the portable pie: a strawberry, rhubarb, and lemon crostata!

happy memorial day, everyone!  i hope you are all enjoying a relaxing day off!  it seems to me that memorial day is one of the biggest cook-out and grill-fest days of the year.  while dad cooks up those brats and mom cuts the watermelon, let me share a delicious, portable, and summery dessert that should make your whole family happy!

when my mom and her brothers and sisters were growing up, my grandparents had a rhubarb plant in the backyard.  around this time of the year, the rhubarb would start to grow tall and fast, resembling blood-red celery.  its tart, fruity flavor was always one my mom loved, and she'd go out back with a sugar shaker and eat it right out of the garden.  to this day, she still loves rhubarb and waits patiently for it to show up at our local grocery.

this year, i thought i would make something with rhubarb that was a little more rustic than a lattice-topped pie, but equally as delicious.  i walked by the most gorgeous strawberries at the market and picked up a pint, snagged a bright yellow lemon, and four long stalks of rhubarb.  i wanted to make something that could be slicked apart and eaten without a knife and a fork.  so, with a final stop at the dairy section, i picked out my favorite prepared pie crust and headed home to make a strawberry, lemon, and rhubarb crostata.

okay, wait, what is a crostata?  its a fancy name for a free-form pie.  don't have a pie plate?  no problem!  don't want to spend all that time crimping pie edges and latticing the top?  you don't have to!  want to make an adorable and portable version of any pie?  then the crostata is just the thing for you!  we'll get to how to form this mythical pastry in a moment.  but first:  the filling.

here's what you'll need for the crostata filling: (makes two crostatas)
-3 cups of rhubarb, chopped
-3 cups of strawberries, sliced or quartered
-2/3 c. packed brown sugar (dark or light)
-1/3 c. granulated sugar (depending on how sweet your strawberries are)
-1/4 c. cornstarch
-2 tbsp. lemon juice
-2 tbsp. lemon zest
-1 tsp. cinnamon
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 egg (for egg wash)

first, cut off the woody ends of the rhubarb stalks and discard them.  then, with a sharp knife, slice the rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces.  quarter or slice your strawberries and toss them in with the rhubarb.

next, add the brown sugar, white sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt, and toss making sure all the fruit is coated with the mixture.  then, add the lemon juice and lemon zest for a tangy kick and to prevent the fruit from turning brown.

then, take the pie dough from the box and spread out one 9-inch round on an aluminum-lined baking sheet.  place half of the filling in the center of the dough, making sure to leave a generous two-inch border all the way around.

once the filling is in the center, fold one side of the dough up so that it overlaps the edge of the filling.  then, continuing around the crostata, fold more and more of the dough over itself (overlapping as you fold) and on to the filling of the pie.  make sure to leave the center uncovered-- you want to see the fruit poking through!  repeat this process with the other pie crust and place them next to each other on the baking sheet.

finally, brush the outside of the pies with a little egg wash (one beaten egg, a splash of water) and sprinkle the top with a healthy amount of sugar.  this gives the pie a shiny finish and a sweet crunch.  i like to add a little fresh lemon zest right on the top!

bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes, checking on it throughout and rotating the sheet halfway through.  depending upon the amount of filling and the thickness of your crust, the crostatas could take even around an hour to finish baking.  just keep an eye on them until they are bubbly and golden brown.

when they emerge from the oven, let them cool for 20 minutes!  i know you don't want to.  but you must, or else you'll have a very burned roof of your mouth.  (trust me, i made this mistake!)  once they are cooled, leave them just as they are or serve with serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  if you have the foresight to make them in advance, they should hold up to slicing and eating even without a plate!

the combination of strawberry, rhubarb, and lemon brings back summer memories of my own childhood, and i hope you make this delicious dessert and make memories with your family, too :)

enjoy!

hearty, healthy, and ready in a flash!

have you ever had one of those nights where no two people in your family are ever in the house at the same time?  where soccer practice, after-work meetings, parent-teacher conferences and dance class get in the way of dinner time?

well, when I was growing up, my family definitely had those nights.  its tempting to just stop by a fast-food restaurant on the go instead of finding time (and the energy!) to cook dinner. but let's face it-- fast-food is hard on your waistline, arteries, and your wallet.

