It’s a good thing that I made some of this classic comfort soup recently and stashed the leftovers in the freezer, since I can’t stay home all day and take care of him. At least I’ll be able to be here all day in spirit through each bite of light, savory chicken broth filled with tender chicken, slurp-able noodles, and hearty vegetables. Nothing sates sickness quite like old fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup, and I’m hoping it’ll do the trick in our house today!

Chicken Noodle Soup
click to print

Ingredients:

• 10 cups chicken broth [I used homemade, but if I wasn't, I would recommend low-sodium.]
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped [about 1 cup]
• 3 large stalks celery, chopped [about 1 1/2 cups]
• 6 medium carrots, scrubbed and chopped [about 2 1/2 cups]
• 1 large parsnip, peeled and chopped [about 3/4 cup]
• 4 small turnips, chopped; optional
• 2 small radishes, chopped; optional
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken [I used a combination of white and dark meat, from my whole roasted chicken, but use whatever you prefer.]
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 ounces extra broad egg noodles, uncooked
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• crusty bread, for serving

Directions:

In a large stockpot, combine chicken broth, onion, celery, carrots, parsnip, turnips, radishes, garlic, and chicken. Stir in pepper and the bay leaf, then cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes until the chicken is hot and the vegetables are tender. Then, discard the bay leaf and add the noodles, dill, and basil. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until noodles are cooked. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, and serve with crusty bread.

Note: As you might be able to see in the photo, my noodles broke up pretty quickly after they were cooked. My only explanation for that was that I used no-yolk egg noodles, which have a slightly different texture than regular egg noodles… just keeping it in mind for you!

Time: 70 minutes.

Yield: 10-12 servings.

Baked goods require tons of mixing, measuring, and pouring. Lots of dishes are involved and you have to follow the rules, or else what seemed amazing on paper will turn out like a rock. Or mush. Or some combination thereof. But these… these Cranberry Feta Pinwheels are fuss-free and amazing. They should be made ahead so that their flavors have a chance to meld, and so their sweet, tangy, creamy, and salty nature can shine through.

I can’t wait to try these again… perhaps with some arugula, ham, or brown sugar pecans mixed in? They were fabulous and festive… without all the work of desserts. What more could you ask for?

Cranberry Feta Pinwheels [from Food.com]
click to print

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces sweetened dried cranberries
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• freshly ground black pepper
• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 8-10 tortillas

Directions:

In a bowl combine cranberries, feta, and green onions. Add a little black pepper to taste. Then spread cream cheese on tortillas and spoon on cranberry mixture, approximately 1/4-1/3 of a cup per tortilla. Roll up tightly, place in a baking dish, and repeat until finished. Cover baking dish and refrigerate for an hour before cutting into 5-6 slices before serving.

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes [15 minutes active].

Yield: 50-60 pieces.

Week of January 23

Monday: Mexican Chicken Alfredo
Tuesday: Black Bean Soup
Wednesday: class for me/Ben fends for himself
Thursday: BBQ Chicken Bake
Friday: out to eat
Saturday: dinner with family
Sunday: leftovers… or breakfast for dinner… we will see!

Then I started doing things like dropping $20 at Target two weeks ago to buy her this ugly hideaway, complete with scratching post, enclosed sleeping area, and dangly, noisemaking toys. I was convinced she’d love it. But instead, she was afraid and avoided it at all costs.

It took time though, but after a few days she was content to hang out next to it.

I was happy, but not thrilled. It’s not everyday that I spend $20…. cash that could have been spent on ingredients for cheesecake or something like that… on a toy. For a cat.

Crazytalk.

So you can imagine my delight when we looked over from our movie last Friday night and saw this:

Sweet sucess! I guess putting her blanket inside was a good move on my part.

Over this past week, Sheba graduated from simply resting in the hideaway to playing with the jangly noisemakers nearly everyday.

Sometimes she even jumps up on top and gets at them from above. It’s quite the sight to see… and quite the noise to hear. This kitty owner is a happy camper… even if little ringing bells at all hours isn’t exactly the most pleasant sound to hear. At least she rewards me with lots of cuddle time!

That’s more than worth the $20.

On a cat toy. I still can’t believe I did that… oh my… Please tell me I’m not the only one.

The punch of flavor in this dish comes from limes and chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, which I keep in a small container in my freezer. An unexpected ingredient–pumpkin–gives this dish a bit of creaminess without adding tons of fat and calories. We enjoyed this for dinner several times on it’s own and also remade into nachos another night. Any way you serve it, Lime Chicken Rice Bake is a warm, comforting dish that is healthy, sure to please, and will certainly make you rethink your opinion of casseroles for good!

