The Daily Dish Recipes

Gas? On a food blog? Oh yes my friends. With these higher gas prices, we are also seeing an increase in the price of certain foods. So how do you save money on both at the same time? Here are a few tips.

Just like in the past, make a list when grocery shopping. Don’t just wing it when you get to the store, actually spend time browsing through your pantry, refrigerator and freezer to see what you already have on hand, and what you need to get or replace.

Because of the gas prices being what they are, I am less likely to tell you to grocery store jump for the best prices, HOWEVER, there is an exception to the rule. If the stores are close together (like less than a half mile) it might still be worth your time and money to shop at more than one to get the best value. Be sure to really watch sales flyers at this point.

When you are going grocery shopping, get everything and come home and put it away. If you find that you forgot to get something, to not run back out and get it unless it is imperative for that nights meal, and then I would recommend that you plan better (bring a pen and cross off what you put in the cart as you get it).

When you have forgotten something, or you run out of something, combine the trip to the store with another errand. For instance, if you have to mail out a package or pick up some dry cleaning, do them both in the same trip.

Also, watch how much food wasting goes on in your kitchen and try to plan to avoid that at all costs. Wasting food, is at the same time wasting gas because you are going to have to go back out and get it again.

These are just a few of my favorite gas and grocery tips.

Here are two for saving money on gas only.

Pump early in the morning or late at night when the day has cooled off. You will get more fuel in your tank than you will on a hot day. When pumping on a hot day, you are actually paying for a certain amount of gas, but getting less.

If you have a gas station or other service station near you that offers a discount for paying with cash, take advantage of it. We have a local station that will give you 4 cents OFF per gallon if you pay with cash rather than a debit or credit card. I have also heard that you can get a discount by purchasing a wal-mart gift card and fueling at their pumps (if you have one) using it. I think it’s like 3 cents off per gallon. Any little bit helps, and in the long run you will be thankful.

If you have any tips on saving money on gas, this is the post to do it in. I know it’s a little unlike “food” but since I feel like saving money is an all around your life thing, it counts.

We make these a LOT. We like to have them on ‘family nights’ so we plan ahead and make sure we have one ready. They are so good and you can use any type of chip you would like. Browse your baking aisle and you will find chocolate cherry, chocolate carmel, white chocolate, peanut butter and many more.

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

1 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cream of tartar
2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350. Beat the butter and sugars together in a mixing bowl, until they become light and fluffy. Next, add the eggs and the vanilla. Mix together well.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet batter and mix until blended. Add the chocolate chips (or whatever kind you chose). Using a pizza pan, spread the dough out to almost the edges. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove and allow to cool. We don’t usually decorate ours, but once the cookie cake is cooled, you can add icing and other decorations.

Have you considered having a pool party this summer? They are a great way to get together with family and friends and celebrate or just hang out. If you are struggling to come up with ideas for food, here are a few tips for the perfect pool party foods.

Think small, bite size treats. Carrot sticks, celery sticks and other cut veggies are perfect for setting out. Be careful with your dip, that it is not in direct sunlight, as it is the item that will go bad the quickest.

Hamburgers and hot dogs are a great poolside food, however consider getting children out of the pool about 5-10 minutes before serving food. Their wet hands often make the buns soggy, rendering them disgusting to a child. Allow them to dry off for a bit and they will be fine.

Chips, Pretzels and crackers are another great addition to a pool party. Again, their bite size nature makes them easier to grab on the go.

For desserts, think things like bite size brownies, smaller cookies, even small cupcakes. Anything that can be consumed quickly while pool time can be resumed is usually a big hit with the pool crowd.

What kinds of things do you serve at your pool parties?

My whole family adores these, and they are a popular favorite. The kids love to get involved in the process of making them and we are hardly ever faced with leftovers. If you are faced with leftovers, you can break the burgers up into bite size pieces and add to all kinds of things.

Cheese Stuffed Hamburgers Recipe

2 lbs. ground beef
6 oz. packet of onion soup or dip mix
4 Tbs. sour cream
cheese, any type
hamburger buns

In a mixing bowl, combine the onion soup mix and the ground beef. Add the sour cream and mix with your hands. Form into a bit of meat into a thin patty. Add a slice of cheese to the top of the patty. Add another thin patty to the top. Secure the edges together by pressing with your fingers around the outside of the burger so no cheese is showing. Grill like normal, serve on hamburger buns with traditional condiments. So yummy!

