Cheap Chic Lifestyle

Fat Flush Soup

2011-10-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

I saw this recipe in Woman's World Magazine for "Fat Flush Soup"! Supposedly if you eat it twice a day (lunch & dinner) for about a week, it's suppose to detox your system and help you lose weight. You also need to eat a high protein breakfast every morning. You can have some snacks through out the day like veggies with dips and fruits and yogurt, etc... and probably do some exercise too, ugh! Well anyway, I love soup so I'm willing to give it a try. I tweaked mine a little by adding Italian seasoned ground turkey, a little celery, carrots and cabbage and more broth. Here's my recipe for "Fat Flush Soup". We'll see how it works! :)

2 tsp. olive oil
1 lb ground turkey ( I used Italian seasoned Jeanne O')
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 large bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3-4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
4-5 large mushrooms, chopped
1 cup of carrots, diced
1 cup of celery, diced
1 cup of green cabbage, chopped into bite sized chunks
1 14oz can diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted with green chilies)
2 32oz cartons of organic vegetable broth (or organic chicken broth)
Juice of 1 fresh lemon (this takes the place of salt)
3-4 shots of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup of white wine (optional)
1 14oz can of beans of your choice, drained (I used butter beans)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (you may use less if desired)
1 tsp. cumin
Cracked black pepper to taste
1/4 cup cilantro and/or parsley, chopped

Add oil to a large pot and saute' meat over med-high heat until it's cooked through. Drain off juices and add onion, garlic, peppers and mushrooms. Cook about five minutes until soft. Add all remaining ingredients except cilantro and parsley. Stir and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir in cilantro and/or parsley and simmer for an addition 10 minutes. Soup stores in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Also freezes well.

Sunny Day (Farmers Market) Chicken Soup

2011-06-06T09:14:00.000-07:00

This chicken and vegetable soup is so fresh and delicious! I used veggie fed sustainable farmed chicken (no antibiotics/hormones) and organic vegetables from my local farmer's market!

Recipe:

Broth

5 chicken legs (or thighs)
10 cups water
1 cup of white wine (optional)
4 whole cloves of garlic (slightly smashed with knife)
1 medium onion (skin left on, cut into 4 pieces)
2 chicken bouillon cubes (broken up)
4 black peppercorns (or 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper)
1 teaspoon of course ground salt (or regular salt)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
3-4 leaves of fresh sage
*Tie the herbs together with a string or thread to make a bouquet. You may substitute fresh herbs with a tbsp. of dried Italian seasoning

Place all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a slow simmer, skimming the foam off top.
Simmer (partially covered) for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Strain broth using a pasta strainer into a large bowl. Add the broth back into the pot.
Allow the chicken legs to cool while chopping the vegetables for the soup.

Soup Recipe

1 1/2 cups of sliced celery
1 1/2 cups of sliced carrots
3-4 sliced green onions (or 1/2 chopped yellow onion)
1/2 green pepper chopped
3 ears of white corn (kernels cut off of cob)
1 14oz. can of diced tomatoes
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
1 tsp. Agave nectar (or tsp. sugar)
Chicken meat pieces (pulled from the leg bones)

Add all ingredients into broth and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro or parsley.

Comfort Casserole :)

2011-05-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

Comfort Casserole

(8 Servings)

5 Medium Potatoes, Peeled and Sliced ¼ inch thick

½ Cup Rice, Uncooked

1 Lb Hamburger, Broken Up and Cooked (I use organic)

½ Lrg Yellow Onion, Sliced and broken into Rings

3 Medium Carrots, Peeled and Sliced (about 1 cup)

Butter or Pam Spray (to coat Casserole dish)

2 Cups Water

1 Cup of White Wine (or water)

1 Can Cream of Celery Soup (or any other cream soup)

1 Tbsp. Sugar

1 Tbsp. Salt

1 tsp. Black Pepper

1 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a large casserole dish (or 9x13 cake pan) with butter or Pam spray. Layer potato slices, rice, hamburger, onion (broken into rings) and carrot slices, (in that order) evenly in the pan. Pour 2 cups of water evenly over casserole.

In a separate bowl mix cream of celery soup with 1 cup of white wine (or water), sugar, salt and pepper. Pour evenly over casserole.

Sprinkle Italian seasoning evenly over the top of casserole.

Bake covered (with lid or foil) for 1 hour.

Continue baking uncovered for an additional ½ hour.

* Serve with a toss green salad on the side for a complete healthy meal!

Spicy Baked Penne Pasta

2011-04-07T12:34:00.001-07:00

It looks and tastes like lasagna only it's cheaper and easier to make!

Here is the recipe:

1 lb of penne pasta cooked according to directions
2 Tbls Butter (or margarine)
1 Tbls olive oil
1/2 med. onion diced
1/2 green bell pepper diced
3-4 cloved minced garlic
1 jar of marinara sauce of your choice. (I used Trader Joe's cheapest sauce)
1 14 oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 8oz can of El Pato spicy tomato sauce (sub. regular tomato sauce)
1/2 cup of white wine (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 15oz ricotta cheese (I used WalMart's True Value brand on all cheeses)
3 cups Mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (sub. 1 Tbls of dried basil)
1 cup chopped fresh spinach (sub. 1 pkg. frozen spinach thawed, drained & chopped)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Cook penne pasta according to package directions. Drain & toss with butter
Place pasta in a 9x13 baking pan
Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan
Saute' onion, pepper and garlic until tender
Add marinara sauce, fire roasted tomatoes, El Pato (or tomato) sauce and white wine
Bring sauce to a simmer
Mix together ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, basil, spinach and 1 cup of marinara sauce and add to the pasta. Mix well.
Pour remaining sauce over pasta and sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top
Cover loosely with aluminum foil
Bake in a 325 degree oven for 50 minutes
Take out of oven and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

This dish goes well with a salad and garlic bread! Yummy!!!

Roasted Beet Salad w/Sauteed Chicken and Feta Cheese!

2010-11-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

What a great salad inspired by Maurizio's restaurant "Mangia la Pizza"! So healthy, so cheap and tasty too!

Recipe for one salad:

1 medium roasted beet (golden or purple) cooled, peeled and diced
Olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder
1-2 cups green salad mix (I used a spring mix)
1 Tbsp chopped onion
1/2 tomato chopped
1 boneless chicken breast, marinated, sauteed and sliced (you may omit this if you are vegetarian)
2 Tbsp balsamic vinaigrette (I used Trader Joe's brand)
1 Tbsp crumbled feta cheese (Maurizio uses goat cheese)

Cut the tops and bottoms off of the beet(s) and discard. Scrub beet(s) clean and pat dry. Rub outer skins with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place in a pie pan and roast in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork. Let beets cool, take off peeling by hand and dice into bite size pieces. Marinate chicken breasts for one hour in Italian dressing and saute' in a frying pan on medium heat for about 7-10 minutes on each side. Let chicken cool and slice lengthwise. Assemble salad ingredients and top with diced beets, chicken and feta cheese. Drizzle balsamic vinaigrette on top! Bon Appetite!

P.S. Fresh roasted beets have an amazing flavor unlike the ones out of a can that I used to eat when I was a kid (I liked those too)! I had gotten a bunch (4) of the golden beets at the farmers market. I roasted them all together and used one per individual salad. They are light, sweet and delicious!

French Onion Veggie Soup

2010-10-29T10:46:00.001-07:00

This is so easy, so good and so cheap!

Recipe:

3 large onions cut in half and sliced (I used a purple, yellow and a white)
3 Tbs of butter (or margarine)
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
2 large cloves garlic minced
1 tsp of pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup of wine (red or white, I used white)
2 large carrots sliced
1/2 head of green cabbage coarsely chopped
4 med-large russet potatoes peeled and cut into bite size chunks
2 32oz organic beef broth (I used Wolfgang Puck's)
4 cups of water
1 packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix (I used the store brand)
3 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1 tsp of dried)
Your favorite grated cheese (optional)

Melt the butter in a large pot. Add onions and saute' over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring about every five minutes, until they are caramelized (browned). Add red bell pepper, garlic and pepper flakes. Cook about 1-2 more minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except for the cheese. Bring to a gentle simmer. Place a lid tilted on top of the pan and cook for about 20 minutes (stirring occasionally) until potatoes are tender. Serve in cups or bowls with your favorite grated cheese sprinkled on top. Eat with some crusty bread! Makes about 10 servings! Yummy!

