Bar Deals

Tuesday, 9 October 2007

Tuesday Megalinks: The Puffs Plus Edition

Posted on 10:51 by Unknown

Have you ever woken up in the morning positive that you had the Plague? That's today for me. I can hear my own face. It's really lovely.

ABC News: More Fish for Pregnant Women? Seafood Debate Rages.
If I was a fetus (which I was once … there are pictures), I think I’d want a fishstick. I’m just sayin’.

Mayo Clinic: 20 tips for permanent weight loss
Thanks to an cheeseburger-heavy summer, I’m back OP this week. (That’s On Plan for you non-Weight Watching folks out there.) This MC list is my mantra.

My Retirement Blog: Festival of Frugality #95
CHG's pork post made it in, and there's a whole SECTION on food. Neato.

Paid Twice: Plans to Buy in Bulk – The Readers Speak
Faboo post about strategizing for CostCo, BJ’s, and/or Sam’s Club trips. My strategy: I never buy more than I can carry. It hurts too much walking back to el subway.

The PB& J Campaign
Eat the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Save the world. (Thanks to Serious Eats)

Wired: Keep Your Food, Change Your Plate - The New Science of Eating
It's all about portion control, man.

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Posted in Links | No comments

Monday, 8 October 2007

The Nina, the Pinta, and the Sinus Infectionia

Posted on 06:25 by Unknown

No post for today, since it's both Columbus Day (woo!) and Something Decided to Set Up Camp in My Face Day (boo). I sound like Patty and Selma after four packs of Lucky Strikes.

Please check back later in the week for a neat Apple Butter recipe and "11 Things Dwight K. Schrute Has Taught Me About Food and Frugality." Because there ain't no party like a CHG party.

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Friday, 5 October 2007

Easy Peasy: Nigella Lawson's Easy Pea Soup

Posted on 07:12 by Unknown

(Before we get started with today's recipe - a happy, happy "hi" to y'all coming over from Meredith's blog, Like Merchant Ships. She was extremely generous with her linkage, and for that, I'm way grateful.)

“Pea Soup” is a less-than-appetizing title for anything about to be placed on a dining room table. On the upper end of the intellectual spectrum, guests will confuse it with fog. At the lower end, your company may never stop giggling. Yet, this version, from Nigella Lawson (as interpreted by Serious Eats) will make friends, family, and pets forget all about the name.

Boasting a lovely, Kermit-reminiscent shade of green and a staggering prep time of 15 minutes (five of them spent doing dishes), Nigella's Pea Soup is one of the simplest, most rewarding comestibles I’ve ever had the pleasure of wolfing down (the other being Bobby Flay’s Parmesan Crusted Portobello Mushrooms with White Truffle Oil).

Fast dishes aren’t supposed to be this good. Cheap ones shouldn’t taste this classy. Peas legendarily suck. Yet, against all odds, Nigella won my heart. And possibly my Boyfriend. He loved it, especially paired with lasagna and a crunchy side salad.

Next time you have to prepare an upscale soup at breakneck speed, try it out. A few suggestions, though:

Puree the everloving heck out of it. Otherwise, you’re left with a slightly mealy texture that becomes less appealing with every leftover sampling.
Should you go heavy on the cheese, ease up on salt. Parm is kind of salty anyway, and its flavor shines through in the dish.
If you have an aversion to, allergy of, or deep-seated enmity toward peas, it might be best to skip the soup entirely.

P.S. I paid a ridiculous amount for both the stock and the peas (which I thought were on sale), so I’m thinking that a better shopper could make this cost about half the price that I did.

Easy Pea Soup
4 servings – 2/3 c each
Adapted from Nigella Lawson/Serious Eats.

2 cups vegetable stock
3 cups frozen peas
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons Olive oil
4 teaspoons Parmesan cheese

1) In a medium saucepan, heat stock over medium-low heat. Pour in peas and cook until just tender.

2) In a blender, process peas and stock until totally smooth. When almost finished, add balsamic vinegar and mix a little more.

3) Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped off with a little olive oil and paremesan cheese (1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of parmesan per serving worked well for me. - Kris)

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
131 calories, 3 g fat, $0.71

Calculations
2 cups vegetable stock: 30 calories, 0 g fat, $1.09
3 cups frozen peas: 374 calories, 1.3 g fat, $1.43
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar: 10 calories, 0 g fat, $0.07
Salt and pepper: negligible fat and calories, $0.03
2 teaspoons Olive oil: 80 calories, 9 g fat, $0.06
4 teaspoons Parmesan cheese: 28 calories, 1.9 g fat, $0.14
TOTAL: 522 calories, 12.2 g fat, $2.82
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 131 calories, 3 g fat, $0.71

Posted in 15 Minutes or Less, Soups and Stocks, Vegetarian | No comments

Thursday, 4 October 2007

CHG Favorites of the Week

Posted on 07:21 by Unknown

Blog of the Week
Extreme Pumpkins
If brown is the new black, and Pink is the New Blog, then pumpkins are the new buffaloes (meaning, no part of a pumpkin should be wasted). So, grab one, scoop out the seeds, and then consider one of these traumatically awesome carvings. Spooky-sweet.

