Comments of the Week

This week: stellar suggestions for maximizing kitchen equipment, a few great ideas for healthier mac and cheese, and the start of the Great Ranch Dressing Wars. Bring your courage ... and a salad.

As always, some comments have been edited for length.

On Mission: Light Mac and Cheese

Erica: I've also found a great way to make mac and cheese low fat is to sub in some cottage cheese. If you use 1/2 cheddar and 1/2 low-fat or 2% cottage cheese it tastes almost as cheesy. And the cottage cheese actually becomes very creamy.

Kevin: I have tried a few lower fat versions of mac and cheese. … My favourite of the ones that I tried is from a show called Eat, Shrink and be Merry.

Kristen: Whenever I made mac and cheese, I depend heavily on a roux to make it taste richer than it is. It helps a great deal with any weird clumps of cheese, and you can just toss it with hot pasta and the cheese, then stick it under the broiler for a browned top. An uber-simple roux is this: melt 2 T butter in a microwave-safe dish, then stir in 2 T flour with a fork. When it is lump-free, add 1 c milk (1% works just fine, or you can use something less skim), and heat until just bubbling around the edges. Whisk thoroughly to dissolve the flour mixture in the milk, and you'll see it start to thicken. Alternatively, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, and whisk constantly until you can smell the nuttiness of the flour. Add the milk, which you've heated to just under boiling in the microwave or on a separate burner, and whisk until the mixture thickens. Season with freshly ground black pepper, salt, and nutmeg. Toss with the hot pasta and sprinkle with cheese, or add the cheese to the roux, stir to combine, and toss with pasta.

On Tuesday Megalinks

Paid Twice: Sandra Lee still sucks. She could be blind and have one leg and still suck. Maybe she's missing taste buds... maybe that's why.

On Cheap Healthy Salad Dressing: 102 Light Recipes

Hops: Ranch dressing is everything that's wrong with this country.

J. Sassydo: Agreed, hops--ranch should never have ventured forth from the hidden valley. Also, when I want to keep it light, I dress my salad with a few squeezes of lemon juice or a drizzle of good vinegar. (Berry vinegars are especially great on summer greens.) Toss in some salt and freshly ground pepper, and you're in fat-free business.

Mamacita: Don't be hatin' -- ranch dressing has its place.

On Of Cheese and Rock: Low-Fat Cheddar Broccoli Soup

Julia: I've been meaning to make my ricotta-spinach soup from True Tuscan by Cesare Casella, a fabulous cookbook, and you've inspired me to do it this weekend. It's an absolutely luscious use of part-skim ricotta cheese...does that fall under healthy? I hope so. But honestly, it's so good I don't care.

On Free Cooking Lessons Part II – A Beginner’s Guide to TV Chefs

Anonymous #1: I learned to cook from one of the early TV chefs - Jeff Smith, The Frugal Gourmet - who passed away a few years ago and disappeared from the air severals years before that because of a bit of a scandal. He was incredibly informative and took pains to be sure to show all techniques and methods. I'm sure you must be able to get all his different series on DVD, and, as I have them, can recommend the companion books wholeheartedly. (Good call, Anonymous. Can't believe I forgot this guy. - Kris)

Anonymous #2: I'd just like to add that Ina can't go a half hour without saying "That's fabulous.” (This is TOTALLY true. It’s like her favorite word next to “Jeffrey.” - Kris)

On Finding Quality Kitchen Equipment on the Cheap

Anonymous: One thing to keep in mind is that certain pieces are WAAAY more versatile than others. Steel, NON-TEFLON cookie sheets get such a workout at our house that I have half a dozen and am always looking for two more, just to avoid having to stop cooking in the middle to wash and dry them! The other thing to remember are non-standard uses for less "necessary" items. Ramekins- the 7oz ones, or the new, 16oz "soup mugs" which are microwave and oven safe and come with a plastic lid. Why buy a jumbo-muffin pan if you have four or six 7oz ramekins? Set them on a cookie sheet for easy carrying/handling, and dont fill completely--there's no support for really big muffin tops. … 7oz ramekins are *wonderful* for making individual meatloaves or meatless quiches, and actually cook faster and more evenly in the smaller containers.

