A side note

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One of the things that I love to do is try new projects.  I found a great site where I can try things and then get to give my opinion.  I am a bzz agent.  I try new products and then tell people about them as a part of this website.  I am currently enrolled in a bzz campaign for Private Selections which is a brand that is in Krogers stores.  I tried their Private Selections Sea Salt and Black Pepper Kettle Chips and they were delicious.  I made a cilantro and lime dip with it and the combination was really good.

Over the weekend, I also got to try their angus beef in the form of burgers. Yummy and very juicy. 

The most delicious product I tried was Private Selections Salted Caramel Pretzel Ice Cream.  It was heaven.  I can't wait to try the other flavors, especially if they are half as good as that.  Thanks for reading.  I hope you will go out and try some delicious, well priced foods from Private Selection at your local Kroger BRand stores.

Fried Chicken

I am currently on a kick to use all the food in my fridge and freezer.  The only thing I am buying currently is fresh fruit and veggies.  I have to admit that I have inherited my Mother's food hoarding habit.  She grew in Germany right after the war and will talk about the struggle she used to see her parents go through to ensure that there was food to eat.  When I moved into my house, I bought a chest freezer and I have filled it to the brim.  I am a bargain shopper and tend to buy in bulk.  My favorite tool for this is my vacuum sealer which admittedly gives me an excuse to overbuy because I can make it last longer in the freezer my vacuum packing it.  So this is my first adventure in fried chicken.  I had a pack of chicken thighs that I didn't vacuum seal so I needed to use them.  I figured this would be a good time to fry because I am out of propane and need to go get some this weekend so I can grill.  Here is the recipe I used.  It was very good.

Triple Dipped Fried Chicken

 3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons garlic salt

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 egg yolks, beaten

1 1/2 cups beer or water

1 quart vegetable oil for frying

1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces

One quick tip to season your chicken, is to put it in a brine of salt water.  I usually put salt enough in the water to season each piece of chicken.  Cover it and put it in the fridge for 3-4 hours.

In one medium bowl or I used a Ziploc bag, mix together 3 cups of flour, garlic salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, paprika and poultry seasoning. 

In a separate bowl, stir together 1 1/3 cups flour, salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, egg yolks and beer. I  had to thin with additional beer because the batter was too thick.

Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Moisten each piece of chicken with a little water, then dip in the dry mix. Shake off excess and dip in the wet mix, then dip in the dry mix once more.

Carefully place the chicken pieces in the hot oil. Fry for 15 to 18 minutes, or until well browned. Smaller pieces will not take as long. Large pieces may take longer. Remove and drain on paper towels before serving.

I also took the excess batter and poured it into the flour and made crunchies. 

My family loved it and they ate up all the crunchies.  It was also good the next day heated up in the oven at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes.  Enjoy and see you next post.

Here we go again!

After computer issues, graduation and being sick, I am back to the blog.  I have made many fabulous recipes,cards and projects during the past weeks and I will be sharing them with you during the next couple of days as well as attempting some new projects.  One of my biggest projects for today was getting my lawn mowed.  I started at 7:45 this morning on the front lawn and finished the back yard at 9:30am.  It was my first time bagging the grass and so it definitely took a little bit of time.  I usually break up the project and do the front and back yards on different days, but it was perfect weather this morning.  73 degrees with a slight cloud cover.  I probably woke my neighbors but oh well.  Then I came inside to start the next thing.....laundry.  Egads, the chores never end.  At 10:00, I started my pot roast for dinner this evening.  I am trying a new recipe of course so I thought I would share.  I got the recipe off of pinterest but tweaked it to what I have in the house because I refused to go to the store. 


Bacon Mushroom Cola Pot Roast

It is made in the crock pot, so it get it out and get ready.

3-4 lb  pot roast
1/2 lb of bacon
3-5 Tablespoons of bacon drippings
1 package baby portabello mushrooms, sliced
1 package dry onion soup mix
2 tablespoons dried garlic
1 can of cola
2 Tablespoons butter

First, pour the cola into the crock pot which is set on low.  I used cherry coke zero.  Place the pot roast in the crock pot and sprinkle the onion soup and garlic over the roast and cola.  Put the lid on and move on to the next step.

Next, take the bacon and cook it until crisp.  I used turkey bacon.  I added a little bit of Crisco to infuse the bacon flavor and crisp it up since there aren't really drippings with turkey bacon.



After it is crisp, pour the bacon along with the drippings over the pot roast and cover.

