Still more subs..

These are MOST helpful to me:

• 1 can tomatoes (like you buy at the store) use 2 c. FRESH tomatoes chopped

• 1 can beans- use 3/4 dry beans or 2 c. cooked beans

• 1 T. FRESH HERBS-use 1/2 t. DRY HERBS (like the ones suggested in On-Hand Essentials)

• 1 large garlic clove-use 1/4 t. garlic powder

Milk Product Subs

These subs are not things that I always have on hand, but I felt would be useful to know:

• 1 c. fresh milk-use 1/4 c. nonfat dry milk powder + 1 c. water (my Meme always had this dry milk stuff on hand for cooking in case she ran out!)

• 1 c. cream (i.e. heavy cream)- use 3/4 c. milk + 3 T. butter

• 1 c. sour cream-use 1 c. cottage cheese blended w/ 1/4 c.  yogurt or buttermilk

Substitutes

Most times when I was first beginning to cook, I would be out of at least one of the ingredients in a recipe and had to call my mom to see what to use as a substitute. So the next couple of post will be on substitutes to use when cooking. 

FOR BAKING:

to replace

• 1 c. white flour -use 1 c. minus 2 T. of wheat flour and reduce oil by 1 T.(if recipe calls for oil)

• 1 c. sugar- use 3/4 c. honey and decrease liquid by 1/4 c. (or if recipe doesn't call for liquid add 1/4 c. flour and reduce baking temp by 25 degrees)

• 1 c. butter- use 1 c. shortening or 7/8 cup of vegetable oil

• 1 c. milk- use 1 c. yogurt  or  buttermilk  and eliminate baking powder (if called for) and  add 1/2 t. baking soda

• 1 whole egg- use 2 egg whites

• 1 c. powdered sugar- use 1 c. granulated sugar blended with 1 T. cornstarch

Cornstarch would be one of those things my mom considers a staple in the pantry along with baking powder, grits and rice.. So if you want to add those to the list of on-hand essentials you are welcome to..

Recipes for Week 1

1. Hot Dogs/Corn on the Cob

Boil both for about 20 minutes. Serve in a bun with condiments.

2. Monte Cristos

Heat med size skillet with a T. of butter. In shallow dish crack and stir 2 eggs. Dip sandwich bread in egg and place in skillet. Get out turkey meat and sandwich cheese. After flipping bread, melt cheese on bread and add turkey to skillet to heat. Remove bread with cheese and turkey. Place second piece in egg batter and cook (flipping both sides. Assemble sandwich and sprinkle with conf. sugar. Dip in honey mustard (optional)

3. Chicken Salad

Salt and Pepper chicken breast. Place on George Forman Grill or in skillet for 5-10 minutes. Chop lettuce, tomato, pepper and other salad mix ins. Add chicken with favorite dressing. Assemble, sprinkle with cheese.

4.  Spaghetti

Brown beef in large skillet. Boil noodles according to directions. After meat is browned, add jar of sauce, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp basil (for homemade taste).  Assemble and serve

5. Red Beans and Rice (follow box directions)

Chop italian sausage, cook in skillet or grill. Add to mix for last 5-10 minutes

6. Steak Fajitas

Chop flank steak, onion and pepper. Cook meat according to directions on packet. Stir fry veggies in skillet with T of oil. Heat shells according to directions. Assemble and serve with chips and salsa

7. Chicken Pot Pie

Boil chicken for 20 minutes, then chop or shred to bite size. Allow pie crusts to defrost. Cook gravy according to packet. Mix all ingredients in pan with chicken. Pour into pie crust. Place second crust on top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

8. Fool Proof Lasagna

Brown beef (optional: with 1/4 chopped onion and 1/4 c. chopped pepper) and boil noodles. Preheat oven to 350. After meat is done, add jar of spaghetti sauce, 1 t. cinnamon, 1 t. oregano. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Chop 1 lb of cheddar cheese. Layer your casserole dish (9 by 11) in this order: noodles, meat, cheese-twice. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake 20-25 minutes.