so what would you say to a weeknight meal that sticks to your ribs (hearty!), is full of veggies and good vitamins and minerals (healthy!), is only FIVE ingredients (cheap!), and is ready in 15 minutes (fast!)?  i guarantee you can make this meal any night of the week, and it will be hot and steamy whenever your family rolls in the door!  get ready for a delicious bowl of italian wedding soup!

here's what you need:
-two quarts of chicken stock (low sodium, so you can control the salt)
-1/2 pound of mini shell pasta (whole wheat!  they'll never taste it!)
-1 pound turkey meatballs, cut in quarters
-2 packages (16oz) frozen spinach (thawed)
-2 cups marinara sauce

this is literally a fool-proof and absolutely delicious recipe!  start by cooking the pasta in boiling salted water for 5 minutes.  we definitely want to undercook the pasta, even a little tougher than al-dente, because the shells will finish cooking in the chicken broth.  while the pasta is boiling, put the frozen chopped spinach in a microwave safe bowl and thaw it out.  this should take about 8 minutes, stirring once or twice.

in a large soup pot, warm up the 2 quarts (64oz) of low-sodium chicken stock with a nice pinch of black pepper.  once the pasta is par-cooked, drain it and put it aside to cool off for a moment.  take the spinach out of the microwave and just make sure that it is no longer frozen.  *hint: keep that spinach water!  all of the vitamins and minerals that make spinach so good for you are cooked down when spinach is heated and remain in the green water.  don't throw it away!  since this is a soup, save the water and add it in the broth with the spinach!

and now, its time to assemble!  in with the chicken broth, add the spinach and all of its water.

then, add the quartered turkey meatballs and mini shells.  this is a perfect way to get more whole grains in to your family's diet-- they will never know its not white pasta when its mixed in the delicious soup!

lastly, finish it off with two cups of your favorite marinara or tomato sauce.  this adds a great subtle tomato flavor and a beautiful blush to the soup.  bring the entire soup just to a boil, and then turn the heat off.  and there it is: quick, healthy and hearty italian wedding soup!

serve with crusty rolls and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and I guarantee your family will love it.  the nice thing about this soup is that it gets better the longer it sits, so make a big pot and let everyone help themselves when they finally get home!

bon appetite!

minty sweets and holiday treats!

i finally finished the fall semester!  it seemed like one of the longest 4 1/2 months of my life (for various reasons), but i made it through with flying colors.  four classes, straight a's and one brand new language later, i am finally home and enjoying the holidays with my family.

one of our great many traditions in my house is making christmas candy to give away as gifts.  i was originally going to blog about the best, richest, smoothest, and most chocolatey fudge in existence, but my mother insisted it was a secret family recipe and my camera was not welcome in the kitchen that afternoon. we compromised and i talked my way in to photographing and sampling some decadent peppermint bark.  it is super easy to make and turn in to fabulous additions to the regular spread of christmas desserts.  let's get started!

for the peppermint bark, you can really choose whatever kind of chocolate you personally like.  the traditional combination is milk chocolate and white chocolate, but my family are dark chocolate lovers so we swapped the milk for dark.  i despise white chocolate but others seem to really enjoy it so we kept it in this batch (mostly because its a beautiful contrast against the dark chocolate!)  the only other ingredients you'll need are a little vegetable oil, peppermint oil (not extract-- i'll show you why later!) and crushed candy canes or peppermint candies.

the shopping list:
-one bag (12 oz.) dark chocolate chips
-one bag (12 oz.) white chocolate chips
-2 tbsp. vegetable oil (or any flavorless oil)
-1/2 to 1 tsp. peppermint oil (NOT EXTRACT!)
-crushed peppermint candies or candy canes

first thing's first: let me tell you about the terrible, terrible things that can happen to chocolate when it mixes with water.  this is a warning in advance so that you don't lose a whole entire batch of chocolate because it seized up!  water and chocolate DO NOT MIX.  even so much as one teensy weensy drop in the bowl you're using to melt in, or a damp bowl that's just been cleaned can ruin a batch of chocolate in no time flat.  make sure that whatever vessel you choose to melt in is perfectly dry and that no water comes in contact with the chocolate at any point!  you don't want your chocolate to look like this, but it should look like this instead!

okay so to start, grab a 9x13 inch baking sheet and either grease it with a little butter or spray it with nonstick spray (just to make sure the bark won't stick when you're all done).  take a large glass bowl and add your dark chocolate chips and one tbsp of vegetable oil (to keep the chocolate shiny!).  pop it in the microwave in 30 second increments at 3/4 power (gently melting), and stir every 30 seconds until the chocolate is all melted.  at this point, add your 1/2 tsp of peppermint oil* and stir together.

