Hey all! I'm back on track. I had a little chat with my therapist and she gave me some nifty tricks for my anxiety and a lovely CD with her voice telling me to calm the heck down- all right it's not that blunt, but it should be! I can get soooooo worked up! But I'm trying to get it together.


It's a new week and my meal ideas are coming your way! Today I'm feeling a little cheap, so I'm going to share six meals that cost less than two dollars per serving. I think it's a good idea to have a few inexpensive meals in the planner for weeks when you need to trim from the food budget. So here they are:

Meal 1

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked medium egg noodles 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into 12 (1-inch-thick) slices 

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1 cup dry white wine 

3 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

While the noodles cook, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the pork with pepper and salt. Place pork in pan; cook 5 minutes, turning once.

Combine the wine and mustard; pour into pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove pork from pan; keep warm.

Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir cornstarch mixture into pan; bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute or until thick. Serve pork with sauce and noodles.

Meal 2

Ingredients
6 (6-inch) flour or corn tortillas
3/4 cup fat-free refried beans
3/4 cup jarred red salsa
1 cup shredded Cheddar (about 2 1/2 oz.)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup shredded Romaine lettuce
2 tablespoons sour cream

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F. Mist every other cup of a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Press a tortilla into each sprayed cup, flattening out edges, and bake until golden, about 8 minutes.
Divide beans among tostadas, top with salsa and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and bake until warmed through, 7 to 10 minutes.
Place each tostada on a plate and sprinkle with cilantro. Top with some lettuce and a small dollop of sour cream. Serve with extra salsa, if desired.

Meal 3

Ingredients

1 pound fresh or frozen cheese tortellini

1 cup frozen peas 

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces 

1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan 

1/4 pound ham, chopped

Preparation

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook tortellini until just al dente (do not overcook), as package label directs. Add peas to pot for last 30 seconds of cooking time.

Drain tortellini and peas and return to pot. Stir in butter, cream, salt, pepper, Parmesan and ham. Turn stove on to medium heat and cook, stirring, until ingredients are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Meal 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces 

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 tablespoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 

2 onions, thinly sliced 

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 

1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes with juice

2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Preparation

Combine chicken, olive oil, curry powder and salt in slow cooker and toss to coat.

Sprinkle onions and garlic on top of chicken. Pour tomatoes on top. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

During last hour of cooking, stir in chickpeas. Serve hot.

Meal 5

Ingredients

1 7-oz. can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon lime juice 

1 onion, chopped 

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1 2-lb. beef chuck pot roast, fat trimmed

Salt and pepper

Corn tortillas, shredded lettuce and Jack cheese, sliced avocado and sour cream, all optional

Preparation

In a blender or food processor, puree chipotle chiles with adobo sauce until smooth. Spoon 2 1/2 Tbsp. into slow cooker; reserve remainder for other uses. Add tomatoes, lime juice, onion and garlic; stir to combine. Season beef with salt and pepper and add to slow cooker.

Cover and cook on high until beef is tender enough to shred easily with a fork, about 6 hours. Using two forks, shred meat; spoon into a serving bowl with sauce. Serve beef with warmed corn tortillas, shredded lettuce and cheese, sliced avocado and sour cream, if desired.

Meal 6

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 onion, chopped

one 15 oz (1 liter) white kidney (cannellini) beans

2 carrots, sliced

9 oz (250 g) spinach

1 leek, white and pale green parts only, sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, chopped

8 slices Italian bread

1 quart (1 liter) chicken stock

2 tbsp grated Parmesan (optional), for serving

one 14.5 oz (411 g) chopped tomatoes

Directions

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrots, and leek and cook until softened but not colored. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock, tomatoes and their juices, and tomato paste.

In a bowl, mash half the beans with a fork and stir into the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Return the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the remaining beans and spinach and simmer for 30 minutes more.

Place a slice of bread in each soup bowl. Ladle in the soup, and, if you like, top with a sprinkling of Parmesan.

Hi!!!!

You know, when I first started blogging, I didn't expect I would have as much fun as I did. Even when I had my fourth baby and was so sick for weeks, I looked forward to blogging. Then the depression hit and still blogging made me feel like I was "doing" something besides wiping hinees and making dinner (not that there's anything wrong with that!)