(Photo courtesy of Jupiter Images.)

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Comments of the Week

(Hi there, everybody coming over from Money Saving Mom. Very happy to have you, and please feel free to look around and e-mail me with questions or suggestions. Thanks for the linkage, Crystal!)

This week, Jaime lightens her brownies, Linda flings some fruit, and Ms. Meaghan sounds off on Billy Corgan and Co. Plus, lotsa hardcore shoppers share their grocery-buying strategies for the good of all.

As always, some comments have been edited for length.

On CHG Favorites of the Week

Laura: Heh. Yeah, I was like, fourteen when I finally realized that *none* of Cookie Monster's cookies were going in.

On Tuesday Megalinks

Linda: OK, I confess. I think I tried the citrus fruit slinging thing. Now I feel much better.

Jaime: In hopes of getting some pumpkin flavor, I replaced all 2/3 c of oil with pumpkin puree. Used 2 eggs and 1/4 c water as directed. I've never made applesauce-for-oil brownies, so I don't have a lot to compare - I also am a novice brownie maker - and this might just be lame brownie mix, but they're not impressive. (Or pumpkiny!) Flat, dense, sticky, yet still sorta dry. Definitely not fudgey. … Half oil half pumpkin probably would've worked better.

On We’ve Got the Means to Make Amends: Cooking Light’s Fresh Tomato Lasagna

Liz: Sometimes Cooking Light cracks me up. Call it 8 servings instead of 6, and it's "light!"

Ms. Meghan: I still listen to the Smashing Pumpkins, which were my version of Pearl Jam. And a good portion of "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" sends a chill down my spine when I hear it. I also heard "Caress Me Down" by Sublime on the radio the other day, and I had an intense flashback to being 13 and wishing I knew Spanish.

On The Hour: How 60 Minutes a Week Can Save Hundreds of Dollars on Food

Karen: Make sure coupons are really saving you money. … I found that they don't save money for me - I just don't buy many items that are coupon-able. Being a geek, I calculated it out with a spreadsheet a couple of years ago. I compared the price with coupon to the price I'd normally pay (so if I normally buy the store brand, I'd compare the store brand price to the price of the name brand with coupon). I kept track over three months, and by the end, I had saved some money. But once I factored in the price of the newspaper (which I normally don't buy), I ended up losing money. I decided it wasn't worth it. The caculation would be different if I could have gotten coupons for free, or if I bought more "couponable" foods.

Aryn: I like to keep my weekly menus in a little notebook so I can go back and see whether we've eaten a particular dish in the last month or two. That way I don't make jerk chicken with homemade tortilla chips and fruit two weeks in a row. I also have a magnetic list on the fridge where we write down anything we run out of or are about to run out of (like margarine, which I don't use and therefore don't think to check.)

Aahzmandius Karrde: The list is where I go to the extreme. I have a spreadsheet setup that I record what aisle the items are in, including a lookup table that tells me what order I hit those aisles in. After I mark the items I need,I sort by needed then order. So as I go through the store I pretty much check things off top to bottom. Avoids having to backtrack in the store and gets me to the checkout faster.

Brian: I recently created an Excel-based “menu planner” for recording the circular deals, a spot to create the weekly menu and a couple other items to help with store shopping. If anyone’s interested, feel free to look at it at Weekly Menu Planner.xls. (See comment section for this. – Kris) I have it up on the computer when I go through the circulars and recipe sites, print out the results as a grocery list, and hang it on the fridge as a daily reminder of what we planned to eat.

Monica: Don't forget about "Manager's Specials" on items nearing their sell-by dates. I routinely get bread, cheese, and sometimes meats and produce for 50-75% off this way.

