My June issue of Southern Living came two days ago...
and it got my Summer Recipe juices flowing.  I admit, I had to purchase a couple of things that weren't in my pantry.  I REALLY wanted some scallops and tabbouleh, so I caved in and bought them...and it was worth it!
















Then I decided to tackle a couple of recipes that won the summer cook-off contest, but I wanted to use what I had in the pantry.  So I'm going to share the original recipe straight from Southern Living and then my version.  

Photo by: Photo: Jennifer Davick; Prop Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Grandma Gwen's Beans

2012 Side Dish Smackdown Winner: Best Baked Beans

Southern Living JUNE 2012

• Yield: Makes 10 servings
• Hands-on:45 Minutes
• Total:2 Hours, 5 Minutes

Ingredients

• 1 (1-lb.) package bacon slices
• 4 medium-size yellow onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 (16-oz.) cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15-oz.) can lima beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (16-oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (28-oz.) can baked beans

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cook bacon, in batches, in a large skillet over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving desired amount of drippings in skillet. (We reserved about 3 Tbsp.) Crumble bacon.

2. Sauté onions in hot drippings over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until onions are tender. Add brown sugar and next 4 ingredients. Cover and cook 20 minutes. Combine butter beans, next 3 ingredients, bacon, and onion mixture in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

3. Bake at 350° for 1 hour.

Now here's mine

Confetti Baked Beans

8 strips turkey bacon

1 T olive oil

2 c frozen onion and pepper blend

1/c firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 c apple cider vinegar

1 t salt

1 t dry mustard

1 T minced garlic

2 c large white lima beans, cooked

1 c kidney beans, cooked

1 1/2 c frozen corn and lima bean succotash

1 regular can "cheap" pork and beans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Cook bacon .  Remove from pan and chop .  Add olive oil to pan and then the onion/pepper blend.  Cook until the vegetables are tender.  Add brown sugar and next four ingredients.  Cover and cook 20 minutes.  Combine beans, bacon and onion mixture in a 13 X 9 baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. 

They are delicious!  

Tomorrow I will share a great recipe for a sweet and spicy melon salad!

Life is short!  Pray hard!

I pray that out of His glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  Ephesians 3:16-17, NIV

This has been a good week for me.  I have really started taking the exercise portion of Living Simply seriously .
So, here's what this week's cardio looked like:

CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE FOR THE WEEK OF 5/20/2012 - 5/26/2012

EXERCISE MINUTES CALORIES BURNED Ski Machine 35 449 Elliptical Trainer 45 547 Walking: 2.5 mph (24 minutes per mile) 15 58 Elliptical Trainer 30 364 Elliptical Trainer 60 729 185 2147

AND I got in two strength training workouts as well on Tuesday and Today!  

For Friday, 5/25/2012 STRENGTH SETS REPS Squats on Leg Press Machine 2 12-15 Seated Chest Press Machine 2 12-15 Abdominal Crunch Machine 2 12-15 Seated Back Extension Machine 2 12-15 Seated Leg Extension Machine 2 12-15

I'm off to a pretty good start!  

Life is short!  Pray hard!

Wait patiently for the LORD, be brave and courageous.  Yes, wait patiently for the LORD. Psalm 27:14

t

Gimme 5 smoothie

Ingredients

1 T almonds
1 T agave nectar
1/2 T peanut butter
1 c mixed frozen berries
1/2 c greek yogurt 0% fat
1 medium banana, frozen
1 c spinach
water to blend

Directions

place in vitamix and blend. add water as needed to get the consistency you would like.

Nutrition Info

• Calories: 390.8
• Fat: 8.2g
• Carbohydrates: 69.0g
• Protein: 17.8g

Vegan Chocolate Cake with Vegan Chocolate Ganache

 

Ingredients

For the cake
4T Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread
1/4 Agave nectar
2T cocoa powder
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c unbleached cake flour ( King Arthur)
1 t baking powder
2 t vanilla

For the ganache
1T Earth Balance Natural Shortening
1T cocoa powder
1T agave nectar
1T chocolate rice milk

Directions

For the cake:
mix together the buttery spread and agave until smooth. add cocoa and mix. add applesauce and mix. then the flour, baking powder and vanilla. mix until blended.

pour into a 6" pan that has been sprayed with baking spray. ( non-stick spray with flour)

bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

For the ganache:
melt the shortening in a saucepan over medium heat.
add the cocoa and stir together until glossy.
add the agave and mix.
add the rice milk and whisk. it will thicken slightly.
pour the ganache over the cake.