**side note: remember how we just talked about chocolate not liking water?  well if you wanted to make your chocolate pepperminty and added peppermint extract (which is like water) to your bowl, it would act just like water and seize up your beautiful dark chocolate.  instead, any baking supply store (and even some supermarkets now!) have peppermint OIL which is much stronger but in an oil form so it won't affect your chocolate!

when the chocolate is melted and the peppermint has been added, taste and see if its pepperminty enough for you.  remember, the white chocolate won't get peppermint flavoring so the dark chocolate needs to be pepperminty for both!  your chocolate will look like this:

once the chocolate is sufficiently pepperminty, pour it in to your buttered pan and smooth it out evenly with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula which is my favorite cooking utensil in the world and everyone should have one because they are the best okay sorry :)

put the dark chocolate in to the freezer to harden while you melt the white chocolate.  ideally the dark will chill for 20 minutes to get hard (unless you want to swirl your bark, in which case you'll need both chocolates to be liquid in order to make this design-- if you like this, pour the white on top of the still warm dark and swirl with a toothpick!)


melt the white chocolate the same way as the dark (no water, remember!) but this time don't add the peppermint oil or else the bark will be too strongly flavored.  while the white is melting and the dark is chilling, crush up some candy canes or peppermint candies in to small and larger chunks to sprinkle on the top of your white chocolate.  get this ready in advance because once you pour the warm white chocolate on the cold dark chocolate, the white will firm up almost instantly when it hits the cold dark chocolate and the peppermint candies won't stick when it sets!  my crushed pieces looked like this:

next, take the melted white chocolate and pour and spread it over the chilled dark chocolate.  while its still wet, sprinkle the white chocolate with the crushed candy pieces making sure to tap them in lightly with the palm of your hand to make sure that they stick. 

chill this entire pan in the fridge for an hour before you take it out and break it in to pieces.  you can either snap pieces off with your hands, or sometimes its even more fun to pick up the entire bark and drop it down again on to the pan.  it should shatter in to nice pretty chunks!  store this in the fridge until its time to give it away or snack on it during the holidays.  i hope you enjoy it!

happy holidays to you and yours!

apple pie bars? yes please!

i love autumn!  i know i've said it before, but its my all time favorite season and i love the flavors and colors that go along with it.  pumpkin, apples, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg... ahhhh.  it puts me in a good mood just thinking about it :)

a few weekends ago was the 50th anniversary of the oyhenart family in the united states, so my aunt planned what i began to call the "oyhenartextravaganza" for saturday night.  i had a free weekend before the craziness of concert week with the virginia belles, so i grabbed a train home and spent the weekend in fairfax.  when i got home, my mom informed me that we were responsible for bringing a main dish and a dessert-- and that she didn't want to cook either of them, so it was all up to me.  best news i'd heard in a long time!  i had free reign of our beautiful kitchen plus all the kitchen gadgets, so i was over the moon happy and ready to plan the meal.

for the main course, i made a beautiful chicken and merlot pot pie in a casserole dish and latticed the pie crust right on top.  it is a great make-ahead dish and we popped it in the warming drawer when we got to my aunt's house and it was ready when we were!

but, the dessert was my crowning glory.  i had been looking around for fall apple recipes and found an awesome food blog with the recipe for "szarlotka", or polish apple pie bars.  with a soft cakey bottom, a thick layer of roasted apples, and a crumble top-- i was sold.  you'll want to make these all year round, but they are absolutely perfect for autumn!

for the cake/biscuit base:
-1/2 c. butter
-1 1/4 c. sugar
-1 egg and 1 egg yolk
-1 1/4 c. flour
-1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
-1 tbsp. milk

this is a basic biscuit base, so cream the butter and sugar together with a hand mixer or a fork, add in the egg and egg yolk, and finally the milk.  mix until smooth and combined.  next, add the flour and baking powder (slowly) until everything is incorporated.  it should look like this:

here's what you'll need for the filling:
-8 granny smith apples
-2 tablespoons butter
-2 tablespoons sugar
-healthy dash of cinnamon

first, peel (painstakingly) and dice up all 8 granny smith apples.  its totally worth it, i promise!  your enormous pile of apples will look like this:

toss them in a large pan with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter and add the sugar and a large dash of cinnamon.  i like mine nice and cinnamony, so i added about a tablespoon.  but adjust this to your taste!  let the apples cook down on low, stirring a bunch, until the apples break down and get nice and soft.  here's the before and after:

                       

and finally for the crumble:

-1 1/4 c. flour

-3/4 c. sugar

-1/2 c. butter

-1 tsp cinnamon

-1/2 tsp nutmeg

cube the butter (make sure its super cold!) and add the sugar, flour, and spices right on top in a bowl.  using your hands-- yes, your hands!-- combine all the ingredients together until the butter makes everything in to nice, big crumbles.  looks good, no?

and now for the assembly:  

line a large glass pan (i used a 9x13) with parchment paper (or spray it with non-stick spray) and spread the biscuit batter in the bottom.  take care to spread it all the way out to the edges and keep the batter in a nice even layer.  

 

bake off the bars in the oven for 45-60 minutes at 325 and let them cool completely before you cut them. if you don't let them cool all the way (which, believe me, is difficult), then they won't come out in one piece.  so let them set!  once they're ready, use a sharp knife and slice out a perfect little square.  serve these with a little scoop of vanilla ice cream or just pick one up and pop it in your mouth! 

these were a big hit-- i hope you enjoy them!

sweeeeet corn tamale cakes

in my new apartment with my new (amazing) roommates, we decided that since all of us like to cook, we'd have apartment dinners twice a week on tuesday and thursday nights.  the four of us switch off so we each end up cooking once every two weeks.  it saves each of us some money and is a fun tradition we have together.  for my night the other week, i decided to make sweet corn tamale cakes with a few delicious salsa toppings, along with spicy black beans.

the inspiration for this meal was a cheesecake factory appetizer that my mom and i loveee to order every time we go.  there are countless websites that try to copy the myriad of dishes that they have on their menu, so i looked this one up and tried it out.  the corn cakes are just a softer version or cornbread and the pico de gallo and green tomatillo salsa on top are a perfect complement to the creamy cake.  i wanted something spicy on the side so i made up a pot of delicious black beans.  the meal is a little time consuming to prepare, but i made the cakes a day ahead of time, and just had to pop them in the oven and whip up the salsas just before dinner.  but this meal is worth the trouble, i promise!


first for the cakes, here's what you need.  this makes 12 cakes (2-3 per person)
-4 1/2 cups frozen corn
-6 tbsp. sugar
-1/2 c. butter, softened
-1/2 tsp. salt
-4 tbsp. flour
-1 1/4 c. masa harina (which is corn flour)

take the frozen corn and in a food processor, grind it down nice and fine.  do this in batches so that the corn doesn't thaw before you grind it (its much easier when its frozen).  here's what you're looking for:

in the mixer, add all the corn, butter, sugar and salt and pulse until everything is combined.  at this point, the corn will have defrosted so your mixture is going to be more liquidy.  pour the corn mixture into a large mixing bowl and stir in the corn flour slowly.  sprinkle in the flour at the very end only using as much as you need to tighten up the corn cake dough.  mine looked like this:

with your dough complete, you can either form the cakes and put them right on a greased baking sheet, or place them between wax paper to refrigerate.  i made the corn cakes about 2/3 inch thick and about the width of a soup can.  after i formed each cake, i dusted them with flour so they weren't as sticky.  these are pretty rustic, so don't worry if they aren't perfectly shaped!

bake these at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, flip, and bake for 5-7 more (or until golden brown).  be careful not to overbake these or they will get tough!  here are the beauties when they come out of the oven:

and now to the toppings:

check out one of my old posts for a recipe for my pico de gallo salsa.  

for the green tomatillo salsa, i used three large tomatillos (these papery tomatoes if you haven't heard of them!), sliced and added to a food processor with 1 4 oz. can of mild (or medium) green chiles, a handful of cilantro leaves, 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin, and a chopped green onion.  blend until combined and mostly smooth.  this salsa is incredibly bright and fresh-- perfect with the rich corn cakes.

lastly, the spicy black bean side dish.  this is my own creation made up as i went along, and it turned out deliciously.  its super simple, here's what you need:

spicy jalapeño black beans:

-2 cans black beans, rinsed
-1/2 can of fire roasted tomatoes
-1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
-1/2 vidalia onion, diced
-1 clove garlic, minced
-2 tbsp olive oil
-chili powder
-cumin
-salt and pepper

in a little bit of olive oil, sauté down the onion, garlic, and jalapeño until they are soft.  then, add the drained and rinsed black beans to the pot along with half a can of the fire roasted tomatoes.  stir until combined.  when warmed through, add 1 tsp or so of cumin, 1 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp of chili powder.  cook until all the flavors are combined (about 10 minutes or so).  the wonderful thing is that the black beans start to break down a little and the final product is a nice mixture between refried beans and baked beans.  here's what it looks like:

to assemble the final meal, my suggestion is to put the tomatillo salsa on the bottom of the plate, two corn cakes next, and then the pico de gallo right on top.  serve with a dollop of sour cream (or make it fancy with some fancy chipotle mayo or sour cream!) and a nice serving of black beans on the side.

these were perfect for a light mexican dinner and totally worth the trouble!  i hope you enjoy them as much as we all did!

jag älskar pannkakor

as a little diversion from my "kitchen basics", i would like to share another delicious swedish recipe.  this one is certainly not my own creation, but instead a recipe tried and true in the swedish culture-- pannkakor.

pannkakor, or "pancakes" in swedish, are very much like the french crepe, but are traditionally eaten sweet and not savory. some people like them with all the fixings: butter, sugar, jam, and creme; some just like them with a sprinkling of sugar.  however you like them, pannkakor are simple to make, filling, and very, very yummy.

you only need a few things:
-2 eggs
-2 1/2 c. milk
-1 1/4 c. flour
-1 tsp. salt
-melted butter (for the pan)

to make the batter, mix the eggs, milk, and salt together in a bowl with a whisk.  slowly add flour, whisking the whole time to avoid lumps.  whisk until smooth.  the batter should be fairly thin.

to cook the pancakes, add a little melted butter in a small skillet so that it lightly coats the bottom.  with the heat on medium to medium high, add a small ladle full of the pancake batter to the pan.  be careful not to use too much; the batter should *only* coat the bottom of the pan.  swirl the pan to make sure the batter is in an even thin layer.

these pancakes cook quickly, just keep and eye on the batter until it firms up and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan.  then, using a flexible spatula, loosen up the pancake and flip it over.  make sure the heat is fairly low because the pancakes will be thin like crepes and can burn easily.

once flipped, take the pancake out and lay it on a plate, and repeat the process until you use up all the batter.  you should be able to make about 15 pancakes with one batch.

i love pannkakor warm just as much as cold, so serve them right away and enjoy the leftovers from the fridge.  here are my favorite ways to eat these delicate swedish delights:

plain with a sprinkling of sugar (but rolled up!):

sugar and a side of strawberry jam:

or with a smear of nutella:

i hope you enjoy these as much as i do!

kitchen basics: how to shop the market

i am back from my scandinavian adventure and ready to share the next installment of kitchen basics!  this is arguably the most important post in this series because knowing how to prepare for the market, what to get, and controlling how much you spend on groceries are key for most shoppers and chefs.  you need to get the right ingredients, but not break the bank doing it.  let me show you how!

first of all, there is a little prep involved.  i know this is not something young-adults like to do (myself included sometimes), but if you take the time to make a list and do an easy peek for coupons, it can make all the difference in the world.

tip number one:  make a list 
never go in to a market without one.  if you do, you'll end up filling your basket with crap that you don't need (that is generally way overpriced).  here are some simple steps:

1. find your favorite grocery store in town.  i do not recommend a place like 'whole foods' for your everyday grocery shopping needs because it is a specialty market, and you'll pay specialty prices.  places like safeway, kroger, wegmans, or bloom have inexpensive basic ingredients and you can scout out the one with the best produce selection.  these stores also generally have customer rewards programs that give you great deals on the things you buy the most.

2.  go online (or to the newspaper circulars if you get those anymore!) and browse around the weekly ads on your store's website.  see whats on sale.  you'd be surprised how many discounts are available for the store brand instead of the brand-name products.  they are often EXACTLY the same product, but with different labels!

3. check electronic coupons.  i know that a lot of stores are doing this nowadays-- electronic coupons.  with your bonus card, go online and see what coupons you can just load up to your card.  no clipping required!  put these items on your list and you'll get the discount right at the check out counter.