Lately though, blogging has felt like a chore and I couldn't figure out why. This weekend I realized it because in all the months I've been blogging, I haven't really reached my goal of simplicity! After all that's what this blog is about- my quest to make my life more simple. Just to clarify, when I say simple, I don't mean easier. If I've learned anything the past 10 months it's that getting simple is far from easy! It requires a whole lot of purging and cleaning and organizing and fighting your box-hoarding husband to get it it done!

So yeah, 10 months have gone by and I don't have anything to show for it except for 2 organized rooms and some sweet ass projects. Sigh. I do love my projects.

So what have been up to these past few weeks? Well, I've been super depressed...again...and I've been trying to pull myself out of it without having to visit my totally cold and unemotional Psychiatrist to adjust my medication.

I guess as everything else feels crazy and chaotic in my life, I've been catching up in the simplicity part of my life. With this renewed determination to make my household a well-oiled machine, I've gotten up the ambition to get back to the whole purging, cleaning and organizing thing. And honestly this time it feels like I'm getting somewhere! My friend Jessi told me about this blog she was reading and calls this a need for "white space."  The idea of white space is this in a nut shell:

    
This is me in a nut shell:

So here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to finish once and for all simplifying my house! From Attic to the main floor...I can't handle the basement with all those tools and crap. That's one for the man of the house!! Next week, I'm coming back at you with Meal Planner Monday and other fun things I have to share. Talk to you next week!!

Meal Planner Monday

Good Monday to you. Here are six meals for your stomach's eating pleasure. I don't have a lot to say except please try the football fiesta casserole! It's delicious!

Meal 1

Ingredients(copy and paste ingredients here to find the best deals!)

Chicken:

2 small skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts

2 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs

2 bay leaves

1 small carrot, coarsely chopped

1 small onion, quartered

1/2 orange, sliced

Salt

BBQ Sauce:

1 cup organic ketchup

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

2 shots of bourbon

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

Juice of 1/2 orange

Slaw:

1/3 cup vegetable oil or olive oil

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon superfine sugar

About 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 red onion, grated

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 pound cabbage (red, green or a mix), shredded

1 large green apple, peeled and coarsely grated

Brioche rolls( or hamburger rolls) , split

Bread-and-butter pickles, for topping

Directions

For the chicken: Place the chicken breasts and thighs in a pot with the bay leaves, carrot, onion, orange and some salt. Cover with water, then cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook at a low rolling boil for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken to a cutting board. Strain the broth, then return to the pot and boil for a few minutes to reduce it slightly. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken and shred the meat.

For the BBQ sauce: Meanwhile, combine the ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, maple syrup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, bourbon, garlic and orange juice in a small pot. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

For the slaw: Whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, lemon juice and onions. Season with salt and some pepper. Add the cabbage and apples and toss to combine.

Add 1 cup poaching liquid to the BBQ sauce, then add the chicken, stirring and shredding it with 2 forks. Pile the chicken on the rolls and top with pickles and slaw.

Meal 2

Ingredients (copy and paste ingredients here to find the best deals!)

8 whole Chicken Thighs, Bone-in, Skin-on

Salt And Pepper

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 whole Large Onion, Diced

4 cloves Garlic, Minced

2 jars (24 Ounces Each) Marinara Sauce

Fresh Basil - To Taste

Parmesan Cheese, For Sprinkling

16 ounces, weight Penne Or Rigatoni

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown chicken thighs quickly on both sides until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a separate plate.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon grease/oil. Add onions and garlic to pan and stir around to cook, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in marinara sauce and stir to heat. Add chicken thighs back into the sauce. Cover and place pan in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. (You may also simmer on the stovetop on the lowest heat possible.)

Cook the pasta according to package instructions Serve 1 chicken thigh with sauce over pasta, adding more marinara if needed. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve. (For smaller children, you can cut the meat off the bone for them. Chicken is very tender!)

 Meal 3

 Ingredients (copy and paste ingredients here to find the best deals!)

 1 pounds lean (90 percent) ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 package taco seasoning

1 (28 oz.) cans tomato sauce

3 (16 oz.) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (6 oz.) can black olives, drained and chopped (1 cup)

1 bag (9.75 oz.) corn chips, such as Fritos

1 pound low-fat Cheddar, grated

Directions

 Preheat oven to 350°F. Mist a skillet with cooking spray. Sauté beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion; sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add taco seasoning, cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Mist a deep 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread half of meat in baking dish, then half of beans, half of olives, half of corn chips and half of cheese. Repeat layering with remaining meat, beans, olives, chips and cheese.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden and crispy on top and bubbling. 

