Understanding the Nutrition Label

There's an old adage that says a picture is worth a thousand words, and I could easily take a thousand words to explain how much this picture irritates me!  It recently has been shared and circulated by several of my Facebook friends and it keeps showing up on my reel.  I finally decided it's time to clear things ups!

I don't know who did this demonstration or where this picture began its circulation but we need to set some things straight.  Later on I also include some important keys in reading the nutrition label as well as which sauce I would pick.

Back to the viral picture, let's start with the obvious...

SUGAR.  I know the point here is to show how much sugar is added in "processed" food, they just did a really bad job. To understand why, we need to understand a little bit about the nutrition label.

Total Carbohydrates(CHO) on a label covers ALL carbohydrates--simple, complex, starches, fiber, naturally in the food, or added.  It may not always equal the breakdown on a label (total sugars, dietary fiber, added sugars, etc).  This is normally due to starches added for thickening or stabilizing, they are carbohydrates but not sugars so they still contribute to calories.  The important thing is that CHO are not all the same and can be beneficial.

When it comes to counting or measuring carbs it's good to know 1 CHO serving = 15 grams and those 15 grams broken down into measurements would be 15 grams = 3.58 tsps so that's just a tad over 1 tablespoon.

Let's get back to the picture (I did not focus on the yogurt because the spaghetti sauce proves my point).

FIRST MISTAKE This demonstration was done with table sugar (100% sucrose).  Now that we have had a little lesson on Total Carbohydrates, we know that not all carbs on the label are equivalent to table sugar, nor are they all bad.  This is a poor representation of how much actual sugar is in the spaghetti sauces.

SECOND MISTAKE If you look at the chart below you will see the content of Total Carbohydrates - 7g, 13g, 13g, and 13g.  (I looked up the nutrition labels of each of these bottles to get this information.) If this person was showing how much total CHO was in each jar of sauce then the last 3 glasses would all be the same.  Look at the picture...they are not the same.

THIRD MISTAKE If you refer to the chart again and assume that the sugar in the shot glasses was based on added sugars, then let's check. Added sugars section - 0g, 0g, 1g, 4g.  Hmmm???  The first two glasses shouldn't have any sugar in them and 1g would be less than 1 tsp, and the 4g would be just over 1 tsp (I know I measured and weighed myself.)  Not a match.

So where could these measurements come from?  The most logical idea goes back to the nutrition label.  A very important part of SERVING SIZE.  The examples I pointed out are based on 1 serving which is equal to 1/2 cup for each of these sauces.  Each jar contains 5 servings.  Let's do the math:

Rao Spaghetti Sauce:  (7g x 5 servings) 35g of Total Carbs; 0g Added Sugar... I think I can stop there.  You can see for yourself that things aren't matching up.  35g would be about 2.5 tablespoons which clearly is not the measurement in the first glass OR it should be ZERO sugar (added sugars) and it clearly isn't empty.

This picture is FALSE.

Now that we've cleared that up and I've gotten that off my chest, let me clarify.  I do not think added sugars are good for us.  Actually the opposite and I would recommend trying to keep that portion of our diet low (under 50g) and to look for how much is in your food.  More importantly, carbs are not the enemy and are pretty essential to our survival when you eat a mix of carbohydrates.  Yet MOST IMPORTANT, there is a lot more to a nutrition label that needs to be considered when looking at your food.  Don't just look at carbohydrates but read it all.

1.  Look at the ingredients.  It doesn't matter if it's more than five ingredients but the order does make a difference.  It gives an idea of how much of that ingredient is in the product.  If tomatoe is the first ingredient it is the main ingredient.  The ingredients are listed in descending order of their quantity in the product.

2.  Look at all the macronutrients (CHO, FAT, PRO).  They are all important.

3.  Vitamins and minerals can be a game changer for some foods, good and bad.  Sodium is in everything!  We know it's not good for us in excess.  Potassium is on every nutrition label because we don't eat enough of it daily.  Potassium does the opposite of sodium and prevents some of the side effects of excess sodium.  The key, we may need little of these nutrients but they can be important.  Go read about Pellegra or Vit A deficiencies in underdeveloped countries.  