Sarah: My Hour happens once a month - I look at my list of meals (inspirations plus last month's meals and seasonal favorites), select about 20-25 (lasts a month with some meals that provide leftovers), and then make my lists - Farm, Aldi, Walmart, Fresh foods ordered by meal. Print my text file of menu / shopping lists / recipes, and I'm set for a month. It is probably more than an hour, but I'd rather spend more time at the computer planning and less time in the store overall.

(Photo courtesy of sanseverything.)

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Comments of the Week

This week, Monica and Dani offer takeout advice, Leanne devises a chicken dish shortcut, Dialectically_Yours has a few great cookbook suggestions, and lots of folks have lots to say about confronting loved ones on weight and money issues.

As always (well, as of the last three weeks), some comments were edited for length.

On Healthy Takeout on a Budget

Monica: Indian: Saag paneer and aloo gobhi are also on the healthy end, as well as most vegetable curries. Yes, they're both made with butter, but they're mostly vegetables in butter, which is better than lamb in butter. If you have a Korean takeout nearby, bibimbap has infinite variations and most of them are healthy as takeout goes, although not quite as healthy as my home bibimbap. Finally, Greek delis often have wonderful bean salads and marinated vegetables.

Dani: In Australia, all Asian takeouts have a plain stir fried vegetable dish which, with rice makes an ample meal.

On Sweet Victory: Chicken with Shallot-Apricot Sauce

Leanne: At the end you pour pan juices AND sauce over the chicken. But, wouldn't it be easier to combine them and make it one "sauce"? I think I would sautee the shallots in the chicken pan after the chicken is cooked, deglaze once with chicken broth, and then proceed with adding vinegar and jam.

On The Dos and Don’ts of Buying a Cookbook

Dialectically_Yours: COPY OUT the dozen or so recipes you use most from one cookbook. If you're having trouble cutting the list DOWN to twelve, it's a keeper … Cooking is as much about memory and tradition as it is about nutrition, so DON'T gut your shelves over a new diet, ESPECIALLY if it's a result of health issues.

On Touchy Subjects: Confronting Loved Ones About Weight and Money Problems

Anonymous: Here is my suggestion if you are concerned about someone's weight: ask them to go for a walk with you. Also, be aware that weight is an incredibly private issue for some people. Some people would rather die than talk about it. Just because someone isn't harping on it, doesn't mean that they aren't thinking about it and trying.

Anonymous #2: Ive been overweight my entire life, and my ex-husband, who eats at least twice as much as I has always been very thin. Even his "gentle" comments were offensive to me becuase he has absolutely no idea what it is like to be in my shoes.

Anonymous #3: I have been married to a women for 30 years. ... She has added 5 - 10 pounds every year or so and now is about 60 -70 pounds overweight. I never said a word about her weight. … Sad point is, it affects our social life, our sex life and her health. I seem to have two choices, accept it or divorce her. That is a sad situation to place a devoted, loving partner. Any suggestions from people on either side of this issue would be greatly appreciated.

Kinder: My mother-in-law has a quickly worsening weight problem. At some point, I asked if she wanted to work out with me, under the pretense that it would be a positive social experience, a time to bond. But she bailed out after three trips (once she realized that going to the gym entailed doing exercise). I said nothing about her diet of baked goods and fried food; I was silent about her complete resistance to an exercise routine. And now I'm just exhausted. I actually really dislike going to the gym, but I do for the sake of my children. I'm kind of hurt by my mother-in-law's aggressive inactivity, but I want to help her have a better life. And I want her to be there for her grandchildren.

Anonymous #4: I have two cases - one friend, one relative - who constantly complain about their weight, who feel free to comment on my not being overweight, etc. My favorite was the friend told me I must be so skinny because I drank grapefruit juice. Never mind the fact that at the time I was an avid cyclist, and had ridden over 200 miles that weekend. … I do worry about their health, I would love to say LET ME HELP YOU. … It kills me because I know it's killing them. … So yeah, it would be lovely if these two would LET me be eyes on the paper. But it's hard to do when they keep waving their paper under my nose.

