happy valentimes.

so, one of my favorite days of the year is right around the corner...

valentine's day!

so, what do you do for the ones you love when you're on a tight budget? well, maybe avoid this article about fancy-shmancy get-a-ways. and look for better, heartfelt ideas.

my "inspiration" over at www.andthenshesaved.com has a GREAT list of ideas here.

i also love this recipe (and the whole website! not always frugal, but the pioneer lady has some great ideas!)

the past few weeks i've spent a lot of time googling, "crafts for dudes" and let me just tell you...there's a lot of crap out there. the problem i see is ladies coming up with a brilliant idea like, screen printing lyrics from "their song" onto a pink, zebra pint pillow case (because it's the same pattern of the dress she was wearing on their first date!). then they're bummed out when the dude doesn't get all giddy and excited about it like they imagined in the wee hours of the morning while they're adding more sequins.

i think ladies are the ones who are usually guilty of this...sometimes we make gifts they want to receive, a gift that, realistcally, a dude would NEVER make them. but, of course, the lady is secretly wishing he would bust out his inner martha stewart and craft the hell out of a valentine's day gift full of meaning and sentiment. you'll save yourself some hurt feelings if you really think, "is he going to wear this puffy painted t-shirt with my face on it, sprayed with my perfume?"

being a "cheap valentine" could mean a sappy gift for your partner, but i think the best gifts happen when you really think about what the other person would want, need, or appreciate. if you really think your boyfriend is going to love a body pillow sewn to your exact measurements--do it! other ideas? do something for your girlfriend they hate to do, or pack your partner a meal for lunch you know they'll love (and of course include the love note on a napkin!) and surprises! i mean, not everyone loves surprises, but if your valentine does, think of a way to really catch them off guard with extreme lovin'. or do something you wouldn't ordinarilly do...don't usually cook? make a meal! don't usually shower them in compliments? use your words and try it out! don't usually canoodle in public? go for it!


the best way to ensure a happy valentine? take the time to think about what they would love...and act on it! and kiss...a lot. :)

xo xo

Recipe Review: Low-Fat Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

this recipe was SO easy and really delicious...although i don't know how low-fat it really is. i mean, it's beef stroganoff for pete's sake.

1-1/2 lbs lean beef stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 c fat-free sour cream
1 can fat-free cream of mushroom soup
1 c. water

place all ingredients except sour cream in 4-quart or larger slow cooker. stire to combine. cover. cook on low 6-8 hours. stir in sour cream, cover. cook on high a few more minutes or until heated through. serve over hot cooked egg noodles and garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

like i said--super easy. and when i walked in the apartment after work yesterday, our place smelled delicious. i think it drove poor charlie crazy smelling tasty food all day and not being able to find it...

anyway, the stew meat we bought was already cubed...probably a little bigger than 1", but it cooked for almost 9 hours so it was very tender and came apart--didn't make much of a difference, so i'm glad i didn't spend the time on cutting it into smaller bits.

we have a jar of minced garlic that we use everytime a recipe calls for it...that way we're not repeatedly buying fresh garlic. we've had this jar for a while and it's still about half full.

i left the mushrooms out partially because i forgot, but i also hate them...dustin likes them, though, so i think next time i'll get a jar and make him his own half to have. i did make a can of corn and we mixed it in...i love corn as much as butter and salt. i add it to stuff all the time.

prepped this the night before, stuck it in the fridge, and turned it on in the morning. this will definitely be something we make again...especially since it was so easy to make! (and there are lots of leftover!)

catching up

hey kids,

long time no talk!

don't worry, i'm still in it to win it. i've been doing well and i even survived the tripped to nashville...walked through a room full of AOII goodies and didn't buy a single thing.

i broke down and bought a few pairs of tights last week becuase charlie, the beast with long claws, had ripped two of my fancy pairs. however, i bought the cheap kind--thick, plain black...and not the fancy plaid, patterned ones that rip easily and need replaced more often.