Meal 4

Ingredients (copy and paste ingredients here to find the best deals!)

1 large onion, chopped

2 pounds extra-lean (90%-93%) ground beef

2 (28 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

8 ounces uncooked corkscrew pasta

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Put onion in pot of slow cooker. Crumble ground beef on top and pour tomatoes over beef. Cover and cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Break up any large pieces of beef with a wooden spoon. Season with salt. Remove half of sauce and reserve for another recipe; keep remaining sauce warm in slow cooker. (Makes about 2 1/2 quarts meat sauce.)

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions, stirring often, until al dente. Drain and transfer to four shallow bowls. Spoon meat sauce over each portion of pasta. Serve with Parmesan cheese, basil and freshly ground pepper.

Meal 5

Ingredients (copy and paste ingredients here to find the best deals!) 

Burger:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs

1/4 cup canned whole-kernel yellow corn, drained

1/4 cup prechopped onion

1 large egg

Ketchup:

1/3 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Remaining ingredients:

4 (2-ounce) Kaiser rolls or hamburger buns

4 lettuce leaves (optional)

4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato (optional)

Directions

To prepare burgers, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Combine kidney beans and black beans in a large bowl; partially mash with a fork. Add breadcrumbs, corn, onion, and egg; stir until well blended. Form bean mixture into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) patties. Add patties to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until crisp and beginning to brown.

To prepare ketchup, combine ketchup, honey, lime juice, chile powder, and cumin, stirring with a whisk.

Spread 1 tablespoon ketchup on bottom half of each bun; top each serving with a patty, 1 lettuce leaf and 1 tomato slice (if desired), and top half of bun.

Meal 6

Ingredients (copy and paste ingredients here to find the best deals!)

1 1/3 pounds raw Italian sweet sausage, casing removed

A drizzle olive oil

2 cups ricotta

A handful flat leaf parsley, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

A handful grated Parmesan, plus extra, for knots

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated or a couple pinches of ground

A few grinds black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped pimento

2 (10-ounce) tubes prepared pizza dough

2 cups shredded mozzarella

Garlic oil (1 or 2 cloves chopped and heated in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil)

2 cups tomato, marinara or pizza sauce for dipping or Five Minute Spicy Marinara, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Brown sausage in a small skillet in a drizzle of olive oil. Transfer the cooked crumbled sausage to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Combine sausage with ricotta, parsley, garlic, Parmesan, nutmeg, pepper, and pimento. Roll out dough and halve cross-wise. Place a dough rectangle on a nonstick cookie sheet. Use 1/2 cup mozzarella on half of each dough rectangle and pile a mound of filling on half of the total area. Fold dough over and pinch edges to seal. The result is a rectangular turnover.

For half-moon shaped calzones, trim excess dough. Roll dough bits into strips, tie in knots and brush with garlic oil and cheese. Garlic knots are fun to dip at the table.

Bake calzones 15 minutes or until golden all over. Serve calzones with warm tomato, marinara, or pizza sauce for dipping.

Cook's Note: For an additional time saver, 2 packages precooked sausage crumbles, 8 ounces each, may be substituted for raw Italian sausage used in the above recipe.

Five Minute Spicy Marinara:

2 tablespoons (two turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic crushed

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 (32 ounce) can chunky style crushed tomatoes

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon Italian dried seasoning

1 handful Italian parsley leaves, chopped

Add olive oil to medium saucepan over moderate heat. Add garlic and crushed pepper to the heated olive oil; when pepper snaps and garlic sizzles, stir in crushed tomatoes. Season sauce with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cook for five minutes and stir in parsley. Serve.

Fall finds it's way to the Izzo's

Yesterday when I should have been posting Wall Art Wednesday, I was working on a few fall projects. The anal retentive part of me was having a fit! I wanted to keep to the schedule, but hey, sometimes you've got to deviate! So, that's just what I did.

Here are a few of the things I created yesterday (God made the leaves):

Real leaves twisted into vine.

Leaf is wedged between two glass panes over top of a matted piece of scrapbook paper.

Leaves mounted into a shadowbox frame.

Pumpkin Centerpiece

Jar filled with berries and vine.

Mod-Podged Leaves for extra durability.

My bird is not Fall decor, but wait till Christmas, when I'll strap antlers on that little guy!