9. Shish Kabobs

Arrange the following on roasting sticks:

Chopped chicken, pineapple, tomato, pepper, onion. repeat. Grill for 10 minutes or until meat cuts done.

Mashed potatoes: chop potatoes into eighths and boil for 15-20 minutes. (usually a potato per person) Drain and add 1/4-1/2 c. of milk. 1/4 stick of butter, 1 T of sour cream (optional) salt & pepper to taste. Mix on med high for 2-5 minutes.

Serve with a veggie of choice or salad.

10. Lemon Pepper Chicken

1 c. lemon juice, 2 T. lemon pepper. Pour over defrosted chicken. Allow to sit for 20 minutes for best flavor. Grill or bake.

Serve with veggies of choice or salad.

Meal Plan Week 1

Super easy:

1. Hotdogs serve in bun with condiments and corn on the cob (or Mac n Cheese if you keep it)

2. Monte Cristos 

3. Chicken Salad

4. Spaghetti

5. Red beans and Rice

A Little More Work:

6. Steak Fajitas with chips and salsa

7. Chicken Pot Pie

8. Lasagna

9. Shish Cabobs

10. Lemon Pepper Chicken with Cream Potatoes

List #1

Here is the 1st grocery list that will coincide with meal plan week 1. (next post)

Groceries:(I list in the order things are in my grocery store)

lettuce

tomatoes 

pepper (I actually didn't have to buy these 2 items, my plants in the backyard produced enough!)

strawberries (my strawberry plant didn't do as well)

potatoes

bread

hot dog buns

cheese for sandwiches

grated cheese

deli turkey

Boxed Red Beans and Rice

canned mixed veggies

canned pineapple 

spaghetti noodles

lasagna noodles

jar of spaghetti sauce (ran out of all-usually in pantry)

fajita seasoning packet

chicken gravy packet

turkey bratwurst/Italian sausage

3 boneless/skinless 1 lb chicken breast

(2) 1 lb. 93% lean ground beef

1 flank cut steak

pie shells (2)

flour tortillas

corn on the cob

eggs

Meal Planning and Grocery Lists

After an unsuccessful year of cooking my first year, I was determined not to give up. I made a list of 25 things I could cook and let my husband choose the five meals for each week. When those ran out; I started over.

This got old after the second year and I began exploring cookbooks. This gave me further frustration. I google recipes and asked friends what they were cooking. It all ended hopelessly and I never came back from the grocery with everything I needed.

After seeking advice, I was encouraged to plan out my meals by ingredients and make my grocery list from that. (I know, I know, novel idea...)

So that is what I have been doing now for about 2 years and it has been extremely beneficial. Maybe you want to start the same way, by making a list of meals you feel confident with-even if its just 5!  I will help you by giving you one meal today and the list of ingredients needed.

 

On a weekly basis, I plan to post a grocery list for a week worth of meals. 

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THE PREVIOUS POSTS WHEN REVIEWING MY WEEKLY LISTS! 

I won't always list ALL the ingredients, if they are "staples" that are kept in the pantry, then they may not appear on the list.

EXAMPLE: 

Day One:

Meatball Subs (serve with chips or side of choice)

Grocery List:

93% lean beef ( I always by 93% lean, there are less expensive cuts, most use 80-85% lean)

Sub rolls (check your grocery brand, they are usually less expensive)

Onion (this may be one of the veggies you choose to keep in your fridge)

Croutons

Sliced Cheese

Recipe:

Mix 1 raw egg, 1 c. of crushed croutons, 1/2 finely chopped onion, 1/2 t. crushed red pepper, 2 T Worcestershire with  one lb. of meat. Roll into balls and bake @450 for 12 minutes. Place on sub rolls with Pizza sauce and cheese of choice. (I like to use provolone with this sandwich).

