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Tip for Saving Money on Cheese

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My family and I absolutely LOVE cheese of all kinds, but it can be expensive to keep the fridge stocked. Here is a tip for saving money on cheese in the future.

When you purchase shredded cheese in a bag, the manufacturer charges you for that convenience. Also, the manufacturer puts additives in the bag to preserve the cheese and to keep it from clumping. So I have come up with an easy way to shred your cheese yourself, with little effort — whether it’s mozzarella, provolone or cheddar cheese for tacos.

All grocery store chains and wholesale clubs give you an option of buying the cheese in a block instead of the shredded cheese. Next time, choose the block cheese and follow these simple steps.

1- Place the cheese in the freezer for 15-30 minutes
2- Use a cheese shredder or a large grater to shred the entire block

* Now here is the secret to the cheese not clumping*
3- In a large container with a lid or a zip lock bag, add shredded cheese and put 1 Tablespoon of flour on top of the cheese. Secure lid or bag and shake vigorously. Make sure to store your cheese in an air tight container when done.

You will be amazed at how much more cheese you’ll get from that one block compared to a shredded bag of cheese that you buy at the store!

Posted by Lorraine

Kid Friendly Pizza Recipe

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Cooking with your children should always be a fun learning experience. I’ll never forget learning from my mother how to cook. Whether I was helping her prepare lunch or dinner, it was quality time with her that I will never forget.

As a mother myself, I remember also including my young children in the preparations of meals. We always had a great time. I was glad to pass on the tradition that my mother started with me all those years ago. After all, how else would they learn how to take care of themselves with delicious foods?

So I want share with the world my kids’ favorite childhood recipe for pizza. Trust me they devoured every piece! More importantly, they felt a sense of achievement because they made it themselves. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

4 Flour Tortillas
1 Cup Pizza Sauce
1 1/4 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
( You can add additional toppings such as pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms etc.. )

Directions

Tortilla_pizza
Example of what a Tortilla pizza looks like (courtesy wikimedia.org). It’s very yummy!

Preheat oven to 350*
Place Tortillas on a non stick baking sheet
Now let the kids make their own individual pizza
Use a large spoon to spread 2-3 tablespoons of pizza sauce on tortilla Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top
Add any desired topping(s)

Place in oven for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy this Kid Friendly Pizza Recipe!!

Posted by Eve

Easy Spicy Thai Noodles with Shrimp Recipe

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Every so often, I really enjoy eating spicy Thai inspired cuisine. I first, had Thai noodles, at an upscale Asian restaurant in my hometown. I was shocked at the cost of the meal when reading the menu. I thought to myself, “I could make a more affordable version at home!” So that’s what I decided to do. All I needed was a few key ingredients purchased from my local Asian market. To my delight, it was a great success the first time I made this Easy Spicy Thai Noodles with Shrimp Recipe. I now make it on a regular basis for friends and family.

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Olive or Vegetable Oil
1 Small Onion Diced
1-2 Teaspoons Thai Chili Paste
8-12 Ounces Medium Shrimp (Raw & Deveined)
4-6 Ounces Fresh Mushroom (Canned is OK)
2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
8-10 Ounces Wide Rice or Egg Noodles (Cooked)
1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Cilantro For Garnishment (Optional)

Directions

In a large sauce pan or wok on medium heat:
Add oil & onions
Sautée 1-2 minutes
Add:
Raw shrimp
Mushrooms
Fish sauce
Soy sauce
Chili paste
Toss 3-4 minutes until shrimp is cooked
Add:
Noodles
Combine all ingredients together for 1-2 minutes
Top portions with cilantro

Keep in mind that this recipe for Easy Spicy Thai Noodles with Shrimp works well with thinly sliced pork loin or chicken breast. If you like your foods extremely hot use more chili paste.

ENJOY!!!!!

Posted by Eve

Tips for Turkey, Chicken or Ham Leftovers After the Holidays

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My family always has an abundance of leftovers after the holidays — especially leftover meat, like chicken, turkey and ham. I do not like to have uneaten food spoil, so I re-purpose the meats to make more meals for my family.

Chicken or Turkey Leftovers

If you have leftover chicken or turkey, strip the remaining meat and chop it into cubes. Put cubes into a large bowl. Add mayo, finely chopped celery, diced onion, salt and pepper to make a classic chicken or turkey salad. It’s so refreshing and delicious to eat at lunch while at work. You can enjoy the mixture on bread, crackers or in a salad.