Back to the chart:

"Rao" offers low carbs and no added sugar but it also has low fiber and low calcium.  It has a good amount of potassium and low sodium.  The breaker, it has very high fat.  If I had two servings (only 1 cup) of just sauce it would be 16g of fat!

The other three are very similar, except the "Ragu Simply" version has no added sugar but still 3 g of fiber, high potassium, and low fat.  With only 13g, it's still a low-carb serving.  However, the sodium is very high.  

Which would I pick???

The challenge of high fat and high sodium is a tough decision.  It would also depend on my goals, but for an overall lifestyle change fat has calories which means it can create weight that has to be worked off.  Sodium can be managed through intake and doesn't have calories.  If it tasted good (that's important too), then I would pick the "Ragu Simply".

In the end, we can't believe everything we see anymore.  And though the picture was trying to bring awareness (trying to give some benefit-of-the-doubt), it also presented incorrect information along with creating unnecessary guilt.  Not all of us are great cooks.  Sometimes we need a fast meal.  Food deserts are real where fresh veggies are hard to come by with jarred/canned food is the only option.   Also, almost 90% of the population in America doesn't consume enough fruits and veggies daily.  This is a great way to get some veggies in the diet and for many the only vegetable they get.  It's all about perspective.

I have included pictures of all the sauces' nutritional labels that were used in the circulating fear-mongering picture to read for yourself.

Rao's Homemade Sauce

Ragu Simply Traditional Sauce 

 

Ragu Old World Style

Prego

Freezing Food

I've been on vacation.
I haven't cooked in over a week.
My husband is out of town for the following week.
I may never cook again.

To even think about blogging about food is even harder.

I can do this.

FREEZING YOUR FOOD
If you have the ability to have another freezer, this will help your budget immensely and time.  Who doesn't want to save time and money?
There are  variety of foods that you can buy in the freezer section and not all freezer food is bad for you.  I'm not recommending buying a bunch of prepackaged freezer meals, but there are several great things you can buy already frozen.  Some of my favorites:

• chicken breast
• shrimp
• vegetables--plain (broccoli, corn, green beans, okra...) and mixed (different type of stir fry, pepper mix, California blend...)
• fruit--blueberries and triple berry blend are my faves, but you can find melon and strawberries as well. 

Now there are a lot of things that I buy that I put in the freezer and this is what makes my runs to the store minimal, allows me to buy extras of things here and there with little to no waste.  Now there are a lot fears of freezing food and believing it's not as good for you.  Say what!!??  I came across the great article from Eating Well (I like the name of their blog LOL) talking about some of the myths when it comes to freezing foods.  Read it HERE.   With that, here are a few things you would find in my freezers:

• milk (10 gallons)
• bread (sandwich, buns, rolls, some homemade some not)
• pizza dough (that I make)
• biscuits (I rarely buy these prepackaged but if it's a sale I will, other than that homemade)
• shredded cheese
• ground beef
• sandwich meat
• rotisserie chicken
• chicken thighs or drumsticks (I normally buy these fresh, it's much cheaper)
• okay, pretty much all meat I buy (Italian sausage, kielbasa sausage, pepperoni...I like meat)
• onions
• peppers
• cilantro
• nuts
• coconut
• flour
• fruit (if there is a good sale, like 99 cent strawberries, I'm buying several!)
• broth
• sauces
• prepared meals (sometimes store bought, sometimes homemade)

Now, I'm no pro and still continually to learn new methods and different items I can add to the freezer.  I love lemons or anything lemon based.  Let me reiterate that, I LOVE ANYTHING LEMON.  I just learned I can freeze those bad boys to last me such much longer.  So excited because many lemons were going down my disposal to clean it since I couldn't cook with them. If you have a garden this is very helpful, I'm not very good at canning.  Freezing is easy and fast!

You can find some excellent tips and suggestions from these websites.  They are also on my Pinterest page under Group Recipes/Cooking Tips.  I have read all of them.  They each have different things to offer and sometimes different methods, but all economical and helpful.

