Bananas, Bananas, and Bananas!!!

I went bananas at the store :)  I went to Harris Teeter to get the eggs that were on special but on the way there, I found the large clearance section of produce.  They had tons of bananas!!!  There was one bag that was still $1.00 per pound- that is not a good clearance price.  Then there were four more bags at $0.34 per pound.  I was a little tempted but the bags were really big so they were still near $2 per bag.  Then I got to the bottom shelf and there was a bag with 9 bananas for $0.81 total (also known as $0.20 per pound). 

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make 3 loaves of banana bread!!!  So it followed me for for a total of $0.83 with tax and my first purchase of the new month :)

While I was out buying these new bananas, I had two on the counter getting brown waiting for a loaf of banana bread.  Sadly, my recipe uses three bananas so I was starting to think that I was either going to freeze the ones that I had or find a new recipe to try out.  Great news- my cousin had two bananas going bad on her counter too!!!!  I stole her bananas and made us some banana bread :)  Okay, I did give her the little loaf to take home with her.  YUM!!!  I can't wait for breakfast now :)

Isn't winter supposed to be the season for banana bread?  Why does this sound the best thing to eat for the summer too. 

Thanks to my cousin, I have a bag of six frozen bananas waiting for the next time I have to make banana bread and I don't have any bad bananas.  We might be neck deep in banana bread for a long time so make sure you come for a visit and get a taste of this yummy bread.  If you can't visit, feel free to make your own with the recipe from my previous post here.

Spaghetti Limone Parmeggiano Recipe

I decided to put pasta on the menu tonight because after a long day at the pool, carbs are always a good answer :)  After reading My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness by Gwyneth Paltrow, I decided to try my second recipe from the book.  This recipe isn't drastically different from the previous recipe that I made. 

First, start the pasta boiling on the stove and then mix the other ingredients in a bowl.  I used already shredded parmesan cheese, olive oil, and fresh cracker black pepper.  I didn't use salt or freshly grated parmesan cheese as called for in the recipe so use what you have around the house to make a frugal friendly meal.

Juice the lemon and add it to the cheese mixture in the bowl.  I have this handy little juicer from IKEA from years ago but you can also sqeeze it by hand.  The easiest thing is to roll it on the counter to squish it a little and then squeeze upside down so that the seeds and pulp don't go into the bowl.

Cut the basil in small thin strips (recipe calls for torn pieces but I like to make it a little smaller and more evenly distributed).

Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining the pasta.  Add a little bit to the cheese mixture.  Stir the cheese mixture until everything is combined.

Mix up the pasta in the bowl with the cheese mixture until coated and looks like this.

Then serve!!!  We did it with a side of homemade garlic bread.  SUPER YUMMY summer treat.

I hope that your family enjoys this light pasta dish!!  It might be interesting with limes or other citrus fruit to flavor the pasta.  I am going to work with this recipe and see if there are any other changes that I would like to make that will become our family favorite.  Add your family's favorite veggie like the fried zucchini from the other recipe.

Here is the original recipe from the cookbook:

Spaghetti Limone Parmeggiano

¾ pound (3/4 box) spaghetti

Coarse salt

1 lemon

1 ½ c finely grated fresh parmesan cheese (about 3 ¼ oz)

½ tsp fresh ground black pepper

2 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3-5 tbsp pasta water

Handful fresh basil leaves

Boil the spaghetti according to package directions.  Meanwhile, using a microplane, grate the zest of the lemon into a large mixing bowl.  Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl (can use grater as strainer)  Add 1 ½ c parmesan, pepper and salt, mix in olive oil to form wet paste.

When the spaghetti is cooked, add 2 to 3 tbsp of cooking water to lemon and cheese mixture.  Add the spaghetti to the bowl and toss thoroughly, adding another tbsp or 2 of pasta water if necessary so that the sauce coats each strand.  Roughly tear basil leaves.

Serve with salt, pepper and extra parmesan.

My Father's Daughter Book Review

My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness by Gwyneth Paltrow and Mario Batali was a cookbook that I wanted to read since I saw her making the fried zucchini spaghetti on the Rachael Ray show!  If you missed the episode, please click on the link above and watch the video.

I finally reserved it at the library.  I made the spaghetti again the other night but I had still yet to read the rest of the cookbook.  I was excited to see what other recipes there were that I would fall in love with!!!

It was a beautiful cookbook with great pictures and great recipes.  I was a little disappointed because most of the recipes weren't ones that I would make :(  They were a little too fancy for my family but I did make a note of recipes that I thought I might make and I found 12.  A few were similar to other recipes that I have made in the past with a few changes which might try like Roast Chicken, French Fries, and Pancakes.  The one interesting one that stood out was Crispy Potato and Garlic Cake.  I guess time will tell if I actually make it but it looks super yummy!!

According to my dad, if a cookbook has one good recipe, then it is a good book to have.  I love the fried zucchini spaghetti recipe so it was all worth it :)  Everyone that I have made the pasta for has cleaned the bowl and love it so if you don't try the whole book... try at least the one recipe.