Fresh Pico de Gallo and Chips

2010-10-17T19:01:00.000-07:00

This was my dinner tonight. Seems a little weird but it was fresh and good! Here is the recipe...

1 big fat fresh tomato chopped (or two small)
1 Serrano or Jalapeno pepper seeded and minced
2 cloves of fresh garlic minced
1/2 small yellow onion minced
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
Juice of one lime
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and marinate for one hour. Serve with chips! Yum!

Grandma Molly's Zucchini Squash

2010-10-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up one of my favorite dishes was my grandma Molly's zucchini with peppers, onions, garlic and tomato sauce. It was her father Pedro's recipe. I actually ate this the night before I gave birth to my daughter and woke up all night long with "indigestion" which turned out to be labor pains! lol! Last night my friend Jose brought me a big bag of organic zucchini, yellow summer squash and green peppers so I couldn't resist making a pot even though it was 9pm. Hey, it's always better the next day anyway.... so I'm sitting here eating some right now as I type... it's so good with sourdough toast! Here is the old family recipe! Enjoy!

2 Tbsp Olive oil
3-4 cloves fresh garlic
1 med yellow onion (cut in half and sliced)
1 large green pepper (sliced into strips)
1 tsp of Italian seasoning
2 pounds zucchini (or mix of zucchini and yellow squash) Sliced thick
Salt and Pepper
2 8oz cans of Hunts tomato sauce
Capers or sliced green olives on top as a garnish (optiional)

In a dutch oven (big pot) over med high heat saute' garlic, peppers and onions until soft. Add sliced squash, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir and place a lid on the pan for 7-10 minutes. Then stir again and cover for another 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, stir and cover for another 5-7 minutes. Now it's ready to eat with some garlic bread. You can garnish with a few capers or sliced green olives on top (very "tapas"). You may also serve over rice or pasta with a little Parmesan cheese! Smells and tastes delicious!

Lemon Garlic Pesto Pasta with Chicken

2010-10-02T16:48:00.001-07:00

This is such a fresh and easy pasta dish made with tomatoes, garlic, pesto, wine, fresh basil, lemon juice, grilled chicken breasts marinated for a couple of hours in Italian dressing (omit these if you're vegetarian or you don't happen to have any chicken) and grated Parmesan cheese. It may also be served without chicken as a delicious vegetarian dish. Here is the recipe... enjoy!

Recipe:

2 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic minced
1 cup white wine
3 Tbsp of pesto (I used Classico brand in a jar)
2 14 1/2 oz cans of diced tomatoes (may substitute w/4 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes)
1 tsp of pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of one fresh lemon
2 boneless cooked chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces (optional)
1 lb of any type of pasta cooked al dente.
1/2 cup of fresh basil chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I was out of Parmesan so I used feta)

In a large frying pan saute garlic in olive oil until golden. Pour in wine and simmer until amount is reduced by half (3-5 minutes). Add pesto, tomatoes, pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Heat thoroughly. Place cooked/drained pasta in a large "pasta" bowl and top with chicken pieces. Pour sauce over the top and sprinkle with fresh lemon juice, basil and cheese. Makes approximately 6 servings.

Creamy Veggie Casserole

2010-09-23T13:20:00.001-07:00

So rich, so good, so comforting! There can be many variations of this dish depending on what veggies you have on hand and whatever cheese you happen to have. It calls for pimentos but if I don't have any I will sub with chopped tomatoes or red pepper or sun dried tomato, etc... The staples for the sauce are cream of anything soup. This time I used cream of mushroom with garlic (so far my fav) but you can use any cream soup. Then there is a 1/4 cup of mayo to make it extra creamy, then shredded cheese and the juice of one fresh lemon. Of course I have to splash a little white wine in there to give it that extra rich flavor! :) The casserole can be eaten alone or served over rice. Add a fresh green salad and you have a delicious, healthy vegetarian meal. For you carnivores you made add chopped cooked chicken or even shrimp! It's super easy and super yummy!

Recipe: (This is how I made today's variation)

3 crowns of Broccoli (cut up and steamed till tender crisp)
1 large Carrot (sliced and steamed till tender crisp)
2 yellow summer squash (sliced and steamed till tender crisp)

Note: I've used cauliflower before which is very good!

Place steamed (drained) Veggies in a cake pan evenly spread out.

Sauce:
2 cans of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom w/garlic soup
1 small jar of chopped Pimentos
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
1 cup shredded cheese (I used crumbled feta today because that's all I had)
1/4 cup of mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp curry powder (optional)
salt and pepper

Mix sauce together and spread evenly over the top of veggies.
Bake uncovered in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.
Prepare any type of rice according to package directions.
Serve Veggies over rice... add a fresh green salad on the side and you have a fabulous dinner!

Harvest 3 Bean Vegetarian Chili

2010-09-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

Fall is in the air! It was a little foggy this morning and very cool outside so I decided to make a 3 bean vegetarian chili! Placed all the ingredients in the crockpot and six hours later... Yummy!

Three Bean Vegetarian Chili

1 med. yellow onion chopped

4 cloves garlic minced

½ green bell pepper chopped

½ red bell pepper chopped

1 small jalapeño pepper chopped

1 large carrot thinly sliced

1 large stalk celery thinly sliced

2 yellow squashes cut into thick (bite size) chunks

1 small can of corn

1 28oz can of diced tomatoes

2 14.5 oz cans of tomato sauce

1 11.5oz can of V8 vegetable juice

1 14.5oz can of chili beans with spices (I used S&W)

1 14.5oz can of white (cannelloni) beans (drained)

1 14.5oz can of black beans (drained)

1 Tbsp dried oregano

2 Tbsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp sugar

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp soy sauce

½ tsp salt

½ tsp of ground black pepper

¼ tsp cumin

¼ cup of red wine (optional)

Place all ingredients in crockpot and stir together.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Serve each bowl topped with grated cheese, sour cream and fresh herbs of your choice and a fresh squeeze of lime juice on top for added flavor!

Makes 8-10 servings

Summer Time Veggies and Farmer's Market!

2010-09-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

We're having an amazingly mild summer here in Northern California! One of my favoritie things to do every Saturday morning is go to the Farmer's Market here in Morgan Hill. I live downtown so it's literally right around the corner!

I had $20 bucks in my pocket so this is what I got! Aren't they beautiful? I laid them all out on my kitchen table and took this picture. Love all the colors of nature up against my red table!

Last night I made this simple, fresh green bean salad which I will probably eat with grilled salmon tonight, ahhhh! Delish and.... cheap chic!!!

Marinated Green Bean Salad

1 pound of fresh green beans (rinsed, trimmed and cut)
1 cup of cherry tomatoes (rinsed and cut in half)
1 small sweet white onion (cut into thin slivers) Purple onion works well too
1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing (I used Newman's own)

Boil a pot of water and toss in the beans. Let them cook about 3 minutes. Then drain them and rinse with cool water. Place them in a bowl (a pretty bowl is best, lol) with the tomatoes, onions and dressing. Mix to coat with the salad dressing. Refrigerate over night. I re-toss them a couple of more times through out the night to make sure all the beans get marinated well. So crispy, so light, so healthy! Goes well with any meal! Enjoy! :)

Chicken Parmesan

2010-08-20T18:37:00.001-07:00

This is easy, cheap and so good! Okay here goes... Sauce consisted of a can of Del Monte Spaghetti sauce from Dollar Tree and a can of S&W diced tomatoes. A couple of cloves of fresh minced garlic and a little minced onion sauteed in olive oil then add the sauce and tomatoes. I have a basil plant so I minced some of the leaves and threw it in. You could sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of dry basil (or Italian seasoning) if you don't have fresh. Let the sauce simmer while you're preparing the rest of the meal.

