Archives for February 2011

Powdered-Sugar-Free Frosting #5 for Anniversary #5

February 25, 2011 By Anne Simpson

Five years ago today… I looked a lot younger, I was a bit skinnier, and my DH had more hair.

Five years ago today… there was no wind, no thunder, no rain, just blue blue skies and red roses everywhere.

Five years ago today… I said I do. And so did he.

Five years ago today… we ate a lot of cake.

And what better way to celebrate that day than… with more cake! And not just cake. A creamy, melt in your mouth, smooth as butter, perfectly sweet, caramel flavored frosting. For Anniversary Number 5, I bring you Powdered-Sugar-Free-Frosting Number 5.

Caramel Buttercream Frosting

1 cup raw sugar, divided

2 TBSP water

pinch of salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

4 egg whites

1 cup butter, softened

In a saucepan, stir together 1/2 cup of the sugar, the water and salt. Bring to a boil without stirring, and allow to cook for a couple minutes until it starts to turn color. Reduce heat to medium and cook for a couple more minutes, stirring this time, until it turns a nice dark amber color. Remove from heat and carefully stir in the cream. Allow to cool. In another saucepan, whisk together the egg whites and remaining sugar over medium-high heat until the mixture is foamy and reaches 160 degrees. Pour into a mixing bowl (I love my KitchenAid for these jobs!) and beat until there are glossy peaks when beater is raised. Beat in the softened butter a few tablespoons at a time. Beat in cooled caramel mixture. Frosts 1 layer cake.

A few tips you can gain from my near-disasters:

If the caramel mixture doesn’t blend well when you add in the cream, return it to the heat and continue stirring until the globs melt into the liquid. Don’t heat for too long; it will thicken some as it cools.
DO stir the egg whites constantly from the second you place them in the saucepan and turn on the heat. Otherwise, you will have little cooked bits of egg. Don’t ask me how I know.
Don’t add the caramel mixture to the rest of the frosting until it is room temperature or cooler.
If the finished product doesn’t seem thick enough or sturdy enough to spread on a cake, refrigerate it for a little while. It will firm up nicely.
I think this frosting would be amazing with a chocolate cake, but I decided to go with the hot milk cake for this occasion.

This is not the QUICKest frosting recipe I’ve ever tried, for sure. Definitely one to save for a special occasion when you have some time.

It’s not exactly EASY, but I will say this: there were several times I thought for sure I had ruined it, but no! Despite my clumsy goofs, in the end I still had a delicious decadent caramel frosting. So don’t be scared by all the instructions and multiple steps. It turned out to be difficult to ruin (Not like I was trying to ruin it! That just comes naturally.)

It’s not CHEAP, either, using half a pound of butter and 4 egg whites (Do save a little money and use those egg yolks for something else. I plan to turn them into lemon curd if I have some time today or tomorrow.). That’s why it’s an anniversary recipe, and not an every-day recipe!

As I’ve said before, when it comes to dessert and frosting, HEALTHY is relative. It’s healthier than the frosting in the can because it is made with real, whole ingredients. It still has a lot of sugar, though, so should be enjoyed sparingly. Like for your anniversary!

4 Comments Filed Under: Celebrations, Dessert, On The Table Tagged With: powdered sugar free frosting

Food Allergy Awareness Week: School and Snacks

February 24, 2011 By Anne Simpson

Now here’s a hot topic! Because of the prevalence of food allergies these days, your child is likely to have an allergic classmate at some point in their school career. Managing allergies in the classroom is tricky at best and controversial at worst. Schools and teachers have been forced to attempt to make food allergy policies that protect the allergic students while not creating a hardship for the non-allergic children and their parents. Some have found a better balance than others; policies range from one extreme to the other, including:

peanut-free classrooms across the board OR peanut-free classrooms when a peanut allergy is present
separate lunch tables/work tables for food allergic children
special allergen-free zones
removing play-dough from pre-schools, daycares, and Kindergarten classrooms (because it contains wheat and a reaction can occur on contact even when it’s not ingested)

Even the parents of food allergic children are divided on the best way to handle food allergies at school, because it IS difficult to find the balance between protecting the one and preserving the freedom of the other. I’m not going to get involved in the debate, in part because I’m not entirely sure myself of the best solution.

However, I do want to address one thing: complaints about the policies from parents of non-allergic children.

What I really want to say to those parents who complain is this: Grow up.

Instead, I’ll say this:

Put yourself in the shoes of the food-allergic parents. Imagine that if someone touched your child with peanut butter on their fingers, your child might end up with an allergic reaction so severe that potentially inexperienced strangers will have to inject him with epinephrine and call an ambulance. If the treatment is not immediate and administered correctly, your child is in danger of dying. All from peanut-butter fingers.

