the house.

Stew is just one of the best things to come home to on a cold snowy day, like we've had for weeks!

The breakfast Bacon and Potatoes was simple and delicious. I actually saved the grease from my bacon cooking extravaganza a couple days ago so I used a spoonful to fry the potatoes and Onion in, then added the frozen bacon kind of chopped up. Super good - 3 days of leftovers set up in the freezer.

Something interesting about the recipe though, it reminds me of a German Potato Salad recipe I made once. I think that if I had some apple cider vinegar and a couple spices it would be German potato salad. I will have to dig up that recipe and see if I can't put it into permanent rotation too. Now that I know to save the bacon grease for future use - that might be workable on my low- maintenance system too.

As you can tell, my posts are slowing down. As the menus are starting to repeat, I don't want to.

Things I learned:

Save your bacon fat so you can make quick breakfast potatoes (it didn't take much for that nice bacon flavor)

Add more water to the Crockpot if you want it to be more soup/stew because it seems to evaporate

Cut as much fat off the meat first - it ended up kind of greasy because it cooks out and has no where to drip out.

Marinara for 2 days, day 4/5

Yum! I used Tinkyada rice pasta shells instead of spaghetti noodles. Why, you ask? Because I've never mastered the skill of eating spaghetti - I make a huge splashy mess. But, shells and rottini are my handy pastas.

I really enjoyed the Newman's Own Brand Marinara. It's all natural and kind of sweet tasting. It was a nice contrast to the Balsamic dressing I used on the salad.

I was sure to keep some aside (this wasn't hard - it's a huge jar of sauce!) for the meat stufed zucchini the next day.

I have to confess, I did not stuff my Zucchini for this recipe. I chopped it up and stirred it in with everything else because it didn't have seeds to scoop out! I guess I could have made Zucchini topped with beef sauce, too late!

It was delicious though! I have to admit also, that I have had better meals on this f$ than I've made for myself in a very long time. Obviously, someone went to a lot of work to make this menu plan appetizing - for sure! They also know how to use herbs and spices - something I've been slacking on learning. I headed for the fridge to get some parmesean to top it, out of habit, and remembered - nope! None to be had. And I was glad! It was so good, kind of sweet and comforting - strong cheese would have ruined it.

What I'm learning:

How to use spices and what they actually make your food taste like.

Cheese doesn't always make it better ;^)

This is another to add to my regular hits list too. I think that sauteeing the zucchini with everything else until it is soft will work just a nice as baking it and cut the prep time in half, depending on how small you chop the veggies and how high the heat is for the beef. For a fancy meal (like for company), I'd definitely go with the full on stuffed version because I'm sure it's much more impressive. Plus, baking makes the whole house smell good.

Problems I'm having:

I want to cook everything all at once so I can see what it's all like now. I'm not very patient, I know. I haven't ever really done a cooking experiment before and it's getting to be addictive.

Last night, I even dreamt about the menus and cooking the different recipes, Is that weird?

Bread day!! Day 4

Today's menu has Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches on it. I remember as a kid having a PB sandwich almost every day. At one point I was so tired of them I stashed one under the bed so my mom thought I ate it. I don't know how long after that she found it - it had dried up though.

That was back in the gluten days though and since going gf I haven't had a pb&j except maybe on a corn tortilla (which is yummy toasted).

So, I made gf bread (from Pamela's bread mix). The shopping list seems to intend that you buy pre-made but the mix makes 2x as much for the same price as a frozen Udi's loaf, so I decided to do that instead. The recipe calls for 2 eggs, some oil & water and stirring for 3 minutes in a mixer. I would recommend getting a bread machine if you plan to have bread often. I saw a pretty decent one for $99 it would pay for itself in a few months.

I did it all by hand! I'm actually pretty happy with it though, gf bread doesn't require kneading and shaping - just a really strong arm for the last 2 of 3 mixing minutes if you don't have a heavy duty mixer (like I don't). Ooofta! by minute 3 I was more just stabbing at the dough with the spoon than mixing it - thick and sticky stuff! But - the whole process took about 5 minutes and it was in the pan to rest for an hour, then to bake for 70 minutes.

When it was cool, I sliced it and it sliced much easier than regular bread too!

This particular loaf had a really nice crusty outside and soft, chewy inside. It was kind of heavy - not fluffy - but not unlike other bakery breads I have had.

I'm guessing the Udi's loaf would have been the fluffier type - it looked fluffy but it was frozen, so who knows?

My Conclusion:

Gluten Free bread is easier and better than wheat bread. Everyone should eat it instead.*

My past experience with baking gf bread was a Bob's Redmill brand Cinnamon Raisin mix. It was a very similar process and tasted really good too.

My time saving tip:

Cook multiple packages of bacon, like I did today (3) when breakfast called for it. Ever notice how much better the bacon starts cooking toward the end of the package? I take advantage of that by keeping it rolling as long as possible and freezing what I'll use later. I think it has to do with the grease being the right temperature or something.

My Conundrum:

Personally, I think bacon is the biggest waste of $ if you're grocerying on a budget, all fat and salt. But oh it is SO GOOD! I can eat a pound of it alone in one sitting if it's a good brand. The best thing is there's no such thing as a bacon hangover. You can eat and eat and just feel fine.

Reason #2 I needed to freeze it - so I don't cheat it all up!!

*I'm not putting bread maker on my wish list because I found out through this experiment the bread doesn't like me - probably the high yeast content so I'll stick to my corn tortilla sandwiches.

Oh and don't forget to save your bacon grease!

Fried Rice Yumminess- Day 3

This was actually the 2nd time I'd ever done a stir fry. In my whole life! I was worried because the first time didn't turn out well. I think everything burned and I didn't have the right ingredients to start with. I was following instructions a friend gave me "Just grab some veggies and meat and throw them in the pan for a few minutes with some soy sauce". I had gf soy sauce but it was awful!

