Hearty, Healthy & Cheap: Barley and Lentil Soup

Here is a recipe with all the qualities I love. It's super healthy, super easy, it sticks-to-your-ribs, and it's inexpensive. Oh, and it's very, very tasty, too! In the photo, I served it with a big slice of bread machine whole wheat bread. Yumm-a-ramma!

Barley and Lentil Soup

1 c. onion, chopped

1 c. celery, chopped

2 c. carrots, sliced thin

1/8 t. garlic powder

1 x 14-oz. can diced tomatoes

1/4 c. lentils

3/4 c. pearl or hulled barley

7 c. water

3 vegetarian or chicken bouillon cubes, or 3 t. granules

1/2 t. dried rosemary, crushed

3/4 t. dried oregano, crushed

1/4 or more pepper

Add all ingredients to heavy soup pot. Cook 40 minutes or more until vegetables and barley are tender.

Enjoy

Lighter Fare for a Holiday Potluck

This time of year, the yummy, heavy, starchy food seems to come at us from all sides. Not that I don't enjoy it. I do, but we all just don't need to eat too much of it. I'm usually invited to a few pot-luck meals during this season, so I usually try to bring a lighter dish. Here's a colorful spinach and spring mix salad, easy on the hips. I'm pairing it up with some of my free salad dressings that I snagged earlier in the year.

Helathy blessings this season to you!

For more Thanksgiving recipes, go to the Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom.

Homemade "Magic" Sore Throat Elixir

No that the weather is changing for the lower temperatures, invariably there are allergies, sore throats and sniffles just around the corner, or maybe already here. I wanted to share with you a little recipe to ease the inflamed throats and stuffy sinuses.

My husband and I really think this sore throat tea is magic. It is incredibly soothing. The combination of the mint, lemon, honey, and tea really works a comforting wonder on an ailing upper respiratory system.

"Magic" Sore Throat Tea

One mug of boiling water

One green or black tea bag

One mint tea bag (peppermint or spearmint, or blend)

1-2 tsp honey, or to taste

1 T. lemon juice, or to taste

Have a healthy happy fall!

Black Beans Part 2: Five-Veggie Chili

I wanted to take a picture of this beautiful chili, but it was consumed all too quickly! When I make an extra big pot of black beans, half of it gets saved and goes into this chili. What we really like about it is the assortment of veggies that goes into it.

Margery's Five-Veggie Chili

1 lb. ground beef or turkey

diced small onion

diced bell pepper

1/2 lb. mushrooms, chopped small (portobello taste great!)

2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes

black beans (about 1/2 lb dry, cooked into about 3-4 cups)

1 T. Chili powder

1 t. paprika

1 t. oregano

1 T. parsley

1 t. cumin

3/8 t. cayenne pepper, or to taste

1-2 cups water to thin, according to preference.

Saute first four ingredients in large skillet until meat is cooked through. Add all ingredients to large pot, and simmer 30 minutes or longer.

Top with cheese if desired. I hope you like this as much as we do!

Healthy Eating: Black Beans & Rice

Here's another meal that makes its way into our once-per-week vegetarian dinner: Classic Black Beans and Brown Rice. We like to serve it with lots of cheese and something green. This is one of my son's favorite dinners. He never fails to compliment me on it and asks for seconds, too, an amazing thing for a 10-year-old meat-loving boy!!

I double the recipe and use the extra beans for chili con carne later in the week.

Classic Black Beans & Rice

(from Better Homes & Gardens "New" Cookbook, c. 1989 - lol)

1-1/8 c. black beans (1/2 pound)

1/2 c. shopped onion (I use onion powder usually.)

2 cloves garlic, minced (I use 1/2 t. garlic powder.)

1 bay leaf

3/4 t. salt, or to taste

1/2 t. fennel seed, crushed (I use my coffee bean grinder.)

1/4 to 1/2 t. ground red pepper

2 c. hot, cooked rice (We prefer brown rice.)

Rinse beans. In a large saucepan combine beans and 3 c. water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain beans in a colander and rinse. Return beans to the saucepan. Stir in onion and spices and 3 cups of fresh water. Bring to boiling;reduce heat. Cober and simmer about 2 hours, or until beans are tender, adding more water if necessary. Serves 4.

A Great Read: Are Coupons Only for Junk Food?

Crystal has posted a fantastic article HERE about couponing and healthy eating. Since Coupons and Healthy Eating are two of my favorite subjects, I found her post very compelling. Hop on over and have a great read!