Meal Planner Monday

Good Morning Everyone! I had such a restless night last night that I'm having a very hard time focusing. Poor baby Owen has a stuffy nose and tooth pushing through, so he was up a lot last night.

Lack of sleep should make you have a dreamless night, but for me, lack of sleep made it worse. I had a doozy last night. A classic "Ang" dream that only a weirdo like me would have! It was so weird, I just have to share it with you (Mostly because Chris left early for work this morning.)

I'm sharing the abbreviated version to spare you from a long drawn out story (I know you want you meal planner right?)

So the dream starts with me attending some prestigious ceremony in New Zealand, which in my dream was located at the top of the world (I know.) Celebrities and politicians are sitting on bleachers by the oceanside. The sun is setting (over the North Pole?) and the waves are lapping calmly in the water. Being that I was a lowly non-important person at the event, I was situated on a hill overlooking the water.

All of a sudden the water begins to churn. It is then my sleeping brain realizes there is about to be a tsunami (we've had way too many natural disasters in recent years!) Just as the water begins to recede, my brain does "recompute." I could feel it thinking "This isn't going to scare her enough! Change the senerio!" So instead of being washed away by a tsunami, my brain decides that native New Zealanders are going to rise up from underneath snow, that was all of a sudden covering the ground, and surprise attack the spectators (that was when I realized I read WAY too many novels!)

So the natives attack, killing everyone by the shore. I miraculously survive by hiding under a snow bank. Flash forward a few years. The attack was in my past and in my dream I still struggled with the trauma of it. How do I deal with it?  I decide to have a boob job. For some reason this was the cure-all for my sadness! Except that didn't go well either. I had them done twice and each time they just sagged longer and lower.

You'd think that having loved through an traumatic attack would be the hardest thing I had to deal with. Not in my dream. I was devastated because I had saggy boobs and I could find the right bra! I was so upset I woke up thinking it had really happened. I did one of those grab my chest and thanking God I was two cup sizes smaller and only slightly saggy! It's scary to live in my brain!

So on to the meals:

Meal 1

Ingredients (copy and paste ingredients here to find the best deals!)

6 large red or green peppers, rinsed

1 pound lean ground beef

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup long-grain white rice

1 1/4 cups chicken or beef broth

3/4 cup diced tomato (fresh or canned)

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pepper, to taste

1/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus a little extra for garnish

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3 cups of your favorite tomato sauce

Instructions

 Slice the top 1/4 inch off each pepper. Finely chop the flesh on the stem end; set it aside. Remove the seeds and white pith from inside the peppers. (If the peppers won't stand up straight, take a small slice off the bottom with a paring knife to make a flat surface.)

 Put a steamer basket (or a colander) inside a large pot and add an inch or so of water. Place the peppers in the basket. Bring the water to a boil and tightly cover the pot. Steam the peppers for 8 minutes. Remove the peppers with tongs and set them on a wire rack to cool.

Combine the reserved chopped pepper, ground beef, onion, and garlic in a large skillet. Brown the meat over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.

 Drain any visible fat from the pan, then return it to the heat. Add the rice, broth, tomato, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer it, tightly covered, for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the egg and the 1/3 cup of Parmesan.

 Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a large baking dish or casserole and pour in 2 1/2 cups of tomato sauce. Using a large spoon, scoop about 3/4 cup of filling into each pepper. Set the stuffed peppers into the prepared pan, so they are evenly spaced and surrounded by sauce. Spread a spoonful of the remaining sauce over the top of each, to keep the filling moist, and cover the pan with aluminum foil.

 Bake the peppers until they're heated through, about 35 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the tops with Parmesan. Serve the peppers hot, in pools of tomato sauce. 

Meal 2

Ingredients (copy and paste ingredients here to find the best deals!)

FOR THE BISCUITS

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 stick cold salted butter, cut into 1/2-inch slices

3/4 cup cold 2% milk

FOR THE GRAVY

1 pound bulk breakfast sausage or links with casing removed

1/2 cup flour

4 cups 2% milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

cayenne (optional)

Instructions

 First prepare the biscuits. Heat the oven to 400°. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Use a pastry blender* or two butter knives to cut the butter into the mixture until it has a coarse, pea-size texture. Add the milk and stir the mixture until it forms into a shaggy dough.

 Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Use your fingers to gently flatten it into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Fold the dough over itself and flatten it once more. Repeat three or four times, working quickly so that the butter remains solid.

