Friday, June 8th, 2018
Recipes:
Loco Moco, from our collection of recipes. If you'd like the recipe, just ask. It's really easy.
Pineapple Cucumber Lime Salad by Trish at Mom On Time Out.
If you've never tried Loco Moco, you should. I'd never heard of it until I married Dear Husband and it's the first dish he had ever cooked for me. I'm pretty sure the reason he cooked it for me was to teach me how to make it so he wouldn't have to cook again ;) (I love you, Babe). It's an delicious contemporary Hawaiian dish that consists a bed of white rice, topped with a hamburger patty, fried egg, and brown gravy. Upon first hearing what it was, I didn't think much of the combination but I was sold after Dear Husband made it for me. It really works together!
When Dear Husband requested it for our weekly meal plan, I latched onto the Hawaiian theme and it seemed the perfect opportunity to try this amazing Pineapple Cucumber Lime Salad. I can't think of pineapples without thinking about Hawaii. And I'm so glad I did! I've never like a salad more! Pineapple and cucumber tossed in fresh lime juice and zest and topped with cilantro, there will be nothing else that tastes more of sunshine and summer than this. Try it and you won't regret it...ever. So fresh. So delicious. I'm not usually a fruit person, but I could easily eat the entire bowl of this salad on my own. 5 enthusiastic Wooden Spoons.
So, the breakdown. Loco Moco cost $5.56 for the entire meal, and $1.39 per serving, at four servings. And it contains a mere 877 calories per serving. If you're concerned about your calorie count, you could make this with turkey burgers and brown rice at 709 calories per serving. Or if you'd really like to save calories, you could make this with black bean veggie burgers and quinoa and it'll only cost you 599 calories. But at the point it wouldn't really be Loco Moco anymore. The Pineapple Cucumber Lime Salad recipe cost $5.17 to make, and $0.86 per serving, at six servings. At it's a refreshing 83 calories per serving.
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Recipes:
Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup from Lindsay at Pinch of Yum
Pretzel Bread Bowls from Melanie at Gather for Bread
When I was young, my mother used to ask us what meals we wanted as she wrote up the meal plan. Every summer I would list off my favorite soups and casseroles and my mom would tell me, "No, I'm not making soup or casseroles in the summer." And now I know why. I had selected this Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup off my crockpot list and didn't think much of it being a soup. I just wanted something easy that I could throw in before going to church and then come home and have (half) a meal ready to go with minimal attention. But as we sat down to eat it, I suddenly realized why my mom was so opposed to soup in the summer. I broke out into a literal sweat while eating it. Lesson learned. Regardless of this summer mistake, I must say this soup was delicious and Dear Husband and I wiped the bowls clean with our pretzel rolls. This one is definitely a keeper. 5 Wooden Spoons.
I wanted to pair this soup with bread bowls, which is why I picked a crockpot soup. Minimal effort spent on the soup so I could work distraction free on the bread. These bread bowls were an interesting experiment. I'm not an experienced bread baker so this was a learning experience. I'm not sure if these were supposed to come out this small or if I messed up somewhere. Messing up somewhere is the most likely. I checked with a bread troubleshooting guide and based on the consistency of my dough I might've used too little flour or over-kneaded it, so there's a chance I didn't get the correct rise out of my bowls. Even with whatever mistake I made, they still tasted fantastic and were soft on the inside. Just a bit too small and flat to use as a bowl. I'd like to keep the recipe and just make rolls with it. Unless I figure what I did wrong and can get bowls out of this recipe. Either way, it was delicious and I'll make them again. 5 Wooden Spoons.
So, the not so great news with this breakdown. The cost of this soup it $16.70, at $1.67 per serving, at ten servings. This recipe does make a lot of soup. I guess if you were to cut it in half it's rather normal priced. Take it as you will. It's delicious. As for the calories, it has 388 per serving, at ten servings. Now, the good news with this breakdown. The cost of these bread bowls make up for the cost of the soup. The whole recipe cost $1.00, at about $0.13 per bowl/roll. Bread is absolutely worth making homemade. It saves so much money compared to what a grocery store bakery would charge you for the same thing. Anyway, the calorie count for these bowls are 378 per bowl.
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Recipes:
Glorious Baked Macaroni and Cheese from Inez at Food Blahg
Sauteed Carrots and Zucchini from Lisa at Cooking with Curls
Once upon a time, when Dear Husband and I were dating we drove up to Columbia to go to Dave & Buster's for a night of fun. And there I tried their Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese. I loved it! Have you tried it? It really does live up to its name! Pasta tossed with a creamy cheese sauce, with chicken breast and bacon. I scoured Pinterest for a copycat recipe and by luck came upon this long abandoned food blog with a macaroni and cheese recipe that comes very close to Dave & Buster's. And thus my love affair with this recipe was born. I've made this several times so I've adapted the recipe to my own taste, including the omission of the mushrooms. I've also reduced the amount of gorgonzola cheese as it's not Dear Husband's favorite inclusion in this recipe. I have found that using cheese grated fresh off the block gives the sauce a creamier texture than using the pre-shredded cheese from the store. Anyway, this grown-up version might not be loved by children as the gorgonzola gives it a sharper, distinct flavor but adults might love it. If you wanted to make it healthier, you could leave out the chicken and bacon and toss it with some mixed vegetables. But that's up to you. I prefer my macaroni and cheese to be indulgent. 5 Wooden Spoons.
To pair with the macaroni and cheese, I chose this Sauteed Carrots and Zucchini recipe. I loved the flavor profile of the vegetables, sauteed in butter and olive oil, and tossed with salt, pepper, and thyme. The only thing I would change is the vegetable thickness. I cut both at about the same thickness but in hindsight, that was a mistake. The zucchini cooked much faster than the carrots. The next time I make this, I would cut the zucchini thicker and the carrots thinner so they finish cooking at the same time. 5 Wooden Spoons.
The breakdown. The cost of Glorious Baked Macaroni and Cheese is $12.22, at $1.53 per serving at eight servings. Now, you can't have a macaroni and cheese drowned in thick cheese sauce with chicken and bacon and it be low in calories. This bad boy clocks in at 659 calories per serving. Totally worth it, in my opinion. Now, the Sauteed Carrots and Zucchini makes up for it. It costs $1.61 for the whole recipe and $0.40 per serving, at four servings. And it has 110 calories per serving, most of that coming from the olive oil and butter. Also totally worth it.
Anyway, let me know if you like one weekly post of if you prefer a post for each meal. Much love, Hailee
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