I got a package of 3 boneless chicken breasts from WalMart. Pound them out on a cutting board with a meat tenderizer (meat pounder, lol) until they are about a 1/2 inch thick. Whip up an egg in a bowl and sprinkle some bread crumbs on a plate. Dip the chicken breast into the egg and then into the bread crumbs generously coating it. Then saute in olive oil until golden brown on both sides.

Spray a cake pan with PAM ( or rub with a little oil) and add a little sauce on the bottom of the pan (enough to cover) then lay each chicken breast in the pan. Cover them with the remaining sauce and bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

While chicken is baking cook the pasta (al dente). Then drain and place it back in the pan. Add butter and toss. Cover the pan to keep pasta warm.

When chicken has baked for 30 minutes add generous hand fulls of shredded Mozzarella cheese on top of each chicken breast and bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Place about 1/2 cup of pasta on a plate and then place a chicken breast on top and add a little more sauce! So delicious! Serve with a green salad on the side and you have an awesome cheap chic Italian meal that rivals even the best Italian restaurant in town. The best part about this entire meal is that it generously feeds a family of 4 for the same cost as one of those meals at that Italian restaurant! Bon Appetit!

Something to really think about...

2010-08-17T01:31:00.000-07:00

What if....

What if you had to cut down every tree you need to build your house...
Would you build a 3000 SQ FT house plus a bonus and great room?

What if you had to carry all the water you needed in buckets...
Would you take a 30 minute shower?

What if you had to grow all your own food, every single morsel....
Would you throw any of it out?

What if you had to dig for every single drop of oil then refine it....
Would you drive 100 feet to the store 10 times a day?

What if you had to sew everything you wore....
Would you still need all the clothes you have?

What if an animal had to give up it's life...
And what if you had to kill that animal....
Would you still need 20 pairs of shoes and handbags to match?
Would you only eat the choice cuts of meat?

What if we all consumed as if we had to procure and manufacture everything we need ourselves?
Would you consume, use and throw out less?

I don't want to go back in time. I believe in progress but....not at the expense of my fellow humans, future humans and the planet.

Every time you get in your car or buy something or throw something out think about it. Can you do without it? Can you recycle it? Can you make it yourself?

*I got this from an awesome blog called Thistle Garden. Check it out!

Farmer's Market Spring Veggie Soup

2010-06-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

It's beautiful spring weather here in Northern California. Temperatures have been in the 70's and 80's! Every Saturday I go to our local Morgan Hill (my town's) Farmer's Market. I'm lucky that it's only one block from where I live! There is a wide variety of organic and pesticide free locally grown vegetables. Today I decided to make a spring vegetable soup! Ahhhhh, it turned out so yummy! I just made up the recipe as I went along, throwing in a little of this and a little of that! I must say that it turned out so good that I decided to write it down (before I forget) lol, and share it with you all!

Farmer's Market Spring Veggie Soup:

2 Tblsp Olive Oil
4-5 Cloves Fresh Garlic
1 Med Onion chopped
1 Bell Pepper chopped (I used half green/half red)
3 Celery Stalks chopped (1 cup)
5 Carrots chopped (2 cups)
1 Tbsp dried Italian Seasonings
1 tsp Salt (I used ground sea salt from Dollar Tree)
1/2 tsp Pepper (I used ground pepper from Dollar Tree)

Saute' all of this until onions are clear and then add the following:

3- 32oz cartons of Chicken or Veg Broth (3 Quarts)
(I used Trader Joe's Free Range Organic Chicken Broth)
1- 14 oz can Organic diced Tomatoes
1- 6 oz can Tomatoes Paste
1/2 cup White Wine (optional)
(I used Two Buck Chuck Chardonnay from Trader Joe's)
3 Large Potatoes cut into chunks
1/2 head of Cabbage cut into chunks
1 tsp Dried Dill (or fresh)
1 tsp Sugar

Bring this to boil and simmer for about 10 minutes until veggies start to soften. Then add the following:

1 med. Zucchini cut into chunks
1- 14 oz can of White Cannelloni Beans drained and rinsed
Juice of one Lemon
2 Tbsp of a chopped Fresh Herb (I used Rosemary)
(Any herb of your choice will do... Basil, Cilantro, Thyme, etc...)

Simmer about 10 - 15 more minutes and serve with crusty bread! So healthy and so delicious!

Cheap Chic Pizza!

2010-05-10T14:33:00.001-07:00

You know how they charge an arm and a leg for those bistro/brewing company wood fired pizzas? Well now you can do your own at home for literally a couple of bucks! Just get Trader Joe's already made pizza dough in a bag, about $1.29 (or any other store brand dough for that matter) and any tomato/marinara sauce, your favorite fresh veggies and some grated cheese! Roll out the dough on a floured surface with a floured coated rolling pin. Bake the crust on a cookie sheet at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes. My cookie sheet may look dirty to you but I prefer to think of it as "seasoned" lol! Then take out of the oven and spread the sauce on the dough. Sprinkle the grated cheese and any chopped veggies on top. Bake for another 10-15 minutes and you'll have the best little healthy gourmet pizza on the planet! Add a chopped green salad on the side and of course a glass of vino and you will have yourself a little gourmet meal for way under $10.00 dollars! Think pizza party! Everyone could make their own little pizza! Make a big salad and pour the wine. Perfect meal for a wine tasting party too! So cheap and so very chic!

Cheap Veggie Indian Curry Over Rice

2010-01-31T15:43:00.000-08:00

Tonight I made a very cheap and very exotic meal using Trader Joe's Curry Simmer Sauce. Ever since my son Carson watched the movie "Food Inc" he has decided to go vegetarian unless he can track where the meat is coming from and where it was slaughtered/prepared and packaged. Smart boy! However now this means that considering his 6'3" frame he now wants to eat almost every 2 hours because let's face it veggies don't stick to your ribs as long as meat does. Well anyway back to my recipe... Both he and I love Indian food so I purchased a bottle of Trader Joe's Curry Simmer Sauce and decided to make it with all vegetables over rice. I steamed two cups of rice in 4 cups of vegetable broth with a teaspoon of curry powder in a large sauce pan. I stir fried some veggies (chopped onion, chopped green pepper, 3 minced cloves garlic, 3 sliced carrots, 2 chopped zucchini, 1 small head of cauliflower chopped in 1 tablespoon of olive oil) in a large frying pan. I added the Curry sauce with one cup of water and a little splash of white wine (which I was drinking while preparing the meal, lol)! I then added a can of drained garbanzo beans. I brought the whole thing to a simmer, covering with a lid for about 20 minutes. Ummmm the smell was incredible!. I served this concoction over a bed of rice with some finely chopped cilantro on top (you could use parsley of any other herb you have on hand). Wow! What an awesome vegetarian meal and so filling and cheap too!!! Give it a try! I ate it alone but I'm sure it would be great with a chopped green salad on the side with some ranch or vinaigrette dressing! Wowza!

The Best "Cheap Chic" Fish Tacos on the Planet!

2009-10-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

I do believe that I have found the best fish tacos on the planet! It's the best kept secret in Northern California! Their fish tacos and any/all of their seafood dishes are literally 5 star restaurant quality with "Super Taqueria" prices!

The place is called "Marisco's Puerto Vallarta" and is located in Watsonville California in "Rodriguez" produce market/liquor store. There is literally a "hole in the wall" (order window) on the side of the store (behind the white van in the picture)!

You walk up to the window, place your order and have seat at one of the outside tables underneath the awning. There are a few tables inside the store as well.