Next take the mushrooms and the butter and lightly saute.

Then, pour them over the pot roast and cover.

Set your timer for 6-8 hours on low and let it do its thing.  You can use the juice and make a gravy, but my family does not enjoy gravy so I didn't make it.  Use a slurry of water corn starch and flour to thicken it up about I hour before serving and then let the roast cook in it for the remaining hour.  Here is the final product without the gravy. 

I got rave reviews.  It was moist and tore apart without a knife.  The bacon and mushrooms were terrific with it and added a lot of flavor.  I served it with potatoes and green beans.  I will definitely be using this recipe again.  Enjoy everyone. 

May 8th

It is now my second day of living on $1.50 a day.  I was a little hungry last night.  Kept wanting to eat something from the pantry and couldn't.  As I was preparing my price list for today, I realized how lucky I am to be able to campare shop.  I have stores that I go to to get great deals that if I were living below the poverty line I probably could not afford to drive to.  For an example, there is a bread store by my place of employment.  It is an oulet.  I get great prices on bread and then if I spend $6, I get a free item.  The last time I went I bought some bread and three 24 packs of hot dog buns for $6.50 and got a 24 pack of bagel thins for free.  So I estimate that the bagels thins are $.05 each.  

My Breakfast was an egg with cheese on a bagel thin.   

The price of this breakfast was $.05 for the bagel, $.12 for the egg and $.07 for the cheese.  I also put some mayonnaise on it, generic brand, 1/2 tablespoon for both slices for $.05.  My breakfast sandwich was $.29.  I will probably eat the same thing tomorrow for breakfast because it was a great meal.

For Lunch,  I ate some ramen $.10.  I also had a coke $.25.  The coke was wonderful, and I might have to eat it again tomorrow just to have another coke.  Lunch cost me $.35.  This brings my total up to $.64.  Leaving me $.74 for supper.  I didn't take a picture.  It was Ramen, we all know what it looks like.  I also got some almonds from a co-worker, but they were free so I didn't count them in my total.  I am not afraid to mooch if it is offered.

For dinner, I got kinda lazy and made pasta and made up a recipe to flavor it up.  They were really good.  I cooked the 85 g pasta according to the directions adding 1/4 of a stock cube.  In a saute pan, I put 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon  sesame seed oil, about 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon of dried cilantro.  I turned on the heat to medium and let it heat up and reduce slightly.  When the pasta was done, I drained it and added it to the saute pan and tossed it in the sauce.  It was good.  I would definately make it again. 

 The cost of the pasta was $.29 and I am estimating the cost of the spices at $.20,  for a total of $.49.  Grand total of the day is $1.23.  I am trying to decide what I will snack on this evening.  Something less than $.27 a serving.  Yum!  Tomorrow at work, someone is bringing cupcakes for a birthday.  More free food, yeah for me!!

May 7th

It's the first day of living below the line.  It is difficult, but manageable.  I can't imagine doing this on a monthly basis.  Cheap food is not very healthy.  I could eat Ramen every day for $.10 but that is not very good for you.  Anyway, Here is my menu for the first day.

Breakfast: Oatmeal Porridge with honey

50 g rolled oats
1 cup of milk
1T sugar
1 T honey
dash of cinnamon

Mix rolled oats and milk and microwave for 2 minutes.
Stir, and add water if dry.  Add sugar and cinnamon, stir and put back in microwave for 1 minute. 
Sprinkle with cinnamon and add honey.  Stir and enjoy.

This lovely breakfast cost me $.21 for the oats.  $.15 for the milk and $.05 for the flavorings for a grand total of $.41.

It was surprisingly good and if I can afford it another day, I might add some banana. 

Lunch: Rice, Vegetables and Sausage

80 g of rice
1/2 cup frozen vegetables
1 or 2 sausages
1 cube stock
oil

Boil rice as directed using half of the stock cube.
Boil the vegetables with the other part of the stock cube.
Fry sausage until browned.

Mix together and enjoy.

The rice cost me $.23.  The frozen veggies cost me $.15.  The sausage cost me $.14 and the stock cube was $.03.  The total cost is $.55 and the total for the day was $.96 leaving me $.54 for dinner and a snack.

That's right Mom.......I ate peas (yuck!).  The sausage isn't in there yet.

