Category: Recipes

NoTakeOut – Great Meals Made Easy

nto_logoHas it been pretty hectic around your house? Do you feel like you have no time to get dinner on the table when you get home? Well NoTakeOut has made it easy on you, they have great meals made easy for anyone on the go.

THE SKINNY: No more mediocre meals cobbled together last minute.  No more trolling recipe websites to figure out what side dish might work with steamed halibut.  No more shopping fiascos — like when you arrived home without eggplant for the ratatouille.  NoTakeOut.com helps you plan, prep and cook an entire meal, not just one dish.  We provide a complete menu, a shopping list and a game plan – basically, we help you organize to go from kitchen to table with ease.

‘Making mealtime manageable’ is kind of a mantra for us.  When you say you’re busy, we get it: you’re taking care of kids, working, shopping, maybe grabbing a workout –  oh yeah, and the laundry… You don’t need another hassle!  Our goal is to make food, meals and dining-at-home an easy family ritual and a daily pleasure.

Each day they give you a menu, with a side dish and even suggestions on what wine goes best with the recipe of the day. Tools you may need, shopping list and pantry items. And they give you serving size, prep time and total time. Check out NoTakeOut for yourself and start cooking tonight!

Easy Summer Cocktails

330110_9506Summer cocktails should bring instant gratification, but too many traditional recipes require an amazing amount of ingredients and an arsenal of bar tools, which most of us don’t own. Here are three easy and quick cocktail recipes that I found in the Real Simple Magazine. Each of the recipes serves 6-8 people.

MARGARITA

  • Ingredients: Two 12 oz. Corona, 12 oz. Minute Maid frozen Limeade, 1 1/2 C. Tequila Blanco, Kosher Salt and a Lime.
  • Recipe: Rub the rims of glasses with limes slices and dip in course or kosher salt to coat. In a large pitcher, combine the Corona beer, Limeade concentrate, and tequila. Serve in glasses over ice. Garnish with lime slices if desired.

STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI

  • Ingredients: 1 pint Strawberry Sorbet, 1 1/4 C. Light Rum.
  • Recipe: In a blender, working in batches, puree the strawberry sorbet, light rum and 6 cups ice until smooth. Transfer to a large pitcher and stir to combine. (Add water if necessary to adjust the consistency.)

SANGRIA

  • Ingredients: 1 bottle medium-bodied Red Wine, 3 C. Apple Juice and two thinly sliced Peaches.
  • Recipe: In a large pitcher, combine the red wine, apple juice and peaches. Serve over ice.

Familys Meals Under $10 for a Family of Four

Everyone is cutting back and food seems to be where we cut back the most. With the food prices rising and the economy falling apart, we all need to make some sacrifices. But you don’t always have to skimp on the good food either. I have compiled some recipes for a family of four that are all under $10.

Fresh From The Oven has an awesome homemade hainanese chicken rice recipe and she explains how she came to purchase everything for under $10.

The Bargainist also offers 3 scrumptious recipes, including Chili Cornbread Pie, Homemade Pizza and Turkey Meatball Gyros.

Who’s The Boss on Feb 25, 2009, wrote an article; 4 Meals Under $10. She has four suggestions and dont forget to check out the comments, they are full of more suggestions on how to save money and cook on the cheap.

Rachel Ray has a section on her website marked meals $10 and Under. You can even sign up to receive the Budget Friendly Meals email every Monday.

In the recent issue of Everyday Food they have 5 Great Meals for Under $10. I couldnt find the article on their website but if you have the magazine around or you can borrow it from a friend, you should check out the great recipes in their.

Have Fun Cooking At Home

Did you know that, “Generation Y Americans, those age 16 to 27, eat out 24 times a month on average Generation Xers, age 28 to 39, still dine out 21 times a month, while baby boomers age 40 to 58 make an average of 19 restaurant visits monthly. And the so-called swing generation, those 59 to 71 years old, dine out 16 times a month on average” according to an article at Market Watch?

With the recent turn down in the economy, more and more people are realizing that eating at home can save you a lot of money. Eating at home can be boring and a lot of work, or, with the right attitude, it can become a whole lot of fun. Cooking for the family can be an event that everyone gets involved in extending your family time from not only eating the meal together, but cooking it together as well (and hopefully cleaning it). Put off your favorite TV shows and your other evening hobbies for a few extra minutes and seek to find the joy that can be found in cooking a meal together. It is amazing what the right attitude can do.

Here’s a simple recipe for one of those party favorites, guacamole dip. But what I like about this video is the fun that these guys have with it. So if you’re in the mood for a little kitchen and cooking fun, check this out…

The Guacamole Song

How to Slash Your Monthly Grocery Bill

Plan meat-free meals at least once a week – Leaving meat out of a meal once or twice a week can really cut down on the amount of money spent. VegCooking.com has a lot of recipes, shopping guide, blog, dining out and they have a guide that will take the guesswork out of vegan cooking. Also Allrecipes.com has an expansive vegetarian section.

Shop at warehouses every few months -Don’t head to the local warehouse every week or you will spend too much and not have much from your trips. Try to stick to making those trips every other month or every third month and only purchase the items that are better deals than the grocery store, such as cheese, meat and milk products.

Pick recipes based on what’s on sale – Before heading to the grocery store, check on-line to see whats on sale and what store is offering the best deals. Then Plan your meals by whats on sale.

Buy meat in bulk – Meat companies rarely offer coupons, buy in bulk when you can and if you find a great deal on meat, buy a few packages and freeze them. The general rule of thumb is that meat can be kept in the freezer for up to a year.

10 Simple Recipe Substitutions

IF YOU DON’T HAVE –  –  –  –  –  –   TRY THIS

1. 1 tsp lemon juice                        1/2 tsp white wine vinegar

2. 1 cup heavy cream                      3/4 c milk plus 1/3 c melted butter

3. 1 cup cake flour                          1 c less 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

4. 1 cup corn syrup                         1 cup honey

5. 1 tsp dry mustard                        1 tbsp prepared mustard

6. 1 cup sour cream                         3/4 c milk, 3/4 tsp lemon juice, & 1/3 c butter

7. 1 cup shortening                          1 1/8 c margarine(decrease salt by 1/2 tsp)

8. 1 cup buttermilk                           1 cup milk plus 1 tbsp lemon juice

9. 1 cup brown sugar                        3/4 c granulated sugar plus 1/4 c molasses

10. 1 cup ricotta cheese                    1 cup cottage cheese

Delicious Holiday Recipes From Joy The Baker

Its Christmas and the one of the many things I love about this time of year is the constant smell of something sweet coming from my kitchen. With the cold outdoors and the warmth inside; holiday breads, scrumptious cookies and delicate sweets are always welcome.

The Internet is full of great recipe clad websites but I have found one that draws you in and simply nudges you to make all the tantalizing recipes she posts! Now this is great for family gatherings, parties or potlucks but when its every night, as it is in our house, well the pounds don’t come off as easily as they slip on.

Please check out all the yummy recipes, listen to Joy tell a story or two and enjoy the amazing photos at JoyThe Baker.com.

Some of my favorite Joy The Baker recipes:

Cranberry Coffee Cake

Pumpkin Cookies

Apple Cranberry Holiday Cake

The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Almond Banana Bread

Many of Joys recipes would make great treats for handing out to your neighbors. Make your grocery list and start baking up your holiday goodies for neighborly gifts and you will be the talk of the town!

Photos Courtesy of Joy The Baker