by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on November 12, 2009
Because I’m ALL ABOUT honesty and transparency here on the site…I’m going to share this #FAIL with you!
I made the below recipe. And washed it down the sink.
I was super sad and bummed because I had used tomatoes from the garden.
It went like this on Twitter…
I had a few folks offer links and recipes for their favorite tomato soups…but I really just wasn’t into making another one. And when asked by Lynn what went wrong, I said this…
So there you have it. My fail!
I ended up making a quick “Italian stirfry” with mixed frozen Italian style veggies, 2 diced chicken breasts and some pasta. All in the same skillet. I’ll share the specifics on that recipe another day.
I’m off to mourn the loss of my precious garden tomatoes. Lost, tragically, in this failed experiment!
(I will say that the roasting tomatoes turned out a most heavenly scent throughout the house this afternoon!)
Ingredients
About 2 lbs. Roma tomatoes (I used some I had frozen from the garden…FREE!)
Few drizzles of olive oil ($.05)
Pinchful of dried basil (free!)
Pinchful of garlic powder (as I’m all out of fresh garlic!) ($.05)
Salt and freshly cracked pepper
3 cups homemade chicken stock (free)
Salt and pepper to taste
Bread slices for Toast ($.50)
Butter or dairy-free margarine
2 large or 3 small broccoli heads ($.82)
**I would have like to have served some grilled cheese sandwiches or homemade parmesan croutons/sticks, but opted for toast to keep it dairy free!
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400. Place Roma tomatoes snuggly into a baking dish or pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle dried or fresh chopped basil, garlic powder and salt and pepper over the top. Roast the tomatoes for 30-40 minutes in the preheated oven.
2. Once roasted, place the chicken stock and roasted tomatoes into a blender or food processor and puree. Pour into saucepan and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Toast the bread. Or make grilled cheese or homemade parmesan croutons!
4. Steam broccoli in stovetop steamer or in a microwaveable bowl with 1/4 cup of water, covered with plastic wrap, for 4-5 minutes.
5. Serve Roasted Tomato Soup with Toast and Broccoli.
Cost $1.42
Print This Post
by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on November 12, 2009
by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on November 12, 2009
***UPDATED: This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to the winner Deanna (#217!)
How would you like to have THIS…
…delivered WARM to your doorstep?!? Just in time for your holiday meal…or your holiday party…or just for dinner!
The Bob Evans Holiday Farmhouse Feast is the perfect solution for a cookless, low-stress holiday season.
The Farmhouse Feast comes complete with Bob Evans’ signature slow-roasted boneless turkey breast or sliced, boneless ham, bread and celery dressing, mashed potatoes with gravy, buttered sweet corn, green beans with ham, cranberry orange relish, rolls, a loaf of pumpkin bread and a pumpkin pie with whipped topping. The turkey and ham are both pre-cooked.
Bob Evans will also be offering the Farmhouse Feast anytime during December for your holiday entertaining or your Christmas meal. If you are interested in ordering, you can learn more on their website. The website contains ordering information, heating instructions (as some reheating will be necessary), and a FAQ page.
So here’s how you can get this meal delivered to your doorstep…just enter as normal below. The winner will then get to choose the date they would like their meal delivered. Anytime between now and New Year’s!
Giveaway Details
1. Contest ends Sunday, November 15th at 5 pm EST. Winner will be announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions.
2. Entry #1: Leave a comment just saying you want this magnificant feast delivered to your doorstep.
3. Entry #2: Leave a SEPARATE comment telling me in what way you promoted this contest (i.e., posting it in a forum, posting about it on your blog, Tweet about it, emailing all your friends, and/or subscribe to my feed by email or in a reader).
4. Entry #3: Share your favorite Thanksgiving side dish…feel free to leave a link!
5. Winner will be selected by Random.org.
**NOTE: If you receive the email newsletter and wish to enter this giveaway, click on the title of this giveaway to get to the site and leave a comment on the site with your name and email address to be entered!
*Disclosure: I will be receiving this meal WARM on my doorstep next week.
by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on November 12, 2009
Before heading up to Orrville for the “Inside The J.M. Smucker Company Pantry” bloggers event, this is what I thought when I imagined the Smuckers brand…
This…
And this…
and this.
And that’s it!
I was quite surprised to learn about all the other brands they own. Such as…
Crisco
Hungry Jack
Jif
Pillsbury Baking
Folgers
And several more!!!
I enjoyed learning about how they’ve acquired these brands in the past few decades and years as they continue to grow the company!
“With a Name Like Smuckers…It Has to Be Good!”
by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on November 11, 2009
A big thanks to Justine for sharing this recipe with me! I tossed in some diced ham I had in the freezer.
Easy. Quick. Delicious!
And by quick. I mean less than 15 minutes quick! Just get the pasta boiling and work on the rest while the pasta is cooking. 15 minutes. That’s it!!!!
This would be fantastic with leftover holiday ham! If you’re planning/thinking that far ahead!!!
