How One Little Chicken Went So Far

Cook one whole Perdue Oven Roaster Chicken on a Monday or Tuesday and have your meals done for the week!  It is amazing that one little chicken can feed two people so many times.

Tuesday -

Carved Chicken with Gravy, Mashed Potatoes and Corn (Dinner) - My husband was so impressed by this meal that he said "Wow, you really went all out"... little did he know that it was one of the easiest meals I've ever made!  First I roasted the chicken, just removed the outer bag and popped in the oven! Since it takes at least an hour and a half...I even left him to "watch" it while I went grocery shopping. Then, I cheated with the Mashed Potatoes... I used boxed Mashed Potatoes, boil water, add milk and 'potatoes', stir and done.  Corn was easy, put in boiling water, done.  The gravy was probably the only complicated part.  Make a rue, add milk and the drippings from the chicken, season (I used salt, pepper, thyme and basil), cook until thick (it made a lot of gravy so I saved it as well for Thursday's meal).

Wednesday -

Chicken Sandwiches (Lunch) - Leftover chicken sandwiches for lunch for my husband and I for lunch.  I like to make a "healthier" version of a chicken salad sandwich....Chicken, Onion, Corn (leftover from Tuesday's Dinner), and Guacamole (I use one of the 100 calorie packs from Wholly Guacamole, now while probably not lower in fat than mayo, guacamole is packed with more nutritious things like Vitamin E, folic acid and a natural antioxidants.  Guacamole is high in monounsaturated fat; there are many health benefits associated with monounsaturated fat associated with blood cholesterol, cancer and diabetes.) then put that on bread with a slice of provolone cheese and done.  I don't know how my husband made his but probably went something like... bread, chicken...done! And he somehow always seems to make a huge mess!

Thursday -

Chicken Pot Pie (Dinner) - Start by sauteing onion and garlic in some olive oil, then add diced leftover chicken and vegetables and heat.  I warmed up my gravy from Tuesday in a separate pot, added a bit more milk to the gravy mixture and then simmered it until it thicken a bit more.  Then I poured it over the chicken and vegetables, added some thyme and pepper and brought it to a boil.  Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees, pour the chicken mixture into a baking dish and cover with pre-packaged croissant rolls.  Bake according to the croissant package, about 12-15 minutes or until the croissants are golden brown.  Then serve!

Chicken Noodle Soup (Lunches/Dinners) - This was the last use for the chicken, first I took the chicken carcass (I couldn't think of a better word for it, sorry!), and simmered it in water with some seasonings (salt, pepper, thyme, basil) for about 2 hours.  Then I strained the stock and put the liquid back in the pot, added some more water and egg noodles.  While the egg noodles where cooking, I diced up the last of the chicken, added that and some vegetables.  I let the soup cool once the noodles were done, and divided it up into some Tupperware and refrigerated it overnight.  Then I froze it for future lunches and dinners :)

I rocked that chicken :) So I got 2 dinners and several lunches out of one small chicken!

Couponing

The whole couponing craze is not a new concept to me, my mother clipped coupons when I was growing up.  With the airing of Extreme Couponers, it has now become a very popular thing to do. And why not, who doesn't love saving money?! However, the Extreme Couponing shown on TV is not always the the best way to go, who needs to stockpile hundreds of cans of cat food and diapers when you don't have a cat or a kid (which I've seen people do on the show)?  They better be donating those to local animal shelters and women/children shelters!

My philosophy on couponing is "don't buy it if you don't like it or need it, even if you have a coupon".  Just because you have a coupon for something, shouldn't mean you should buy it.  I will try something once if I have a coupon (and it makes it under $2), but if I don't like it, I won't buy it again. I also don't buy a hundred of them, because it would take my husband and I longer to go through that much food then the food is good for.  I often wonder how much those people on TV throw out because the food is past its expiration date.  Like seriously how long would it take you to finish 200 boxes of cereal, probably more than a year and by then the cereal is stale.

This also applies to things like restaurant coupons, I don't go out to a restaurant because I have a coupon, but it's a bonus when I do!  So I clip those restaurant coupons and always carry them with me in my purse, so if my husband and I decide to go to dinner, I look and see if I have a coupon for it!

All in moderation and logical thinking!

Copy Cat Recipes

Sometimes you are too broke to go out for dinner, but still crave your favorite appetizer or entree from a local restaurant.  I love trying to re-create some of John's, my husband, and my favorites!  Most recipes from restaurants are pretty straight forward and simple!