I recommend checking it out at your local library to see if it would be a fit for you and your family.  Let me know what you think!!! 

What is the threshold of number of interesting recipes that the cookbook has to have for you to want to check it out?  Quantity or quality?? 

Menu Plan Monday 6/4

Monday- Hot Dogs and Brats on the grill
Tuesday- Buffalo Chicken Wraps with mac and cheese
Wednesday- Chicken and Rice Casserole
Thursday- Original Spiedies and salt potatoes or rice
Friday- Chicken tenders (with House Autry Chicken Breader)
Saturday- Hamburgers and leftovers/Simple Fried Rice with homemade chicken broth
Sunday-??/??

I am waiting for the realization that June is already here and I don't have the meal plan totally done because we don't have the food in the house to make it through the month.  Really hoping to use this opportunity to use more stuff in the pantry but it never works out that way!!  Rice pilaf and quinoa is calling my name from the back of the pantry.

I am planning for a quick trip to Giant to spend my May $10 rewards for their online community to get some perishables but I am going to hope for some great sales in the coming weeks to fill the house back up :)  Cross your fingers that there are some great sales this month!!

Weekly Goals 6/3

Last Week:

Family Goals

• Spend time with family- We had lots of quality time this week before people left to go home.
• Playdate at the park- We had a great time at the new park with lots of friends to play with and we went the next day to a different park but mom might have gotten more heat and sun then she wanted!
• Playdate with son's friend at the house- We rescheduled twice but it didn't happen because he got sick so we did have another friend over to play.

Personal Goals

• Clean out coupons since there aren't any coupons this weekend :(- Done.  I cleaned out all of the printable coupons and re-filed all the new printed coupons.
• Work on Monthly Menu Plan for June- I started one day and didn't get too far before having to take a break.  I got more done on Tuesday so I am much more on track.
• Read Even June Cleaver Would Forget the Juice Box: Cut Yourself Some Slack (and Still Raise Great Kids) in the Age of Extreme Parenting by Ann L. Dunnewold and Sandi Kahn Shelton- I tried the best I could to take a chunk out of the book and finish before the end of the month since I was really short on the books that I read this month and I got it done under the wire!  Book Review just posted so check it out.
• Stay sane until the end of company :)- I hope that I have made it through and maintained sanity...of course aren't we the last to know.

Home Management Goals

• Clean dishes, counters and floors at least 4 days of the week- I did get the dishes done lots but the counters and floors were tougher to keep up with but I think that I did get four days done.
• Clean dishes one night and not wait until the morning- I ran the dishwasher almost every night that we had company to make sure that we would have dishes and silverware for the next day.  It was super hard to wash all the dishes in the kitchen because the sink would start to fill up with more dishes for the dishwasher.  I did wash dishes at night so that I wouldn't have that much to do in order to start my day.

Blog Goals

• Post one post everyday- I scheduled a post for every day so I was pretty excited to keep up
• Schedule at least 5 posts so that can spend more time with family- I scheduled ahead of time so I wasn't worried if I would get all my posts up with all my interruptions.
• Post Weekly Goals, Menu Plan Monday, and Thrifty Thursday Tip- Posted ahead of time.

This Week:

Family Goals

• Spend time with my much smaller family
• Playdate at a new park and nature center
• Playdate with son's friend at the house
• Take Aunt Lynn to the airport
• Storytime at the library

Personal Goals

• Work on Monthly Menu Plan for June and shopping plan
• Read Emotional Currency: A Woman's Guide to Building a Healthy Relationship with Money by Kate Levinson at least half
• Read cookbooks to find new recipes

Home Management Goals

• Clean dishes, counters and floors at least 6 days of the week
• Clean dishes one night and not wait until the morning

Blog Goals

• Post one post everyday
• Schedule at least 5 posts so that can spend more time with family
• Work on a few more weeks of Thrifty Thursday to get ahead
• Post Weekly Goals, Menu Plan Monday, and Thrifty Thursday Tip

Even June Cleaver Would Forget the Juice Box Book Review

Even June Cleaver Would Forget the Juice Box: Cut Yourself Some Slack (and Still Raise Great Kids) in the Age of Extreme Parenting by Ann L. Dunnewold and Sandi Kahn Shelton looked like it might be an interesting read with a lot of humor when I saw it on Amazon.

I looked it up at the library and put it on hold.  I had it in my pile for too long so I decided to start reading.  I figured that I would get a jump on starting it before I ran out of renewals...oops!  Under the gun finished it on the day it was due at the library :)

The first part of the book was dedicated to "the problem" which was talking about what moms do that is consider extreme parenting.  It seemed a little over the top on what parents do but it is a short trip to crazy parenting so maybe more people are like that then I think.  It talked about the over scheduling of kids and all the pressure that puts on the kids and parents to make a stressful family.

The second part of the book was for "the solution" on how to not be an extreme parent.  It talks about being a perfectly good mother.

