Oh my goodness! We visited Bulk Barn yesterday just to get a feel for the place. We’ve seen it on different blogs and cooking shows, but the place in person is incredible! Flours, grains, honey, spices, candy, and more line each aisle. It’s the place to go for small amounts of a new spice you want to try, or large amounts of familiar favorites, like family recipe baked beans using White Navy beans.
This place is the place to help stretch your budget. It’s also a good spot to shop together with a friend. For example, I got 1/2 a kg. of paprika for just over a dollar.
Definitely check it out. It’s in South Edmonton Common, right by Payless Shoes, across the street from superstore, and kitty corner to ATB.
Enjoy!
Bulk Barn in Edmonton!
Posted in Stretching Dollars, Uncategorized
Pizza Night!
Swimming lessons right after school, so I’ve got the pizza dough in the oven. The recipe is very forgiving, easy to double or triple, and makes a nice, tasty dough. Enjoy!
6 c of flour
4.5 tsp quick yeast
1.5 tsp salt
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp rosemary or italian seasoning blend
4 tbsp olive oil
2 c. hot water- comfortable to the touch, any hotter and the yeast won’t work
Mix flour, yeast, salt, garlic, and herbs in electric mixer- don’t forget to use the dough hook! Blend on low speed and slowly add the water and oil. Continue mixing until dough forms a ball. If it won’t pick up all the flour, add a bit more water- just a little.
Remove from the mixer stand, cover, and let rest for about 10 minutes. Divide into 2 balls and roll out each. Place on greased pan and bake at 325 for 10 mins or so, until you can start to smell it, and it’s firm to the touch. Remove it from your pan, and let cool on cookie racks so they don’t sweat. You’ll get 2 beautiful, thick pizza crusts.
Then off to swimming!
We did the toppings a few hours later. One was a plain Mundare pepperoni with mozza, the other was Mundare farmers sausage, green onions, mushrooms, crumbled bacon, and mozza.
Dinner was awesome. Serve this with a jug of homemade lemonade, a garden salad or a platter of veges and fruit, and you’ve got a balanced meal.
Posted in Recipes: Main Dish
Pear and Allspice Rice Pudding
I hate throwing food away. So when 3 of my pears got a little overripe, I peeled them, sliced them into a measuring cup, and just tossed away the bruised bits and the core. I got about 1 cup of chunks, but another half a cup or more would have been really nice. As it is, the pears are understated, just a hint of flavor. This is my own recipe. I’ve made rice pudding over the years, but modified this one to suit the ingredients in my fridge.
Take 1 1/2 c. of cooked, leftover rice. Add 1 c. of milk, 1-3 tablespoons of sugar (go with how sweet you want it), 1/4 tsp of salt, and a couple of shakes of allspice, cook it over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add the pear, cooking for another 5 minutes, squashing with the wooden spoon.
Add 1 beaten egg and another 1/2 cup of milk, and stir well for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and add 1 tsp of vanilla and 1 tbsp of butter (optional). Mix well and let sit. It will thicken as it cools. As it cools, taste it and add more allspice as you require. You can always add more spice, so add sparingly and taste often.
Enjoy!
Creamy Curry Chicken
Cook 4 chicken thighs over medium heat. Remove to bowl.
Start the rice cooking. We use 1 c. rice to 2 c. water.
In the chicken pan, saute 1 c. chopped mushrooms, 3 tbsp dried onions (or 1/2 fresh), 1 c. zuchinni, cut into coins, in 1 tbsp butter.
Mix 2 tbsp curry powder, 1 tsp minced garlic, and 1 tsp dried basil into 1 can cream of mushroom soup with 1/2-3/4 can of milk. Mix well. When vegetables are stir fried, add 1 c. frozen peas and curry sauce, return chicken to pan to warm.
Serve over rice.
Posted in Recipes: Main Dish
Grocery List, April 2010
I recently upped our grocery budget to reflect our growing family, and changing food tastes. After asking around it seems the average grocery budget is around $100/week/person. We were budgeting $70 per week but found the last couple of weeks in a month too tight, and not enough money to spend on excellent deals when they came up.