Lime Chicken Rice Bake
click to print

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 3/4 cup black beans/15 ounce can, rinsed and drained
• 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 cups shredded chicken
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, chopped and 1-2 tablespoon adobe sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 tablespoon lime balm, chopped [or zest of 1 lime]

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spay. In a large bowl, stir together rice, beans, tomatoes, pumpkin, chicken, corn, and 1/2 cup cheese. In a smaller bowl, whisk together chipotle peppers and adobe sauce, garlic, oregano, lime juice, milk, and lime balm/zest. Stir this mixture into the rice mixture then spread into casserole dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until hot. Then remove from oven and top with last 1/2 cup of cheese. Return to oven and cook for 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Time: 35 minutes [10 minutes active].

Yield: 8 servings.

Every week and even every day at Camp T was different, and little was predictable short of the overall camp routine–and a big part of that routine was certain meals that we would eat every. single. week. Some, like mass-produced grilled cheese and hamburgers got old pretty quickly. Other things, like oreo pudding [that my co-counselor and I would smuggle outside onto the porch every Sunday night with our 8-10 campers, to eat with our hands. Mmmhmm. This was the first night of camp, mind you, so this was a great way to get the girls to bond run off in terror.] and baked oatmeal, served every Wednesday morning with regularity, were more welcome to us counselors.

I found this recipe on Camp T’s website after I came home from week 10 and was detoxing from camp food/ and getting back into the swing of normal life, where I was somewhat shocked to learn that tye dye and bandanas were, once again, not fashionable. Who knew?

But this recipe was my saving grace and allowed me little glimpses back into the days where I dressed up for Friday theme dinners and spent mornings teaching beading and basket weaving. Now, seven years later, I am still transported back to my summers at camp whenever I pull a batch of this simple, steaming baked oatmeal out of the oven. I love topping my baked oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins, because, you guessed it, that’s how the Camp T cooks served it.

And truth–it would be blasphemous to serve it any other way. But you can enjoy your sweet, filling, comforting dish of baked oatmeal with whatever toppings your little heart desires… walnuts? bananas? pecans? blueberries? … but as for me, I’ll take each bite nostalgically holding to tradition, reflecting on my days of camp and wishing I could be there for just one more campfire, one more night in our cozy cabins, one more night with my amazing counselor friends… one more, one more, one more… I’m so grateful that I had the summers at Camp T that I did, and am equally grateful that I have this recipe today as a reminder of my time!

Did you go to summer camp as a kid? What was your favorite part? Your favorite meal?

Camp Tecumseh Baked Oatmeal
click to print

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 3/4 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/4 cups skim milk
• raisins, for serving
• brown sugar, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together oil and sugar until well combined. Add egg and mix well. Fold in oats and baking powder, then stir in milk, being aware that all milk may not be necessary. The batter should resemble runny cake batter. Pour batter into a greased 9×9 cake pan or a 9 inch pie pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until firm and golden brown. Serve with raisins and brown sugar.

Time: 40 minutes [10 minutes active].

Yield: 6-8 servings.

Week of January 16

Monday: Orange Chicken from Trader Joe’s! going out of town to shop with my mom and sister for the day, so this will be a fun easy dinner at home with Ben [he has to work ].
Tuesday: Korean-Style Black Beans [didn't make this last week...]
Wednesday: class for me/Ben fends for himself
Thursday: Spicy Sausage, Chicken, and Beans [didn't make it last week... or the week before. whoops!]
Friday: chicken enchiladas
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: breakfast for dinner… I have several new pancake recipes I want to try!

It's cheesy good!

Check it out and let me know what you think!

The drugstore game takes so little work–just cutting coupons from the Sunday paper, and looking up deals that are posted on MSM’s blog, and going to the store of course–that to me, it is totally worth it. My frugality [and time spent] has allowed us to spend extra money on things that our grad school/young professional budget would otherwise not allow for: pricy Greek yogurt, extensive selection of herbs/spices, some organic foods, etc.

There are a lot of other great things posted on Crystal’s blog as well, including free samples you can sign up for, links to hot coupons, and series where she inspires readers to save money in many different ways. So when I heard that she was writing a book, The Money Saving Mom’s Budget, and offering copies to bloggers for review, I was psyched.

This book is not just a copy of her blog–though it does reiterate much of Crystal’s philosophy about spending, saving, and paying off debt. This book is a great mix of practical tips and inspiration to get out of debt [if you have it] or to work to avoid it by living a frugal lifestyle. Crystal does a great job of outlining specific steps to take to move towards a workable budget and providing reasons why this is important–even though this is not a belief many Americans have. One of my favorite chapters was chapter seven, where Crystal provides 25 tips for saving on groceries without using coupons. By teaching ourselves to use less than what the companies tell us we “need” to use, eat meatless more often, look for seasonal produce, and other strategies, grocery bills go down as habits change. So if you are looking to improve your finances in 2012, I highly suggest you check out Money Saving Mom’s blog and new book.