11 Secrets to Properly Freezing Fruits and Vegetables -- Design Mom

Can You Freeze THAT?  Six Figures Under

The Ultimate How-to Freeze Guide--Krazy Coupon Lady

So what if you don't have a deep freeze or extra freezer
I have learned a few things over time that last much longer in the refrigerator versus other items and things that we tend to think have a short shelf life so we go out and buy weekly or bi-weekly.  Obviously, I am going to buy what last the longest.

• Eggs--I don't freeze them, even though I buy about 8-10 dozen a month.  I have to make room in the fridge.  Sometimes the month has passed and I still have eggs in the fridge.  I completely ignore the expiration.  Eggs last forever...well, not FOREVER but easily keep for a month plus some.  Buy all your eggs at once.  I will say that I accidentally froze some hard boiled eggs (shell removed).  Removed the ice and put back in fridge, made no difference in texture or taste.
• Sour Cream and Yogurt--I buy the 32 oz. containers of yogurt.  I'm a devout Dannon girl.  I only buy Natural Plain and Natural Vanilla.  Sometimes I will buy the Lite and Fit vanilla flavor, but rarely.  I use this for a wonderful recipe I discovered in Austria, called Bircher.  A-MAZ-ING!  I also use the yogurt for parfaits and smoothies.  I have never had a container go bad in less than a month, assuming I haven't already use it all by months end.  If it doesn't get opened, then it will easily last me almost two months.  I also only buy natural sour cream.  I've had an unopened container of sour cream (16 oz) that has lasted 2 months easy.  I recommend not buying the larger than that so that it last longer.  If you buy the Sam's Club/Costco large container, once it's opened then the spoil timer starts ticking.  I find it's also balances out cost wise, because there isn't a generic at the wholesale stores like at Aldi, where I buy mine and I'm not tossing any food out.
• Romaine Lettuce--I like to buy the packages of 3 of Heart Romaine.  If kept in the proper vegetable drawer, it will last me just under a month.  I have done this two ways.  I have left it on it's core, unwashed and removed from core, washed.  The unwashed version last longer but not by much.  If I'm short some lettuce by the last week, I have enough other veggie options to last me to not have to buy more.
• Peppers--green and colored peppers are a staple at my house.  Green peppers will last me a month as long as I have them stored in my bottom drawer of my fridge.  Every refrigerator is different but this is the "Extra-crisp" veggie drawer.  Colored peppers don't last me as long so those I try to make sure to freeze.  Though I will freeze both, I know that the green peppers are going to last me.  The one thing to remember about veggies that sit for a while the value of nutrients goes down.  The refrigerator slows that decaying process down, and freezing nearly stops it.  Check for soft spots.  If it only has a small one go ahead and use it.  It's still good but will rot within the next couple of days.
• Cheese--Outside of crumbled feta cheese (I don't do bleu), almost every cheese I buy last a full month.  I buy a lot of cheese...6 packs of cream cheese, pepper-jack, Colby, sharp, muenster, cheddar, mozzarella and sometimes specialty cheeses.  The key here is buying what you need for the month and open it only when you need it.  If you don't use the whole block make sure it's wrapped tightly or kept in a tight baggie with little to no air.  Most cheese has already aged for a while...what's a little more aging?
• Sweet Potatoes--the key to making sure your potatoes don't start to sprout is keep them in a dark place.  I know some people put their potatoes in a refrigerator, but most of us don't have that space.  I have a cabinet with some drawers so I keep my potatoes there.  I rarely have them sprout before I need to use them.  I'm sure this applies to other potatoes but I rarely buy those, so I don't know.
• Bread--speaking of dark places...for many years I kept my bread on the counter top.  I always freeze my bread but once a loaf was defrosted and out it seemed to go stale or mold quickly, especially wheat.  Then I understood the value of a bread box.  I don't have one.  But I have that same cabinet with drawers and I keep my bread in one of the drawers.  It's amazing the life it add to your bread.  I have actually had a loaf last a full month without going stale!  The other option is keep in your fridge.  Not a fan of cold bread.
• Carrots--these keep in the fridge well.  The key is to not let me dry out.  I normally just buy baby carrots.  I try to keep them in a sealed bag and in the veggie drawer.
• Green Onions
• Celery
• Cabbage--some people are afraid of the slightest browning to their food.  Don't be, it's harmless.  Don't throw it out!  Cabbage is one of those sad veggies that gets dumped for being mistakenly "gone bad."  One head of cabbage can last me a month, easy.  I'll use half for one meal and later on in the month for another meal.  But when I cut it in half the edges will brown.  Take a knife and trim the brown off.  Your cabbage is like new.  Cooks and taste great!