I was sorting through a few cookbooks this morning, and it got me thinking about why I purchased the various cookbooks that I own. Sometimes it was a picture on the cover, and sometimes it was because I found a recipe that sounded heavenly.
More recently if I purchased it, it was because there were at least a dozen recipes I would totally make in them, and they usually have pictures to accompany the recipes. (I’m a very visual chef, I love to see what it should look like - maybe to laugh when mine doesn’t turn out as pretty!)

The one cookbook that I have turned to over and over again, it probably my most recent acquisition and it is actually two - put out by Taste of Home. One is called Taste of Home Picnics, Potlucks and Barbecues, and the other Taste of Home 5 Ingredient Recipes. In both magazine style cookbooks, I have probably prepared about 12-15 things EACH. And every single one of them has been a big hit. It’s why I continue to turn to the magazines when I am meal planning, or keep a careful watch for a new addition or another cookbook I don’t have that’s available from them.

So, what is your favorite cookbook and why is it your favorite? And if you are really bold, feel free to share one of your favorite recipes from it. And if you don’t want to share a recipe, you don’t have to, just tell us why you love it (you know, in case I need to go by a new cookbook or two!)

This quick dish brings the kids running to the table. It’s easy to make, and you can substitute ground turkey for the hamburger meat. It is so good and so easy, allowing you to prepare other things at the same time.

Hamburger Stew

1 lb. ground beef
1 jar beef gravy
8-10 small red potatoes, quartered
2 Tbs. ketchup
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen green beans

In a skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain the grease. Add the beef gravy, potatoes and ketchup. Stir and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in frozen green beans and continue simmering for another 15-20 minutes. Serve with french bread and allow the kids to dip into the stew. So delicious!

My friend and I were discussing cooking today. It’s funny to me how many friends I have that simply don’t cook. One friend and her husband (no kids) eat out almost every single meal - lunch and dinner. To me that seems so costly, and I know they could stand to save the money, but she just isn’t comfortable in the kitchen. Don’t think I haven’t offered.
Another friend is so funny, she is a mom of a teenager and has never been much of a cook. Her husband has done much of the cooking throughout their marriage, especially in the summer months out on the grill. We brought Papa Murphy’s (my favorite) pizza to their house a couple of weekends ago, and I almost had to giggle when she couldn’t figure out how to preheat her oven, and then thought the pizzas could go right in as soon as we hit the preheat button. Obviously another culinary dud. Another former friend and her family (three kids) also consistantly eat out, and the only time they eat at the house is to consume things like fruit snacks, chips and crackers. I cannot understand the health benefits to your children when you feed them like that on a regular basis.

Anyway, back to the original friend and I discussing cooking. She asked me how often I cooked in an average week. My reply to her was probably 6 out of 7 nights a week. Honestly, some weeks it is less, and some more. My SO enjoys being the chef on the weekends when he is free from work, and can take his time. I enjoy handing it over. But, because he wants to cook, often times our meals are eaten out on the weekends. Not every meal, and not even every weekend, but if someone were to ask how often we ate out, and when - I’d have to say every other weekend, and only on weekends. Throughout the regular week, I try my hardest to prepare a meal at home in my kitchen, with the exception of reheating leftovers which I still think counts. My five kids are happiest with home cooked meals anyway, because they know they will be something they like, and love the smell of cooking food.

So how often do you eat out? How many meals do you prepare at home, etc.? We are curious about others habits, and find it fascinating to see how other families live.

Chicken is almost like a staple at our house, because it is the one meat everyone loves. I am constantly trying new recipes to get different flavors. This one was a huge hit recently.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 c. bread crumbs
1 tsp. parsley
garlic salt
salt and pepper, to taste
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

Combine the cheese, bread crumbs and parsley in a medium size bowl. Add some garlic salt and pepper. In a large skillet, add evoo and heat over medium/high heat. Coat 1 piece of chicken at a time in the bowl of bread crumbs and seasonings. Coat thoroughly and set aside on a plate. When all chicken is completely coated, add 2 to 3 chicken pieces to the skillet at a time; careful to leave them some room. Cook for about 4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside on a plate until all chicken is cooked. Season with salt and pepper if you’d like. Tastes great and kids love it!

This is soooo good, it is one of my favorite meals to make. Even though there are a few ingredients that don’t totally impress a kid, four out of five of them will actually eat this. I cannot remember who gave us this recipe, but we had it at their house. It was one of my good friends, and it was a favorite at their house too.