Ingredients
1 pound bow-tie pasta, but I used fusili because its what I had! ($.50) Bought recently with $1/2 coupon when on sale for $1 
1 Tbsp vegetable oil ($.05)
1 bunch broccoli (about 1 lb) florets ($.76)
1 Tbsp minced garlic ($.05)
2 cups chicken broth (free if homemade!) **See my note below
2 cups cooked, diced ham ($1.50) **This was not in the original recipe!
1 15 oz. can of cannellini or white beans, rinsed ($.79)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice ($.05)
1/4-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese ($.25)
16 oz. bag of frozen corn ($.88) On sale this week!
**I used water instead of broth because I used ham. I figured the ham would give the water some flavor and didn’t want the chicken and ham flavors to clash! If you want a vegetarian version, then use vegetable broth and omit the ham.
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to package direction.
2. While pasta cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add broccoli and garlic; stir over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes until broccoli is bright green. Add broth (or water) and cook 2 to 3 minutes until broccoli is crisp tender. Stir in diced ham, beans and lemon juice.
3. Drain pasta and put into a warmed large serving bowl. Add broccoli mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Toss to mix well.
4. Cook frozen corn as indicated on package instructions.
5. Serve Pasta with White Beans and Broccoli and Corn.
**I only sprinkled the cheese into Steve and mine’s bowls. Easy to keep this meal dairy-free by omitting the cheese!
Cost $4.83
Print This Post
by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on November 11, 2009
While at Smuckers, a food photography team and a food stylist shared with us several different easy and practical tips for taking fabulous food photos…using what you have! Without fancy equipment and without spending lots of money on “props.” Now we’re talking!
The food sytlist is preparing a plate of cookies. Here are a few tips:
- Use a bamboo stick to move small pieces of food or crumbs around on the plate.
- Use unphotographed food/crumbs to replace “holes” and fill in shadow-y spaces.
- Use a small brush with a dab of water to help the food glisten and shine.
- Change the angles and arrangements of the food on the plate until you get the look and feel you want.
- Experiment with colors, sizes and shapes of plates and napkins/placemats
The food photography team also gave us some fantastic tips:
- Shoot the food on its level, or from above…not from a standing position
- Use natural light, in a windowsill or on a table near a window
- Use the macro setting (the little tulip symbol) for the best depth of field
- Use paper towels as white light reflectors
- Use cake “cards” (covered in gold foil) to add a gold warm color to the food
- Shoot a whole slew of photos, move the food around, take different angles…let the shoot evolve until you get the photograph that’s perfect for your subject
Our turn. We got hands on experience! I LOVED this part! Here is the work station. The possibilities were endless.
I started with the frosting. I hadn’t used this brand before, so I did a little experimenting with designs.
Then I decorated a sugar cookie with vanilla icing. With “dots.” And sprinkled crushed candy canes on top.
Grabbed a pale green oblong plate. Stacked the cookies. Put the plate on a red placemat in the windowsill.
And shot the cookies. I experimented with the white paper towels, the gold foiled cake “card.” And different angles.
I just loved the hands-on experience of this session!
And here is the professional photograph of my cookies (including the M&M cookie!)
Thanks to Smuckers for including this in our day!!!
Next up…the brands of Smuckers…
Disclosure: This was an all-expense paid blogger’s event. You can read more about the $5 Dinners Disclosure Policy here.
by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on November 10, 2009
This recipe is from the fabulous Stephanie O’Dea’s Make it Fast, Cook it Slow Cookbook. I just can’t get enough of her recipes! If you don’t own this book, you should!
Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil ($.10)
1 beaten egg ($.10)
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts ($2.31)
1/2 cup bread crumbs ($.20)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese ($.25)
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning ($.02)
Couple shakes of salt and pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese ($.75) Bought this week with store mailer coupon
1 26 oz. can favorite marinara sauce ($1) On sale for $1
1/2 pound spaghetti noodles ($.25) Bought recently with $1/2 coupon when on sale for $1, only used half the package!
1 box frozen spinach (free) Used free item coupon this week
Directions
1. Place olive oil in the base of the slow cooker.
2. In small bowl, whisk the egg. In another small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese (omit if dairy free!), Italian seasonings and salt and pepper.
3. Dip each chicken breast into the egg, then coat with the bread crumbs mixture. Then place into the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with handful of shredded mozzarella cheese. Pour marinara sauce over the top.
4. Cook in the slow cooker on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
5. Just before dinner, prepare your favorite pasta according to package instructions. I choose whole wheat spaghetti noodles.
6. Cook frozen spinach as directed on package.
7. Serve Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan over Pasta with Spinach.
Cost $4.98
Print This Post
by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on November 10, 2009
by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on November 10, 2009
This week I went to Kroger. Determined to get through the store without my water breaking! That has always been my biggest fear…ever since hearing that in a labor video when we were in the Dominican Republic (my oldest was born there and there were no birthing classes.) I digress.
I will say that I am most impressed with the customer service at Kroger and Walgreens. I wanted to knock out my errands first thing in the morning while I still had a few ounces of energy. So I braved it and took the kids. By the time I got to the checkout it must have been painfully obvious that I was struggling. Talk about a pre-natal workout!!!