I'm sure there are other things I don't know about and these were things that I buy often.  They came first to my mind.  I would love to hear others ideas and suggestions to help me and others.  Anything to save me time and make my budget stretch a little further!

Grocery Shopping

It's been two weeks since my last post.  As a mom, life is unpredictable and can become a whirlwind in a matter of moments. 
I'll confess I was bit distracted for a good 8 hours of these past weeks glued to the PBS Masterpiece Series, Poldark.

 

 

I would say the pictures should explain enough, but if not, it's probably the best series EVER!!!!  I may waste another eight hours, to watch again, while I wait for the books to come in at the library.  LOVE it.

 

Oh, and then my other distraction--soccer.  I told myself I needed to finish these post before the season begun, but alas that obviously didn't happen.  Finding coaches, placing teams, doing evaluations...its sucks every minute of my time for about three weeks. 

 

Now here we are already well into a new month.  I hope you tried out your menu making and how to make your grocery list.  After all your hard work it's time to shop.  Give yourself a treat first, you deserve it!

 

SHOPPING

As I've mentioned before I have a love-hate relationship with shopping...with kids.  I kind of don't love always shopping for food either, but it's the role I play in the family. 

I am going to share some of my favorite tips that I've learned over my 16 years of marriage.  I hope you find some helpful.

1. Shop your pantry.  Have you ever got home only to find you bought something you already had?  I make this mistake often with spices.  Sometimes it's not so bad because they can be cheap.  But others can be pretty pricey.  I did this once before also with meat.  Talk about a budget killer.  Always shop your food cabinets first.  You will be surprised the money this will save you.
2. Have a detailed grocery list.  I have been amazed at the people that don't make a grocery shopping list.  Knowing myself, I would buy so much stuff off a whim, because it was on sale, or because it looked good.  Tisk, tisk, tisk.  Details are important.  Pretend you are making a list for someone else to do your shopping.  Over time you will have your basics/staples you always buy, but still make a not of them.
3. Add some "rainy day" items.  We are busy.  I get it.  Rainy days are like wild cards--use them wisely and sparingly!  We need to be realistic.  No matter how well we plan there will be a day or two where YOU ARE DONE or things come up and you need something fast.  That's a rainy day.  This is when you pull out the frozen pizza, hot dogs, microwave meals, or just eat cereal.  Save eating out ALWAYS for the last resort (remember the budget).  From personal experience, don't use your rainy days up the first week.  :)
4. Limit your visits to the store.  People look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them I shop for the month.  The less you go to the store the less you buy that you don't need.  I even gave up the weekly sales.  They were just pulling me in and killing my budget.  Yes, it's still possible for you to buy fresh produce.  I can't do ALL my shopping for the month but I can do 90%.  That way, I know real quick where I stand budget wise for the  rest of the month if I want to do anything extra.  If you do steps 1 and 2, this step is simple.
5. If you can freeze it--buy it.  I'll have more details on that in another segment about frozen foods and freezing food.  But if you have the ability to store another freezer, this will save you time and money.  One of the number one runs to the store in frequency is for milk.  I freeze my milk.  I buy 10-12 gallons all at once.  I save gas, my grocery budget, and time.
6. Don't go when you are hungry.  This isn't just a wives tale.  The research can prove it!  They say not only do you buy more but usually less-healthy food.  And actually, one study showed that hunger doesn't just effect food shopping but all shopping.  Wal-Mart obviously had this research when they decided to go Super.
7. Normally, the things you need should be on half or less than half the aisles that are in the store.  Now this does depend on where you shop.  But for a standard grocery store, this rule applies.  These are the middle aisles and drink aisles.  They are non-beneficial foods and money stealers.  The snack/cracker aisle, drink aisle, seasonal aisle, and a lot of the middle of most aisles.  I do buy snack puddings occasionally.  They are in the snack aisle but on the end.  For baking most things I need are at the ends (flour, spices, sugar).  Cereal, the more expensive ones are further in the aisle.  I buy the cheapest, which is right on the end.  Get where I'm going here?  If you are standing the middle of an aisle, you might need to question what you are buying.
8. Try not to shop "Driving Under the Influence"  Meaning with kids, of course.  The link above can best express my experience with having to shop with my kids.  It's often not an option for me, but sometimes not always buying the cheaper things, staying up until midnight, to shop in peace and quiet is worth those extra pennies.