What you get is a seafood feast comparable to (if not better than) what I've had in some of the best restaurants in the bay area! Everything is FRESH as if it were just caught right before they cooked it. No frozen stuff here! The chef (forgot to get his name) should be cooking at the Ritz Carlton in New York or something. He's that good! He cooks the fish, shrimp, octopus and whatever else to perfection! No over cooking here just tender succulent fresh seafood galore!
Okay, okay so the atmosphere is not the greatest but this is definitely worth trying and worth the trip. Once you have tried it I guarantee you will find yourself craving this stuff. I could make this a regular weekend stop. If you love seafood you really must go! So this weekend go try some of the best seafood in the bay area!

Marisco's Puerto Vallarta
17 Porter Dr
Royal Oaks, CA 95076-5338

Salad for Lunch Today

2008-08-11T01:04:00.000-07:00

I made this yummy salad for lunch today! It consists of romaine lettuce, purple cabbage, green onions, bell peppers, celery, tomato and 3 oz of drained and flaked Albacore tuna. I dressed it with a little bit of olive oil, rice wine vinegar, garlic powder, salt and pepper. It really hit the spot considering it was a pretty hot day today! This was a cheap chic and refreshing meal!

Albondigas for Days and Days!

2008-08-02T22:56:00.001-07:00

When I make a big pot of Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Soup) it lasts for days and days! It also freezes well in an air tight container for future eating. This is a family favorite! Enjoy!

Albondigas

1 Tbls Olive Oil

1 Lrg Onion, chopped

1 Lrg Bell Pepper, chopped

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

2 tsp dried Oregano

1 Tbls Mexican Chili Powder

½ tsp Cumin

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

3-4 Spears Celery, chopped (approx. 1½ cups)

3-4 Carrots, peeled & sliced (approx. 1½ cups)

3 lrg Russet Potatoes, peeled & cubed (approx. 2 cups)

1 zucchini, cubed

2 32oz cartons/cans Beef Stock

6 cups water (1½ Qrts)

2 tsp Beef Bouillon powder (or 1 lrg cube, mashed)

1 6oz can Tomato Paste

1 14½ oz can Diced Tomatoes

Juice of 2 large Lemons (Approx. ¼ cup)

1 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Salt

¼ tsp Black Pepper

Meatball Mixture:

1½ lbs of Lean Ground Beef

½ bunch (1/2 cup) fresh Cilantro, minced

2 lrg. Eggs, beaten

½ tsp Garlic Powder (may substitute 2 cloves minced garlic)

½ tsp Onion Powder (may substitute ¼ cup grated onion)

1 tsp Salt

¼ tsp Pepper

Directions:

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, sauté onion, bell peppers, garlic and spices in olive oil until slightly tender. Add chopped vegetables except potatoes and zucchini. Add beef stock, water, bouillon, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil. Place the meat mixture into a large bowl and mix together with hands. Form into approx. 1 ½ inch meatballs. Drop them a few at a time into the boiling soup. Add the cubed potatoes and zucchini. Adjust the soup temperature to a steady simmer and cover loosely with a lid. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Adjust seasoning to your taste by adding salt if needed of Tabasco/ hot sauce if desired. Makes approximately 8-10 servings.

Broccoli "Comfort" Casserole!

2008-07-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

This is definitely a comfort food. It keeps well in the fridge and warms up great in the microwave!

* Chop up a couple of bunches (2lbs) of broccoli and steam it till tender. Drain and spread out evenly in a 9x13 cake pan.

* In a seperate bowl mix together 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup, 4oz jar of pimentos (if you don't have pimentos you may use a 1/2 cup of chopped red peppers, or a 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes), 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup of mayonnaise (yes, I said Mayo!). Then I splash a little white wine or a squirt of lemon juice. You may add a tsp of yellow curry if you like it (I love it).

*Spread the mixture evenly on top of the broccoli.

*Bake uncovered for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

I serve this yummy cassarole over rice with a nice green salad on the side.

Note: You may add chopped, cooked chicken. Just sprinkle it in with the broccoli before spreading the sauce on top.

Summer Time Pasta Salad!

2008-07-14T16:35:00.000-07:00

I cooked and drained a 1lb bag of shell pasta, chopped up a bunch of veggies (whatever I had on hand), mixed it all up with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar (any vinegar will do), 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and there you have it! This is so good to keep in the fridge during the summer for a meal or a snack! I added a couple of slices of salami to my bowl for a hardy lunch time meal!

Beans, Beans the Musical Fruit.....

2008-07-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

I've been rather manic today as I've been cooking most of the day! I've decided to make Monday a cooking day (this week anyway, lol). I think by doing this I can have things in the fridge ready to just warm up or pull out during the week. This will hopefully allow me to focus on other things during the week such as my ART! YAY!
(Collage Cafe Art Studio)

I started off the day by cooking a big pot of pinto beans that I had soaked over night. Dried pintos are only $1.25 for a 1 lb bag, wow! They turned out soooo yummy! My son loves making bean burritos whenever he gets hungry (which is about every hour it seems) and I can also use these in soups or whatever.

Here's how I cooked them.

*1lb bag of dried pinto beans (rinsed, picked and drained) soaked over night in 6 cups cold water, or a couple of inches of water above the beans.

*The next morning drain off the soaking water and add 2 cups chicken bouillon and enough water to cover the beans by 1-2 inches (or just use water if you don't have bouillon).

*Add a small chopped onion, a couple of cloves of minced garlic, 1 tsp of dried oregano, 1/4 tsp of cumin, 1/4 tsp of Cayenne pepper and 1/4 tsp if black pepper (note: don't add salt until the end of cooking cuz it interferes with the cooking of the beans, or so I read).

* Bring beans to a slow simmer and partially cover with a lid.

* Let them simmer for about 2 hours until tender, stirring occasionally.

I didn't even have to add salt at the end, I think because of the boullion. Anyway now they're ready to use for whatever and they're so much better than the canned mushy ones and way CHEAPER!

Note: You may use this same recipe in the crockpot for 6-8 hours on high.

New Challenges for the Cheap Chic Lifestyle!

2008-07-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, with gas prices and food prices going up almost daily there are always new and demanding challenges to living a cheap but chic lifestyle. It can be quite depressing sometimes! I think this is part of the reason I've neglected this blog for so long. That and the fact that my hard drive died a few months ago and I'm so busy trying to buy food and gas that I wasn't able to replace it until now. With all these new challenges I've decided to commit myself even more to blogging about the cheap chic lifestyle. I'm renewing my belief that it can be done! IT MUST BE DONE!

After Turkey... Turkey Soup!

2007-11-24T19:23:00.000-08:00

There is something about cooking and eating a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving that fills the basic need of family love and comfort in all of us. It could be the up coming holidays, the cooler weather or the fact that it's getting darker earlier, but somehow the smell of turkey roasting in the oven is the smell of memories and home! After our Thanksgiving dinner a tradition for our family is the making of turkey soup! There is something about this soup that is healing to the body and soul. A virus wouldn't dare touch you after eating this medicinal soup. I also equate the making of it to the making of a piece of art. I never use a recipe. I just keep adding and tasting in secession, little by little, until I've created a masterpiece of flavors which can change from year to year. Here is the "recipe" as follows... first pick the meat off the carcass (for leftovers) and then place the carsass in a large dutch oven/stock pot and cover with water. Bring this to a boil and reduce to a simmer adding a cup of white wine, a tablespoon of Italian seasonings and two bay leaves. Simmer uncovered for 4 hours occasionally pushing the carcass down little by little until it's completely submerged into the water. After 4 hours strain the meat and bones (through a colander) saving the broth and pouring it back into the pan. Allow the bones and meat to cool down so you can pick through them to get the best tidbits of meat (light and dark) to add back into the broth. Place this mixture of meat and broth into the refrigerator over night. The next day (day after Thanksgiving) scrape the fat off the top of the mixture and discard it. Bring the broth to a boil again and add chopped vegetables of your choice, such as, yellow onion, 3-4 cloves garlic, carrots, celery, corn, green pepper, 14 oz can of tomatoes, etc... (about a cup of each) and some additional chicken broth as needed. Spice your soup with fresh squeezed lemon juice, salt, pepper, tabasco, soy sauce, thyme, curry powder, sage, Italian seasoning, etc... Sprinkle these ingredients a little at a time and adjust them to your taste buds. You may also add a 1/4 cup rice or 1/2 cup of pasta if you'd like. Simmer the soup for about 30 minutes and serve with bread or rolls and butter. This makes a great day after Thanksgiving meal or you may freeze it to eat later. Enjoy!