Dinner:  Macaroni with Hot Buttered Corn

85 g of Pasta 
1/2 cup of corn (or any other frozen veggie)
3/4 oz of butter
In a medium saucepan, bring salted water to a boil and add pasta.  Cook as directed.  Then there is three minutes left, add the corn.
Drain and return to saucepan with butter.  Season to taste.

The cost of this was $.29 for the pasta, $.15 for the corn, and $.05 for the margarine.  I also added an egg matzo cracker for a whopping $.03 for a total of $.52, leaving me $.02 for the day.

In case you were wondering.  I drank water all day which was quite difficult because I am a sodaholic.  I may eat Ramen for lunch tomorrow and splurge on some coke for $.25.  We'll see.  Planning my food for tomorrow and cooking my breakfast and lunch now.  See you tomorrow.

May 6th

Dear Friends

From May 7th - 11th I am going to be living on just $1.50 a day for all my food and drink as part of the Live Below the Line challenge. It's a wonderful opportunity to raise money and awareness for crucial anti-poverty initiatives and it would be great if you could take the challenge too.

$1.50 is the US equivalent of the extreme poverty line. Living on so little will give us a glimpse into the challenges faced by the 1.4 billion people who have no choice but to live below the line every day – for everything - food, medical care, transport, education, everything.

You can find out more about Live Below the Line and sign up at www.livebelowtheline.com/us.
If you aren't able to take part you can still support this great campaign by sponsoring me at www.livebelowtheline.com/me/adaisy1120.

I hope that you will join me in this exciting challenge and help to fight extreme poverty.

Angela

This is a project that I will be participating in all week.  I will post my meals each day and how much I spent.  I am looking forward to spreading the news and helping others defeat hunger.  I have been planning my menu which you will see throughout the week.

Cinco de Mayo

This is a little late, but in honor of cinco de mayo, I made flautas.  Cinco de Mayo is the day that the mexican people held back the Spanish Army from invading their country.  It is not independence day for Mexico, but it is definately a good day to celebrate.  So I started by making shredded chicken and shredded beef.  I actually made this about a month ago, but I tend to make big portions and freeze some for later.  Here are the recipes for the chicken and beef.  I made them both in the crock pot.

Shredded Chicken or Beef

2.5 lbs of chicken or chuck roast
1 vegetable stock cube
2 cups water
1 1/2 Tablespoons chili powder
1/2 Tablespoon cumin
1/2 Tablespoon Onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Juice of 1 lime

Boil 2 cups water and add 1 vegetable stock cube.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, whisk together chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.  Place chicken or beef in slow cooker, pour vegetable stock  over and then squeeze fresh lime juice over.  Sprinkle with spice mixture.  Cover slow cooker with lid and cook on low heat 8-10 hours.  Remove from slow cooker and shred removing fat and return to slow cooker.  Cover with lid and cook for another 30 minutes.  Remove from slow cooker and drain.
I use this for tacos, tostados, salads and pretty much any meal with a mexican flair.

Now for the flautas. 

Chicken or beef shredded
1 8 ounce jar of picante sauce ( I used salsa verde for the chicken and picante for the beef)
Shredded Montery jack cheese (Any cheese would work) (I used this for the chicken)
Shredded cheddar cheese (I used this for the beef)
Corn tortillas
Vegetable oil
Toothpicks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
In a bowl combine the chicken or beef with the picante sauce.  I used the salsa verde for the chicken and it was delicious so you might want to try it.

IN a small skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium high heat.  PLace a corn tortilla in the oil for 1 or 2 seconds on either side to soften.  Place tortillas on paper towel to soak up some of the oil.

Put 1 Tablespoon of the chicken or beef mixture in the center of the tortillas and sprinkle some cheese on top.  Roll Up tortilla and insert toothpick to hold together.Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Repeat with the rest of the meat and tortillas.  If there is cheese leftover, sprinkle on top.

Bake tortillas in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes or until the tortillas are a little crispy and golden brown.  Serve with whatever garnishes.  I like just sour cream, but you get what you like.  This is the first time I made these, I enjoyed them, I hope you do too.

Whoops!!

I have fallen down on my blog.  I have a post for yesterday and I have a post for today.  I will put them both up today.  I was feeling sorry for myself because no one had read my blog, but I also have not been promoting it.  I have a project for the next week that I will be telling you all about starting tomorrow.  It is a worthy cause that I am excited to participate with in a challenge.  I'll let you know more about it later, but let me finish my project fro today and I will come back and finish.  I apologize, but it begins again today.