i've also had to pick up assorted groceries--milk, dog food, bread--that we ran out of, but we'll just need to plan better the next time around. we literally haven't bought more than maybe 5 grocery items since mid january and we're still going strong. this weekend is grocery weekend and i'm excited to start a new batch of recipes.

i've already learned alot about cooking and have only been doing this for a month or so. i think the key to my success is to plan ahead...i just spent part of my lunch hour looking through my crock pot cookbook to find some new things to try--and i'm actually checking the recipes for cheaper ingredients and making sure the logistics aren't to terribly inconvenient.

i splurged last night and got 2 $1 wine glasses and $7 bottle of red wine for myself...but, i have to say, if my splurge is $9, i must be doing something right.

the wine was delicious by the way. bohemian something? i don't remember.

valentine's day is coming up soon...i've got some ideas, i'll keep you all posted. :)

keep reading! i promise i haven't deserted you.

xoxo

recipe review: teriyaki chicken

dustin loved this one...and it smelled so, so good cooking all day. i think we'll be having it again for sure!

12 boneless chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
6 tbsp cider vineger
3/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp pepper
4-1/2 tsp cornstarch
4-1/2 tsp cold water
hot cooked rice

place chicken in a slow cooker. in large bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and pepper. pour over chicken. cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken is tender.

remove chicken to a serving platter, keep warm. skim fat from cooking juices, transfer to a small saucepan. bring liquid to a boil. combine cornstarch and water until smooth. gradually stir into the pan. bring to a boil. cook and stire for 2 minutes until thickened. serve with chicke and rice.

ok, once again, i made this the night before and stuck it in the fridge to be reheated the next day. i cut the cook time a little short and wish i hadn't...the chicken could have been much more tender.

i steamed some brocoli and dumped it in with the chicken and sauce, as well. only had soy sauce packets (accidentally used what was left in our bottle on my spicy peanut chicken last week) so i had to substitute 2/3 c with dumpling dipping sauce (which, it turns out is soy sauce and cider vinegar...) adjusted the amounts to accomodate, and didn't notice a difference.

dustin enjoyed the leftovers all weekend while i was out of town...looks like this was a good one! but i'll keep it a weekend recipe as well to avoid the "night before" process.

recipe review! italian chicken

this recipe is pretty easy and tasted ok...definitely wasn't bad!

6 chicken breast halves (about 8 oz. ea)
1 can (14-1/2 oz) italian stewed tomatoes
3/4 cup plus 3 tbsp water, divided
2 tbsp dried minced onion
2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried taragon
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 tbsp cornstarch
hot cooked rice

place chicken in a 5-qt slow cook. in small bowl, combine tomatoes, 3/4 cup water, onion, bouliion, and seasoningsl pour over chicken. cover nad cook on low for 3-4 hours until chicken is tender.

transfer chicken to a serving platter, keep warm. skim fat from cooking juices. transfer to a small saucepan. bring to a boil. combine cornstarch and remaing water until smooth. gradually stir into the pan. bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. serve with chicken and rice.


so, i learned an important lesson about crock pot cooking in this recipe (and the next one.) READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE YOU COMMIT TO THE RECIPE! this one only has to cook for 3 hours...which means i couldnt just turn it on and leave for work. so i ended up making it the night before, popping it in the fridge, and then reheating it for dinner the next day. it didn't effect the taste, or anything, but it just wasn't as simple as some of the 8-10hr recipes i've used.

it was pretty late by the time it was done, so i didn't do the last step (creating the sauce). i also substituted some seasonings thinking i knew what i was doing...but i didn't. dustin liked the chicken (i think) so it wasn't bad, i just think it could have been better.

served it with white rice the first night (with mozz cheese on top, of course) and with spaghetti noodles and cheese on leftover night.

i might find a simpler recipe, or just keep this one for saturdays/sundays when i can start it at 1 and have it ready for dinner time.