Coming soon... A Cheap Chic Christmas!

Homemade Pizza Margarita! Now that's Italian and Cheap!

2007-05-15T20:08:00.000-07:00

One of the cheap chic dinners that we made when I was visiting my parents in Arizona was a homemade pizza margarita and fresh chopped green salad. We bought a bag of pre-made pizza dough from Trader Joe's for $1.19. You can use any pre-made pizza dough from the grocery store.

Dad rolled the dough out on a floured cutting board. Then he transferred the dough to a pizza stone (or cookie sheet) that had been sprinkled with corn meal. Actually we made the mistake of spreading the sauce on before transferring the dough to the pizza stone... oops!
This made it more difficult to transfer the dough to the stone but we managed to carefully do it. So, be sure to place the dough on the stone (or sheet) before spreading the sauce on it. We used my sister's homemade sauce (recipe below) but you could use a bottled sauce like "Ragu", etc...
Mom grated about a cup of mozzarella. It's cheaper to grate it yourself than buy the pre-grated stuff and it's good exercise, ha!
Mom chopped some fresh basil (about $.79) to sprinkle on top along with the cheese. You've got to have fresh basil for pizza margarita. Well okay, if you really can't get fresh then you can use the dried kind, but it's not as good.

Then place the pizza in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes. Double check the temp/time on the pizza dough directions just incase I'm wrong. While the pizza is baking, chop up a nice green salad. You may slice up some fresh tomatoes on top of the pizza before putting it in the oven or put them on after it comes out of the oven which is my preference, or leave them off all together. Once you've finished chopping the salad, it should be almost time for the pizza to come out of the oven, oh boy, oh boy!
Now doesn't that look marvelous?!!! And the smell! This was so exciting! It's ready to cut!
And there you have it, an awesome, healthy cheap chic Italian meal!
Two gorgeous pieces of homemade pizza, a beautiful crisp salad with your favorite dressing and a lovely glass of vino! Yummy! You could make a few pizza's and have a party! Everyone would love it and it would be cheap! This pizza probably cost around $3.00. You can't beat it!

Note: I found some awesome pizza pans at Wal-Mart! Look for the ones with the holes in the bottom. This allows the crust to get crispy. They run about 7.99 for a package of two and are well worth the investment!

Toni's sauce recipe coming soon!

My Parents the King and Queen of Cheap but always Chic Decor!

2007-05-14T21:44:00.000-07:00

My parents are so crafty and talented. Many times when I was growing up my parents would buy "fixer upper" homes and with mom's imagination and dad's muscle they would transform these homes into something one could have never imaged at first sight. They should have had their own HGTV show back in the 60's and 70's. Anyway now they have transformed their current home in Sun Lakes Arizona into a cozy little "shabby chic" cottage with the use of a little paint, garage sale and fleamarket finds and lots of imagination! I only wish they had taken some "before" pictures because there is quite a difference in the way their home looks today compared to a year ago when they first moved in. Mom and dad you rule!
This is looking towards the front door from the far side of the living room. Look at the beautiful parkay floor that my dad had just laid down before I arrived!
A view of the sectional sofa in their living room.
The dining room with a built in hutch. Mom and dad painted it a creamy yellow and green. This dining set was left behind when they bought the house. It was an ugly brown with pink crushed velvet cushions. They painted it white and recovered the seats with double stuffing and a cottage motif.
Looking from another angle at the living room. My Mom painted this cabinet green and hand painted roses on it. The chair on the right came from an estate sale and so did the tables which were painted white.
Newly painted and remodeled kitchen. My dad took out the 70's double oven and replaced the space with shelves for a microwave and baskets creating more storage space.

Next they will be re-doing the bedrooms and bathrooms. Then next fall it will be time for a yard makeover. Can't wait to see it guys! xxoo!

Adventures in Arizona

2007-05-14T20:07:00.000-07:00

I had such a fun time in Arizona staying with my parent's at their cute little "cottage" in Sun Lake's retirement community. It was like going back to my second childhood. I got lots of love and attention. During the day my mom and I would shop around at the antique malls, Susie's Deals (clothes for $5.99 and under, wow) and the craft stores. Then we would go to Trader Joe's or the grocery store and pick up stuff for dinner. We prepared many cheap chic healthy meals in the evening. I even lost 5 pounds following my mom's type 2 diabetes diet, of course I have now gained them back, damn it! We would watch T.V. shows at night like American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. This was unusual for me because I don't have T.V. at my house. We haven't had it for over 4 years now. It was one of the things we cut back on to save money when my husband was layed off in 2002. We can't get reception unless we have cable or Direct T.V. so we haven't had anything except the occasional movie rentals. It was a real treat to watch all of these shows. We also watched a lot of HGTV. It was awesome. It's probably a good thing I don't have television because I could easily spend all my time in front of the tube and never get anything done. The Internet is hard enough to tear myself away from. Anyway I had a great time out there in cactus land, the land of the huge pre-historic cockroaches. Thank God I only saw one while I was there and that sucker had to have been at least 4 inches long. Mom and I had to scream for dad to come to our rescue and kill it and get rid the carcus. That's one thing I do NOT miss about Arizona. The weather was beautiful while I was there. Only a couple of days where the temps were in the 90's. The rest of the time it was 70's and 80's! Amazing for this time of year. I thought it would be much hotter. I spent some quality time with my sister Toni and her wonderful family. I was treated like royalty and practically waited on hand and foot. They took me out to lunches and dinners at cool little restaurants. I definitely got a taste of the "NON cheap chic" lifestyle for a few days. Thanks so much to all of them for making me feel so special and loved! Well anyway I mentioned the cheap chic healthy dinners that mom, dad and I prepared so I'll be sharing some of those recipes with you all. My parents thought it was funny that I wanted to take pictures of each step of our dinner preparations so that I could post them on my blog. They started getting used to posing their hands with spoons and knifes, etc... while making our dinners, lol! Stay tuned for some good and always cheap menus and recipes. It's good to be home but I do miss my mummy and dada.

Arizona Here I Come!

2007-04-07T12:16:00.001-07:00

Antique Photography Store
Originally uploaded by videoal.

Yes I am still busted but I have an opportunity to visit Arizona and teach some of my collage classes. I'll get a little vacation and thank God it's not too hot there yet. I'll get to see family and make a little extra moola teaching my classes! So... sing it with me every one... "I'm leavin' on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again" (that's for all you old school peeps), actually I do know when I'll be back, April 23rd. So stay tuned here at cheap chic lifestyle blog.

Healthy Stir Fry for about $2.00 per Person!

2007-04-04T19:56:00.000-07:00

Tonight I didn't feel like cooking. The weather is getting warmer and it can get pretty hot standing over a stove for long periods of time. I had thawed out 2 boneless chicken breasts (Costco) so I was racking my brain for recipe ideas. I thought about making a salad with grilled chicken but I wanted something more than a salad. Then I remembered that I had a 16oz bag of frozen mixed vegetables in the freezer and a jar of stir fry sauce from Trader Joe's in the cupboard. That's it! We'll have stir fried chicken and veggies on top of steamed rice. It's easy, it's fast and it's healthy. Best of all... you guessed it, it's CHEAP!

This is what you'll need and how it's prepared...

1 lb of Boneless Chicken Breasts (cut into bite size pieces) Marinate about 1 hour in 3 tbsp Soy Sauce, 1 tbsp Oil (any), 2 Cloves Minced Garlic and 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional). Stir Fry on medium high until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Transfer to a bowl.

1 16oz Bag of Frozen Mixed Vegetables (any kind) Steam in Microwave according to package directions. Drain off excess water. Stir fry in the same pan for about 3 minute on medium high.