When you look at it through someone else’s eyes, you can begin to appreciate the necessity of keeping a safe environment for food-allergic children. Most of the time, the prevention policies are reasonable enough and easy for everyone to follow. Of course, it can get ridiculous in extreme cases where children are severely allergic to multiple things; in that case, I personally think it’s probably best for the parents to consider if it might not be better to home-school or tutor their child rather than forcing 30+ individuals to totally change their lifestyle for the sake of one person.

So what can you do if your child is in a class with a food allergic child? Regardless of whether or not the school or teacher has policies in place to protect the food allergic one, here are some things you can do:

Educate yourself about their specific allergens and the typical severity of their reactions. Talk to the parent and find out: would they have a reaction on contact or only on ingestion? Can they have eggs baked into cakes and cookies or not at all?
Strictly follow whatever policies are in place. If that means no peanut in your child’s lunch, then don’t put peanut in your child’s lunch. Simple! (Avoiding peanut for one meal a day is really not that big a deal. Imagine trying to avoid 8 different common foods for every single meal and snack! If you’re stumped for lunch ideas beyond PB&J, check out this back-to-school post.)
Educate your child. It means so much to me that my brother- and sister- in law - who live in the same town I do so we see them a lot and spend a lot of time with them - have educated their two children about my Certain Little Someone’s allergies and have strictly instructed them not to feed him anything other than what I allow them to feed him. They are so well trained that the other day, when we were eating out with him, my Certain Little Someone grabbed a (safe) french fry from his cousin’s bag. The cousin instinctively reacted with a gasp and grabbed the bag away from him. He didn’t see what my Certain Little Someone had eaten and was afraid it was unsafe for him. You can teach your child to be the same way for the sake of the other food allergic children. Tell your child to keep his or her food in the spot where it belongs and not to let it get anywhere near the allergic student. After eating, wash hands carefully to avoid touching the child with allergenic fingers. And carefully wipe your spot after eating (if eating in the classroom).
Even if the parent of the allergic child brings a special snack just for her, consider preparing snacks that are allergen-free. Many kindergarten and lower elementary classrooms have special snack days or birthdays where parents bring in food to share with the class. If that’s the case in your child’s class, consider bringing food that is safe for everyone, including the allergic ones. I’m not suggesting that you go out and buy rice flour or other exotic ingredients just for that one snack, but consider foods that are naturally allergen-free, like fruits and vegetables. Serve them in finger-food sizes or with toothpicks. Offer a dip for those who don’t have allergies. For very young children, a box of allergen-free cereal (like Kix, Chex, Cocoa Puffs, Lucky Charms, or the like - no, not healthy, but an easy snack!) will be just as appreciated as anything else. For older children, plain potato chips are usually welcome. If you want to be a little healthier, there are several brands that make safe sweet potato chips that are healthier than regular chips. Tortilla chips and salsa are also usually free of the top 8 allergens. Fruit snacks and gummy snacks are usually allergen-free (albeit dreadfully unhealthy). OR talk to the parent of the allergic child and see if they have any ideas of a quick safe snack you can provide for all the children.
If you want to bring a goodie bag for all the children to celebrate your child’s birthday, focus on non-food prizes like stickers, pens or pencils, erasers, notepads, and little toys. The party favor section at any big box store or party store will have a lot of options. If you must throw in a special treat, consider hard candies (for older children) or gummy candies (for younger children), as those are almost always allergen-free. Once again, check with the parents of the food allergic child before assuming anything.

That’s it for Food Allergy Awareness Week! I’ll be back tomorrow (hopefully!) with another great powdered-sugar-free frosting recipe for you. To recap, here are all the other FAAW posts:

The Dangers of Food Allergies

Food Allergies 101

Hosting the Food Allergic

Leave a Comment Filed Under: At Home, Health, Home, On My Mind, On The Table, Rants, Snacks Tagged With: allergies

Food Allergy Awareness Week: Hosting the Food Allergic & An Easy Recipe

February 23, 2011 By Anne Simpson

So far in our Food Allergy Awareness Week, we’ve talked about what exactly food allergies are, and how dangerous they can be. Today I’m going to give you some tips for ways you can host your food allergic friends and relatives in your own home.