Serving Size: makes 6 servings

Nutrition Info

• Calories: 160.8
• Fat: 7.8g
• Carbohydrates: 22.7g
• Protein: 1.4g

Life is short!  Pray hard!

But thou, O LORD, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.  Psalm 86:15, KJV

It pleases me that simple changes can make things more interesting or uniquely your own.


Take a boring meal like mixed vegetables and garlic bread.  Doesn't sound too fun, does it?  And, when you add in the fact that you're not using fat aka "bacon drippings" to flavor the veggies, it REALLY can sound ho-hum.  




But, add a unique bowl...

And it  becomes a fun lunch!

OR

How about tweaking a recipe to reflect what you have on hand?

I did two over the weekend.  And I like how they turned out.  So, here they are!

JERK RUB FOR CHICKEN

• 2 T ground coriander
• 2 T minced ginger 
• 4 T light brown sugar
• 1 T onion powder
• 1 T kosher salt
• 1 T cayenne powder
• 2 t coarse black pepper
• 2 t dry thyme
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 t nutmeg
• 1 t ground cloves

Combine all spices in a small bowl .  Rub onto skin of chicken.  ( I used drumsticks)  and let rest for 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place chicken on a wire cooling rack placed on top of a cookie sheet.  Bake until juices run clear.       ( You can grill the chicken if you'd like.  The original recipe was for the grill)

Twice during baking, baste the chicken with a mixture of

• 1/4 c agave
• 1 t Crystal Hot Sauce (more or less)
• 1/2 c water

The jerk rub creates a wonderful taste, and, if you bake it, your house smells FANTASTIC!

HOT "BACON" DRESSING

• 1 slice turkey bacon
• 2 T chopped red onion
• 1 T Bragg's apple cider vinegar
• 1 T white balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 c sugar
• 1 t stone ground mustard
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper
• dash of Crystal hot sauce

Cook bacon until crisp, remove from pan.  Add onion to pan and saute until tender ( I sprayed the pan with olive oil before I put the onion in.  Turkey bacon doesn't render fat, just flavor) Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan , including the cooked bacon.  

In  a small bowl, combine

• 1 T cornstarch
• 2 T water

Add the mixture to the pan and stir until it boils.  Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Serve warm.

Life is short!  Pray hard!

Do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.  Hebrews 13:16 NKJV

I love this recipe ...and yes, it's mine!

and you don't have to be Vegan or Vegetarian to like it!

Vegan Veggie Cornbread

Nutrition Info

• Calories: 120.6
• Fat: 2.6g
• Carbohydrates: 21.9g
• Protein: 2.7g

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup Plain Light Soy Milk
2 T Lemon Juice
1 1/2 cup Self-Rising Cornmeal Mix
2/3 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup frozen pepper and onion blend
2 T diced jarred jalapeno peppers
1 T Olive Oil

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine Soy Milk and Lemon Juice. Let stand for 5 minutes. The mixture will become "buttermilk", adding flavor. Add the cornmeal, mixing well and let stand for another 15 minutes. Give the batter time to "rest". It will become thick and airy. That makes a lighter, moister cornbread.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees while the batter is resting. When the batter is ready, gently stir in the remaining ingredients.

Pour mixture into a greased pan or skillet.

Bake for 30 - 45 minutes, testing for doneness in the center. ( if you stick a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean, it's ready)

Serving Size: Serves 10

total cost $.10 a serving

Life is short!  Pray Hard!
If anyone is in CHRIST, he is a new creation; old things have passed away;behold, all things have become new.           2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV

Thursday's food bill - $2.46  I ate lunch out yesterday with my sweetie...but I got in my hour of cardio!