4. use the weekly ads and electronic coupons to help brainstorm things to get at the grocery.  i like to think in categories when i make my lists:
          -breakfast:  what do i usually eat?  oatmeal?  OJ?  eggs?  cereal?  milk?  
          -lunch:  sandwich items, bread, soup, frozen meals, salad, fruit, etc.
          -dinner:  --> we will revisit this soon :)
          -snacks:  pretzels, baby carrots, fruit, nuts, cheese, crackers, etc.
          -household items:  TP, paper towels, dish soap, shampoo, etc.

with categories in mind, you can look at what you have in your pantry and see what you need to get.  plan ahead and give yourself a few options, but don't go overboard!  try to pick things that can be used for multiple meals.  for example, if you like english muffins for breakfast but are worried about eating all 6 before they go bad, think about using them for mini pizzas for dinner!

tip number two: give yourself options
the question i get asked the most is what the heck am i going to have for dinner?  and how do you shop for dinner things when you dont know what you want to make?

simple.  you don't need to know exactly WHAT you want to eat, just have an idea of what kinds of things you usually eat and have them around.  let me clarify with a scenario:

"charlie" is a college student who needs to cook for himself.  he has a limited budget and is in desperate need of going grocery shopping.  ordering pizza and going out for chipotle is proving to be more expensive than he can handle, so making his own dinner is the cheapest option.  as he is a boy, he generally likes to eat meat and carbs for dinner (aka a hamburger, steak, chicken, potatoes, pasta, etc).  but, he doesnt know exactly what he wants to eat for dinner every night.  after a little bit of looking at weekly ads, charlie finds out that his local market has great deals on chicken and steak that week.  potatoes are always a cheap option and pasta is on sale for a dollar a box.  he know he should have some kind of fruit or vegetable and decides to get a few apples since he has an electronic coupon.  his "splurge" items are cheese and sour cream because they are not "on sale", but he chooses the store brand and saves some money there.

charlie walks out of the store with a pound of chicken breasts, a few ounces of a cheaper cut of steak, two baking potatoes, a box of pasta, a jar of spaghetti sauce, four apples, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, english muffins, and some barbeque sauce.  by choosing the store brands, looking for the sale items, and applying his coupons, charlie spent about half of what he would have spent if he had gone in to the store without a plan.  with his ingredients, he can make at least four nights worth of dinner plus leftovers for lunches the next day!

(if you are wondering what he can make, here are just four possibilities: barbeque chicken with mashed potatoes, steak and loaded baked potatoes, italian chicken with pasta, mini steak and cheese pizzas.  plus leftover ingredients!)

tip number three: have a snack before you shop
another mistake people make is going to the store hungry.  when you're hungry, everything looks good and you start to impluse-buy.  RESIST!  snack before you come to the store so that you stick to your list.  but its not the end of the world if one thing sneaks in your cart :)

tip number four: wait for things to go on sale, then stock up
this might be the most difficult tip, but if you're on a budget, look for alternatives instead of buying exactly what you want if its not on sale.  if you are looking for fruit and the peaches look really good that week, but they are almost two bucks a piece, skip them and pick the grapes that are on special that week.  wait for the peaches to go on sale.  stores rotate sales frequently, so don't worry if what you want isnt on sale at the moment.  it will be soon!

this rule does not apply absolutely all the time, however.  if you are planning on making grilled chicken kebobs with roasted vegetables, you might can certainly swap out red bell peppers for green ones, but you can't really compromise on the chicken.  just look for the best deal, but don't say "no" just because it isnt on sale.  work with your budget!

on that note:  when your desired item does go on sale, if it is something that you use frequently (meat, mostly), then stock up on it.  get twice as much as you normally would buy and when you bring it home, package it up in separate baggies and toss it in the freezer.  that way, you have chicken or steak or seafood whenever you need it-- right at your fingertips.

tip number five: be creative!
you know what you like to eat.  be creative!  get a bunch of ingredients and start experimenting.  i like to buy all kinds of vegetables at the beginning of the week (usually things like zuchinni, mushrooms, kale, tomatoes, and bell peppers) and make stir fry, roasted vegetable side dishes, or pasta salads with fresh veg.  together with the staples in my pantry (which you should check out here), i can make countless meals with just a few ingredients!

---

don't be afraid of the grocery.  just look at your wallet, think about what YOU like to eat, do a little prep, and you're golden.  my favorite part of the whole shopping trip is scanning my bonus card after everything is scanned and watching that total drop down, down, down.

ahhh, isn't shopping fun?  :D