Knowing the dangers of food allergies, you will not be surprised, I hope, if your food allergic friend is skittish about eating anything other than what they have made themselves. Particularly if it’s actually the parent of a food allergic child! This is the first rule of hosting a food allergic guest, in fact:

Don’t be offended! Speaking strictly from my own experience, I feel very awkward at times as a guest in other peoples’ homes, because my Certain Little Someone’s allergies create the necessity for me to do some things that are generally regarded as downright rude. For example, I bring his own food - and not enough to share. Or I ask to see the labels of packaged food. Or I ask detailed questions about the ingredients and prep of certain foods that are offered. Or I refuse all of the host’s food altogether. Rude much, yes?! Like I said, it makes me feel incredibly awkward. When a host is gracious and understanding and doesn’t even let off a hint of offense, it makes it so much easier for me to relax and enjoy my time in their home! So whatever your food allergic guest does or does not do, relax. Don’t be offended. And remember: their life (or their child’s life) could be at stake, so to them, it’s worth making a few social errors! Let them.
Go a step further and be pro-active and open. Don’t wait for them to ask about the labels and ingredients. Have it sitting on the counter waiting for their inspection, and offer it to them. If you know them well enough, and it’s a casual occasion, invite them over to watch (and/or help) as you make the meal so they can really rest easy, knowing there is no risk of cross-contamination. Offer your dishes and your microwave and anything else they may need to heat up or prepare their own food. Can I tell you how much this means to me when hosts are so considerate?
Talk to your guest beforehand. Chances are, your guest is not likely to ask or even want you to make an allergen-free menu. They will pick and choose what they can eat. However, you can let them know what you plan to cook and what the ingredients are in advance, so they will know if and what they need to supplement. This is also the perfect opportunity to allow them to bring a dish to share. Trust me; they won’t mind. The fact that there will be a polite and discreet way of ensuring safe food at the gathering will be totally worth their effort.
Focus on food with basic ingredients, like the recipe below. Generally speaking, the more ingredients involved, the more likely there is to be something allergenic. Of course, anyone can be allergic to anything, so even a basic chicken recipe like the one below might prove to be a problem for someone. But knowing your friend’s allergies will help you to construct a simple menu that has the greatest chance of being safe for them. Don’t try to make something fancy, or on the flip side, a casserole. Too many ingredients. Instead, just cook up a piece of meat in a simple way, using olive oil, spices and herbs. For sides, steam or roast veggies, drizzle with olive oil and seasoning (not pre-packaged seasoning because it contains allergens). Chop up a fresh fruit or green salad and serve the dressings on the side. Go ahead and make some bread or rolls, but beware they likely won’t indulge in those if they have wheat or dairy/egg allergies.
Beware of cross-contamination. This goes for food prep, and food serving. Only use clean utensils, clean plates, and clean pots and pans. Don’t use the same spoon for two different food items. If in doubt, toss it in the sink and grab a new one. At the table, if you’re serving family or buffet style, allow the allergic guest to serve him or herself first so that there is the least likelihood of un-safe food being dropped into safe food, or safe utensils contacting un-safe foods. If children are a part of the gathering, watch them carefully: try to contain them in one place while they eat, wash their hands and face thoroughly when they’re done, and immediately clean up their dirty plate.
If after all this preparation, your guest still insists on eating their own food, please refer to rule #1. Food allergies can have a way of making even the most relaxed person a control freak when it comes to their food.

And now here’s a QECH recipe that’s allergen-free (by which I mean it’s free of the top 8 allergens, but people can be allergic to anything! Check with your friend before serving.).

Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken

1 whole chicken

oregano

salt

pepper

1/4 cup chicken broth or water

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp fresh minced parsley

In a jar (or small container with lid) shake together the broth or water, lemon juice, and garlic. Pour into the bottom of a slow cooker. Remove innards from the chicken, rinse well, and dry. Liberally sprinkle the chicken all over with the oregano, salt and pepper (I just sprinkle with a pretty heavy hand, and rub into surface of chicken. Here are approximate measurements: 1 TBSP oregano, 1/2-1 tsp salt, and 1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper) Place chicken in slow cooker (I like to place them breast-side down) on top of liquid. Cook on high 4-6 hours or on low 8-10 hours. Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.

It takes 15 minutes or less to get this going in the crock pot, so I think it qualifies as QUICK! Sure the “slow” cooker takes a while, but it’s not hands-on time, so it doesn’t count.

It’s so EASY, too! Even a beginner cook could handle this recipe.

It’s very CHEAP, as well, whole chickens costing $0.99 or less a pound. The other ingredients are all minimal in cost, as well.

Very HEALTHY! Can’t go wrong with these super basic ingredients!

8 Comments Filed Under: At Home, Dinner, Health, Knowledge, On My Mind, On The Table Tagged With: chicken

Food Allergy Awareness Week: Arm Yourself with Info

February 22, 2011 By Anne Simpson

Yesterday, to celebrate my own personal Food Allergy Awareness Week, we discussed the serious nature of food allergies, clearing up a common misconception among those without any that food allergies are indeed serious… serious enough to kill. Today, I’m going to get a little more specific about what exactly is a food allergy, what happens in an allergic reaction, and what can/should be done to prevent and treat food allergies.