On Hand Essentials Non-edible

Here are some non-edible products to keep on hand for your happy kitchen:

Paper Products only have to be bought once a month and newspapers often have coupons for these items. Or you can check online coupon sources such as www.smartsource.com or anything recommended through www.couponmom.com

• paper plates (this can really help you save on the dishwasher bill)
• paper towels
• napkins
• toilet paper

Other non-edible items that should be bought on a bi-monthly basis to have in stock are:

• dishwasher soap
• clorox clean up spray or wipes (to disinfect counters after raw meat)
• Joy dish soap (it really is the best for grease!)

I also use a scrub brush with a handle on it for baked on food pre-dishwasher scrubs.  These need to be ran through the dishwasher weekly and replaced every 3 months or so.  Rubber gloves (if you use these for washing dishes or any other cleaning job) can last up to 6 months.

On Hand Essentials For the Fridge

Here are some basics to keep in the fridge. Most of these are a given, but for those of you like me, nothing is truly "a given"

• milk
• eggs
• butter
• juice (I keep orange juice, cranberry is recommended by some, for medicinal purposes)
• condiments (mayo, ketchup, mustard etc)
• salad dressings
• Worcestershire sauce
• barbecue sauce
• Pickles
• relish (for chicken & tuna salads or hot dogs)
• Jelly (you can't beat PB&J somedays)

Some other things that I PREFER to have in the fridge at all times are:

• salsa
• applesauce or yogurt
• one vegetable (for a quick and healthy snack-i.e. carrots, celery, broccoli)
• one fruit (same as above, for a snack-apples, or grapes)

On Hand Essentials Part Two

Here are some canned foods that are good to have in stock:

have these veggies on hand to serve as sides: 

• baked beans (to serve with barbecue)
  
• black beans (to serve with Mexican meals)
• corn
• green beans

have these on hand as ready ingredients for quick recipes:

• chicken noodle soup
• cream of chicken
• chicken broth
• tomato paste
• diced tomatoes
• a jar of spaghetti sauce
• a jar of pizza sauce

I like to make easy fruit pies to make for a quick dessert when guest are over, so I keep these as well:

• canned peaches
• canned apples
• canned pineapple

I always like to have chicken noodle soup and veg-all on hand. You never know when you might get a cold and want some soul food.

On Hand Essentials Part One

Here are some spices that should be kept on hand for quick cooking:

• salt
• pepper
• oregano
• garlic
• basil
• paprika
• parsley
• chili powder
• lemon pepper
• cinnamon

If you want to go beyond simple spices try also having an all purpose seasoning like Tony's or Mrs. Dash. Often there are store brand all purpose seasonings that are great.

Here are some items to keep in the pantry for baking:

• white (granulated) sugar
• brown sugar
• confectioners sugar
• self rising flour
• corn meal
• Bisquick

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post on canned food to keep in stock!

About LJK

When I first got married I had no idea what items I needed to have "on hand" in my kitchen at all times. I didn't know what "staples" to buy each time I went to the grocery. And on more than one occasion my husband came home to me sitting on the kitchen floor crying because I didn't know what to cook for dinner.

I was highly intimidated by all the fancy cookbooks I had received as wedding presents and I NEVER had all those ingredients. To add to my frustration, my mother had always had dinner on the table when my dad arrive home from work and all the dishes were always "done" at the same time.

I knew how to cook about three things and every time I tried something new, it had a pretty major flaw.

This site is dedicated to newly married couples searching for easy meals and moms who are ultra busy and need some quick meals. Every time I have googled or searched for "easy"  meals, I think to myself "easy for who?" and "who has these ingredients lying around?"

So a few things about this site:

• the goal is to have a happy cook and a happy kitchen..
  
• the meals posted here will always be simple 
• the posts are to be helpful and give tips to beginner kitchens
• this site hopes to address questions and give solutions to everyday living in the kitchen