So, when we stayed in this past New Year's Eve, too broke for a big party,  I recreated Longhorn Steakhouse's Wild West Shrimp and Hard Times Cafe's Frito Chili Pie... they turned out pretty good!

First up, Longhorn Steakhouse's Wild West Shrimp.  I cheated a bit and bought frozen breaded shrimp (after all I did want to enjoy my New Year's Eve, not slave away in the kitchen all night).  So, I baked the shrimp according to the directions, while they were baking I melted a stick of butter (so not healthy, but what better way to ring in the New Year then break the first resolution everyone makes!) and then added a few minced cloves of garlic, a couple of minced sweet peppers and some chili powder.  I cooked that over low for about 5 minutes to infuse the butter a bit and soften the garlic and peppers.  Then I stuck the butter mixture back in the refrigerator for about 5-10 minutes to harden it back up a little (this was a trick I actually did the second time I made this because the first time the butter went straight through the breading where as I wanted it to coat the shrimp).  Once the shrimp are done, toss them in a bowl with the butter mixture, then arrange on a plate with some ranch dressing! And done!

For the main course, Hard Time Cafe's Frito Chili Pie.... simple as simple could be!  I started my chili in the morning and let it cook in the slow cooker all day until we were ready to eat.  Brown a pound or so of Ground Turkey (healthier, counteracting the stick of butter above), put in a crock pot with a can of red kidney beans, water (use about half a kidney bean can of water), chopped red onion (about a quarter cup), garlic (a few minced cloves) and tons of chili powder (I like mine super hot).  I don't use any tomatoes or tomato paste in my chili, apparently my grandmother never did and so my mom/dad never did and now I don't! Let cook for about 5 hours (checking to make sure all the water hasn't evaporated every once in a while!). As you see it wasn't an exact science, which cooking never is, season, taste, repeat!  When ready to eat, dump a few spoon fulls on a plate of Fritos, top with shredded cheese and sour cream and add a little chili powder on top for presentation! Yummy!

American BBQ with a Twist

I love putting twists on traditional meals, it keeps food interesting and I love playing around with different flavorings...the inspiration behind this meal was an All-American BBQ - complete with chicken, mashed potatoes and greens...

BBQ Chicken Thighs with Blue Cheese, Garlic and Thyme Mashed Parsnips and Red Potatoes and Sauteed Spinach with Garlic and Red Onion.

The whole meal is easy to make!  Simply take chicken thighs and slather in BBQ sauce (I used Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce for mine), then bake at 375 degrees until done (about 50 minutes).  While your chicken is baking, cut parsnips and red potatoes into same size chunks and boil in salted water for about 20-30 minutes (or until both are soft).  I mashed mine by hand but if you like them more whipped you can use a mixer.  Add milk, butter, about 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons blue cheese, a pinch of thyme and 2 sauteed cloves of garlic.  Lastly, saute 2 cloves garlic and equal amount of red onion until soft (I used a white truffle infused olive oil), then add spinach until just wilted.

The timing for this meal works just about right...I always have trouble with the timing and wind up having half the meal done before the other.... but this meal is easy to balance.

My husband went back for seconds on the mashed parsnips and potatoes, he doesn't normally like blue cheese but liked it in this meal :)

'Saving What You Don't Use'

My husband said it best when he said "you're just saving what you don't use".  This was in reference to the discussion about how I take more disposable forks and knifes from Chipotle (which we frequent EVERY Friday) than I actually need.  I now have a very large collection of disposable forks and knives in our camping box. This is just another way to save money, why buy disposable silverware when at so many fast food restaurants you can take a few extra then you actually need.  Also, if you take the food home to eat, use your real silverware and save the disposible ones.  This does not just apply to silverware, but also those ketchup, mustard, mayo, salt, pepper, sugar, etc. packets .... why not take an extra few and save them for camping, picnics, and cook-outs?!

Again, I love FREE things......

Living the City Life On a Country Budget

I hope you got to know me a little better from my last post, I went back and forth on how to word everything, but finally I was like 'screw it, it's a post about me, I am just going to write how I think!'. 

But now to part of the purpose behind my blogging, I want to teach people how to live a city life on a country budget.  I want to teach people to live a fabulous lifestyle on a not so glamorous budget.  There are many ways to do this, from couponing, to cashing in on sales and deals, shopping at discount stores, and trimming the un-neccessaries out of your life.  I also hope to become more aware myself of how much money I am truely wasting.  It's being able to do the things you love without breaking the bank.