The thing is… you may not have food allergies yourself, but that doesn’t mean you never will. Food allergies are not just for children; they can be developed at any point in your life. In fact, a shellfish allergy is generally considered to be an “adult” allergy, meaning that it’s rare to find children allergic to shellfish but relatively common in adults. Besides which, even if you don’t have a family history of food allergies, your child can be born with them. That’s what happened to me. And furthermore, it’s highly likely that you will come across someone in your daily life who has food allergies.

For all those reasons, it’s best to be armed with info.

First of all, what is a food allergy anyway? The term “allergy” is often mis-used, a problem which is perpetuated by the fact that there are different types of allergies and different kinds of reactions, not to mention a wide variety of food sensitivities and intolerances. For my purposes, “food allergy” means an IgE-mediated response to a particular food, and that’s generally the accepted definition in most circles.

“Okaaaayyyy,” you say hesitantly. Doesn’t really clear it up much, huh? I’ll let the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network help clear it up a little with their explanation:

In most people with food allergies, the immune system, the part of the body that usually fights infection, makes tiny proteins called IgE antibodies.

The IgE antibodies are like antennae that can detect a particular food. For example, some may see peanut, others may see milk, etc.

These food-specific IgE antibodies sit on cells called “mast cells” which are in the skin, lungs, gut and other parts of the body.

Mast cells are filled with chemicals that can trigger allergic symptoms. One of them is histamine. When someone with a food allergy eats the food they are allergic to, the proteins of that food attach to the IgE on the mast cell.

This causes the mast cell to release the mediators, sending histamine (and other chemicals and proteins, called “mediators”) throughout the body. The mediators cause the symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as swelling, itching, trouble breathing, etc.

What is an allergic reaction? It can look a little different in different people and different situations, but a very common and basic reaction is hives or swelling. Other symptoms can be wheezing and trouble breathing, or vomiting. In infants, one of the first symptoms is eczema (although eczema doesn’t always indicate an allergy). A drop in blood pressure and unconsciousness can also occur in a severe reaction.

How can you prevent an allergic reaction? Absolutely the only way to avoid an allergic reaction is to avoid eating (or touching or inhaling, depending on the severity of the allergy) the trigger foods. There is no other prevention. And there is no way to prevent a person from developing food allergies, either. The common advice used to be to avoid highly allergenic foods while nursing and in infancy to prevent food allergies, but new guidelines by the National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases discourage this practice because it has not proven to be effective.

How do you treat an allergic reaction when it occurs? If it’s a mild reaction, like hives and itching or swelling, Benadryl will do the trick. I always keep Benadryl with us wherever we go! My allergist recommends a nebulizer treatment with Albuterol in the case of wheezing and coughing. Again, I always keep a supply of Albuterol on hand and we have a nebulizer to administer treatment. In severe reactions, an epi-pen (a shot of epinephrine) should be administered immediately, followed by a trip to the ER for follow-up care and observation. We always carry an epi-pen with us, although thankfully we’ve never had to use it.

So now you have been armed with info and are better prepared than the average non-allergic person! Come back tomorrow for ideas on how to safely host a food-allergic child or adult in your home, including an allergen-free recipe (that is delicious whether or not you have allergies!).

1 Comment Filed Under: At Home, Health, Home, Knowledge, On My Mind Tagged With: allergies

Food Allergy Awareness Week: Did you know that food can kill?

February 21, 2011 By Anne Simpson

No, it’s not really Food Allergy Awareness anywhere that I know of except here on my blog, but since it’s my blog I can do what I want right? Of course, right! I realized recently that even though this blog is not about food allergies (check out my other blog, When Food is Dangerous for that), it IS about food, and I happen to have first-hand experience dealing with food allergies.

I would imagine that each of you can think of at least one person you know of who deals with food allergies, even if you don’t personally have a food allergy. Maybe it’s a friend’s child, a friend of your child, a niece or nephew, a cousin, a teacher, a close friend, the list goes on and on. Food allergies affect a growing sector of the population and the circle of those affected is ever widening. The purpose of this Food Allergy Awareness Week is to help you understand what that person is going through and how you can help them.

And YES, food CAN kill, and it does.

This is the #1 problem food allergy sufferers face from those who don’t have allergies, so listen up! (I’m using my teacher voice because this is important!) Many people who have no personal experience with food allergies have no idea how serious they are or can be, and often assume that those with allergies are exaggerating/making it up/ making a mountain out of a mole hill/etc. They’re not.

If you haven’t watched the above video, please do so now. It will only take you a few seconds but perhaps it will help you understand the severity of food allergies and perhaps take them more seriously in the future. Oh, and one fact is wrong in the video. It’s not every 15 seconds, it’s every 3 seconds.

Here’s another video you might be interested in watching, featuring a lineup of children with food allergies and how it affects them. I have to be honest, it brought tears to my eyes because I know that in the very near future, my own child will be able to sit there and say the same things.

