For Kathy & Karen – Because I Can HEHEHEHE January 13, 2009

Okay, my 2 best friends names start with K…just realized that…shut it.  One more K and we have an problem LOL.

So tuna fish YUMMY LISHOUS…how much salad can I eat with tuna on it, obviously almost everyday d*mn day.  I love tuna fish, but one way I can hardly stomach is the way my hubby will eat tuna fish salad…over hot rice EWWW.  Hot mayo, just makes me feel like I’m going to toss my cookies.  My tuna salad recipe is different from most and I didn’t realize it until my friend Ingrid (from the Netherlands) said, so what, egg salad and tuna fish salad together (in my head I’m saying it with her accent, even though she doesn’t think she has one, you do!)…never thought about it.  My mom always put cut up hard boiled eggs in her tuna salad and that’s how I’ve always loved it.  Tuna fish, hard boiled eggs, mayo, mustard, onion, Adobo, pepper, maybe relish, mix, done and YUM.  If I’m in the mood I’ll put it over kidney beans…that’s sure to gross someone out.  Peace and afro grease!  

Yum, Tuna! - Pita cat

 

 

 

 For Kathy

 For Kupcake

Aldi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! January 13, 2009

Take thy self to Aldi ASAP!  Our grocery bill used to be $800/mo. for 2 people and now it’s $300-$400/mo. Mind you, I still have to go to Bi-Lo for a few things, but not everything. When gas started to go up, I started taking the bus to Uptown Charlotte NC and saved hundreds on gas and parking.  While on the bus, we would pass Aldi, so I researched for about 2 weeks and off I went with my quarter in hand and my own bags.  You have to put a quarter in the cart to get it and when you take it back to the corral, you get it back…a quarters a freakin quarter okaaaay.  Also you have to bag yourself with your own bags or buy the bags there.  Now I don’t know about you, but I’ve turned into my mother and say things like, I know your not going to put that bleach with my bread youngin and just step away, I’ll do it!!!  So being able to bag myself without having to hurt the southern boys/girls feelings with my upfront Northern confrontation, is a joy!  

Aldi is a basic/bare bones store…one brand, Aldi and some special purchases of name brand stuff, but you don’t save that much on them unless they are still sitting there for a few weeks.  Stopped myself from getting processed Pringles for $.99 because of my upchuck theory and immediately thought, how can I make something that tastes like Chez Ums.  So if you want sugar, one brand THEIRS.  I love it, because there is no temptation.

My main purchases are fresh pork chops, fresh beef roast, frozen shrimp, tilapia and salmon as well as frozen ground beef. Canned sauces, beans, soups, mushrooms and evaporated milk (hate milk, so I make sure I have cans on hand for cooking), eggs, cheese, hazelnut creamer for coffee ($1 something compared to $3 something! LARGE size), dog food, dog treats, some pasta (I like whole grain, but sometimes I want white pasta), sugar, flour, spices, butter, tuna, some fresh fruit and veggies.  I’m sure there more, but you get the idea.

Things that may shock you.  Check out lines can get long, but because the cashier is not bagging your items, it moves quickly!  There are only like 4-5 lanes and your in and out so fast that your wife/husband will ask you, did you go or what…quoting my lovely husband (eyebrow up).  Also, you cannot use coupons, but prices are so low, you won’t be phased and they only take cash or debit cards…real money.

No Food After 6pm January 13, 2009

Another rule I have for myself…no food after 6pm.  Yes, I cook when I get home from work and yes, I don’t get to eat it if it’s too late, so I make sure to eat a HUGE salad with protein for lunch or leftovers from the night before and then if it’s before 6pm, I eat a little something something.  I try to think of meals that I can freeze, crock pot or cook fast so I can eat, but it doesn’t always work that way.  When I say cook fast, I DO NOT MEAN processed!  Processed to me means, someone has partially digested it for me and tossed it back up for my enjoyment…pretty picture huh  I cook from scratch for the most part…baking UGH, but I’m working on that.