In order to go along with such a fabulous book, I thought it was only appropriate to share a frugal recipe… and what is more frugal than beans? Especially cooking dried beans? I mean, how perfect is this?

Though I do not necessarily put “beans and rice” on my menu plans, it’s honestly a meal we eat several times a week–for a quick work lunch, for a “leftover” night, for those nights where I just don’t feel like cooking. We usually make rice and beans bowls consisting of some combination of brown rice, black beans, some Mexican-style seasonings [garlic, oregano, cayenne pepper, cumin, cilantro], avocado, bell peppers, spinach, salsa, and cheese. It’s easy, filling, healthy, and inexpensive, and while it wasn’t a meal I grew up eating, it is now one that I love.

We used to make these bowls with canned black beans, but I had heard so many good things about the flavor of dried beans that I wanted to try them. The first time I made dried beans I tried the old “soak and cook on the stove f-o-r-eva] method. The second time, I knew there had to be a better way. So using the beauty of google, I found out that it was possible to cook black beans in the oven in hardly any time at all. It is so easy, and so tasty, that even though it isn’t much of a recipe [more like a cooking method], I just had to share it. I love making the beans en masse and then freezing some for the future. They taste so much better than the canned variety and contain much less sodium too. If you haven’t tried to make dried black beans before, or have had a lackluster experience, then try it this way–you won’t regret it.

Perfect Black Beans [from The Kitchn]
printable version

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried black beans
• 1-2 teaspoons salt
• cold water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325. Rinse and sort the black beans, picking out any pebbles or broken beans. Place beans in a 3+ quart Dutch oven or heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add 1-2 teaspoons salt and then fill with cold water, covering the beans by one inch.

Place in oven and cook for 75 minutes, then remove and stir. If the beans are tender enough, they are done; if not, return to the oven [with the addition of some hot water if they seem to be drying out] for 15 minutes at a time until they are. This process should take no longer than 2 hours total.

Store in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to one week, freezing what you will not use. I usually freeze leftover black beans in quart size freezer bags by the 1 3/4 cup increments [approximately 15 ounces by volume] so that I can easily pull a bag from the freezer for recipes.

Time: 2 hours [10 minutes active].

Yield: 5 cups.

To show my dedication to such a deception an act, I came home from campus early. I absolutely had to make sure the kitchen was clear of my meat-lovin’ husband so I could work in peace.

See, I had told him earlier that week that we were having meatballs for dinner. But I wasn’t specific about what kind of meatballs. [As if you should have to ask a question like that, Ben later said.] Little did he know that my plans included lentils, ricotta, and pesto. All of which are valued higher than meat in my world. Ha.

I whipped up these “meat” balls in a jiffy, and had dinner plated up when he walked in the door. “Hey sweetie, mmm… dinner smells good,” he said. We sat down and prayed, and then dug right in. “This… this… what is this?”

I turned to him with a grin, and sweetly said, “spaghetti and meatballs… with a twist. Same seasonings, a dollop of cheese… but lentils, not beef.”

He took one bite, and then put his fork in for more. Pretty soon round two approached. Success! I thought, as I sighed in relief. He likes them, even though they are not meat.

Just so we are clear… my deception was all in fun, just a jest. My husband is so accommodating of all my “weird” food requests/attempts, but sometimes it’s easier just to pull the wool over his eyes [so to speak... thanks Benny!]. But do not be afraid–the wool is not being pulled over your eyes when I say that these “meat” balls are the best. They are a simply delicious vegetarian option to a classic dish that I hope you do try soon!

Have you ever engaged in dinnertime deception?

Spaghetti and “Meat” Balls [adapted from The Lean Green Bean]
printable version

Ingredients:

• 2 cups lentils, cooked
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 4 tablespoons pesto
• 1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• spaghetti sauce
• 12 ounces whole wheat spaghetti

Directions:

First, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Then, place a pot full of salted water on the stove to boil for the noodles.

Next, make the “meat” balls. In a food processor, combine lentils and pulse several times until coarse. Then add the ricotta, pesto, onion, oregano, parsley, and black pepper. Pulse again until combined. Remove to a large bowl and stir in Panko breadcrumbs. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary, then form into balls using your hands. Place on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, flipping after 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta to al dente. When pasta is ready, drain and return to pot. Add spaghetti sauce to noodles and stir to coat. Cover to keep warm until “meat” balls are ready. When they are, remove from oven and allow to cool for a minute before stirring in the sauce. Serve with extra parmesan cheese on top and enjoy!

Note: You can also add 2 eggs to the “meat” balls; I neglected to do that but it was in the original recipe.

Time: 45 minutes.

Yield: about 20 “meat” balls, 5-6 servings.