Add Chicken back into the pan with the veggies and mix together.

Stir about 1/2 jar (6oz) of Stir Fry Sauce (any kind). I used Ginger Scallion Thai Stir Fry Sauce from Trader Joe's ($1.99)

Cook a Cup of white Rice according to package directions. Makes about 3 cups cooked.

Viola!!! (That's my new word, ha!)

Place the rice on cute little plates (like the one above - from a thrift store) and spoon stir fry mixture on top.

Garnish with Chopped Green Onion, Fresh Cilantro, Slivered Almonds or anything you'd like! I bet this would even taste good with a few bits of pineapple...yum!

Makes about 6 servings

This was so satisfying and I only spent a few minutes at the stove. A nice glass of Gallo Sauvignon Blanc ($5.99 per 1.5L bottle) goes very well with this dish. It cut the spice and cooled the palate! Oh my my aren't I quite the gourmet!

Getting Ready for Easter

2007-04-03T15:14:00.000-07:00

I did some Easter shopping today at where else... the Dollar Tree! I mean really why would anyone go anywhere else? (note: I think Dollar Tree should start paying me for advertising) I found Easter egg dye and even real eggs! They also had the cutest ceramic crosses! The sign above the crosses said "Starving Artist". Now I know, if all else fails, I can make art for the Dollar Tree ha! I got lots of Easter basket goodies too. Time to buy lots of sugary treats and useless little crap for the kiddies! Better get shopping ya'll Easter's just around the corner!

Beautiful Colored Eggs in Vintage Ice Bucket

2007-04-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

The beautiful colors on these Easter eggs are extra vivid because they were left in the (cheap) dye for about 20 minutes. For a different display look put them in a vintage glass ice bucket as my friend Becky has done. These look beautiful sitting on her kitchen counter.

Cheap Chic Little Tea Set

2007-03-29T03:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a funky little tea set that I've put together comprised of items I've collected. I got the tray at a thrift store for $2.99. I got the teapot during a separate trip to another thrift store for around $3.99. I found those funky little cups at Cost Plus World Market for about $1.50 a cup.

dd's Discounts has Come to Town!

2007-03-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

Today my daughter Natasha (aka "Amy Lynn" - more on this later) and I (aka "Mama") went to a newly opened discount store in our town. It's called "dd's Discounts". I found out that it's owned by Ross Stores. It is set up like Ross but the merchandise is much cheaper! I didn't think things got any cheaper than Ross, Yee Haw! We had so much fun looking around the store. They've got a great selection of clothes, shoes, purses, housewares, toys, funiture, books, etc...etc... for 1/2 to 1/3 the cost of Ross. Look up dd's online and find a store near you. I think this is going to be my new favorite place to shop! The best thing is that it's in the very same shopping center as the Dollar Tree, yay!!!

Cheap Chic Wine Tasting Party!

2006-10-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, even on a tight budget you can afford to have a cheap chic wine tasting party! It's a wonderful way to celebrate any occasion and can be adapted to any taste and budget.

Okay, here's the plan.... invite about 8 to 10 people (4-5 couples) or more, or less. Ask each person/couple to bring a bottle of wine according to the type of wine and price range that you've designated. For example... a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon for under $10.00. Or, you could choose all Chardonneys or Merlots, etc... depending on your taste. Designate an amount per bottle ($7.00 or less, $10.00 or less, $15.00 or less, etc...). Have each person/couple bring a favorite hors d'oeuvre (appetizer) and their own wine glass to use during the party. You can make little name tags for each glass using a small piece of paper and punching a hole in the corner. Then use a piece of string, yarn or ribbon to tie the tag to the stem of each wine glass and have the person write their name on it. This insures being able to keep track of one's own glass. After five or six tastes of wine a person can get confused and possibly loose their glass, ha ha!

As each person arrives at the party place the bottle of wine they've brought into a brown paper lunch sack. Tie a piece of string, yarn or ribbon around the top of the sack, or put a piece of tape around it. Using a marker pen, write an assigned number on each sack beginning with the number 1, for the first bottle that arrives, etc.... Give each person a piece of paper and a pen . Instruct them that while tasting a particular bottle to write down the corresponding number of the bag and any tasting notes about that wine next to the number. Then give that wine a rating between 1 and 5 (5 being best, 1 being worst). After everyone has tasted and rated all of the wines, gather all of the papers and add up the scores to determine the best and worst rated bottles. Then announce the scores and unveil the bottles to reveal each wine and how it was rated! It is fun to have a small prize for the person that brought the top rated wine. This could be a bottle of wine, a corkscrew or a small candle, etc... It is also fun to have a "booby prize" for the worst rated wine. This could be something like a silly candy from the Dollar Store or a second hand book or funny candle, etc... from the thrift store. Use your imagination!

If you want to something extra for your party, you could make a big pot of soup and serve it in mugs with warm french bread after the appetizers and the wine tastings are finished. My "Rainy Day Chicken Soup" is perfect for this! The recipe is on this blog under the title "Chicken Soup for the Anxiety Ridden Soul". I will be posting a recipe for Albondigas (meatball soup) here very soon. This would be great to serve with red wines. If you are having a party during the spring or summer you could make a chicken salad or pasta salad and serve it with bread. See my "cheap chic pasta salad" on this blog under the title "Too Hot to Cook".

Now for a dessert idea.... make cupcakes (from a cake mix) and frost with a can of frosting. Make a fresh pot of coffee (Folgers is cheap) and/or some herbal tea (Dollar Store) with honey, lemon and milk!

Wow, you really can have a chic wine tasting party for very cheap!!!
Cheers! Stacey

Carson's Little Gourmet Sandwiches

2006-08-27T01:35:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, all of my posts are about food lately! It seems like when I'm the most broke, I'm more obsessed with food. I think it because I'm afraid I'm not going to have enough or something. Anyway here's another great little recipe that my son, Carson, actually made up. At first I thought it sounded weird because it's a melted cheese sandwich with produce on it. I was thinking my lettuce would get soggy, but it didn't, so okay here's the recipe....

Carson's Grilled Cheese Veggie Sandwich

2 pieces of bread (any kind, I like sourdough)
Slices of Pepper Jack Cheese (or any cheese you like)
Butter or Marg. (I like "Smart" because there's no trans fats)
Tomato slices
Lettuce (crispy is good... iceberg, romaine hearts...)
Salt and Pepper

Place the cheese slices between the bread slices
Butter the outsides of the sandwich/bread pieces
Grill in a frying pan on med-high on either side till golden brown
Pull sandwich apart, place tomato and lettuce between bread slices
Salt and Pepper
Put sandwich back together
Eat!

The flavor of the melted cheese and the tomatoe and crispy lettuce together is soooooo good. I didn't even want to try it but my son, Carson (18yrs), talked me into it. Of course, he also talked me in to trying a peanut butter and pickle sandwich too. Amazingly enough it was pretty good! No, I'm not pregnant!

Eat up!
Stacey

Cajun Delight for under $10.00

2006-07-25T02:42:00.000-07:00

We're talking cheap and spicy here! My cajun blackeyed peas and rice are sure to please.

Cajun Delight

1 tbls oil (I use Olive)
1/2 Onion - chopped
1/2 green pepper - chopped
2-3 Cloves Garlic - minced
1 Celery stalk - chopped (optional)
1 14oz Can Tomatoes - chopped
1/4 tsp Red Pepper flakes (optional)
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
4-5 dashes of Hot Sauce (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 8oz Can Tomato Sauce
2 14oz Cans Blackeyed Peas - rinsed and drained (any brand)

Saute the first 5 ingredients for about 5 minutes then add the tomatoes with juice. Add seasonings, tomato sauce and blackeyed peas. Stir and let simmer for 10-15 minutes (uncovered).

Cook a cup or two of long grain white rice according to package directions.

Serve rice with blackeyed pea mixture over the top. It kicks cajun butt!