 

There it is, my profound list of grocery shopping tips!  

Budget Tips

 

I'm going to tell a personal and also somewhat humorous story (at least I find it humorous).
When I was growing up we lived on a fairly tight budget.  They did a great job of never making us kids feel that pressure or realize that we had some hard times.  There were two things my dad was pretty adamant about...family counsel and budgets.  My dad is a financial advisor.  I hated coming up with a budget and discussing finances when I got a job.  I hated that I had to work to pay for all my sports and clothes.  (I am now very appreciative!)  However, I learned to be pretty tight with my money.  When I grew up I knew that I was going to marry a guy that let me spend whatever and never gave me a budget!  *Hello?  Reality?  Are you in there?*
Then I met my future husband.  I knew one major thing about him that I liked, he was going to be a lawyer.  I always understood they made big money.  Cha-ching!  I see that maybe I was a bit of a gold-digger.  It was love!  About a year and half into our marriage he was far enough along in college that he needed to declare a major.  Guess what it was?  Finance!  I felt like doomsday had just hit me.  Inside I was clawing my eyes out and screaming, "nooooooo!"  On the outside I tried to remain cool.  Karma gets ya!  I've been on a budget my entire marriage.  Sixteen years to be exact.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not as shallow as I sound.  I love my husband for so many other things than his body money.  He has worked his tail off to support us, get a good job that allows me to stay home.  I can't complain.  I made an excellent decision.  I am so grateful that he has always been the money guru that he is because it has allowed us to enjoy many extra things.  It has not always been easy and sometimes I would be frustrated with his "tight" budget, but I always feel secure and that is important.

I've learned I prefer the simpler things in life over the finer things.

TIPS
With all that being said, here are some of my tips in helping me stay in budget.  They are nothing profound and probably apply more towards families with kids.

1. February is one of the best months to plan
• It's short and normally a lighter month activity wise
• if you live in the South it is important to account for snow days because they always happen in this month :)
• this is a good time to stock without going over budget
• if you plan well you should have money left over. 
• I spent my last bit of cash for this month's budget February 24th
• I was able to treat my boys to some Frosties this month, take five meals to my sister-in-law for her birthday, a meal for a friend who just had a baby, have company one night, buy a birthday gift (so I didn't have to take from other funds), buy a pair of pants, and eat out
• Last year I had enough money to apply to a makeover to my laundry room
2. July and December are two of the longest months and commonly the hardest on the budget.
• It's a good idea to make sure you buy some of your higher priced items the month before or after
• These months your children (if in school) are normally home the most, rarely vacations, and big holidays which means for me--lots of company!
• Sometimes you can add May because of all the school parties, end of year activities
3. Know your spending method: cash, credit, debit, check?
• Be honest with yourself on how well you keep track of your spending
• I am a cash girl--I can physically see it making it easier to keep track--I highly recommend this method for anyone
• If it's gone, it's gone--there is no going over budget
• it provides consistency because I always know what will be spent on food that month and year in general, no major fluctuation
• for a while I used a credit card when I lived near a Kroger to accumulate gas points and other points and Sam's accepted a master card so I could do all my grocery shopping on one card.  I had to keep track of my budget constantly.  Not my forte. I saved every receipt (a pain).  It was very easy to go ever budget or easy to justify buying more things on sale that I didn't really need.  Depleting my budget for the next month.  Scratched that.
• In our early marriage days I would write checks.  I was AWFUL at writing it down in the check book.  No one needs anything extra to fight over in marriage.  Scratched that.