This time, my stir fry turned out great! This recipe didn't call for soy sauce (obviously since it's soy free) and it turned out delicious (as you can see). I tried to alter the recipe but what is 1/4 of 1/2 cup of peas? Do you have a 1/8 cup measure? So it was a spoonful of this and a pinch of that. I think I ended up with 2 servings because I didn't try to split an egg and I was probably a little generous with the veggies. It was a whole lot of food!

Take Aways:

I'll be making this all the time now. It was so, my kind of low maintenance cooking!! Easy, fast and yummy (and cheap!!). If anyone ever suggests getting Chinese takeout I will scoff at them. Why wait for delivery of some greasy MSG laden goo, when you can have fresh in 10 minutes or less? My friend (with the stir fry advice of yore) said frozen veggies don't work - um this is proof to me they do! Fresh would have gotten mealy, I think.

Also, after eating this I had tons of energy and my tummy was totally happy. I think it was the perfect combo of starches, fiber and protein to get me through the rest of my day.

Things I would change:

Nothing! I actually could have popped home to make this over a lunch hour, if I needed to :)

F$ Day 2 makin changes

I'm high maintenance, there I admit it. Not that it's a bad thing!
But, when it comes to food I like to be low maintenance. Today they threw in a lunch that required cooking - raw stuff!! I'm not quite up to that challenge since I have a job outside of my home with no kitchen equipment. Thankfully, I had leftover turkey soup (yeah, it's supposed to be for tomorrow) but I'm swapping them.
I can't believe I'm already making changes to this!
So, I've gone through the menu and figured out how to swap dinner leftovers for cooking @ lunch.

Things I wonder:

What if I don't feel like cooking for dinner?

Does this plan assume if you're on food stamps you're not working outside the home? hmmm... I'm sure all the meals are interchangeable, no worries!

Anyway, Day 2 was not bad. I actually feel like it was a lot of food. I got plenty of protein and vegetables and starches. It's good. Not having cheese for the tacos was odd. I love, I mean l.o.v.e. cheese and it is like missing something I can't quite put my finger on. But that's ok.

Changes I'd make:

Use canned refried beans for the tacos

Never plan a lunch that needs actual prep and cooking beyond a microwave

Day 1 on a Food Stamp Budget

Today is the first day of my Food Stamp Budget project (F$). To recap: I found this website, was intriged and am giving it a try: http://www.gfcf-diet.talkaboutcuringautism.org/gfcfsf-diet-on-food-stamps.htm. See my previous post "Shopping" for how much it cost.

Surprises:Hebrew National Kosher Beef franks have Soy in them... that seems wrong somehow (so I couldn't buy them since this is a soy free project too).
Hominy is just white corn

Side notes:

I spent 2 hours cooking to prepare several things and freeze them to help cut down on prep time during the week (I need my extra 20 minutes in the morning!). During those 2 hours I made my Turkey soup for dinner, cleaned the celery, peeled carrots and potatoes, washed the salad, baked the cornbread muffins, scrambled eggs and fried breakfast potatoes. All tucked in to single serve ziplock containers and stored/frozen for the next 4 weeks.

I actually started with the last week of the month on the menu and will move backwards (http://www.gfcf-diet.talkaboutcuringautism.org/gfcfsf-foodstamp-monthly-menu.html) just because I'm really not in the mood for Chili now. So, I had the hot dog for lunch with the chips and orange and it was way too greasy!! Also, I haven't had a hot dog in long time and I remember why now - icky repeats all day :( I purposely got the Oscar Meyer 100% beef quality franks, even though hot dogs are cheaper but this still left a puddle of fat on the plate and that nasty preservative aftertaste. Thankfully, there is only 1 more Hot dog day this month so the rest of the package can go to someone else (see what I mean about feeding 4 is cheaper than 1 - you can't just buy 1 hot dog @ the store...)

The Turkey soup was really good though! I've never added Thyme to my soup before I think it will be a staple from now on.

Things I'd change about today's menu:
Tuna salad with the chips would be a better option, less grease and fewer preservatives.

What I'm looking forward to:

More Corn Muffins - yum!

Does it bode well to start this on Valentine's Day?

Shopping!!

It was actually so much fun to go to the store and just pick up exactly what was on the list, no impulse or stocking up on good deals allowed. I got to just groove out to the Justin Timberlake song on the speakers (reason #2 I shop King Sooper's - I luv the music they play. Sometimes it's dance, sometimes oldies - always worth singing along to). I didn't even think about picking up anything impulsive. I think this is the least stress I've had grocery shopping in 3 - 6 years. God bless the gfcfsf food stamp diet!!

I followed the shopping list almost exactly divided by 4 (http://www.gfcf-diet.talkaboutcuringautism.org/gfcfsf-foodstamp-list.html), and my grand total is: $224.50. I think it's high because buying for 4 is much cheaper than for 1, for example - 1 lb carrots = $1, 2 lbs=$1.57. Also, I did not buy a 12 pound turkey to roast and use for soup and leftovers, instead I subbed out a 1 pound turkey breast but it cost the same. Also, the spices were a hefty portion and prices in Denver are higher in general than other places. Still, $200 for 4 weeks of food is pretty thrifty! I forsee leftovers as well because some stuff just isn't divisible by 4.

Things I wish:
That there was no raw poultry on the menu - that grosses me out and causes the disinfectant wipe parade in my kitchen. But, it is an inexpensive and multi-purpose protein source.

There was going to be dessert. But, I'm also sort of glad because this is going to be much healthier.

Things I wonder:

Why isn't there any fish on the list? It's heart healthy and inexpensive.

Tomorrow - day 1 and a pre-cook day.