Note: For extra heartiness add 2-3 sliced hotlinks into the pea mixture while cooking but otherwise this is a great vegetarian meal.

Serve with a green salad on the side.

Happy cheap eats!
Stacey

Too Hot to Cook!

2006-07-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

Well yes, it is summer and as my Dad would say, "it's a bot hitch out there"! Just switch the first letters around and you'll know what I mean, lol! Anyway, it's just too hot to cook or to eat anything that's really hot and cooked. No more chicken soup, even if it does relieve anxiety. Hmm, what can I make that's cheap, filling and healthy and could also be a chic dish to be taken to a BBQ or picnic. Pasta Salad you say? Okay I didn't say "low carb". A few years ago during the "low fat" trend this would have been just the ticket. I think the key is to add a lot of healthy veggies along with "some" pasta...like about a pound, ha ha! I've recently discovered a new trick to making the pasta salad more flavorful. Instead of using bottled Italian dressings as I've done in the past, I now use olive oil and balsamic vinegar with my dollar store Italian herbs. Also, you can add some cooked (leftover) chicken, beef or fish, whatever. This adds protien and makes a complete meal. This might sound weird but I opened a can of tuna, drained it, broke it up with a fork and sprinkled some on top of my pasta salad. It took on a great flavor when mixed with the oil, vinegar, herbs and pasta and provided that extra protien for a complete meal. Okay here's my recipe...

"Cheap Chic" Pasta Salad

1 lb (16oz) of cooked pasta - any kind ($.50 @ Dollar Store)
1/4 cup chopped Sun Dried Tomatoes in oil ($3.99 Jar @ Costco)*
1 or 2 fresh chopped Tomatoes
1/4 cup (about 1/2 a medium) Onion - any kind, white/purple/green
2 or 3 cloves of minced Garlic or 1 - 2 tsp of Garlic Powder (Dollar Store)
2 tsp Italian Herb Seasoning (Dollar Store)
1/4 cup (about 1/2 medium) chopped Bell Pepper - any color
1/4 cup (or small can) chopped/drained Black Olives - or green
1 crown of chopped Broccoli (raw or steamed)**
2 stalks chopped Celery (mince some leaves and add for extra flavor)
3 - 4 tbls Olive Oil (or other salad oil that you have on hand)***
3 - 4 tbls Balsamic Vinegar (or other vinegar that you have on hand)***
Salt and Pepper
Parmesean Cheese sprinkled on top (I used leftover packets from the pizza joint)

Put all of these ingredients (in this order) into a large bowl. Mix together with your bare hands (washed of course). Then taste and adjust seasoning/oil/vinegar. Sprinkle with cheese. Add any meat or fish on top and you have a beautiful summer meal!

* Sun dried tomatoes are optional but what a deal @ $3.99 for a large
jar at Costco. I use them in everything (pasta, rice, veggies, salads).
You may substitute this for a couple of spoons full of the Classico Pesto (any kind) in a jar.

** A crown of Broc is "a head" or "a bunch", whatever. It's about a
pound. I steam mine in the Micro for 3 1/2 minutes till tender, let it cool,
chop and add to salad.

*** You can use more or less oil and vinegar according to your taste.
I never measure, I just drizzle and sprinkle. So I'm kinda guessing
at these measurements.

Extra Note: You can use any kind of cheese that you have
or eliminate the cheese all together. I always save the packets of Parm.
cheese from the pizza joint because it can be so expensive
to buy this cheese and why waste those little packets anyway?!

Enjoy!
Stacey

Cheap & Healthy Fiesta Dinner!

2006-06-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had a "Cheap & Healthy Fiesta" Dinner! I found a package of 10 flour tortillas for a buck at the dollar store! Also at Albertson's (next door) I found a large can of spicy "Rosarita" refried beans for $1.50 and an 8oz package of Tillamook cheddar cheese on sale for $2.50. I zapped the beans in the microwave and warmed the tortillas in foil in the oven @ 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. I grated the cheese and opened/drained a can of .50 cent corn (dollar store). I bought an 8oz container of sour cream and a small bottle of Tapatio hot sauce for .99 cents each. I chopped up some fresh onions, tomatoes and purple cabbage from the farmer's market (cheap). We put together some awesome little gourmet taco/burrito's. I made a box of spanish rice-a-roni ($1.00 on sale) and we had that too. I bought a bag of tortilla chips on sale for $1.99 and made some homemade salsa (recipe below). This was an awesome little feast and there was plenty of food to feed my son's band mates after their rehearsal. This is a great meal for hungry teen's and it's vegetarian which always wins points!

Salsa Recipe:

1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes (Italian style is best)
1-2 fresh tomatoes, chopped (adds fresh texture)
1/2 cup chopped onion (white, green, purple, whatever)
2 fresh jalepeno peppers, seeded & chopped (or an 8oz can chopped)
1 handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
A few shots of Tapatio (or other hot sauce)
A couple of splashes of vinegar (I use red wine vinegar)
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp Cumin
Salt and pepper

Hand mix in a "salsa blender" or pulse in a food processor or blender. Or, finely chop all ingredients by hand.

Enjoy,
Stacey

Chicken Soup for the Anxiety Ridden Soul

2006-06-28T02:45:00.000-07:00

Okay, this may seem kinda weird, being that it's summer and all, but yesterday I had a craving for homemade chicken soup. I'm trying to figure out why because it's summer with temps in the 90's outside. The only thing I can think of is that I'm really craving some comfort and stability right now. Of coarse this probably relates to finances, or lack there of. My husband's business has run out of "moola" and the other "investment capital" hasn't come through yet, so there's NO paycheck coming in. Yikes, are we gonna be homeless or what? Fear, Fear! We do own our van now (we finally paid that sucker off) so maybe we could live in that...NOT! I might consider it if dear hubby didn't hold the world's record for the LOUDEST snorring in the universe! Ok, I don't want to even go there or even think about the possibility of being homeless. Oh help me Lord! Anyway enough about my financial problems and on to the very awesome soup that I made yesterday and that I'm still eating today, yum!

I purchased these fairly cheap, thinly sliced chicken breasts thingy's. "Chicken Tenders" I believe they're called. It amounted to about one pound of chicken. I cut these up into small bits and sauteed (fried) them in a dutch oven "the big pan" with a little oil. Then I added 1/2 onion chopped and about 4 cloves of minced garlic. Then 6 cans of chicken broth (cheap store brand) and 2 teaspoons of Italian Seasoning (dollar store). I sliced up 3-4 carrots and 3 spears of celery and added them. I brought all this to a boil and added 1/2 cup of rice (Dollar Store) and a 14oz can of chopped tomatoes (Dollar Store). I let this simmer about 20 minutes till the rice was tender and then I added a 14 oz can of white beans (rinsed and drained). You can add whatever beans you happen to have. Then I added 1 cup of fresh chopped zucchini (Free). A friend gave me a large one from his garden. You could substitute a cup of peas, frozen or canned and drained. You can add a little hot sauce sauce or other spices of your choice. Oh, I almost forgot. I squeezed the juice of one fresh lemon (from a friend's tree) into the pot and added 1/4 cup of the my favorite cheap (Gallo Twin Valley) Chardonnay (optional). I let the soup simmer about another 10 more minutes and garnished (topped) it with chopped green onions and fresh cilanto. Gourmet all the way! I think just going through the motions of making this soup relieved some anxiety. That and the glass of the cheap wine I drank while making it, lol! I ate little bowls of this soup all day for lunch, dinner, snack, midnight snack, 3:00am snack (when I couldn't sleep due to anxiety) and I ate some for breakfast this morning too. Yes, I did save some for my son and hubby to try, ha! This recipe makes a lot.

So go make a big pot of chicken soup when you're feeling anxious. It's cheap, it's easy, it's fast and it's good for you! Oh and don't forget the vino while you're making it!

I "Heart" the Dollar Tree!