Bear in mind when copying this list for yourself to adjust to your needs. For eg., if your family hates curry powder or already has 3 roasts in the freezer, don’t buy those items.
I was challenged recently to shop at Costco for meat and fruit/veges and Walmart for everything else, rather than waiting for 10% Tuesday at Sobeys. So this month, I’ll find out if it’s a better deal for me to shop around.
Carrots
Celery
Bagged Peppers
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Sweet Potato
Zucchini
Romaine Caesar mix
Garden Salad Mix
Snap Peas
Mushrooms
Onions
Broccoli
Bananas
Apples
Grapes
Cantelope
Watermelon
Butter Chicken Sauce
Cream of mushroom soup
tomato soup
low-sodium chicken broth
cereal
peanut butter
baking soda
milk
cheese
yogurt
frozen concentrate orange juice
ground beef WP
Pork Loin (to divide into chops and roast)
Roast beef WP
Chicken pieces WP
ham steaks WP
Low sodium bacon WP
Ground pork
Steak
Salmon
Chick peas
kidney beans
I don’t need all the ham steaks, bacon, or pork that I bought, but the price was right and next month I will still have food in the freezer.
Posted in Grocery List
Hurried Chicken Stir-fry
It’s been a long time, mostly because I got pregnant and had a baby. So we’ve been pretty busy. My oldest son started grade 1 which means more time running around to get to appointments and sports activities, so I like fast meals that aren’t fast food.
Every so often Sobeys has a dollar days sale, when several items are put on for a dollar. I always buy cole-slaw salad mix whenever it’s $1 and use it for stir frys.
1-2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 c frozen corn
1 c frozen broccoli pieces
1 package cole-slaw salad mix
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 c soy sauce
1/4 Cattleboys BBQ sauce
Mix chicken pieces with ginger and sauces, set aside.
Heat the oil on med-high heat and add the cole-slaw mix, stir until it cooks down. Add the frozen broccoli and corn, cook until the frost is off. Add the chicken and sauce, turn up the heat to high, and stir constantly until completely mixed in and broccoli is tender-crisp. Serve over rice. This serves 4 with a little leftover for lunch the next day.
We always have fresh fruit or veges and a glass of skim milk or water with our meal.
Garlic and Cheese Buns
Split 3 whole wheat rolls in the middle. Toast under the broiler. Spread with garlic butter:
-1 clove garlic
1/3 c margarine or softened butter
Place a slice of cheese on top, and broil again until cheese is melted. Serve hot!
Posted in Recipes: Breads
End of the Month Vegetable and Chicken Soup
This time each month meals become a challenge. We’ve almost used up everything, but not quite.
Saute in 2 tbsp Olive Oil:
-1 small onion
-2 cloves of garlic
-3/4 tsp black pepper
-1 tsp salt
-1 1/2 tbsp italian seasoning
-3 celery stalks, cut up
-1/2 small bag of baby carrots, cut up
Cook for 5 minutes, until the onions start to turn clear.
Add 4c of chicken stock, 2c of water, 3/4 c small pasta shapes (I used shells) 2 cut-up and cooked chicken thighs, 1 c. mashed and cooked pumpkin.
Bring to a boil, cook until noodles are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Serve with toasted garlic and cheese buns (recipe in a different post)
Posted in Recipes: Soup
10% Tuesday, April 1 Grocery List
zucchini
carrots
lettuce
celery
cucumber
tomato
butternut squash
acorn squash
sweet potato
bananas
apples
grapes
bread x2
hot dog buns
chicken pieces wp
pork chop wp
roast beef wp
steak (for stirfry)
ground turkey
hot dogs
cheese x 2
grated cheese x 2
yogurt x 3
milk x 4
sour cream
cottage cheese
eggs
taco shells
salsa
alphabet pasta
whole wheat rotini
lasagne noodles
parmesan cheese
chicken stock
beef stock
canned mushrooms
tomato paste
whole, peeled tomatoes
chick peas x 2
olive oil
vege oil
brown sugar
rolled oats
chocolate squares
chocolate chips
coconut
corn bran cereal
frozen broccoli
frozen cauliflower
frozen peas
frozen corn
frozen oj x 12
battered fish pieces
Posted in Grocery List