Food allergies are a heavy burden for children to bear. At the very least, it makes them feel excluded and isolated from their friends; at the worst, there is always the underlying fear that one day they could eat something they shouldn’t and die.

Right now, I have to carry that burden for my Certain Little Someone because he’s not quite old enough to understand and carry it for himself. Let me explain how it feels with a few scenarios:

We go to a casual family outing that centers around food (doesn’t every social gathering center around food?). Whether we’re eating out or in someone’s home, I have to pack food for my Certain Little Someone that is safe for him. If we’re eating out, I can’t even heat it up for him most of the time, so he has to eat it at room temp. If we’re eating at someone’s home, it’s a little easier, because I can heat it up in a microwave and even fix things myself for him. My extended family features a lot of little kids, which is tons of fun… but increases my stress level a hundredfold because other little children don’t understand the danger my son is in, and they aren’t yet capable of keeping their food off their hands and off the floor. And since my Certain Little Someone himself isn’t old enough to stay away from crumbs on the floor or his cousins’ milky hands or milky bottle, I have to watch him like a hawk to make sure he doesn’t have an accidental exposure to his allergens.
Last weekend, we went away for my grandfather’s memorial service. I had to pack canned foods (mostly beans!) for him to eat (although I realized later that all the hotels had refrigerators) on the trip, as well as snacks and his coconut milk. I only fed him the things that I brought for him, with the exception of a couple bags of Lay’s potato chips, which are safe for him. He still had 3 allergic reactions, one very serious. The last reaction was particularly frightening because this stupid mama had forgotten to bring his nebulizer on the trip, and of course, he started to wheeze. Thankfully, my brother and his wife came to the rescue because they had brought their daughter’s nebulizer (for her respiratory infection) and thankfully, it plugged into the cigarette lighter in the car so we could use it immediately. If it hadn’t been for that, we would have had to make a trip to the ER, which would be bad enough in and of itself, but on top of that, we were out-of-network and would have had to pay a LOT more for medical care, something we can’t exactly afford at the moment.
At Sunday School, my Certain Little Someone has to bring his own special snack. The other little kiddies get donut holes, but he gets the chocolate muffins I bring every week. For other snacks, his teachers have a list they can choose from. Sometimes all the kids get the same snack as he does, sometimes he’s the only one. Even at his tender age, he realizes that his snack is different from everyone else’s. And everyone loves to feel different when surrounded by their peers. Don’t you?

Thankfully, I haven’t yet (knock on wood!) had to use an epi-pen with my son, and I pray I never will. I have been blessed in that regard! But many other parents have had to inject their child with the epi-pen and then take a trip to the ER for follow-up medical care and evaluation.

So how does this affect you? Simple. Just understand that your friend or your child’s friend or your nephew or whoever you know with a food allergy has a very serious life-threatening condition. So when they do things that seem odd or even rude to you, reconsider: their life or their child’s life is at stake.

I will continue this series for the rest of the week, sharing more specific information about food allergies, and featuring some more specific ways you can help your friend or relative with food allergies, how to cooperate with them for their safety, and even some easy-allergen-free recipes.

Please do all food-allergic children a service, and share this post and proceeding series with everyone you know! The more people understand about food allergies, the safer our food-allergic children will be!

2 Comments Filed Under: At Home, Health, Knowledge, On My Mind Tagged With: allergies

A Delicious Breakfast from Across the Pond: Muesli

February 18, 2011 By Anne Simpson

Dear Oatmeal,

Please don’t be offended, but I have found a new breakfast to enjoy in your place. Not that you weren’t good to me - you were always inexpensive, easy to prepare and good for my health; but to be honest, I always thought you were a little… mushy… and bland. Don’t worry, I’ll still rely on your oaty goodness, just in a different way. We can still be friends! I hope you don’t mind…

Sincerely,

Me

Why, yes, friends, I have found a delicious new alternative to hot oatmeal. Well, new to me, it’s actually been around since the early 1900s, where it began in European health spas. So I’m a century behind the times, but that’s OK. It was worth the wait.

I’m speaking, of course, about muesli. My only exposure to muesli until recently was kind of vague memories of boxed and bagged cereals that seemed just like granola. In fact, I always thought muesli and granola were pretty much the same thing.

Wrong.

Granola is a baked oatmeal product, whereas muesli is eaten raw. Sound gross? I was skeptical at first, until I tried it. And then I was hooked! It’s a delicious combination of textures and flavors: the soft and just barely chewy oatmeal, crisp sweet apples, crunchy nuts, with delicate notes of sweet cinnamon and honey.

This breakfast meets all my requirements and more, which is why I’ve been enjoying it on a regular basis the last few weeks… and haven’t had oatmeal once!