A Great Deal on Raisins

I found a great deal on raisins, so I bought a great deal of raisins. (I hope to buy some more, too.)

Six pack of Sunmaid Raisins, $1.50 Advantage Buy at Publix. Use the 75c/1 store coupon from the Yellow Advantage Buy Flyer. This makes it 75c per pack!

Griddle Toasted Tortilla Chips

It's so true that necessity is the mother of invention. I had made a batch of our family's favorite Homemade Salsa but we ran out of store-bought corn tortilla chips before we ran out of salsa. I had made flour tortillas on a previous day for fajitas, and we had some left over. My husband was salivating over the salsa and despaired that there were no more chips left! What to do???

Whip out your griddle, slice up the tortillas, and toast them on medium high-heat until nicely browned! I flipped them a couple of times per side. They were surprisingly crisp and didn't get soggy in the salsa. Delicious!

Healthy Eating: Quick Homemade Granola

Here is a nice granola recipe that can be adapted easily to whatever you have on hand. These make a nice snack addition to bagged lunches. It's also delish in a bowl with milk.

Basic Granola

1 stick butter

1/2 c. honey

4 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

2 t. cinnamon

Melt together butter and honey. Pour over oats and stir well to coat. Bate at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Stir and bake 5 more minutes if desired.

Great add-ins before baking:

raw sunflower seeds

unsweetened coconut

pumpkin seeds

chopped walnuts

ground flax seeds

great add-ins after baking:

dark or golden raisins

chopped dates

dried cranberries

any other dried fruit

Would you like to see some great ideas for packable lunches? Head on over to Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom.

Whew! It's the Start of a New School Year

I've been quite frazzled with the start of the new school year. In my house that means two kids off to private school and one child homeschooled: two different release times, carpools, five meetings in the past few days, and no school lunches!

Packing lunches five days per week can be a daunting task. How do yo make it healthy for a growing body, packable, and interesting enough for a kid to eat? Add to that each person's eating likes and dislikes. How do you avoid the endless string of sandwiches.

Here are some ideas that I throw into the mix (along with the ever-present sandwiches.)

* Crackers with PB, cheese, or hummus. See this wonderful post on "snacky lunch"

* Something microwavable, like Easy Mac cups or Yakisoba noodles

* Pizza bagels

* Tortilla wraps (w/ homemade tortillas)

(Spicy mustard, honey ham, cheese, lettuce)

(All rolled up, and ready to go.)

My husband will also pack a simple tossed salad with a tiny container of dressing. This way, he can add it to the salad just before eating so that it doesn't get soggy. My kids will eat salad at home, but we haven't been adventuresome enough to try it at school.

I'd love to hear your creative school lunch ideas, too!

Healthy Eating: Whole Wheat Pancakes

When I make pancakes, I make up a huge batch and freeze the leftovers to have during the next week. To freeze, layer individual pancakes between waxed paper and store in a gallon zip-top bag. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds per pancake, or pop them into the toaster.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

4 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour (I used freshly milled soft white wheat.)

2 T. baking powder

3 c. skim milk

6 eggs

1/2 c. canola oil

Mix together dry ingredients. Add liquids. Stir just until mixed. Fry on a hot griddle.

Saving Money on Groceries 101: Meal Planning!

People ask me to tell them how to save money on groceries. Yes, shopping with coupons is fun, especially when you can "buy" several things for cheap or free. However, I have to say that the first and most important step in saving money on groceries is learning how to plan meals effectively. It's one of the most important jobs we have as moms, wives, keepers of the home, and for our own bodies. How do you plan interesting, nutritious foods that offer variety and are pleasing to the members of your household? Add to all that, how do we do that at an economical price, too?

When I first got married, I was mostly focused on my career. I barely knew how to cook a few things. Microwaved baked potatoes, spaghetti, and fish sticks were some of my "specialties." After 17 years of marriage, experience and practice add a lot. Here are a few more practical suggestions.

* Start by planning all your evening meals for the week.

In addition to the main protein source, include all the side items, veggies, fruit, grains and dessert if you are serving dessert. If you plan to go out to eat, include that event in your weekly meal plan. I find that having all my meals planned out ahead of the time GREATLY reduces my stress in the late afternoon. No fretting about "what are we going to have for dinner." It also helps me to work out that we have balance nutrition and ample variety during the week.

* Plan your meals based on what you have in your pantry and freezer.