On to some fun stuff!






pantry salsa


This HAS to be the easiest thing EVER.  

1 can of Diced tomatoes with green chiles

4 tablespoons Diced Jalapeno Peppers

1 tablespoon Minced Garlic

2 teaspoons lime juice

Dump in all in a bowl and you've got pantry salsa!

here's the best part. using an $.89 can of tomatoes and adding the other ingredients, i'm estimating the cost to be $1.00!!!  that's for 18 ounces of salsa!  check the price of the jarred salsa in the chip isle and tell me you're not impressed!!!

I added it to my taco meat last night...YUMMY

End-Cap Bargains

I allot myself $20 a week for grocery bargains and/or basics like soy milk, eggs or seasonings I may run out of.  This morning I went in for eggs and found a jackpot!


Coconut Milk                 Regularly $2.59     I paid $1.50
Chocolate Rice Milk     Regularly $3.99     I paid $1.75
Pinto Beans                  Regularly $1.79      I paid $1.00




Again, I went to the Hispanic aisle for seasonings.  $1.79 for Chili Powder and over in the baking aisle in was $2.49 and $4.79 for the SAME SIZE


And... A BONUS...3 pair of socks for $1.00


I spent $18.79 and saved $16.31.  

Moral of the story???

Shop those  end-caps!!!

Happy Weekend!  Life is short!  Pray hard!

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the strength of my life;of whom shall I be afraid?  Psalm 27:1, NKJV

WEDNESDAY...


Worked out better than I thought it would!  I...

• stayed within my target calorie range of 1200-1500 (1345)
• did my strength training
• walked 6,347 steps ( fell short on that one)
• and had three meals and two snacks and, of course, two cocktails for only $3.99!!

I did splurge on a Starbucks Grande Mocha Frapuccino Light, and realized, at the end of the day, that my COFFEE cost more than ALL THE FOOD I ate!!!

Life is short!  Pray hard!

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.  1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT

TUESDAY'S RESULTS -  3 MEALS 2 SNACKS 2 COCKTAILS - $5.29 TOTAL

This is pretty cool....

Now, for the bad news...at my mid-week weigh in, I had gained back the 2 pounds.  I've really got to take the weight loss portion of this experiment seriously.  It sounds easy, doesn't it??  Well, I'm here to tell you , it's not.  I'm a night nibbler...I'm lazy when it comes to exercise...I'm 50 and in full-fledged menopause... I've got bad feet and a bad back... I spent years on steroids because of my asthma...I suffer from depression, panic attacks and anxiety...yeah yeah, excuses....

So - what do I do?  I get serious.  I get committed.  I plan.  And, most importantly, I accept responsibility.  

I have decided to get help.  (No, no that kind.  My Psychologist released me two years ago).   I thought I had a good plan in place.  And, for some folks it probably could be. But I've decided to go with Spark People.  They have an app for my Droid and also a gadget for my home page.  It will be virtually (no pun intended) impossible to avoid tracking my food and exercise.  Those nice folks even designed a work out program for me!  Three days a week I Strength Train and 3 days a week I do Cardio for an hour.  Plus, I dug out the pedometer and I'll walk 10,000 steps a day.  

Now, about that responsibility thing...I'm going to enlist a few people to "encourage" me.             ( Translation: dog me to death about it)  Let's face it, I live alone in a new town, so I don't have   " a life"  yet.  It's easy to slip back into the very habits that got me here.  I'll be venturing out in the workforce soon, so that will help,  and I'm going to drag out the crochet needle and keep my hands busy at night.  I've got to stay on the exercise plan, and, the good thing about using a web site is I can increase the intensity of it as I move along.  And so, I venture forward...

The Compost Bin

I wanted my own indoor compost bin and didn't see the need in paying tons of money.  So I found a pin from DIYNatural.com.  They used an old mega coffee container, a glue gun, a drill and a charcoal filter.  

I had none of these at home ...so I made a trip to Wally World.  I needed some storage canisters for my dried beans, so I picked up a set for about $7.  I used the largest one for this project ( 1.3 gallons) and got three more for my pantry.  I also got to thinking about the filter.  I know it must be changed every couple of months, so instead of hot glue, why not those little Velcro dots ( $2.57 for a BUNCH)?  A quick trip to the pet aisle for a filter ($1) and I was all set!