Champagne Shrimp and Pasta

8 oz. pkg. angel hair pasta (sometimes I substitute Linguine noodles)
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
1 c. fresh mushrooms , sliced
1 lb. med. sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 c. champagne
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. minced shallots
2 tomatoes, diced
1 c. heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste
3 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for 6 to 8 minutes; drain. In frying pan, heat evoo over med-high heat. Saute mushrooms in evoo until soft and tender. Remove the mushrooms from the frying pan, and set aside. Add the shrimp, champagne and salt to the frying pan. Cook over high heat until the champagne begins to boil. Remove shrimp from pan; set aside. Add minced shallots and diced tomatoes to the frying pan, and boil until the champagne is reduced to about 1/2 cup. (approx. 8 minutes). Stir in only 3/4 cup of heavy cream; boil until slightly thick, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and shrimp, and heat through. Add seasonings to taste.
In a bowl, dump the drained pasta and add the remaining 1/4 cup of cream and the parsley and toss to coat. Toss everything together and serve immediately. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Well, I love to cook at home and preparing healthy meals for my family feels good, but sometimes I must splurge and eat a meal out. These are my favorite restaurants and what I order in no particular order.

Thirteen Favorite Restaurants and What I Order….

1. Mr. Goodcents: My favorite “fast food” restaurant. I love subs so much and Mr. Goodcents are so fresh and yummy and I actually crave them. I usually order a Centsable Sub with Provolone on white if I don’t care, wheat if I’m being a good girl. I always order it with pickles, black olives, spicy mustard, mayo, oregano, salt and pepper. If I am up to it I will sometimes ask for peppers, tomatoes and onion. But only sometimes.
2. Red Robin: We love to go to Red Robin when we do decide to eat out. Love the atmosphere and the burger-joint style. I typically order the 5-Alarm Burger but have more recently been mixing it up between that and the Royal Red Robin Burger.
3. O’Charleys:If they have a special cajun spiced salmon I get that, otherwise it is either the Cedar Planked Salmon or the Cajun Chicken Pasta. Always with rolls, salad and Cheese Wedges. I know, real healthy.
4. China Buffet: Unfortunately I cannot really tell you what I get because I always get a lot. I love this place, and it has four long double buffets and a dessert buffet. I think I have probably tried everything at least once. My favorite is this cheesy crab stuffthey have. Oh, and the Chinese Donuts. Yummy!
5. Rich and Charlies: This is a local Italian restaurant chain, and I always get the Fettucine Alfredo. The next time I go I will probably order something less fattening because I am trying to watch my diet, but regardless it is my typical dish of choice. Always with rolls and their delicious house salad.
6. Steak ‘N Shake: We don’t go too often but I love a Double Cheese Steakburger with those amazing french fries with cheese sauce. Sauce is always on the side.
7. Red Lobster: Alaskan King Crab legs baby! Oh so yummy!
8. Joey’s Seafood and Grill: My addiction here is the amazing Lobster and Seafood Roll. I crave that thing! I wish I could figure out how to duplicate that at home, because I’d probably make it a lot. Of course I am sure if I found out how many calories it had, I might not. LOL
9. Jimmy Johns Subs: This restaurant comes in second only to Mr. G’s (see #1) but they have gourmet subs and they are to die for. We go a lot on Monday nights when the step kids have dinner with their mother. My sub of choice is always the Beach club which is fresh baked turkey breast, provolone cheese, avocado spread, sliced cucumber, sprouts, lettuce, tomato, and mayo I am addicted to sprouts and need to get some for my homemade subs.
10. Travenas - A local restaurant specializing in Mediterannean cusine. It is always packed and they have live entertainment on the weekends. A great night out. I usually order the Cajun Seafood Pasta which is blackened tiger prawns with scallops, mushrooms, capers, roasted peppers, deglazed with vodka and lemon. Sometimes I will order the Gyro platter because well, I love them.
11. TGIFridays: We don’t frequent them much at all, but once upon a time they were my favorite. I used to get the Cajun Angels until they removed them from the menu a millions years ago (we actually stopped eating there at all for like 8 years after that.  Now my dish of choice is the Chipotle Grilled Steak Sandwich - but we don’t go very often.
12. Sonic: I rarely eat at Sonic but it is one of my favorites. I love their Super Sonic Cheeseburgers with tator tots. To be honest, I get different things each time. I love Ocean Water but will sometimes change it up with a diet coke or a watermelon slush.
13. China Moon: I love Chinese food, and I love this restaurant. I usually get Chicken Fried Rice, Crab Rangoon and Fried Dumplings. I also really like Garlic Chicken and some of the spicier beef dishes. We eat chinese a lot but since we discovered the buffet (see #4) we don’t go here as often. It’s still the best for take out.

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