Better-than-Oatmeal Muesli

1/2 cup oats

1/4-1/2 apple, chopped

1/4 cup grapes, chopped

1 TBSP dried cranberries

1 TBSP chopped almonds

1/2 tsp honey

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup milk

Place the oats, cinnamon and honey in a cereal bowl. Pour milk over it and stir well until evenly combined and honey is thoroughly distributed. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes. Add chopped fruits and nuts; stir well. Enjoy!

The milk softens the oats while it sits so it’s not really like eating raw oats straight from the box. Some people actually eat it right away and don’t let it soak, but I like to give it a good ten minutes. You can also let it soak overnight; and if you use yogurt instead of milk, it will be extra healthy and doubly nutritious! (The original recipe, in fact, called for lemon juice and cream before soaking, which would be similar to yogurt.)

This recipe lends itself well to all kinds of variations depending on what you have on hand. Of course, you can use different fruits (berries or pears for example), dried fruits (raisins or chopped apricots), nuts ( walnuts or pecans would be delicious), and spices (ginger or cardamom, yum!). You can even use different grains, like quinoa, wheat or barley flakes. (And you can even add chopped chocolate!)

This is a very QUICK recipe, no matter how long you soak it. If you soak it overnight, then it’s ready to eat in the morning right away. Or if you only soak it for 10-15 minutes in the morning, you can use that time to check your email or get dressed or put a load in the laundry… and then boom! Breakfast is ready without any wasted time! A delicious healthy breakfast in less than 20 minutes.

It’s super EASY - even a bachelor hockey player could figure it out (no offense to any bachelor hockey players who might actually be reading this).

It’s just as CHEAP as regular oatmeal, which has long been a frugal healthy breakfast standby.

No one can argue that this is indeed very HEALTHY! It’s a great balance of healthy carbs and protein to energize you and get you through your morning (although I personally find that I need a lot of protein in the morning to last me until lunch, so I might add a boiled egg or cheese to eat on the side).

10 Comments Filed Under: Breakfast, Home, On The Table Tagged With: oats

Guest Post on Cheapskate Cook

February 17, 2011 By Anne Simpson

Steph, The Cheapskate Cook, and I, have a lot in common: we were both home-schooled, we are both young moms, we both strive to feed our families healthy food on a meager budget, and we both have … ahem… occasionally resistant hubbies. If you’ve never read her blog, be sure and check it out. Right now is the perfect time, as she is hosting a series on Soups and Stews this week, and I’m thrilled to be guest posting over there today with my Chicken and Brown Rice Soup.

Soup is among the most frugal of frugal foods, being largely based on broth, which is largely based on water. On top of which, it uses far less of a protein, typically the most expensive element of a meal, to feed your entire family, than meals that center around a cut of meat. And what’s more, you can easily incorporate leftovers into your soup, which really makes it a frugal star.

Read more here…

5 Comments Filed Under: Dinner, Home, On The Table Tagged With: chicken, soup

Once-a-Month Shopping Trial

February 16, 2011 By Anne Simpson

A couple months ago, I read an article about a woman who did the majority of her grocery shopping once a month. I can’t remember the details anymore, but I remember being astounded by how little money she spent every month to feed her family of four (including two teenagers!). And she didn’t buy a lot of junk either (which can be easy to do very cheaply using coupons and sales); she focused on mostly whole foods, although not necessarily organic or local. At any rate, I was duly impressed and decided it was worth a try, especially after reading her comment that “the less often you enter the grocery store, the less money you’ll spend”.

Hmmm. Makes sense.

So I decided to give it a try. Mind you, I’m not convinced yet. This is definitely still in the trial stages and I’m not committing to it until I see that it works. However, I’m certainly willing to give it a fair trial, so I’m going to go for 3 months at least and see what happens.

Of course, not all the grocery shopping can be done once a month. A lot of produce simply won’t last that long, and of course, it makes good sense to stock up on the really cheap loss-leaders from the weekly grocery circular. So my idea is to spend50-75% of my monthly grocery budget once a month (in the middle of the month because that works best with our cash flow), and then spread out the remaining 25-50% throughout the other weeks in the month to stock up on fresh produce and any super deals I can’t pass up.

This was my first attempt, and it was very haphazard. For one thing, I did my grocery shopping at the end of a long day that included waking up early at 5:30am, traveling for 6+hours, going to a realtor’s office to sign an offer on a house, unpacking from the trip, and every other little thing that crowds every day. I hadn’t even had a chance to make a proper list, and I ended up augmenting the minimal list I had made quite a bit.

Even so, I was pleased with the results. I did feel that I was able to buy more useful and practical food than I usually do, and it feels good to know that there are certain things I don’t need to buy for another month.