The next tip is to turn the chicken or turkey bones into homemade soups — it requires very little effort. Just place the entire bone, dripping included, into a large pot and fill the pot half way with water. Now add the following items to the pot:

  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • chopped onion
  • chopped carrots
  • potato chunks
  • chopped celery
  • cooked egg noodles

Season the pot with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low heat for about 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are fully cooked. Remove the bone from the soup before serving. It tastes so good on a cold day!

Leftover Ham

My final tip is for leftover ham. I really enjoy ham that has the bone in. What you can do is remove the remaining ham from the bone and cut it into cubes. Use the cubes for salads, as a flavor enhancer for rice or beans, or as an addition to my morning omelet.

You can also use the bone of the ham to flavor a large pot of greens or strings beans. Just add some salt, pepper and your usual seasonings.

Enjoy these tips for turkey, chicken or ham leftovers after the holidays!!!

Posted by Eve

Homemade Burritos

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I rather enjoy a good burrito from time to time. Yet, I don’t care for the preservatives that are added to the store bought and fast food burritos. So, I came up with a recipe for homemade burritos to satisfy my craving. It’s easy and a fun way to use ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.

Ingredients

1 Lb Lean Ground Beef
1 medium Onion finely diced
1 can Refried Beans
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon Chili powder
1 teaspoon dried Oregano
1 teaspoon Garlic powder
2 1/2 teaspoons Cumin
1 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Flour
1 Jalapeño pepper finely diced ( optional )
1/4 cup Salsa ( mild or hot )
4 large Burrito wraps

Optional Condiments:

Sour cream
1 cup Lettuce (shredded)
1 large Tomato diced
1 cup Mexican shredded cheese

Directions

In a large skillet, on medium heat, add oil, onion, jalapeño and ground beef. Add the dry ingredients to skillet and mix well until meat is browned.

Add salsa, refried beans and blend together and cook for another 2 minutes on low heat. Meanwhile, warm the burrito wraps in the microwave (in a tortilla warmer if you have one) for approximately 30 seconds.

Place warm burrito on a large plate, spread about a 1/4 cup of meat and bean mixture in middle of burrito, add lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream.

Simply roll up your homemade burritos and enjoy!!

Posted by Eve

How to Host An Awesome New Year’s Eve Party

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People all around the world celebrate New Year’s Eve by either attending or hosting a party. Some that I have been to in the past were boring, while others were totally awesome. So, last year I decided to put my energy and efforts into entertaining my family and friends by throwing a New Year’s Eve party. I first, realized that I had to organize my party planning into phases.

Phase 1 was to send out E-vites to all perspective guests, early enough, requesting that they respond within a couple of days and to include the number of people they planned to bring with them. Doing this allowed me to figure out how many guests to expect so that I could shop for plenty of food, drinks and party favors. After receiving the RSVP’s from those I had invited, I soon began phase 2.

Phase 2 consisted of planning what I was going to feed my guests. I had to decide, whether to have it catered or do the cooking myself. I will say that if it is within in your budget to cater, by all means do so. It saves you time and energy.

I decided to prepare the food myself. I decided that my food menu would consist of a vast array of ready-made finger foods, that I could heat and serve quickly. Click here for some recipe ideas. I chose finger foods so that utensils and chairs were not needed. It also, made for a quicker cleanup!! All that I needed was napkins and small paper plates.

Phase 3 consisted of preparing my home for New Years Eve guests. I started by rearranging my furniture and removing my area rugs, so that the inadvertent drink or food spill would not ruin them. I wanted to create a big open space for my guests to dance, stand and carry on conversations. The only furniture that I left was a large sofa that I placed against the wall and the serving table.

My most important phase was phase 4. I made a huge playlist that consisted of music from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and lively dance music from different genres of those same eras. After all, a real great party has never ending music to sing and dance to. You save money compared to hiring a DJ.

Phase 5 was to make sure that I purchased enough drinks for the party, including alcoholic beverages for age-appropriate guests as well as soda and bottled water. Of course I asked my closest friends to bring a bottle of something to the party, as this could turn into being the most expensive part of hosting a party. In being a gracious host, I also prepared my guest bedroom for those close friends who became inebriated and needed to lie down.

I was so happy that my party lasted way after midnight and it cost me under $200. It was awesome! I am thinking about having another New Year’s Eve party this year!!

Happy Holidays & Have A Great New Year!

Posted by Eve