Day 4

Totally didn't get done much today.  Mainly because I mowed my lawn and twisted my ankle.  Ouch!!  It's a little puffy and turning red and purple.  Definately not broken but tweaked good.  So I didn't make a card like I was going to.  It will have to wait until tomorrow.  But I made dinner and it was a new recipe.  I tweaked it to what I had in my pantry and fridge and it was delicious.

Sesame Noodles

The ingredients that I used:

The recipe:

3 garlic cloves, diced
1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar or honey (I used honey)
3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons soy sauce ( I used low sodium)
1 1/2 Tablespoons sesame oil

8 oz pasta ( I used rice noodles)
2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup scallions ( I didn't have any so I added cilantro in the end for color)
salt and pepper to taste

So I started by toasting my sesame seeds at 350 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes or until slightly browning.
 

Cook the pasta as directed. For rice noodles, just through them in a bowl and pour hot water over them until soft.

 Then take the garlic cloves, sugar or honey, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil and bring to a boil until sugar is dissolved and all ingredients are combined. 

Pour the mixture over the noodles and mix.  Add the sesame seeds and scallions and mix.  Eat and enjoy.  Yummy!!!

I didn't add any extra salt or pepper, but that is definately an individual taste. 

That's all I got for today.  Enjoy!!

Day 2 & 3

Okay.  So still getting used to this and fell asleep last night before I got to post.  I did a lot of fabulous stuff between yesterday and today so prepare for a long post. 

Saturday

I started Saturday by going to a card-making class.  Thanks to my wonderful Stampin Up demonstrator, Missy Gorton, I made for fabulous cards for Mother's Day and springtime.

They were so fun to make as usual and I got to spend some fabulous time with friends.
After that I came home and cleaned a project in and of itself for me, but I didn't think you would want to see pictures of that.  After that, I baked cupcakes for my best friend's little boy's baptism.  I also forgot to take pictures of that, but just know that they were fabulous.  I used my newest favorite icing recipe which I will share.  It is super easy

Whipped cream Frosting

• 1 box of pudding (I used sugar free white chocolate)
• Half the milk the box calls for
• 1/2 tuc of whipped cream for small boxes of pudding or the whole tub for the large box

Simple and delicious. 

Sunday

Okay so today after the baptism, I came home and  took a nap.  Definately one of life's simple pleasures.  After that, I decided to make some fried food.  That's right, the blow your diet kind.  So I will share  the recipes.  They were new recipes for me and so a new project.  I made fried shrimp and tarter sauce.  I also made fried okra but I cheated and bought it already breaded, frozen and ready to be fried.  I usually buy fried shrimp the same way but decided to try it on my own.

Fried Shrimp

• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1-1/2 cups Bread crumbs
• Vegetable Oil

Beat the eggs in a bowl until frothy.  Mix the flour (I used wheat flour instead of all purpose), salt, and black pepper.  Dredge the shrimp in the flour, shaking off excess.

Dip shrimp into egg mixture. 

Then coat both sides with bread crumbs (I used Panko, it made it super crunchy and yummy), pressing them onto the shrimp.



    I used a deep fryer, but you can pour vegetable oil into a large heavy pot to reach depth of 2 inches and heat oil to 350 degrees.  Add shrimp to hot oil and deep-fry for about 1 minute.  Remove and drain on paper towels. 

Before I fried all this I made some tarter sauce.  Here's my modified recipe

Tarter Sauce

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tablespoons sweet pickle juice
• 4 sweet gherkins diced
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice.

Mix all together and put in the fridge.  It tastes better if it sits.  You can use sweet relish instead of the pickle juice and pickles, but I didn't have any so I improvised.

Here is the final picture, I enjoyed it immensely.



That's it for today.  Tomorrow I have to make a birthday card and mow the lawn after work.  This should be interesting.  See you soon!

My first project

My first project to start this journey is to set up the blog itself.  My name is Angela and I will be attempting to complete one project per day.  A project for the purpose of this blog is a craft, a new recipe, or a new adventure.  I guess I will define it more as I go along. 

A little about me, I love to cook and I love to do crafts.  I have a feeling this will be the majority of my blog.  I am a counselor currently working with Adult chemical dependency clients.  I am finishing up my Master's of Science in Counseling Psychology.  I will graduate on May12th.  Woohoo!!!!  That will be my project for that day, just so you know. 

I will also use this blog to talk about what I believe in, God, causes, honesty and everything in between.  I hope you enjoy reading this as a do my one project a day for a year and maybe beyond.