Here’s how my trip went:

Safeway (pictured above) (and actually my DH went to Safeway for me)

20 Yoplait yogurt .49/ea - 2 $1 coupons = $7.80

2 16oz. Johnsonville sausage BOGO -$1 coupon = $3.00

4 lbs pork chops = $5.06

1 whole chicken = $4.92

2 lbs grapes @ .99/lb = 2.21

4 grapefruit @ 2 for $1 = $2.00

1 3lb bag organic apples = 4.99

TOT: $29.97

(I do not recommend Yoplait as a healthy yogurt, but my DH is picky and most of the time I’m just happy he’s eating yogurt at all. He steadfastly refuses to eat my homemade yogurt, silly boy. And the Johnsonville sausage is not the healthiest on the market, but it’s a cheap protein that is safe for My Certain Little Someone, so I buy it when it’s a really good deal.)

Costco

48oz Polly-O string cheese = $7.49

6 lb Sugar in the Raw = $7.75

2 lbs Sharp Cheddar = $4.99

2 lbs Strawberries = $4.49

TOT: $24.72

(The string cheese is for my DH’s lunch. See what I do for that guy? 😉 And isn’t that an amazing price this time of year for strawberries? So what if it isn’t in season - strawberries are strawberries!)

MOM’s (My Organic Market)

1 box Potato Starch = $3.39

1 box Tapioca Starch = $2.59

1 gal. Organic Whole Milk = $5.59

1 container Spectrum Palm Shortening = $6.69

1/4 lb Arrowroot Powder = $8.35

TOT: $26.61

(The potato and tapioca starches and also the shortening are for My Certain Little Someone; I use them in his baking. And the arrowroot powder is one of my healthy changes for this year. We’ll see how long it lasts at that price! Perhaps I should find a cheaper source…)

Superfresh

1 6pc pkg Applesauce = $1.50

5lbs Organic Potatoes = $3.49

2 lbs Reduced Apples = $1.99

2 lbs Reduced Tomatoes = $2.06

2 1/2-gallons So Delicious Coconut Milk = $7.00

2 640z Hansen Juice on clearance = $3.99

1 Cantaloupe = $1.99

TOT: 21.99

(The coconut milk is for My Certain Little Someone. The reduced apples have been made into applesauce, and the tomatoes have been made into tomato sauce.)

Trader Joe’s

1 quart Rice Milk = $1.69

2pk Soap = $1.49

1 pkg Unsweetened Baking Chocolate - $1.99

2 lbs Organic Carrots @ .89/ea = $1.78

7 Bananas @.19/ea = $1.33

1 lb Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate = $1.99

16 oz Raw Organic Honey = $5.99

TOT: $16.28

Grand Total: $119.57

Considering my goal was to spend between $100-$150, I think I did pretty good!

So there you have it folks! Let’s see how long this food lasts us and if I’m able to stay on budget for the whole month. I’ll keep you posted!

7 Comments Filed Under: Home, In The Budget, Save Much Tagged With: oams

A Lifetime of Love

February 15, 2011 By Anne Simpson

Happy Valentine’s Day!

As I mentioned in my last post, we spent the weekend with family at my grandfather’s memorial service. Despite the occasion, it was a wonderful time, getting together with the entire family for the first time in a few years, and celebrating our grandfather’s life and legacy.

As we talked about him and our memories of him, one theme kept recurring and that was his faithfulness to his family, especially his loving care of his wife (known to me of course as Grandma:). During the service, my aunt said that for his entire married life, my Grandpa’s goal had been to please Grandma. Whatever she wanted, that was what he did. And that is so true, something I remember very clearly about him. Up until the very end, his number one concern was the welfare and happiness of his wife.

In fact, this was such a marked aspect of his character, than when I got married almost five years (it will be five years next week!) ago, I asked the music pastor at my church to write a song dedicated to both our sets of grandparents, honoring their lifelong commitment and love for each other. He granted my request and the result was the song, “The Gift of a Lifetime”. My husband and I recorded it prior to our wedding and then played it at the reception. My grandparents were not able to attend the wedding but my aunt was there, and held up her phone so that Grandma and Grandpa could hear the song. If you’re curious, you can listen to it (warning: extremely amateur performance!) here:

Gift of a Lifetime

During my grandfather’s memorial service, my Grandma, my sister and my cousin were sitting together and watching the slide show featuring pictures of his life. One picture was taken way back when, in the early days of my grandparents’ life together. In the picture, my Grandma was wearing a fabulous, colorful dress, and my cousin said, “Wow, Grandma, that’s some dress! Do you remember wearing it?” Now mind you, my Grandma can’t remember much of anything these days, occasionally doesn’t even recognize her own son (my dad). So it wasn’t surprising when she said haltingly that she couldn’t be sure if she remembered the dress or not… but she remembered that boy.

I hope one day when I’m nearly 90 years old and have forgotten everything except maybe my name, that I will still remember this boy:

The Gift of a Lifetime

Through good days and hard time,

Through sunshine and rain;

In gaining and losing,

In strength or crippling pain,

Down the years of constant change

In a world so cold and strange

What a blessing, what a privilege to know…

(Chorus)

That a lifetime ago love swept into your soul.