At least half of my weekly meals are based on what I already have in my freezer and pantry. If you have a tough time thinking of what to plan, you can make a list of all the chicken dishes your family likes, all the beef dishes, all the pork dishes, etc.

* Plan your other meals around what is on sale this week.

Between using what is in my freezer & pantry, and perusing the sale flyers, I can usually fill up my meal plan for the week. Of course, when chicken breasts are on sale for 99c/lb, I buy up extra to stash in the freezer for following weeks. For ideas on how to use what is in your pantry or what is on sale this week at the stores, I recommend using web tools such as Allrecipes.com or DinnerTool.com. These web sites allow you to search for recipes based on your desired ingredients. Who needs to buy a cookbook anymore? The most exhaustive cookbook is at our fingertips: the internet!

* Consider adding vegetarian meals to your menu plan.

Vegetarian meals are usually low in saturated fat and high in plant-based nutrition. Plant-based meals are often lower cost than meat-based meals. Although I have a meat-loving husband, we have added vegetarian fare, or at least low-meat meals to our rotation, and he loves my veggie lasagna! For some ideas on veggie cooking once per week, you can visit www.meatlessmonday.com.

* Add a breakfast meal for dinner.

Here is something that helps add variety for dinner. We don't regularly cook big breakfasts in the morning, so having this for dinner usually pleases the crowd. You can't tell me that thinking about bacon, eggs or omelets, biscuits, fruit salad, smoothies, sausage, bacon, waffles, pancakes, and scones doesn't make your mouth water!

* Have an alternate meal idea, just in case.

Sometimes best-laid plans still run awry. It's always a good idea to have a backup plan. Sometimes you get home later in the afternoon due to unexpected delays. Sometimes someone gets sick and your time should be focused on helping your sick one. Sometimes you get sick. Having a quick meal in the freezer helps avoid the temptation to "run out and pick something up." Or, you can have sandwiches, an easy pasta dish, or some other alternative plan. We all know that home cooking tastes better and is better for you than take out. (LOL!)

* Add more meals into your meal plan.

Once you have mastered planning seven evening meals, begin adding more meals to your plan. Add in a special weekend breakfast. Plan ahead a few meals for the following week. Do you have a special meal on Sunday after church? Some frugal home keepers plan out each meal and snacks every day. (I confess that I do not meal plan to this level.)

* Check out some meal planning blogs.

I'm always keeping my eyes open for fresh, nutritious, frugal meals. There are a lot to be had around the blogging world. You can check out these wonderful sites to glean some new ideas.

www.orgjunkie.com hosts menu planning Monday. Find out what's on her menu and the menus of others.

www.5dollardinners.com has some interesting low-cost meals based on what is on sale in your area.

www.lifeasmom.com hosts an "Ultimate Recipe Swap" every Thursday on a different topic. I have found some great recipes there, too.

Blessings to you and to your meal planning efforts!

Healthy Eating: Chicken Parmesan

I can't believe I've never made this before!! I served chicken parmesan last night, and it was soooo delish. Of course, everything was purchased with coupons from the tomatoes, to the chicken, to the pasta. We rounded out the meal with steamed broccoli on the side and organic cherries.

First, I made crispy chicken tenders from FishMama's recipe HERE.

The marinara sauce recipe is from my friend Charlotte. The sauce was really inexpensive since I used two cans of tomatoes bought with a coupon, and fresh basil leaves from the garden. I confess that I have almost always used jarred marinara sauce in the past, but this sauce was incredible, and so simple to make.

Charlotte's Marinara Sauce

2 T. olive oil

4 med. cloves garlic minced *

2 14-oz. cans diced tomatoes with juice

Coarse salt & fresh ground pepper

1/4 c. basil leaves, torn

2 t. sugar (I added this to cut the acidity slightly)

Combine oil and garlic in pan. Turn heat to medium. Cook until garlic is fragrant but not brown.

Stir in tomatoes, salt, and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add basil & simmer for 1 minute more.

* We are not big garlic fans, so I just used a little sprinkle of garlic powder instead. Also, I used one can of unsalted diced tomatoes and one can of Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes. I mashed them a little with a potato ricer as well. I did not add extra salt, but the fresh ground black pepper added a nice little zing.

Healthy Eating: Adding More Veggies to Your Family's Diete

I am always looking for ways to get more veggies into our family's diet. You almost can't have too much. I decided to take their favorite foods, and figure out ways to add veggies. Here is a favorite at our house. My kids love tacos. We eat them frequently.