So they loaded all the groceries onto the conveyor belt (leaning into the depths of the cart to pull things out would not have been pretty at this point!), helped me out to the car, put the groceries in the car, even lifted the kids out of the racecar cart! And at Walgreens they carried my diapers out to the car for me. My back and belly say, ”THANKS!!!”
I was at Walgreens to take advantage of this amazing Huggies diaper deal (except I got 5 packs) (See tower below!)
Kroger
The personalized store coupons from Kroger came on Saturday. And I knew that I needed to use some of them before baby…lest I forget about them in the blurriness and haze of having a newborn!
**If you have a Kroger Plus Card and you are not getting personalized “best customer” coupons in the mail every 8-10 weeks, then stop at the customer service desk and request these!
*HOT DEALS*
Free - I had LOTS of free item coupons from various places…mailings, free samples, General Mills trip…so I decided to take advantage of those this week. I was afraid I might forget about them and they’d expire. What I got free: 4 large boxes of Kix, Herbal Essence Shampoo (from P&G mailer), 2 cans Dole Fruit, 2 sausages, 2 bags lettuce (store mailer), dozen eggs (store mailer),
Produce – Used a $4/$20 Produce coupon from Kroger mailer, Bananas for $.39/lb (stocked up to freeze for smoothies), 2 pineapples (used this coupon), squash is still $.49/lb!, Clementines for $3.87/3lbs. (I imagine this isn’t the best sale price…should be lower as we go through winter.)
Cereal - My last major cereal stockup happened in August. And it was about time for another one. And I’m SO thankful that the Rice Chex was included in the GM cereal promotion this week! Rice Chex is the boys’ favorite (and it’s GF…although we are not entirely GF, I limit gluten where I can!). And it’s RARELY on sale…and runs $3.50/box! Eeks. With coupons, this week I bought a few boxes for $1.89/box.
Total spent at Kroger: $56.42
Total spent at Walgreens: $27.46 – $3.75 Caregivers Marketplace ($.75 per pack) = $23.71 for 5 packs!
Total for the week: $80.13
Don’t believe these prices? My grocery store’s ad scan!
Want healthy and inexpensive meal ideas, the hottest coupons and other money saving tips delivered to your inbox??? Sign up for the FREE $5 Dinners Email Newsletter!
by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on November 9, 2009
Tonight’s Recipe comes from Alisa of One Frugal Foodie! She shares a Vegan/Vegetarian (optional), Dairy-Free, Soy-Free (use a chickpea miso), Gluten-Free, Peanut-Free recipe tonight!
Alisa blogs at One Frugal Foodie with a focus on using whole foods to create inexpensive, healthy recipes. She is also the founder of Go Dairy Free , the website, and author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook. She currently resides in beautiful Lake Tahoe – okay, not actually in the lake, but next to it!
Ingredients
1 Teaspoon Grapeseed or Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
3 Cups Chicken Broth or Chicken-Flavored Vegetarian Broth*
¾ lb Potatoes, diced into ½ inch cubes (I used red potatoes, skin and all, but Yukon Gold would be beautiful in this)
¼ Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Cashew Butter (optional, but a nice addition for flavor and texture)
1 Tablespoon Light Miso**
1 Teaspoon Dried or Fresh Chives
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Directions
1. Heat the oil over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and sauté until fragrant, just 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add in the broth, potatoes, and onion powder, and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low again, cover and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until those potatoes are nice and tender.
3. Place the soup and potatoes in your blender (may need to do this in two batches) along with the cashew butter and miso. You may want to let it cool for a few minutes, and make sure you secure the lid as you puree the soup until it is nice and smooth (lest some of that hot liquid go flying!).
4. Return the soup to the pot, add the chives and black pepper to taste, and heat it to your desired temperature.
5. Serve topped with wonton strips or your favorite crumbled crackers. I used some wonderful flour tortilla strips (not unlike wonton strips) that were leftover from a dinner out.
* If you are watching your sodium, feel free to used reduced-sodium broth, I tested with regular though.
**Miso is sold in the refrigerated section of many grocers and Asian markets. I buy a sizable tub for around $3.50 at Whole Foods, and it lasts quite a while. It keeps for around 6 months (I believe) once opened, so it easily fits on the convenient frugal foodie list, and adds a nice jolt of salty flavor. You can get several different types of misos, but a light soy miso or chickpea miso is what I would recommend for this one.
Yields: 2 Servings
Print This Post
__________________________________________________
Have a Frugal and Healthy Recipe to share?
Post the recipe on your blog and then add the link below. Other guidelines can be found here. To make it easy for other readers to find your recipe, please leave the link that leads directly to your recipe post. Any links that lead to your homepage will be deleted. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to leave your recipe in the comments section!
Want healthy and inexpensive meal ideas, the hottest coupons and other money saving tips delivered to your inbox??? Sign up for the FREE $5 Dinners Email Newsletter!
Facebook
Twitter
Free Email Subscription
Subscribe