Three components plus a hammer, a nail and a screwdriver

Hammer the nail into the top of the container

Pull it out and repeat several times

The holes are REALLY small so...

take a small screw driver and make them bigger!  Remember, the compost will need to ventilate!!  No stinkies under the cabinet!

Next, place the Velcro on the inside of the lid.  ( I ended up using three dots) Make sure to put both sides of the Velcro on the lid with one sticky side up.  It makes it easier to attach the filter.

Then press the filter firmly onto the Velcro
and

TA DA!!!  YOU HAVE A COMPOST BIN!!!

It fits perfectly under the kitchen sink!

FINE PRINT:  REMEMBER, NO GREASY FOODS SHOULD EVER BE PLACED IN A COMPOST BIN.  STICK TO VEGGIE PEELS, SCRAPS ETC.  

Life is short!  Pray hard!

Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.  Psalm 41:1, KJV

Yesterday was a good day.  I really started tracking how much everything I ate, cost.  And, at the end of the day, I was pleased to see that an entire day's meals, snacks and cocktails added up to just $6.36!  And no, I didn't starve myself...I'm a size 14W, a girl's gotta eat!


In reality, if I was part of a family of four, the entire family could have eaten for only $18.56 for the day!  ( I backed out the cost of the cocktails and the one coke I had and multiplied by 4)  That's 3 meals and 3 snacks PER PERSON!


You will soon see that I don't eat a lot of meat.  In fact, I'd rather not eat meat at all, but I already had it in my freezer when I started this adventure and you know the old saying....Waste not, want not.  Now, I'm not a dietitian, so these daily menus won't be perfect, but they're probably better than most single people's diets.  ( When you live alone, you can pretty much eat anything, anytime you want - no one to say " Are you going to eat THAT?")




So here's what yesterday looked like:


BREAKFAST

 Breakfast was a serving of the Easy Berry Cobbler I made over the weekend.  At $1.27, it was the most expensive thing I had all day.  I added a piece of smoked sausage ($.27) and a 8 oz. Coke ($.44)

I had a mid-morning snack of Veggie Cornbread ( need to post the recipe)  @ $.10

LUNCH

Lunch was easy.  I took two baking potatoes that were purchased in a five pound bag , cut them up tossed them in a LITTLE olive oil and salt and baked them in a 400 degree oven until they were brown.  I made a dipping sauce from ketchup, mayo and sriracha.  

potatoes $.50 + dipping sauce $.10 = total cost of lunch $.60

Afternoon snack was 1/4 cup Great Value Trail Mix @ $.20

                                                           Now, that IS a Great Value!

Mixed nuts, raisins and M&M's!

SUPPER

So it was Monday - and in the South, that mean RED BEANS AND RICE!


I use dried beans because they just taste better.  I added one link of sausage ( about an inch long, just for flavor, mostly).  And I used Black Rice.  This stuff is amazing.  It is smaller than regular rice and it costs a little more ( about $3 a pound), but it has more antioxidants than blueberries!  I think it cooks up easier and has a better taste and texture.  And , of course, I had to have a piece of garlic bread.  


Rice $.42
Beans $.19
Sausage $. 27
Bread $. 24
Total $ 1.12




HAPPY HOUR


Here's a great way to enjoy a light cocktail without breaking the bank.


I bought this box of Franzia at Walmart for $13.97.  It has 5 liters in it.  Roughly calculated, that's 28 glasses of wine (give or take...I usually get 5 glasses of wine out of a bottle and this is approximately 5 and 1/2 bottles)


I pour one glass of wine and divide that and then pour half the wine into an ice-filled glass.  Then I top it off with 4 ounces of the Lemon Lime soda ( Twist up soda was $.25 a can).  Instant wine cooler!  So I get TWO cocktails for a total cost of only $1.08...try that at your local Watering Hole!


One more snack of trail mix topped off the day.






Life is short!  Pray hard!