Finely chopped sweet bell peppers blend easily into the taco filling. Just cook them along with the ground meat. At first, I used yellow or orange peppers. They are nearly invisible when all the seasoning has been added. As they got used to this, I switched to green peppers. In this photo, I used sweet banana peppers and green bell peppers from the garden.

Here's what the filling looks like finished. The green peppers are still a little visible, but now my kids are used to it, and they complain that it doesn't taste right if I don't add them! Ha!

What do you do to get more veggies into your family's diet?

Healthy Eating: Blueberry-Pecan Cobbler

My husband and I are really, really fond of blueberries. They are a nutritional powerhouse, and chocked full of all kinds of good things. I also do not make very many desserts, as we value healthy eating, and most desserts do not fall into that category. However, when the middle of summer rolls around and blueberries go on sale, you can guarantee that this cobbler will be on the dessert menu! This represents summer to us the same way that pumpkin pie goes with Thanksgiving.

This original recipe came from Southern Living magazine almost a decade ago. I still have the dog-eared magazine page. Their original recipe can be found here. I have tweaked the ingredients slightly, and here is my altered version.

Blueberry Pecan Cobbler

3 pints fresh or frozen blueberries

1 c. sugar

3 T. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1/3 c. water

2 T. lemon juice

1 t. vanilla extract

1 (15-oz. package refrigerated pie crust, or *homemade pie crust*)

1/2 c. chopped pecans, toasted (or slightly more)

Vanilla ice cream

Bring first 7 ingredients to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar melts. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Spoon half of blueberry mixture into a lightly greased 8-inch square pan. Role 1 pie crust to 1/8" thickness, and cut an 8" square. Place over blueberry mixture. Sprinkle with pecans.

Bake at 475 degrees for 10 minutes. Spoon remaining blueberry mixture over baked crust.

Roll remaining piecrust to 1/8" thickness. Cover top of cobbler, and add vent holes (or make a lattice crust.)

Bake at 475 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Serves 5 - 6.

Healthy Eating: Sweet & Hot Pork

This recipe is almost like a Mexican Stir-Fry. The heat comes from the salsa, and the sweet from the jelly. Serve it over white or brown rice.

Sweet & Hot Pork

12 oz. lean pork, cut into chunks

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 T. taco seasoning

1/3 - 1/2 c. peach preserves*

8 oz. your favorite salsa

fresh chopped cilantro (about 1 T.)

fresh chopped basil

1/2 t. cumin

1/2 t. chili powder

a few shakes of hot sauce to taste (I use 8 - 10)

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 T. flour

cooked rice

Cook pork & peppers in skillet until done. Mix in all other ingredients. Bring to simmer and cook 5 - 10 additional minutes to allow flavors to blend. Serve over cooked rice.

* I have also used apple jelly, orange marmalade, seedless raspberry preserves, or whatever I have on hand.

Favorite Frugal Breakfasts: Blueberry Oatmeal

Super Healthy and Super Frugal

Here is one of my all-time favorite breakfasts! A few years ago, my husband gave up eating the little oatmeal packs because they usually contain so much sugar. I started buying quick-cook oats, and then we moved to the old-fashioned rolled oats. I'll never go back, and it is so very simple to cook in the microwave!

Blueberry Oatmeal

1/2 c. old-fashioned oats

1 c. skim milk

1 t. brown sugar (or sucanat)

1 pinch cinnamon

1/4 - 1/2 c. blueberries

Mix the first 4 ingredients in a wide-rimmed bowl. Microwave at 50% power for five minutes. (This is a good time for me to unload the dishwasher from the previous night's dishes!) Add blueberries, and enjoy!

This breakfast is packed with a full serving of dairy (1/3 of daily calcium requirement), fiber, whole grains, and a full serving of fruit. This really seems to power me up if I have a strenuous workout planned for later in the morning.

I've also eaten it with raisins, strawberries, cherries, or just plain.

Healthy Eating: Making your own Stir-Fry Sauce

(Chicken, Broccoli, and Mushroom Stir-Fry)

When my all-time favorite store-bought stir-fry sauce approached $4 per bottle, I decided to start experimenting with making my own. I just looked at the ingredient list on the label, and went from there. About two-years later, I think I have just about perfected it!