 Flatten the dough a final time, then use a 3-inch biscuit cutter or a drinking glass to cut out 10 dough rounds. Transfer them to a 12- by 17-inch baking sheet and bake them until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

 While the biscuits cook, make the gravy. Brown the sausage in a medium skillet over medium heat. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan.

 Slowly sift the flour into the pan as the meat continues to cook. Use a wooden spoon or a spatula to work the flour into the meat.

 Add the milk, then let the mixture simmer, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken. Add the salt and pepper and let the gravy continue to simmer as you stir, until it reaches the consistency of a creamy soup. Be sure to maintain medium heat so that the mixture doesn't boil. If the gravy becomes too thick, thin it with more milk, adding a small amount at a time.

 Add a few pinches of cayenne, if using, and more salt and pepper, if needed, and stir in well. To serve, put a biscuit on a plate and ladle the gravy alongside or on top.

Meal 3

Ingredients (copy and paste ingredients here to find the best deals!)

4 Italian sausages

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 minced garlic cloves

3/4 cup chicken broth

14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes

4 cups cooked white beans, thawed and drained, if using frozen

1 teaspoon sage

1 teaspoon parsley

2 cups baby spinach

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large skillet, sauté the sausages until they're cooked through, then slice them and set them aside.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat and swirl to coat the cooking surface. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 4 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté for a minute. Add the sausage, chicken broth, and diced tomatoes. Mix in the cooked white beans, sage, and parsley. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.

Add 2 cups of baby spinach and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.

Meal 4

Ingredients (copy and paste ingredients here to find the best deals!)

3 cups oil for frying

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon shortening, melted

1 (12 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

Directions

Heat oil in a heavy pot or deep fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Beat together egg, milk, and melted shortening; stir into flour mixture. Mix in the corn kernels.

Drop fritter batter by spoonfuls into the hot oil, and fry until golden. Drain on paper towels.

Meal 5

Baby Back Ribs

Prep Time:
8 Hrs

Cook Time:
2 Hrs 30 Min

Ready In:
10 Hrs 30 Min

Ingredients (copy and paste ingredients here to find the best deals!)

2 pounds pork baby back ribs

1 (18 ounce) bottle barbecue sauce

Directions

Tear off 4 pieces of aluminum foil big enough to enclose each portion of ribs. Spray each piece of foil with vegetable cooking spray. Brush the ribs liberally with barbeque sauce and place each portion in its own piece of foil. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

Bake ribs wrapped tightly in the foil at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 2 1/2 hours. Remove from foil and add more sauce, if desired.

Boston Baked Beans

Prep Time:
30 Min

Cook Time:
4 Hrs

Ready In:
5 Hrs

Ingredients (copy and paste ingredients here to find the best deals!)

2 cups navy beans

1/2 pound bacon

1 onion, finely diced

3 tablespoons molasses

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions

Soak beans overnight in cold water. Simmer the beans in the same water until tender, approximately 1 to 2 hours. Drain and reserve the liquid.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Arrange the beans in a 2 quart bean pot or casserole dish by placing a portion of the beans in the bottom of dish, and layering them with bacon and onion.

In a saucepan, combine molasses, salt, pepper, dry mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour over beans. Pour in just enough of the reserved bean water to cover the beans. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.

Bake for 3 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until beans are tender. Remove the lid about halfway through cooking, and add more liquid if necessary to prevent the beans from getting too dry.

Meal 6

Ingredients (copy and paste ingredients here to find the best deals!) 

12 whole Chicken Thighs, Bone-in, Skin-on

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 whole Yellow Onion, Diced

1-1/2 cup Whiskey

12 ounces, fluid Barbecue Sauce

1 jar Peach Preserves

1/2 cup Water

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

4 cloves Garlic, Peeled

3 whole Green Onions, Sliced Thin

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Heat oil and butter in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Place chicken thighs, four at a time, in the pot, skin side down. Brown both sides, then remove to a plate and repeat until all chicken is browned.

Pour off half the grease, then return pan to stove. Add onions to pan and stir, cooking for 2 minutes. Pour whiskey into the pot, being very careful if you're using an open flame. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan, allowing whiskey to reduce for a minute or two. Pour in barbecue sauce, peach preserves, water, and Worcestershire sauce. Throw in garlic cloves. Stir until combined, then return chicken to the pot, skin side up. Cover and put pot in oven.

Cook for 1 1/2 hours, then remove from oven.

Serve pieces of chicken over a big pile of smashed potatoes. Sprinkle sliced green onions over the top.