I would love to hear your spending method and how it works for you!

The Budget

March is just around the corner and I hope you are starting to think about the upcoming month! 

 

So far, we have gone over the basics of eating well and we've talked about the menu with a little bit of recipes (which I'll share more of those in the Cooking section). 

Now I am going to discuss the Shopping/Budget section.  I have a love-hate relationship with grocery shopping.  When it's just me at the store I'm pretty bad about taking my time, strolling, browsing and enjoying the time by myself.  However, most of the time I am with a newly 5 year old and two year old.  Grocery shopping is often more exhausting and frustrating.  I try to get in and out as quickly as possible and I don't always get it done in one round.  All the more reason to be sure to have a planned menu and grocery list, because with kids I manage to always buy something that I shouldn't have!

 

Myth:  It cost more to eat well.  Actually, I believe it can be cheaper.  Now if you choose to only buy your foods at health stores, you will blow your budget or likely spend more money.  Something to think about is that health stores are still businesses.  Maybe I'm a skeptic, but I'm not convinced that most of these food chains are much more concerned about my well-being than the next regular Joe store.  They are businesses intended to make money.  It's what they do.  That's my own opinion. 

HOW DOES A BUDGET HELP ME EAT WELL?

Staying within a budget actually helps us eat better.  This is mind blowing to some people, but there is a direct correlation.  Think about it:

• it helps control portions
• you are forced to be more selective about your food choices
• eating out becomes a treat instead of a daily occurrence or guilt from eating poorly

One might ask how the budget effects these things?  Simple.  If you don't have the money then you can't buy it!

• portion control--you buy what you need for that meal not enough for 10 helpings
• more selective--you can't just buy those extra snacks, chips, drinks, desserts...those are all extras
• eating out--it truly becomes a necessity because there are going to be days that just don't go as planned.  Enjoy every bite!

CREATING YOUR BUDGET
A good place to start your budget is  $100 per family member for the MONTH.
7 people x $100 each = $700 base
This is a base or foundation per say to work with, it's flexible.
Things that this budget includes:

• food
• toiletries and medicine (the basics--pain relievers, fever reducers, cold medicine...)
• laundry
• baby items
• paper goods (paper towels, plates, cups, napkins, etc.)
• some short term food storage

This DOES NOT include couponing.   I quite couponing around two years ago.  I might use a diaper one here and there, but coupons were actually killing my budget and getting me food that wasn't what I would normally eat.  Most coupons also are for name brands.  I'm not too picky with using generic brands.
I also had a friend who is like the pro of bargain shopping and couponing.  However, what she spent on groceries with coupons was the same as I was spending without...and her family was smaller.

If you have a pet include that as a person.

I had a friend that I was helping with her menu planning.  She has a family of four, soon to be five, and spent approximately $1500 a month.  They were needing to buy a new home and were on the hunt.  They needed to save money!  Her base needed to be at $400, but to avoid shock, we aimed for around $550.  That's a savings of almost $1000 to put towards their future!

I know people are wondering...what's my budget?  It's currently $750.

Now everyone does things a little differently and has different needs.  I don't have girls, I don't have to buy near as much shampoo and other toiletries as some families.  I still have younger children and just starting to hit the teen stages.  All the reason for my $50 budget increase recently in January.  My boys can eat!  I don't include lunches for the kids because only my husband takes his lunch.  Our kids eat school lunches and we budget for those separately. I'll post on that soon.

The rule in our home is I'm free to spend this money on whatever I like.  That's tempting, but the mother in me does the right thing and buys the things my family needs. :)  However, when I plan well I normally have enough in my budget to buy a little extra something for myself.

Like I said before the budget is flexible, but be reasonable.  I've been living by this principle for years.  I know it's possible and not unrealistic.

The Menu: Recipe and Tips

"I don't have time to cook!" 
"We are so busy."
"I need fast and simple recipes."

These are the three most common sayings I hear from friends and people I talk to about eating well on a budget (which I can manage to talk about food with anybody).

One, if you just read the first part on THE MENU (click here), then you will see that we are all busy, but you do have time to cook good meals that don't always have to been done in 30 minutes.