Anonymous #5: "Mind your own business" on these issues is a fine philosophical position - as long as it's consistent. If a person's actions are self-destructive, and they are fully aware of the consequences of their actions, then they have no claim on you for assistance when they've messed up their own lives.

Julia: Re: "I wonder: is there 'an enjoyable social experience' you can share with somebody who suffers from poor fiscal management?" What about asking them to take a financial workshop or course with you like the Dave Ramsey course? My dad took it and asked me to join him. I know it was his way of giving me financial advice without US actually having to talk about it.

Jeff S.: It's always important to remember that while your choices are your own, they can affect the people you love. These people may have to care for you when you are incapacitated, nurse you when you are down, or mourn for you when you have passed away. If you really want to avoid their input, then you may as well break all ties now, because they have a vested interest in seeing you happy and healthy. Unconditional love is not the same as unconditional acceptance of all of your choices.

Ering: I have changed a few habits and they way I did it is to use the challenge on ZenHabits website. Leo has a forum where you state the habit you want to create (i.e. eat healthy instead of stop eating badly) at the beginning of the month (or whenever you find out out about it!) and then you make a commitment to two things 1) meeting your habit and 2) report on it daily.

Anonymous #6: Justifying an intervention because someone's weight inconveniences your friendship is no more right than raping a friend because you feel a child will make her happy one day.

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Comments of the Week: The WAM Edition

Gigantic apologies for neglecting this last week. See, there were eggs and ham and a bunny and … never mind. I have no excuses. In contrition, this week’s Comment section has been super-sized. Keep reading for thoughts on the Pope, confrontation, food TV, and of course, Women Against Moist.

On Tuesday Megalinks (re: ruminating on the pope)

• Jen: does he watch his daytime pope operas? rinse out his mouth with spope? use his can popener?

On Touchy Subjects: Confronting Loved Ones about Weight and Money

• English Major: I am firmly in the camp that there is never a good reason to "intervene" in someone's weight stuff other than concern that the person in question has an undiagnosed eating disorder. Otherwise? They know already, and their choices are theirs. Money is a little different, though, I think, because I think many money troubles are genuinely related to a lack of information.


• Anonymous: All of your ideas sound spot on except for the part where in the end you cannot fix anyone. They have to fix themselves. Just make sure they know that if they ever decide to work on that area of themselves, you will be there to help. (Some people are better motivated to work on themselves alone, and then to surprise their friends with their results.)


• Stacking Pennies: People generally do know when they are overweight/unhealthy. I don't think a conversation would help. (the same thought applies to smokers. They know it is unhealthy and expensive, they know I wish they would quit because I love them... what does me telling them do?)


• Milena: I would add Do Seek Professional Help if problems get out of hand. It might give you the perspective you need to stay out of the situation, or the support to intervene appropriately. Also Do Create and Stick To Boundaries, if someone else's life choices interfere with yours, you can find the ways to keep your sanity and the relationship by maintaining boundaries.


• Anonymous #2: I think the biggest piece of advice I can give is to continue taking care of yourself and in the end recognize that adults make their own choices and must live with the consequences of those choices. It is good to express concerns, but in the end, you have to be strong enough to tell the truth and set your limits. Don't let a loved one's problems suck all the life and joy out of your own marriage/job/daily life. This is a hard balance to achieve with people you love.

On Free Cooking Lessons Part II: A Beginner’s Guide to TV Chefs

• Jaime: Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller (Food Network) - This show annoys me to no end. The recipes and menu planning is actually decent, but I think it's godawful TV, and it's just not worth it. (I know, this isn't about watchability as much as learnability, but I have trouble learning when I'm trying to poke her eyes out with a fork.)