And we know that you’ve never been the same.

A love sent from above this world knows nothing of-

Blessed gift of a lifetime, your love.

This pattern we’ll follow,

This path we’ll retrace:

Our home built on Jesus,

Our lives crowned with His grace.

In each joy, each smile, and cheer,

In each sigh, each grief and tear,

What a blessing, what a privilege to know-

(Bridge)

That our God is the same,

His promise we’ll claim,

He’s never forsaken His own!

This foundation shall stand,

We’ll hold to his hand,

And go in the strength of His love!

(Chorus)

With a lifetime to go, love swept into our souls.

And we know that we’ll never be the same.

A love sent from above this world knows nothing of:

Blessed gift of a lifetime

A love built for a lifetime,

Blessed gift of a lifetime, our love.

~Music and Lyrics by Joe Mims

And now I’m off to make some of these Lava Cakes for that boy… Have a Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

Editing this post to add: We are now just about 9 years into our own lifetime of love together, and these sentiments ring just as true as ever. Both of my grandparents are now in Heaven, but their gift of a lifetime remains with me. When I was doing a little organizing the other day, I came across the wedding card they sent to me and “that boy”. It seems a fitting and beautiful way to close out this blog post, albeit 4 years later.

2 Comments Filed Under: Home, On My Mind, Reflections Tagged With: relationships

Dessert for Two

February 9, 2011 By Anne Simpson

My favorite way to celebrate Valentine’s Day is to pull out all the stops and make a delicious as-close-to-gourmet-as-I-ever-get meal that’s more expensive and indulgent than our usual fare, and to finish it off with an amazingly impressive and definitely chocolate dessert. I like to wait until the kids are in bed, light the candles and dress the table for an elegant, intimate meal.

Not that I get to do that every year. Sometimes life intervenes, like this year. We will be traveling this weekend to attend my grandfather’s memorial service, and won’t return until late Sunday. Monday will be spent unpacking from the trip and trying to re-immerse ourselves in the daily grind, so I won’t have time to go grocery shopping and I certainly won’t be in the frame of mind to pull together a gorgeous meal the following day.

I’ll save it for our anniversary later this month.

In the meantime, I’ll share with you the dessert I would make if I was making a fabulous Valentine’s Day meal this year. This dessert looks impressive, tastes dee-vine, and best of all, takes only 15 minutes of your time. Oh, and it’s a whole lot easier than it looks, especially if you make it my way. You’ll find vastly more complicated recipes, but they make it way harder than it has to be. Trust me; this is the way to go.

Chocolate Lava Cakes
4 TBSP butter
1/3 cup semi-sweet (or bittersweet) chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate)
1 egg
1 egg yolk (freeze the white to use another day)
2 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP flour

Melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave, stirring at 20-second intervals. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until it thickens slightly and lightens in color.

Beat in chocolate/butter mixture and flour until well blended and smooth.

Butter two 6oz ramekins. (I used my fingers to smush the butter into the edges just to be sure the cake would pop out nicely.) Sprinkle cocoa powder to cover the inside.

Divide the batter evenly between the two ramekins. Bake at 425F for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is still a little “jiggly”. (At 8 minutes, mine were probably slightly underdone, but still edible and presentable.)

Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 15 seconds. Run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake.

Carefully invert the cake onto the dessert plate. Place your dessert plate on top of the ramekin while holding the ramekin in your right hand. (I’m not holding it here because I was taking the picture, but you get the idea!)

Place your left hand on top of the dessert plate…

…and flip so that your right hand is now on top. Set it down on the counter….

…and carefully lift off the ramekin.

And there’s your lava cake!

You can garnish your lovely little cakes in a multitude of ways. Here are a few ideas:

fresh berries, especially strawberry or raspberry
mint leaves
a dollop of whipped cream
a scoop of ice cream
chocolate shavings
powdered sugar

I garnished mine with dried coconut strips which is what I had in the cupboard; they turned out beautifully!

What can be QUICKer than 15 minutes? Not much! Besides which, you can make the batter up to a day ahead and bake the cakes right before serving.

I think you will agree that this is pretty EASY, especially considering how fancy and difficult it looks.

Making individual servings like this makes it a CHEAP choice; no waste! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thrown away cake because we just don’t eat it a lot. This is a much better route to go.

HEALTHY? Well, it’s dessert, what can I say? And certainly not the healthiest dessert I’ve ever come across. You can increase the nutritional value by choosing quality ingredients: dark chocolate, pastured eggs, raw sugar and real butter. I wasn’t brave enough to try whole wheat flour, but I bet white whole wheat would work in this recipe. (If you try it let me know! I was afraid it would affect the texture too much.)