THANK YOU Judie!!! January 13, 2009

The Bar Method live it, love it, do it!!!  Judie kept going on and on about this freakin Bar Method and how good she looks (yes jealous) that I ordered the dvd’s because I don’t have a studio here and frankly, don’t like to workout in front of other people…I’m not a people person (only child…need space man).  So I get them and do one of the dvd’s and IMMEDIATELY LOVE IT!!!  Now my mother is getting sick of hearing about The Bar Method and will be trying it soon.  Check it out www.barmethod.com.  This is coming from someone who is not a workout freak, but had dreams about it and looks forward to doing this dvd, to the point where I have to stop myself from doing it everyday.  So again THANK YOU Judie!!!!!!!!!

Plate Size January 13, 2009

I don’t cook “light”, I use butter and full fat foods BECAUSE I have an issue with foods being f’d with from their naturally occurring self.  So one day, I was dishing out my food and thought, this plate is just too big, I’m going to use a salad plate from now on.  Note, does not work for husbands…he eyeballed me!  So, I told myself eat what you want on the salad plate and if your not full have another serving, so no pressure and it’s worked!  I have not gone back for seconds because I’m actually full!  PLUS I can eat what I want.  Now this is ME and I love food, so this is just how this has to be in order for me to be happy and I’m happy!!!  You’ll notice a link to Judie’s Juices on the right (my friend) and she just started doing this as well with the same results

Shrimp Fried Rice January 13, 2009

One day the hubby said lets get Chinese, wellllll, I’m trying to save money, so I make shrimp fried rice myself and it’s the best I’ve ever had.  I use leftover white rice for this and I make rice every other day so there ya go.  Anywho, start with a wok or large pan, olive oil, sesame oil, fish oil (to taste), add rice, mix around, add soy sauce (to taste) , sliced/quartered onion (we like them partially cooked, but to still have crunch) red pepper flakes, some Adobo (you’ll notice I put this in everything except sweets LOL) and garlic powder, mix around, let sit on medium heat to brown rice, mix, brown, mix, brown and when it gets to the look you want add shrimp and turn heat to medium.  I use precooked jumbo shrimp that I thaw out and pull the tails off.  After adding shrimp take another pan, pot whatever and scramble up as many eggs as you like (I use 3-4 because I make a BIG batch so I can freeze a portion).  Once the eggs are cooked, add to rice, add frozen peas and turn to high again, mix, sit, mix and serve.  I also taste as I go and add more spice if needed.  Another note, if it gets to saucy just cook on high heat and it will caramelize the sauce and keep your eye on the pot the whole time…the key to the “frying” is fast cooking.

Beef Roast January 12, 2009

Okay so I saw a recipe on the Food Network for a sauce to go over beef roast…cream of mushroom soup mixed with onion soup mix (in packet).  Because I like to change recipes, I added some Worcestershire and a squeeze of ketchup, don’t know why the ketchup, but it worked…trust me.  This is the shet!  I coated the beef roast with Adobo, garlic powder and black pepper, pan seared, de-glazed pan with a little water and poured into soup mixture, put the roast over cut up onions in crock pot, poured mix over and about 7 hours later (on high) WONDERMUS!  For the Puerto Rican hubby I put it over rice, but for this mixed up girl, I put it over egg noodles YUM!  The man doesn’t normally like beef roast and if you know anything about Puerto Ricans, pig is the meat of choice LOL, but he loved this above all beef roasts I’ve made.  Try it!  Don’t worry, we had salads with it.

Hello world! January 12, 2009

Well well well, look at me, I’m all blogged and everything  Okay, this blog is going to mainly focus on food, but some curly/natural hair tips, ways to save money and rants will get thrown in there every once in awhile.  I wanted to start this blog to share recipes and cooking tips.  I was watching a video on YouTube and her meal was great, but she never touched the food and it drove me crazy…just grab the freakin rice and put it in the pan already…using a spatula with cold rice makes it look like your kitchen was attacked by maggots!  Sorry had to be said.  So bare with me while I become creative and hopefully you’ll learn from me and I from you.