The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.   Psalm 34:18, ESV

Update Day--


Even with Mother's Day, I managed to stay on track my first week!  I lost 2 pounds this week!  Yay for me!  Measuring is a big help and I've made it too easy not to!  

Say Hello to my Little Friends

I found a ceramic pot just lying around, needing a purpose.  I put the measuring cups and spoon I use most in it - right on my counter top - in plain sight --  to remind me (1) don't overeat and (2) keep up with the portions( used for cost analysis).  I most often use a tablespoon, 1/4 cup, half cup and 1 cup measure.  They fit neatly in the pot and everything stays within reach on my counter!

I also tweaked my exercise program.  I have taken away the Starter's Exercise Plan and replaced it with Stretches for the Lower Back and Hips ( you can find the stretches on my Pinterest board, Live Simply.  Thanks, Ginger)

Lucky me, I've got Sciatica and Plantar Fasciitis  so jumping jacks proved too much...






*just a note (post from 5/12/12)

Make sure you keep the cap on the
LEMON ENZYME CLEANER LOOSE!


There is a lot of gas building up it that little bottle!  Remember to GENTLY stir the ingredients daily,  If you find the lid has tightened,  S-L-O-W-L-Y loosen it, letting the gases settle, or you'll have it all over your counter!!










Happy Monday to all!!  Life is short!  Pray Hard!!




But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.  Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me.    Psalm 66: 19-20, NKJV

So yesterday was fun and interesting.  I got three projects accomplished, and I must say, I had a great time and felt a sense of worth when the day was done.  


As a promise to my youngest son, when I include a recipe, I will try to give the cost per person.  Here's to the cast and crew of "Tecumseh"!  I hope I see some of these recipes when I come to visit!!!

 EASY  MIXED BERRY COBBLER

6 cups of frozen Mixed Berries 

1/2 cup Agave Nectar

1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla

Mix these ingredients in a 6X9 baking dish

 Melt 4 Tablespoons Buttery Sticks ( such as Earth Balance) 

add

3/4 cup Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 cup Sugar

and
3/4 cup Plain Light Soy Milk


Mix well

Pour batter over fruit

And bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 45 minutes

6 servings @ $1.27 each

Here are a couple of goodies from the " I think I'll make my own cleaners and body products" department!!

FANTASTIC BODY BUTTER

At the risk of offending my son-in-law ( he's the manager of a MAJOR retail body products shop), I'm publishing my body butter.  Sorry, Dustin, but your store is no where near me, and I NEED quality products in my life :-)

1/2 cup Shea Butter

1/4 cup Coconut Oil

1/4 cup Olive Oil

Melt Shea Butter in a double boiler .  

Remove from heat.

Mix in Coconut Oil and Olive Oil.

Let the mixture cool.  It will turn opaque when it's ready.

Get out that hand mixer and mix on high for 3 - 5 minutes.

DONE!

I store mine in an old Earth Balance container on the bathroom counter.  It is wonderfully creamy and feels fantastic.  WORD OF CAUTION  A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY!!!!


I use this all over, INCLUDING my face - - it's great for those pesky wrinkles!!






and now...

lemon enzyme cleaner

2 cups lemons chopped into small pieces

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon yeast

1 liter tap water

Take a 2 liter bottle and add the brown sugar in the bottom, followed by the yeast.  Next, add the lemons and finally the water.  

Screw the lid on and shake gently about 30 seconds to dissolve the sugar.  MAKE SURE TO RELEASE THE LID AFTERWARDS A LITTLE -- YOU DON'T WANT AN EXPLOSION!!

Mark the date on the bottle and check daily for 2 weeks, gently mixing the ingredients each day.

TA DA!!!  You have your own cleaner.  

FINE PRINT:  THIS IS A CONCENTRATED CLEANER.  MIX WITH WATER TO USE.  I'LL UPDATE YOU ON THE VARIOUS USES WHEN MY FIRST BATCH IS READY !!

all in all, yesterday was very productive...

I must admit, when I decided to try this experiment, I thought I was crazy!  But I think it will really help me to discover forgotten talents and to be more grateful for things I normally wouldn't think twice about.  

LIFE IS SHORT - PRAY HARD!