Book of the Week
Your Money or Your Life
Trent at The Simple Dollar is starting an online book club, and Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez’s seminal tome is his first selection. I’m only about halfway through right now, but so far, things are looking good. Without getting too crunchy, the book emphasizes the deleterious effect of consumerism on our lives and our planet, which I totally dig. If you can grab a copy (or if you’ve read it already), c’mon over and join the discussion.

Deals of the Week
Wal-Mart: Free Dunkin or Folgers coffee.
Macy’s: Batali Measuring Spoons $2.97
Amazon: Oxo Citrus Squeezer 55% off
Jamba Juice: Buy 1 get 1 free

Organization of the Week
Second Harvest
The mother ship to hundreds of smaller food banks, Second Harvest feeds millions of hungry U.S. citizens a year. This is a brief synopsis of their mission and inner workings, with a neato food bank locator on the bottom. What’s even better, they include ratings from the Better Business Bureau and the Charity Navigator, so you can keep an eye on their efficiency and expenditures. Neat site, great charity.

Quote of the Week
“I went to a restaurant that serves ‘breakfast at any time.’ So I ordered French Toast during the Renaissance.” - Steven Wright

Tip of the Week
To prevent undercooking pasta or a piece of meat, do some dishes while you’re waiting. In the end, you have a cleaner kitchen, a tastier meal, and more time to hang out with the ones you love (or watch Sportcenter).

Untried Cheap, Healthy Recipe of the Week
Spiced Apple Cider Sorbet from Apartment Therapy Kitchen
SQUEEEEEE! This might even be vaguely healthy. Watch out world!

Video of the Week (Food Division)
“Candy” – Iggy Pop and Kate Pierson
The most well-endowed man in rock teams up with beehived B-52s chanteuse Pierson for a pseudo-‘50s throwback. I LOVE this frigging song, and it’s even better when you pretend it’s about candy itself, and not a woman.
`

Posted in Links | No comments

Wednesday, 3 October 2007

Cheap Healthy Pork: Recipes, Methodology, and Tips

Posted on 07:33 by Unknown

A few weeks back, I posted Cheap Healthy Beef, a treatise on the affordability and nutrition of certain cuts of cow. Originally, it was supposed to be a stand-alone essay, with no sequels, follow-ups, or ensuing chapters. As it turns out though, Americans really like meat (duh), and that single entry scored more CHG hits than any other post so far. (Thanks, Google Analytics!)

Thusly, please give a warm welcome to Cheap Healthy Pork, the second episode of what is now an ongoing meat-centric series (chicken, fish, and uh … other meats to come). Like the beef post, my intent with pork (a.k.a. the Bestower of Chops, Endower of Ribs, and Giver of Bacon) is to find economical, body-friendly cuts that can easily be turned into flavorful, nutritious dishes.

Last time I tried this, the process took roughly four billion years, so this time I skipped to the chase: the six government-approved lean cuts of pork (less than 10 g fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 95 mg cholesterol per 3 oz serving) are:

Posted in Buying Food, Cooking, Frugality, Health, Mains, Meat and Fish | No comments

Tuesday, 2 October 2007

Tuesday Megalinks: The Colorado Rockies Edition

Posted on 07:30 by Unknown

Man, did you SEE that game last night? Just when the situation was turning tragic, the Rockies turned it around and made the playoffs. I wish the Mets had shown half that heart, and I hope Matt Holliday's face heals up soon. Anyway, on to the show...

Apartment Therapy: Kitchen Keeping – Don’t Throw Away! AND Good Question – Good Veggie Burgers AND How to Arrange a Buffet Table
Leftover cheese rinds, brown bananas, and on-the-verge veggies are put to good use, PLUS the search for a palatable patty PLUS an advanced course in table setting. Woof.

Frugal Hacks: Cheerful Frugality at Table
If you’re used to eating out, switching to at-home dining can be difficult. FH pitches in with good ideas about creating a restaurant-like ambiance in the kitchen.

Market Watch: Can't eat candy? Think of gum as a 'sweet treat'
Interesting trends in this years candy expo, including reduced-calorie packs of the big guys (Snickers, etc.) and gum catering to caffeine freaks.

My Retirement Blog: Carnival of Personal Finance #120
CHG made it! Woo! Also of note: Shawna at One Girl’s Quest presents Eating at Home Really Does Save a Fortune and Insure Blog gives us The Government Made Me Fat.

Metromix: Grilled!
A dozen up-and-coming chefs are thrown quickfire questions on life in the biz. Neat insight with delectable pictures and at least one major thumb injury.