2006-06-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

Without the dollar store, I literally would not have survived that past couple of years! Or I would have just had bad breath, rotten teeth, stinky pits, dirty (limp) hair, dirty laundry, various hygiene issues and a lot less food to eat. What, with a husband getting laid off and gasoline prices going through the "sun" roof, etc.. The dollar store has carried us through many times of crisis. And yes, I used to be one of those (yuppie) Mom's that had no problem paying over $3.00 for a tube of toothpaste and the list goes on, but that was pre- 9/11, pre- layoff, pre- over $3.00 a gallon gasoline. I've been forced to discovered the almighty "Dollar Store". I now live that dollar store reality/mentality. Hey, how do you know when you're really, really broke? It's when you can't even afford something at the dollar store and let me tell ya, I've been there, as I'm sure many of you have. I think even if I do gain access to more money in the future. such as a bigger paycheck or just "a" paycheck, I swear, as God is my witness, I will continue to shop at the dollar store. It just makes good sense! Who knows, I may also make a dress out of curtains (ie: Scarlett O'Hara). So anyway, check out the nearest and dearest Dollar Tree/99cent store (whatever), near you and cross off some of those items on your grocery list and save LOTS AND LOTS OF MOOLA too!

Happy shopping ya'll,
Stacey

Comfort Food is Back!

2006-02-15T17:28:00.000-08:00

I've been reading in recent editions of those fancy gourmet food magazines that "comfort food" is making a comeback. Many of the best restaurants in town are currently offering dishes such as meatloaf and mash potatoes on their menus. Some attribute this trend to feelings of insecurity in an unsettled world. Having some of Mom's meatloaf and mash potatoes can provide some much needed, good old fashioned comfort to our lives. I say it's the food we were raised on (in America anyway) and we've always liked it (whether we were willing to admit it or not). It definitely comforts the tummy and warms the soul. So here is my "cheap chic" comfort recipe contribution to the world at large.

Cheap Chic Meatloaf and Gravy

2 lbs of lean ground burger
1/4 cup finely chopped onions (1/2 med onion)
1/4 cup chopped green or red pepper (1/2 med bell pepper)
1/2 cup of bread crumbs (I use Progresso brand)
2 eggs
2 tbs of tomatoe sauce (from 8 oz can, below) or ketchup
1 tsp of Italian seasoning
1-2 cloves of chopped/minced garlic
1/4 tsp each Salt and Pepper
1 8 ounce can tomatoe sauce
1 packet of beef gravy mix or a jar/can of beef gravy (any brand)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
In a large bowl, using your hands with a little water on them, mix the first nine ingredients together just enough to blend. Do not over mix, this can make your meatloaf tough. Form meat mixture into an oblong loaf and place it in an oil coated casserole dish or crockpot (depending on how it will be cooked). Spread the 8 ounces of canned tomatoe sauce over the loaf to coat it. Bake (covered) in a 375 degree oven for 1 and 1/2 hours or cook in crockpot on high for 4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.

Note: Personally I like my meatloaf cooked in the crockpot. It is much more tender and moist when it's done! Just slap it together put it in the crock and forget about it for many hours till it's done. Also, it creates a comforting aroma in the house all day! Sometimes I mix a splash of red wine in the tomatoe sauce that I use to coat the meatloaf with and sprinkle Italian seasonings on the top! ooh la la!

To make gravy I prepare the beef gravy packet, jar or can according to the directions, then I add the juices from the cooked meatloaf. This makes a delicious gravy to top any type of potatoes. I especially like the boiled red potatoes with the skins left on.

This meatloaf also makes an awesome sandwich for the next day. Spread a little mayo on a couple of slices of sourdough bread (or bread of you choice) then cut a couple of 1/2 inch slices of meatloaf and place between the bread with a little salt and pepper. This makes a rustic little gourmet sandwich!

Tootles, Stacey

To Market To Market!

2006-02-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

Grocery shopping can be a real challenge when you don't have much money. Especially when you have champagne taste on a "no name" brand budget. I like the finer things in life like the best cuts of meat, freshest fruits and vegetable, gourmet breads and yes, good wine. So how do I shop on a tight (very tight) budget without feeling depressed and deprived? Well I've developed a few methods that I will share with you. First of all I pay close attention to the local grocery store ads that come in the mail each week. Then I plan my menus accordingly. I shop at the local farmer's market for fruits and vegetables which can literally be half the price of those in the grocery stores. When I have enough money up front, I stock up on meat by buying the large packages at Costco and breaking them up into smaller (approx. 1 lb.) packages using ziplock bags. I store these in the freezer for future meals. A large package of burger yields about six, 1 lb. packages. A large package of chicken breasts yields about three packages with four breasts per package. The price per pound is significantly lower than buying the small packages at the grocery store. Those of you on monthly fixed incomes can stock up on meat for the month. Then shop weekly for veges and sides, etc.. (on sale of course). I happen to love sourdough bread but wow, it can be expensive so I get the fresh baked loafs from the bakery at the grocery store for a third the cost of packaged breads. It stays fresh for about three or four days, due to no preservatives. I slice pieces by hand and make little rustic gourmet sandwiches. I also love to cook with wine. Wine seems to add another demention of flavor and richness to many recipes. The cheapest and best tasting wine that I've found for the price is Gallo Twin Valley (Chardonay, Merlot or Cabernet) in the 1.5 liter (large) bottles for about $6.99. This wine is great to cook with and is also very drinkable, while you're cooking! These are just a few tips that I hope will help you when doing your "cheap chic" grocery shopping. TTFN (ta ta for now) Stacey

What is the deal with Goodwill? It's not!

2006-02-11T17:07:00.000-08:00

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that Goodwill thinks it's a boutique? I swear I can find brand new stuff at Ross, TJ Max, Target and Mervyn's for cheaper than the Goodwill. I feel like boycotting this place! Especially considering what happened to me a few months ago at one of their stores. I was browsing around when I came across a cute (9x11) framed picture of a teacup. I'm not that into teacups, but for 6 bucks, what the heck. I can hang it in my back bedroom or bathroom or "re-gift" it or something. Anyway, so I go to the register feeling all proud of my new found treasure. I wait in line behind about six people (one who doesn't smell so good). I finally get up to the register and the lady behind the counter gives me the once over and says "Oh no, this price tag must be wrong". I say (in my nicest voice) "Oh, well that's the price tag that is on there". She says, "hold on a minute" then she makes a phone call to the back room. Soon a little man comes out (looking like an oompa loompa) and takes the picture from me without a word and returns to the back room. I stand there waiting for about 5 minutes while this lady helps other customers in the mean time. Then the little man returns and without a word hands me the picture with a new price tag, for twice as much! Then the lady behind the counter says "There, that's better". Better? Better for who?! Anyway I should have just said right then and there, "forget about it" (in my best mafia accent), but instead I bought it because it was still a pretty good deal. But the whole situation just irritates me! I should have just walked away on the principle of it. Anyway, the bottom line is this cheap chic diva is not advocating the Goodwill as a cheap chic source! Except for maybe the occasional clothing items such as jeans, classic shirts, etc... or a cheaply priced houseware (but remember the oompa loompa can change the price at any time). You're better off going to a flea market, other thrift stores (St. Vincent de Paul's is great), garage sales and the above named retail stores! You certainly won't be seeing me at "The Will" anytime soon! Happy shopping ya'll!

Ah, The Cheap Chic Lifestyle!

2006-02-10T17:41:00.000-08:00

This is my first post, so welcome everyone to my Cheap Chic Lifestyle Blog. This is the place where you will learn the exciting art of "cheap chic living". No matter what your income level be it rich or poor (and I'm talking busted) or somewhere in between, you can live a life of sophistication, style and grace on very, very little money! I've done it, I'm doing it, and doggonit' I know what it takes! Stay tuned for "cheap chic" shopping tips, menus, recipes, home decor, party planning (yes, you can have a party when you're broke), fashion, beauty (you can be beautiful when you're broke), arts, entertainment, health and inspiration! By the way, you don't have to be broke to read this blog! Just thought I'd make that clear!