• Paid Twice: If you think Rachael Ray is annoying, Neely woman is way worse. Food to get yourself a man! This is food to get your man! And the husband just simpers. The food might have been good but I spent most of the show wanting to punch her so I didn't notice.


• Auntcy1: Sara Moulton … has a new show on, I think the Discovery Channel, you can find the info on her website.


• Liz: Mark Bittman's PBS show is more of a travelogue; fun and somewhat educational to watch but not much instruction going on. I love his How to Cook Everything book, though.


• Julia: I've seen PartyLine with the Hearty boys, and while they make some good food, they tend to bicker which I find annoying. If that doesn't bother you, you might like it.


• Cindee: I find Simply Delicioso simply hateful. She is more annoying than Rachael Ray and her cooking is very semi-homemade. Bittman is terrific. Nigella's foodgasm style is just over the top now. Her old show was much better.I like Robin Miller too. She's soothing. Her theme song, however is like a bad sitcom opener.


• Arkay: Nigella Lawson of Nigella Feasts and other various shows: when given an opportunity to watch an attractive, self deprecating British woman with a lovely round bottom cook while wearing a silk robe, I TAKE IT. Her food is easy, and my go to food for those nights we are trying to make a quick or simple, but delicious, meal for friends.


• Chocoholic: On the shows you haven't seen, Jamie at Home is great! I love it. I've made two things from the show so far. It's good if you enjoy looking for fresh ingredients but sometimes you may need to look up what he says on a British slang glossery.


• Marcia: I like the Take Home Chef (Curtis Stone). He's cute, fun to watch, but I've never been tempted to make his recipes.


• Anonymous: PBS has a show called New Scandinavian Cooking with Andreas Viestad that I love. He's is like a younger, clumsier, but no less enthusiastic Alton Brown. As for Paula Dean, I love her show. The loopier she is, the better she is. I always assumed she had a bottomless Mint Julep just off camera.

On It's Moist: Alex’s Slightly Altered Light Chicken and Mushroom Marsala

• Jody: Eew, I hate the word "moist" more than the words "blouse" and "panties". Who knows why.


• Jody #2: I HATE the word moist … my whole family mocks me for it and make jokes that include all the gross words I hate strung together - one of their favorites being "moist panties" - could you just gag all over the place???

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Comments of the Week

Hey everybody! It's another special Saturday post full of spot-on comments from the past couple of days. I’m thinking I might make this a regular feature, a la one of my favorite blogs, The Comics Curmudgeon, so keep ‘em coming!

On Recession-Proofing Your Diet

Jen@bigbinder: Here is my plan: I am working my way up the food pyramid. My logic is that if this is the bulk of what we should be eating the bottom) best to start there and make a big impact. It might not be the most expensive proportionally but I like visual aids and this is a good one. For example, I am learning how to make my own bread (the kind that we will actually eat) and anything in that lowest category of the pyramid. … Once I get that category nice and cheap, I'll move onto the most frugal but still healthy way to buy and consume veggies, etc.

Julia: Re: the cookbooks, I found a fantastic Cooking Light cookbook called "Superfast Suppers" at a thrift shop. If you love cookbooks, like me, that's a good place to shop for them.

Sheila: I heard it like this: don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food. In other words, none of those lunchables. No cheesies. No fruit roll-ups. Just real food. It's cheaper and healthier.

Dan: I had a suggestion that involves Applying the 80/20 Rule. It's more conceptual than specific, but hopefully it helps your readers. Around 80% or so of your recipes will be made from some 20% of the ingredients that you normally stock in your pantry and fridge. Meaning most of the food you eat will heavily rely on a fairly small number of ingredients. If you can carefully manage the cost of those heavily-used ingredients, you should be able to slash your food bill materially.