Do you think it's too hard to make your own sauce? Do you think it would take too much time? So did I, but I decided to give it a try, and it is very easy, and takes about three minutes! It's also very, very frugal! I haven't done a cost breakdown, but I think it is about 25c per batch, so in a way, I'm saving $3.75 for 3-minutes worth of work. That works out to be $75/hour equivalent. It's worth it to me to go to the small trouble of making my own sauce.

I use this sauce with any type of stir fry. You can adjust the seasonings to suit your family's taste.

Margery's Stir Fry Sauce

1/4 c. soy sauce (or tamari sauce, or Bragg's Liquid Aminos, which I frequently use)

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. orange juice

1/3 c. water

1 t. powdered ginger

1/2 t. crushed red pepper

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. onion powder

Mix all these in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Dissolve 2 T. cornsarch in about 1/4 c. water. Slowly add to simmering pan, stirring constantly until sauce thickens.

I add this to my stir fry about 3 to 5 minutes from the end of the cooking time.

Please visit LifeAsMom.com for the Ultimate Recipe Swap on other chicken dishes!

Healthy Eating: Super Scrumptious Lentils & Rice

One of my favorite ways to pump up our family's nutrition and to reduce our grocery bill at the same time is by preparing a vegetarian dinner once per week. Meat is usually one of the highest dollar items in our grocery budget. Vegetarian meals are usually based around low-cost protein such as whole grains, legumes, and eggs. Vegetable-based dinners are packed full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants. Most Americans are sorely lacking in at least a few of these departments.

I also find that going vegetarian once per week helps to add more variety into our diets, so there is less of, "Mom, why do we have to have chicken again?" or some similar complaint. I find that by adding a little shredded cheese atop most of our vegetarian fare makes the dish delectable (or at least palatable - LOL) to my young ones. Additionally, teaching our children to eat healthy vegetarian foods, like beans and rice, paves the way for healthy eating habits into adulthood.

There is another benefit to eating vegetarian once per week, it reduces the amount of energy consumption and thus greenhouse gases pumped into the atmosphere. Bringing meat to our tables includes a long energy-intensive, and frequently chemical-laden, chain of raising livestock on farms: Animal feed and fertilizer to grow the feed, big transportation energy consumption, meat processing, etc. According to New York Times food writer Mark Bittman in his new book Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating, "Switching to a vegetable based diet only one day a week is equivalent to driving 1,160 fewer miles in a year." So next time you savor a forkful of beans and rice, know that you are doing something good for your body, good for your wallet, and good for your planet!

Savory Lentils & Rice

1 c. lentils

1 c. brown rice

2 c. vegetable broth (or chicken broth, or water plus bouillon granules)

1 c. water

1/2 chopped onion (or 1-2 T. onion powder)

2-3 T. olive oil

Bring water and broth to a boil, add lentils, rice, onion, and seasonings. Reduce heat to simmer, and cook 45 minutes.

Top with cheese or homemade salsa. I made the salsa in the photo above from tomatoes from my parents' garden. Super-duper delicious.

Healthy Eating: Refreshing Summer Beverages

It is so very hot in the South now. One of the best ways to cool off is with a cool, refreshing iced drink. Although we do occasionally drink sodas and powdered drink mixes, some of our favorite summer beverages are simple, all-natural, and low in calories!

Ice Water with a Twist of Lemon or Lime

Perk up your ice water with a bit of citrus. It's so hydrating and very cooling.

Juice Water

Add 1/4 cup or so of your favorite dark juice to a glass of ice water. It gives a nice, light flavor to the cool, hydrating water. The glass in the photo has been made with cranberry-pomegranate juice.

Celestial Seasonings Iced Herbal Tea

This is probably my favorite. (You could use another brand, but this is what I usually have.)

Grab a few of your favorite herbal tea bags (4-8 individual sized bags).

Add 2 quarts of boiling water. Steep for 30 minutes to several hours.

I enjoy such flavors as raspberry zinger, true blueberry, and peppermint. I frequently mix flavors, too.

Chill, and serve over ice. For a nice sweetener, add a splash of 100% fruit juice such as apple, grape, blueberry-pomegranate, or whatever you have.

Grandma's Classic Southern Sweet Tea

This is a favorite at mealtimes with hubby.

Add 4 family-sized tea bags to pitcher. Add 2 quarts just-boiled water. Steep for 20-30 minutes.

Remove tea bags and add 3/4 to 1 c. sugar. Cool completely to room temperature before chilling in refrigerator.