Real Simple: Buying, Storing, and Preparing Fall Produce
I want to marry this magazine. If only I had a sensible cashmere v-neck, maybe it would answer my calls.

Washington Post: Should Drinks Like Gatorade Sport the 'Junk Food' Label?
Once in college, I took a sip of orange Gatorade right after brushing my teeth. It made me truly doubt the existence of God.

`

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Monday, 1 October 2007

Chicken Noodle Soup for the Failure’s Soul

Posted on 07:44 by Unknown

(This title is particularly relevant to yesterday's NL East ballgames. Who replaced Tom Glavine with my my 90-year-old Aunt Dot?)

Usually, when I mess with recipes, the results leave something to be desired.

Like that Amazon Cake where I doubled the sugar and upped the oil content by half? Dad had a fine birthday pudding that fateful year.

Or how about the time with the Weight Watchers Macaroni and Cheese? In retrospect, substituting fat-free singles for low-fat cheddar was a bad idea. (Mmm … orange plastic …)

Ooo – then there were those Cooking Light zucchini chips where I decided SALT WAS NO OBJECT, and the end product was akin to licking the inside of a McDonald’s french fry bin.

Yeah. My record kind of stinks. If I was a baseball club, I'd be the September 2007 Mets (with better pitching). Last week though, the semi-evil machinations worked. I took Sarah Moulton’s Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup, played with a few of the directions, and came out with something vaguely edible. No – that’s selling it short. It was actually GOOD.

Starting with the basic recipe, I reduced the butter, used stock I had in the freezer, dumped in leftover meat from last week’s Roast Chicken with Grapes, halved the whole thing, and only followed the latter half of Sarah’s directions. The results were a hearty, high-end chicken noodle soup that went swimmingly with a small side salad. Though I was initially alarmed by the calorie content, my fears were for naught since the soup was a meal in itself.

So, take THAT, Self Doubt! Cram it in your ear, Low Expectations! Blow it out your rear end, Part of My Brain That Insists I Endanger the Lives of All I Hold Dear When I Go Near a Stove! This worked! And it will for you, too. (No orange plastic, I promise.)

Two quick side notes:

1) This is a make-and-eat-immediately dish. The leftovers are all right, but don’t really qualify as soup, since the noodles absorb what’s left of the liquid. And there's a slight congealing issue, but that's best left unexplored.

2) A store-bought quart of chicken stock will reduce the fat and calorie total pretty significantly, but will detract from the taste overall.

Sara Moulton’s Heavily Revised Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup
4 servings – Packed 1 cup each
Adapted from Sara Moulton.

1 quart chicken stock, plus more in case you need it
10 oz. roast chicken leftovers (no skin, trimmed of fat) cut into pieces
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 carrot, peeled, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 cup mushrooms, quartered
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 ounces dried egg noodles
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1) In a large stock pot, bring broth to a rolling simmer. Drop in onion, carrots, and celery, and cook about 8 or 10 minutes, until vegetables soften.

2) In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms. Saute 5 or so minutes, until they start browning. Add lemon juice and stir. Pour mushroom-lemon mixture into broth. Then add noodles, parsley, and chicken. Simmer another 5 minutes, or until noodles are tender, adding more broth if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
345 calories, 9.3 g fat, $0.75

Calculations
1 quart chicken stock: 346 calories, 11.5 g fat, $0.92
10 oz. roast chicken meat leftovers: 531 calories, 20.5 g fat, free (leftovers)
1/4 cup chopped onion: 12 calories, 0 g fat, $0.08
1 carrot, peeled: 25 calories, 0.1 g fat, $0.11
1 celery stalk: 6 calories, 0 g fat, $0.20
1 teaspoon butter: 34 calories, 3.8 g fat, $0.03
1/2 cup mushrooms: 8 calories, 0.1 g fat, $0.75
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice: negligible calories and fat, $0.06
4 ounces dried egg noodles: 419 calories, 1 g fat, $0.50
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley: negligible calories and fat, $0.33
TOTAL: 1381 calories, 37 g fat, $2.98
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 345 calories, 9.3 g fat, $0.75

Posted in Mains, Meat and Fish, Soups and Stocks | No comments

Bar Deals

Tuesday, 9 October 2007

Tuesday Megalinks: The Puffs Plus Edition

Monday, 8 October 2007

The Nina, the Pinta, and the Sinus Infectionia

Friday, 5 October 2007

Easy Peasy: Nigella Lawson's Easy Pea Soup

Thursday, 4 October 2007

CHG Favorites of the Week

Wednesday, 3 October 2007

Cheap Healthy Pork: Recipes, Methodology, and Tips

Tuesday, 2 October 2007

Tuesday Megalinks: The Colorado Rockies Edition

Monday, 1 October 2007

Chicken Noodle Soup for the Failure’s Soul

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