Kristine's Crafts & Cooking

Tuesday Night Dinner

Kristine — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 00:36:40 +0000

Tonight I made the dinner i was supposed to make last night. It was CRAZY good!

I added up the bill for the stuff for this weeks menu. it came out to 35-40 bucks. Give or take a few dollars because i added a few things that the recipes didn’t call for. Not that i think yall don’t believe me, but here is my receipt!

Now on to the dinner!

Baked Eggs & Tortillas in Creamy Tomato Sauce

(From Every Day Food, April 2010 issue)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1 large onion, diced small
coarse salt & ground pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 C half & half
8 corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-in. strips (I cut up 8 and it was WAY to much. i would say 4 would do)
8 large eggs (I only had 6 in the fridge!)
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion, and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Season with salt & pepper; add garlic & cook until fragrant, 30-45 seconds. Add flour & stir to coat. Pour in tomatoes, add red pepper flakes, & season with salt & pepper. Cook until tomato sauce is thick & bubbly, about 3 minutes. Stir in half & half, then remove from heat.

2. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in a 9X13-in. baking dish. Place tortilla strips in an even layer over the sauce. Spread remaining sauce over tortillas. Break eggs over top and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until sauce is bubbling and whites are set, about 25 minutes.

(SORRY FOR THE CRAPPY PICTURES! MY CAMERA DIED RIGHT BEFORE DINNER SO I HAD TO USE MY PHONE!)

I did my eggs scrambled because neither of us like the yolky part of the eggs. I honestly thought this meal going to to be really nasty…so nasty i would have to throw it away and go get something to eat. I like eggs, but not in things that arent breakfast! But im open to trying new things and i know chris will try pretty much anything put in front of him! I am SO happy that it came out good. It was creamy and SO flavorful! The eggs werent “eggy” either!

In keeping with the spirit of trying new things DONT KNOCK IT UNTIL YOU TRY IT!

Monday night dinner

Kristine — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:38:25 +0000

NEVER HAPPENED!! I started cleaning the garage when i got home and by the time i stopped it was too late to start dinner. so tonight i will make last nights dinner and will go through sat night with the rest of the menu.

I am happy to announce that the bill for this weeks menu came in WAY under budget! Our total bill came out to 57 dollars and some change. Included on that bill was several other things that we needed like bread, toothpaste and things like that. I have the receipt on my desk at home and will give yall a total with my update on how dinner turns out!

Everyday Food Challenge

Kristine — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:01:45 +0000

As of lately I have been trying to expand my palate. I have NEVER been a fan of seafood, meat, or anything besides my beloved starches. I have lived most of my life on pasta, bread, potatoes, and rice! There aren’t many veggies out there that I don’t like. I’m not a big fan of fruit either. A lot of that is due to the strange textures. Like a pear…ICK I hate that loose grainy feeling on my tongue.

A big reason for this change is embarrassment! I cant tell you the feeling of going to someone’s house and intending to choke down whatever it is I don’t like, only to be ousted by some one saying…OH SHE HATES THAT. Going to restaurants is a nightmare! I LOVE grilled cheese but it’s getting old ordering from the kids menu every where I go. Another big reason is my health. I’m sure nothing but carbs isn’t good for me! And I know the day will come when I want to have a kid and I know having the proper nutrition is a must.

So in the last few months I have given a few new things a try. Fish, shrimp, lobster and crab, (there were mixed into a stuffed mushroom…other wise I’m not sure I would have had the nerve to try those just yet!), mushrooms, strange cheeses, I’m still not a big fan of red meat but I have tried brisket and other various things to come off the grill. MY AMAZING fresh ground beef burgers. I am still open to the idea of trying new things but it might not just be as quick as “let me throw this in my mouth”. I have to work up to it.

Next week I’m going to give something new a try. Everyday food always has this thing in it called Grocery Bag. They make up a weeks worth of meals and give you the shopping list. The reason this is a big deal for me is because I always make what is familiar. Tried and true recipes that I make all the time. This menu happens to have a lot of things that I already eat, like chicken, veggies, rice and simple things. There is nothing out of the ordinary but just new to me and my husband. I figure if I can get through the one week with familiar foods and can actually stick to the plan that will open me up to try new and different menus with new and different foods!

I will report back every night with what’s on the menu and how it goes down!

Monday: Baked eggs and tortillas in creamy tomato sauce

Tuesday: Zucchini pasta with ricotta

Wednesday: Tangy Chicken with orzo pilaf

Thursday: Bean and cheese burritos

Friday: roast chicken with zucchini, carrots, and onions.

See…nothing weird. Just new to us! And the best thing…they say that all of the ingredients can be bought for 50 bucks. A weeks worth of meals for 50 bucks would be amazing. AND I already have about 1/3 of the ingredients in my pantry!