My first tip, is if you are from Maryland and a Potomac Edison customer definitely take advantage of their FREE Energy Conservation Kit (https://myconservationkit.com/)!  With this kit you receive for FREE,  6 (six) CFL light bulbs, a  Surge Protector,  a low-flow showerhead, four faucet aerators and four aerator adaptors!  Why would you not order it?! Everyone can always use light bulbs and surge protectors as for the showerhead and aerators, keep them in your garage because who knows when you might need them, but the point is they are FREE!

I love FREE things :) If you are not in Maryland or not a Potomac Edison customer, check to see if your state/company offers something similar.

'We're Not Hillbillies, We're Hillwilliams Because We Have Class"

When I was little my father used to tell me, "Your grandmother used to say, 'We're not hillbillies, we're hillwilliams because we have class".  I think that it perfectly describes me, part hick and part yuppie, a little bit country and a little bit city, a sophisticated redneck, a combination of everything good in life.

My little bit of country:

I live in Frederick, MD, the ultimate little bit country, little bit city town (but more country, after all it has earned the nickname of Fredneck).  Frederick sits on the outskirts of DC, it's the last 'big' town before you hit the true country of western Maryland and middle of no where Pennsylvania.  I find that alot of people around here have a duality of both cultures, during the week they are hard working professionals in DC, the empitome of everything city and international, but during the weekend they let loose and the country in them comes out, they work hard outdoors, throw backyard BBQs and enjoy the beautiful countryside. 

So, what makes me a little bit country?  My husbands' parents own a horse farm and on the evenings and weekends I am found there mucking out stalls, riding my horses, feeding the horses and doing all the other fun chores that come with owning horses.  I find that being outdoors on the farm, watching the horses graze and run around and working hard to make sure they are happy and healthy is what truly makes me country, my love of the outdoors and animals and the desire to build a connection to them both.  My husband and I hope to own a horse farm one day, and I look forward to getting up early mornings to feed and do chores.  The primary purpose of our horses is to play polocrosse, which the people who play it kindly refer to it as 'the poor man's polo'.  This is where I meet a lot of country folk from all over the country, and let me tell you they love to party!  Bonfires, moonshine (yes!), tons of Bud and Bud Light, pick up trucks, and country music, I know it sounds stereotypical but sometimes life is!  There really is nothing better than being out in the middle of a field, with no technology around you (I leave my cellphone in my car), sitting on a tailgate, with a Bud Light Lime and talking to these amazing people.  The one thing I love about all these people is that they are so nice and the pace of life is so slow and relaxed.  It's waving and saying hi to strangers on the street, saying please and thank you, people who live in the country take time to care about others.

My little bit of city:

My old city friends say I have gone all country now, which is true (not that I wasn't a bit country when they knew me, they just didn't notice).  But I still am a little bit city!  I am a foodie for sure, I enjoy nice upscale resaurants that serve fancy dishes with names I can't even pronounce.  I love a good wine and a good wine tasting (although, where is all the wine made, in the country! Which is a bonus for me, don't have to drive as far)!  My job has me travelling in Europe during the summers, enjoying the cultures, sights and food.  I still occassionally get involved in some ballroom dancing events, where I literally exchange my cowboy boots, jeans and tank tops for evening gowns, heels, glitter and fake tanner.  And as much as I enjoy the outdoors bonfire parties I attend, when I throw a party it tends to be more of the Martha Stewart dinner party type.  I am also I high strung perfectionist, who feels the need to clean my whole house whenever my husband mentions that someone might be coming over.  When I first started riding, my entire family laughed at me, miss little perfect girlie girlie, ballerina/ballroom dancer, non-outdoors person (I chose the indoor chores growing up) was going to go to a farm and walk around in the mud and muck out horse poo?!  Well, yes I did, thank you!

Now, I am not saying either is better, and I am not judging those who are one or the other, but both have awesome qualities and I find a bit of both is best!  I think people do judge one another to harshly, when I walk into a nice upscale restaurant in NYC in my cowboy boots, jeans and a ponytail, I get werid looks like they are thinking 'she does not belong here'.  Why don't I belong there! I enjoy the good food you offer and just because I don't wear high heels and Gucci does not mean I don't belong there.  Same goes when I walk into the local tack shop in my coach shoes and a sundress, they think the same but it doesn't mean I don't belong there.