1. Be yourself- Don't do things based on what other people think but what you think.  DUH!!!

2. Take care of your personal needs- I am bad on this one because everyone comes before me.

3. Have Fun- I certainly do that!!

4. Encourage personal responsibility for each family member

5. Choose Actively

6.  Think rationally

Although I think that all of the 6 ideas to be a perfectly good mother are easy, it is probably easier said than done 100% of the time.  It even said that there shouldn't be one way to fold a towel.... sadly, that is a problem that I have!!  I would like to give it up but normally I go back to the linen closet and re-fold all the towels.  Is there a 12 step program for towel control issue???  I might need it!

The third section was "sharing the solution."  It talks about going out and finding other mommy friends that share your views and not to keep moms that make others feel bad about their decisions.  As a mom, I know that it is hard to find friends where both mother and child get along.  Sometimes it is good enough when the kids like each other even if the mothers don't have a lot in common but it is best to have some moms that you can talk to about all the stresses of being a mom.  This section also talks about these moms can help keep you honest on the solutions steps :)  See how it all works together!!! 

The great part that I think so many mommy books touch on is the fact that women should be supportive of each other and not make judgements.  This is another one that is easier said than done.  Many people seem to be judging based on statements that they make every day.  It is the famous thing that it isn't always what you say but what the other person hears.  I knew someone who wanted to stay home with their kids but still worked in order to support her family.  If I excitedly told her that I quit my job to stay home with my son, she wouldn't hear what I said but rather that I was judging her for still working.  Sadly, most moms don't try to imply judgements when they say something but we often hear them anyways.  Also, other comments made in support aren't always supportive.  I think that this is an important lesson for everyone (especially women because lets just face it, we read into things were men don't).

I had a few negatives about the book.  First, my copy was super heavy (at almost 300 pages) and it was difficult to read because the binding wasn't the greatest... I don't think it is a real negative about the book itself but expect a really heavy book :)  I also didn't think that it was as funny as I thought that it was going to be from the title.  There were references to June and Ward Cleaver but it wasn't really poking fun at them as much as I expected.  Lastly, there were a lot of quotes from other books which was a little distracting at first from the message of the book.  I got used to it the more that I read it but I prefer books with more of a fast paced, page turning style.

Those negatives aside, I am glad that I read it but it is really only a good book for certain segments of the population of moms so think about yourself and figure out if you think that you need to be set on the right track.  Sadly, the moms who probably need it- aren't going to be the ones picking it up!  Please let me know if you pick it up at your local bookstore or library and tell me what you think!!!  Can't wait to hear!

Homemade Chicken Broth (even easier then America's Test Kitchen)

I have wanted to make homemade broth for awhile but I just haven't done it.  I know that it should be super easy but the fat part always grosses me out and I give up on the process.  I decide this time that I would not stop mid-process after I found a post My Road to Savings.

I made a whole chicken from My Road to Savings recipe the other day and saved the bones.  I had some celery and carrots so I was ready to go.  I grabbed some bay leaves and thyme from the cupboard.  I didn't have a onion but I figured that I would add onion powder.  I used up all my garlic so I used garlic powder instead but the great thing about this recipe is that you can throw it whatever you like.

Then I added 7 cups of water to the pot.  I brought the whole pot to a boil and then lowered to simmer.  It cooked on the stove for 4 hours.  With a little help from my husband, I poured the broth through the fine mesh strainer.  I take all of the bones and veggies and throw them away and the broth is in the bowl below.

Then I had a whole bowl of broth!!!  Isn't this wonderful looking!!!  It is so fragrant and just amazing color that you don't have from the broth in a box.

I put the top on the chicken broth and put it in the fridge.  The next morning, I went back and took of the top layer of fat. 

The edge of the bowl collected a very little bit of fat so I took that out easily but there wasn't really any other fat so I put it back in the fridge hoping more would collect.  It didn't form so I decided to go in one more time and figure out how to pack it up and freeze it.  I didn't have any containers so I went with plastic bags. 

Note to self- make sure you figure out how you are going to do a project before you actually start it :)  I now use plastic containers in the freezer and not bags because I have had too many spring a leak either going into the freezer or coming out.

I used the strainer again and luckily it got the little bit of fat and anything else that was left out of the broth.  It is best to measure the broth before putting it into the containers so that you know exactly what you have in the container.  I usually try to do around 2 cups because I usually use my broth in about 2 cup increments.  I put them in the freezer without any problem so here is hoping for no holes through the whole process but it doesn't always work out that way.

My biggest suggestion is when roasting the chicken take all of the pan juices and put it in the container with the chicken.  It helps to have a little more fat because it is easier to skim off the top with a spoon then only a little.  I have learned many lessons through making chicken broth.  I now keep my veggie ends in the freezer to use and enjoy lots of homemade chicken broth in the freezer whenever I need it.  It makes for the most flavorful dishes while being easy, healthy and frugal.  I hope that you try to make your own chicken broth the next time you have the bones of a roasted chicken!!