Today...or rather I should say tonight (I have a small window of peace and silence, must work fast), I am going to give some tips on filling up that menu.  I'm even gonna share some of my favorite recipes. 

Finding Recipes
Tip #1:  Get a Pinterest account!  If you don't already have one of these then you've practically just set yourself back to caveman days.  Many of us do already have a Pinterest account, my advice USE it.  I know some people that have hundreds of recipes on their Pinterest accounts and have made about ten of those recipes.

Tips #2-6:  Pinterest can be overwhelming and addictive, I agree.  And not every recipe is a real recipe.  Gotta watch those links.  With massive amounts of recipes to choose from so you need a starting point.

• Start with what you know.  Find some of your favorite sources and stick with them when searching recipes.
• For example, here are some of my go to's:  my mom and family members, Myrecipes.com (they are all Southern Living's recipes and I trust just about anything they put out there), Southern Living Magazine, Alton Brown, Pioneer Woman
• Keep a folder of your "tried and true" favorites or organized somewhere on a computer/in a notebook.  You want easy access. 
• I don't particularly love to use my tablet in the kitchen (I don't like touching the screen with my dirty hands while I'm cooking) so I still print my recipes out, put them in sheet protectors in a binder (if I end up liking the recipe).  I have folders for different things: Dinner, Breakfast/Breads, Desserts, Salads.  I also have several issues of my SL magazines that have multiple recipes from each issue that I use regularly.
• Try new things slowly.  Only try two new recipes a month or once a week.  You don't want to waste your budget on wasted food.  Do not make every meal a new recipe.
• Change it up.  Organize your meals and then search or base your recipes upon your plan.  Remember we are trying to add variety to our meals.  This includes not eating the same thing everyday.  I actually know someone who told me once that her mother had about 8-10 things that she rotated and that's all they ever ate.  Easy on the budget and planning but I still cringe at the thought.  There are lots of ways to do this:
• Monday-meatless, Tuesday-red meat, Wednesday-seafood, Thursday-chicken, etc OR
• Monday-Mexican, Tuesday-Italian, Wednesday-Chinese, etc.

So many rules!!!  Anyone checkin' out on me yet?  Seriously, I LOVE helping people with this.  If you live nearby, I am more than willing to get together and help you set this up.  If you don't,  I will find a way to help!  Just comment or contact me somehow.

RECIPES

You can link to my Pinterest account for several of these recipes.  I am slowly trying to write ratings on the ones I've already tried, for my own reference to know whether I'll make it again. 
Now, just because my family loves it doesn't mean you are.  We all have different acquired taste, but don't be afraid to try some new things with flavors you may be unfamiliar.  That's what really opens the door to good food.

Curry Coconut Basil Chicken. {melskitchencafe.com}

This made it into my monthly staples within the last year.  I may not always put it on my menu, but I make sure I always have the ingredients anyway.  It's a 40 minute meal tops with loads of goodness.  I never have leftovers.

 

Skillet Burritos with Creamy Cilantro Sauce {Southern Living}.

This is one of those soccer practice nights kind of meal.  It's simple, quick, delicious, and easy for on the go if needed.  It's also awesome for a luncheon with friends.

Apple Cinnamon Grilled Cheese {my own recipe adapted from Kraft}.  This is more of a lunch item but I love the different flavors, and we all have to eat lunch.
Two slices of bread
sliced Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
thinly sliced apple of your choice (about6-7 slices)
sprinkle of cinnamon
Layer the cheese, the apples, and then the cinnamon on one slice of bread.  Then, put the other slice bread on top.  Butter on outside sides of bread and grill on skillet till cheese is melted and both sides of bread are lightly brown.

Chicken Shwarma {jocooks.com}

Jarom introduced me to kababs waaaay back when we went to England.  He loves them. Then when we were visiting San Francisco last Summer, we went to an Egyptian restaurant and they served shwarma and kababs.  I was sold and searched Pinterest 'til I found one I loved.  You got to have a love for the Middle-Eastern spices.  This recipe cooks for a while but so easy to prepare...you must try!

Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken. {Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen}

I'll confess I'm not a huge fan of crock pot meals, but this one is different.  I love dark meat (and it's cheaper).  This recipe calls for skinless and boneless.  I skin it myself and leave the bone.  It's just as yummy.  I serve it with broccoli and rice.  Voila, you've got a meal. 

Pizza.  {my own recipe adapted from Family Fun Magazine}


I try out all kinds of assortments when it comes to pizza.

This is a habit I just can't seem to break.  Every-now-and-then, I trade it in for a different Italian dish but rarely.  I LOVE pizza.  It was my high school job.  I've never tired of eating it.  Pizza is so versatile and that's what I love about it most.  You can add so many different toppings!  I also love to cook it sometimes in a iron skillet. I've tried a lot of different dough and still do but this is my go to pizza dough.
 

1 1/2 cups of warm water
2 1/2 teaspoons of active quick-rise yeast
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
Add sugar and yeast to warm water and let sit for 5 minutes.

In a mixer with the bread kneader attachment add to yeast mixture:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon of kosher salt (or regular salt)

3 cups of bread flour

Knead in mixer until dough becomes baby bottom soft at medium speed.  About 5 minutes.  Then pump it up to the next speed and knead for another 5 minutes. 

Take out the dough (your mixing bowl should look clean) and transfer into a large bowl with a little oil in bottom.  Turn the dough until it is covered by the oil.  Cover and let rise in a warm place for at least an hour.

Divide the dough into two parts (this will make two medium pizzas or two thin/crispy large).  Put about 1 tablespoon of cornmeal flour on a non-stick surface.  Get a fork and poke holes in the dough.  Roll it out until desired size and thickness.

Add desired sauce and toppings.  (I would share my pizza sauce recipe...but I'm undecided, it's my secret I've been working on.)  Bake at 425 for about 12 minutes.

Chicken Drumsticks {the Gourmand Mom}

I have found buying drumsticks a big money saver with chicken and it's appealing to my kids.  This recipe is simple, not full of flavor but still good.  It doesn't say to marinate, but marinate it, trust me.  However, this is another versatile item.  You can grill and bake this chicken less than an hour with so many different types of seasonings and marinades.  You will find this on my menu every month if not twice.  We actually, just had it last night with  baked sweet potatoes and mixed green salad.

 

Surprisingly, I noticed I posted almost all chicken recipes.  Oddly enough, I prefer red meat.  I'll just have to save those for another day along with some of my favorite breakfast items.  Breakfast is my favorite meal.

Let me know how those menus are coming along!

Knowing the Facts: Nitrates and Nitrites

If there is one thing that gets to me out there in the food world is when someone teaches other people not to eat something because your body can't digest it or can cause cancer.  For example, don't eat bacon.  It's hard for me not to roll my eyes and think, "Oh boy, here we go again."  It's hard not to wonder what doesn't cause cancer these days?  Like I've mentioned before on other blogs, I'm not about scare tactics.  When it comes to food I want to know the science, the facts, the chemistry.
Our bodies are walking chemistry labs and every time we put something in our mouths a chemical reaction is going to occur.  Am I the only person that finds that amazing!?  Seriously, I think food science should be a required Science class in school.
I'm digressing.
I do that often.
My frustration today was the things out there on nitrates and nitrites.

The thing floating out there that people teach is that it's lab made and our bodies can't break those things down.  FALSE.
When I worked at the UGA Vet School in toxicology, we tested for Nitrate and Nitrite often in hay and soil from farmers.  Sometimes when the hay would sit too long this molecular formula would build up to high numbers, making the cattle sick (I know I'm missing some of the details here).  Yes, I know it can be toxic but it's not lab made.  It's very natural. 
It's found all around us....mainly in veggies *large gasp for air* and even already in our body.  Actually, it's pretty important in our bodies (if I remember my anatomy and chemistry classes way back in the day).  Our bodies are processing that stuff every day.

For some good reading, because I believe putting it all out there to make your own eating decisions, and others can explain it far better then me.

Are Nitrates and Nitrates Harmful?
The Truth About Nitrites in Lunch Meat

I think I'll go eat my bacon now.  Okay, for the record I don't eat bacon often...it's too expensive!