On Pork Loin with Roasted Red Pepper Relish

Sally Parrott Ashbrook: I made a pork roast last night, using local, pastured heirloom pork and an apple sauce. The roast had beautiful marbling, and even though I overcooked it … it was way, way tastier than the overcooked grocery store pork I grew up eating. The extra fat in the heirloom pork made all the difference, I think. And honestly, I'd rather have a less frequent, really tasty piece of pork than a factory-farmed, so-so one.

Sarah: I regularly do pork loin in the crockpot and find it works well (stays moist and yummy).

Maggie: I love pork in the crockpot with green chilis and a few chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. It tastes best made ahead and stored covered in the liquid.I really like crockpot pulled pork also.


On Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar

Julia: Have you tried adding basil to that? I saw it on a cooking show and it sparked my curiosity. Also, I've heard strawberries dipped in freshly ground black pepper is amazing. Is summer here yet?

Ginnyberry: I absolutely love strawberries with balsamic vinegar! I don't use any sugar at all when I prepare mine.

Thanks everybody! (It's Kris again.) Can't wait to see what you have to say next.

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Weight, Money, and Personal Responsibility: Reader Thoughts

Special Saturday post! There have been some fantastic responses to Wednesday’s article about personal responsibility, weight and finance - really insightful stuff that deserves a spot beyond the comments page. The conversation’s still going (so chime in!), but I wanted to highlight a few good reader points in the meantime:

Michelle: If you take personal responsibility for your situation, and direct your time and effort toward loosing weight or learning to manage your finances, you'll be much more successful that if you spent that time and effort complaining about predatory lending or the advertising of unhealthy foods.

Jessica: For every problem, issue, over-indulgence, etc, there is a very personal cause. It is difficult to make generalizations or assumptions about what motivates and drives people, particularly with such personal issues, such as weight and debt. That being said, many people find themselves with debt they can't afford, not because of over-spending, but because of unfair practices by lending companies… I am not a "victim" - I am someone who does not appreciate my government allowing banks to lie, cheat and steal.

Hops: My opinion, though largely unformed and malleable, is that family is the greatest influence on spending/eating. It's inevitable that we absorb our parents' habits.

Ameliat: Personal responsibility is the only piece of the equation I can control. Yes, there is a whole marketing industry out there with the express goal of trying to get me to part with my cash and eat their processed food products. But it’s up to me to educate myself and do something about it, at least for myself. Maybe further down the line I’ll become more political and want to fight to “change things” out there in the world but for right now, I must limit my scope to what I can reasonably control – my own behavior and choices. …

Scott: In both cases, most people want a quick fix and fail to appreciate the incremental nature of debt and weight. One latte isn't going to kill you, but 2 a day five days a week will account for about a pound a week and about $800 in a year.

Jaime: One thing that interests me … is the pleasure from the illicit indulgence - the binge, the splurge, the "Oh, I shouldn't, but it feels so good." Whether it's a piece of chocolate cake or a pair of earrings (or *buying* a piece of chocolate cake, for, like, $4), breaking perceived rules feels like this self-empowering rebellion. Indulgence. "I deserve it." And in both cases it hurts more than it helps. It can just be hard to remember that in the moment.

Julia: I'm a huge fan of rewarding myself for goals met, and that's my indulgence. But it comes with two rules--1. That I wait until the goal is met and 2. That I wait at least a week or two after first seeing my "want" to make sure I still want it. That's how I combat impulse buying...and it works.

Allison Cabral: I work with clients every day in helping them overcome weight issues and 100% of the time I have found a DIRECT correlation between their debt and weight!! As a life coach, I recommend they cut the excess out everywhere in their life. They also have clutter and stuff issues. Once they clear up the core issues in their life, the weight drops off! It is about small baby steps and a vision of what you want, not focusing on what you don't want.

And finally, congratulations to readers carol m and beanalby. Carol recently signed up for Financial Peace University, and beanalby and his wife have lost a combined 90 pounds. 90 pounds! My mind is boggled. Nice work!

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